response 23 of 119:

Jan 22 16:43 UTC 2007

We will be running most of the electrical wiring in surface conduit or
wiremold, after the wallboard.  We have temporary fluorescent shop lights in
now, very handy.  Most of the comforts of home.  The toilet gets flushed with
rain water and we bring over bottles of drinking water and try to wash dishes
with them.  I froze yesterday, a hot bath did not thaw me, and I am spending
the day trying to get warm (mostly in bed) while Jim weatherstrips the first
door, which might contain the smoke (in the basement) or at least will let
us know if it is coming from both sides of that door.  Weatherstripping the
door to the front hall eliminated half the problem, last summer.  Three more
doors to weatherstrip after that, if necessary.  I could seal off the laundry
room (and wash in the kitchen sink?), which is where the return air passes
through a channel formed by nailing a sheet of metal over the joists, but then
there is a risk of the pipes there freezing.  No basement wall insulation 
The ductwork there is an absolute mess, some of it leftover from before it
was split into apartments and not used.  

If I have to seal off the entire basement area, we would have to use a bucket
as a toilet.  I doubt privies are legal in the city.  A usable kitchen would
be nice.  The smoke may be coming in through holes in the floor (where the
gas piping comes in for the stove, in two different places).