I've mentioned somewhere along the way that our current house has:
Unique cut-out spaces:
Unique wall holes: Literally a framed hole in the wall so you can see from one room into the other.
Unique large framed-out boxes (for lack of a better description): 2 big boxes to be exact - one in the recreation room over the garage and one over the fireplace.
These Big Boxes:
Are eye sores
Take up precious space (at least one does)
Have a purpose...maybe??
Big Box #1 is above the fireplace (AKA: "The fireplace only a mother could love"). The box sits just about 12 inches above the mantle and juts out 19 inches, almost as much as the hearth. It is certainly an eye sore and I was hoping served no purpose. Day 1 in the house and I needed to see what was in that box. We drilled a large 2-inch hole in the side and a smaller 1-inch hole underneath. Shining a light in the hole on the underside, while peeking through the hole on the side, we could see the chimney chute re-routed and ran up through the heinous big box. So, bottom line, the big framed box unfortunately serves a purpose. More on the "Fireplace only a Mother Could Love" later, hopefully Fall 2017.
Bix Box #2: This framed box measures 28 x 54 inches, sits in the corner of the rec room, has pine plank top and appears to have been a tv
stand in the past. Putting a few things together in the rec room space this weekend and the curiosity overcame us! We decided to see what was in the big framed out box:
I said, "Get your drill and put some holes in it"
He said "That will make a mess and we won't be able to see inside. I'm going to take the top off."
I said, "ok"
So.........
1. Jason pried the pine planks off. This revealed a solid sheet of plywood.
He said, " I need my bigger crow bar"
2. Jason cracked the solid plywood top to reveal a peak of insulation.
He said, "This thing has more nails in it than a deck"
3. Shoe molding off and now plywood top now off. This reveals not only insulation, but additional 2x4 framing and MORE sheetrock
He said, "Should I drill a hole in the sheetrock?"
She thought, "Should have done that in the first place"
4. He drilled a hole in the sheetrock. He said , "Whoops!"
The Big Reveal: What's underneath the Big Built-In Box in the Rec Room Over the Garage??? The Garage! So...... no HVAC line, no plumbing, no weird electrical, just the garage!! The box lines up above the interior garage door leading into the house and allows for additional header space above the interior door.
Lesson Learned: Most Framed Out Boxes Have A Purpose
Maybe more importantly, can we modify the big box in the rec room to modernize the space? To be Determined.....stay tuned!
