There was one lucky break in the heat tape job — once I cut through the cabinet base I found the hole in the subfloor was already large enough. I didn’t have to cut through an inch of oak floor and subfloor to get into the hole.

I have nothing else to say that is positive. Wait, I have one: my new Rockwell oscillating multi tool was a pleasure to use and did a great job. Other than that, it was a horrible, frustrating and painful task and I’m glad I’m a girl because I cried through the whole thing.

In order to get far enough into that dark, cold space through a 12-inch hole, I reached in with one arm up to my shoulder, then turned 90 degrees and worked in the other shoulder. In that position I could just about reach in as far as I had to with the fingertips of one hand. Attempts to insulate in the past meant the hole was full of shredded fiberglass along with the dirt, mud and mouse shit where my face was pressed for a good four hours as I attached the tapes, wrapped them with fiberglass, wrapped the fiberglass with plastic strips and then rebuilt the cabinet base with luan. Despite plans to lie on a throw rug and kneel on a foam pad, most of those hours were hips and knees on that lovely tile floor, cold as a glacier. Took me two days to stand up straight again.

I’m being brief because it was three days ago and it was so hellish I haven’t been able to write about it until now. The job is done and I think it’s adequate. It better be because I cannot do it again.