Bathroom Demo Day

Today was demo day for the kids bathroom.  So glad to see that strange bathroom surround gone.  The new tub is a bit wider and longer so the cabinet needed to go too.

The guys rearranged the living room to have better access to the plumbing  

The studs are rotated flat, so in order to have a niche, Justin furred out the studs.

Transformative Changes

Today completely transformed our house.  But first, in the morning, Justin and Keefe finished framing Evelyn's room and installed some more posts upstairs in the "blue room" to support the new beams in the attic.

When we returned from AVA camp the doorway between the living room and dining room was open and they started to remove the wall between the hallway (a.k.a. the Tunnel) and the new dining room.  The wall was made of rocklathe, so they cut it into panels.  Messy stuff.

We can't believe the transformation!  There is so much light!  The house feels so much bigger, and the house feels much more square, rather than narrow and long.  It is strange to stand in a place and be able to see things we couldn't before.  We love it.  The transformation makes the mess worthwhile.

Here is the tour from Charlotte:

Even More Windows

We are all so excited to see the windows installed and the demolition of wall between the old playroom and the addition.  It is unbelievably bright, even on this overcast day.  We can visualize our having coffee/tea in the morning and looking out into the garden.

Windows!

Today was another "wow" day.  Alyssa went upstairs for something and was surprised to see the exterior wall in the 'blue room" gone.  By the end of the day Evelyn's room had all three windows installed.

 

We met with Berne this morning too.  Things are going to be moving quickly the next few weeks.  Tomorrow more demo and more windows.  Next week is interior framing upstairs and spray foam insulation on Friday.  Plumbing the week after.

Stripping the Roof

Like yesterday, the weather today was springlike and warm, with temperatures in the mid 50's.  It was a good day to strip the old shingles off the roof.  They put new wood down on the roof and the black waterproof membrane.

Demo Day

Today Alyssa kept hearing Chip Gain's (from HGTV's Fixer Upper) voice in her head, excitedly proclaiming "It's Demo Day!"  Today Justin and Keefe took down the lower playroom ceiling (which oddly was plaster on top of drywall), the lower ceiling framing, and the old plaster and lath ceiling.  In between the ceilings was a layer of insulation we had blown in.  They also took off the walls and and the hallway ceiling.  The girls didn't like the reciprocating saw.

Beginnings of a Second Floor

The temperatures this morning were below zero, so the guys started in the basement, pouring the concrete footings for the new posts.

Then, when it warmed up a bit, they went outside build the decking for the second floor.  They then stripped the siding off the second story.  Evelyn thought it was pretty funny to see the guys outside the window.  We opened it up to say hello.

Breaking Through

Today the construction broke through into our house.  In order to determine the exact height of the ceiling in the addition, they needed to tear down a section of the existing ceiling, which is lower than original ceiling.  They also cut openings in the exterior wall in both rooms match that ceiling height and connect the framing.  They also built temporary walls to support the ceiling so that they can cut through the exterior framing to build the new support beams.  In short, our house is now very dusty and drafty.

Here you can see the old plaster and lath ceiling.

A few of the outside from this morning.

Demolition and Lumber

 

January 3 - Today Justin and Keif started with a little demo - they tore off the siding outside the playroom and the the living room.  At one point, the pictures on the wall of the playroom were shaking, so I took them down.  You can see our lovely rubbish insulation (at least there was some) poking out from a gap in the siding.  

The lumber also came today.  Exciting to think about what it will turn into.  

Evelyn did not like the noise when they drilled in the board (right).  She was telling them (through the glass), "Keep it down, okay?!"

The slab now has foam board and is all cleaned up.

Reassembling the Hallway Upstairs

Today Colin continued working on the hallway upstairs.  This weekend we started taping and mudding the drywall we hung last weekend, and we are getting the top of the stairs ready to nail in the wood ceiling.  It dawned on us that we have not had a proper ceiling at the top of the stairs in about five years or more.  We took down the horrible ceiling tiles and then realized that the roof was leaking, so we decided to wait until we replaced the roof.  That took a while.

Colin also finished demolishing the old archway that was between the hall and what we are now calling The Blue Room, since we are thinking of painting it Benjamin Moore Mill Springs Blue. 

 All of this demolition has left us with a lot of plaster and lathe and garbage.

Goodbye Door

Colin attacked the door at the top of the stairs.  When we first bought the house, this door was painted a light purple.  The door was the interior door for the upstairs apartment, so we don't need it anymore.  We couldn't believe how wide and open the top of the stairs is without the door.  We haven't figured out what exactly what to do with the transition, but like everything else, we will.

Opening Up the Floor

This week, Colin started wiring for the new bathroom as well as rewiring what was the kitchen and the living room. Chris also ripped up the old floor so that the plumber (Shawn) can run the pipes. In the photo below, the joists under the plywood run perpendicular to the wall. There appears to have been a staircase at some point (fifty years ago or more). Very curious as to what the layout of this house has been over time.

No sign of any bats in the attic today.

Bathroom To Be - Demolition

This morning the guys cut away the floor where the bathroom is going to be.  It looks like the floorboards were replaced, maybe for stairs.  We often wonder what configurations and additions this house has been through in the past 150 years.

End of First Day Demo Upstairs

By the end of the day yesterday Chris, Brian, and Dennis had taken down the laundry room wall and the wall between the living room and kitchen.  You can see the stack from the downstairs bathroom that used to run in the wall separating the two rooms.  With the wall gone, the space seems huge, like we should have a dance party or something. 

Demo Phase Two - Upstairs

Today is the first day of work on the upstairs master suite.  Alistair was happy to see Chris, Brian, and Dennis again.  It didn't take them long to knock down the flimsy laundry room wall.  Already the space seems so different.

Brian found evidence of munching carpenter ants on the little kitchen window header, which was what we expected.  We had heard munching and even witnessed a mass exodus of flying male ants.

Roof

On Thursday, Mitch and his guys started ripping the shingles off the roof. Today they started on the west side of the roof. The east side is always pretty shady, so there was a bit of rot on the lower sections of the roof. Some of the boards and the fascia board are being replaced. It makes me nervous just seeing those guys up on the steep roof.

Side Porch Demolition Part Two

Goodbye decking and dodgy wood joists.

Side Porch Demolition Part One

Things are moving along with the porch. The gable over the new stairs (yet to be built) is finished and painted. Dennis has put the decking on nearly half of the back porch. Today they are working on the side porch. The rafters and joists were in worse shape than we thought, so they are going to rebuild parts of it. They are making quite a racket taking apart the base.

A Big Hole in our House

Today Chris and Dennis opened up the wall that have the new dormer. It is somewhat unsettling to have a huge hole on the side of your house.
The closet has also been removed from that room. Of the three bedroom closets in this house, two are less than two feet deep. We'll make this one bigger, so Charlotte can actually hang her clothes in it.