New Raised Beds - The Before and Demo

After many, many years of looking at the ugly flower beds between the driveway and the house, Colin decided it was time to replace them.  Here is how they looked when we bought the house 16 years ago:

Here is how they looked this spring (sorry I didn't take a good before picture before Colin started digging but you can see in the background that they haven't improved much in the last decade and a half):

The stone wall had fallen down.  The day lilies are nice, but they and the crabgrass seem to be the only thing that can grow there.  The azalea there flowers beautifully, if covered in snow all winter, but was very misshapen.  The section by the bulkhead just had weeds.  Three lovely people picked up the day lilies and the azalea.  (Some of the rooted azalea Alyssa transplanted.)  Colin dug out the poor quality soil and hauled it all up into the woods.  We used that dirt to build the new path in the woods (along with the dirt that we had dug out the driveway when making some of the raised beds).

Colin also hauled all the stone and added it the growing rock pile on the side of the house.

When removing the large concrete slabs by the bulkhead, we uncovered an enormous ants nest.

Pulling up Ferns

Our trail in the woods is looking great after our work on the boulder section. The straight shot up the hill is not great, but it is functional. Unfortunately the trail down is impassable after the ferns unfurl. This afternoon Alyssa spent some time pulling ferns and weeds and cutting back some small trees to clear a path once again.

Water and Sanding

We were supposed to have left for Florida this morning, but last night our flight was cancelled.  But in the end, it might have been for the best.

We had a lot of water in the basement this morning.  The sump pump has been acting up.  Sometimes it doesn't turn on, and sometimes it doesn't turn off (and smokes from overheating).  That's obviously not very safe, so Colin spent this evening running new pipes to the outside and installing a new sump pump. 

Meanwhile, Justin (who was surprised to see us) sanded the floor.

Wedi Board

 I was a bit surprised today when Valley Floors knocked on the door to finish up the Wedi board.  At their lunch break, I texted the photo above to Colin to him their progress.  He called right after my text to say that he hadn't run the wire to the bathtub outlet yet.  So it was my turn to do some wiring.  After some drilling, and digging around in the attic, I was able to run the wire.

There is still a bit a of gap between the Wedi board and the rounded ceiling on the wall above the shower head.

Evelyn liked standing in the new shower.

Spring Thaw

Well, we were wondering if they construction had any effect on the amount of water in our basement, and I think we received our answer this morning.  We have just about the same about of water as usual.  I think the addition and the drainage will help with summer thunderstorm seepage (no more water squirting out of the walls).  Unfortunately there is a lot of water that comes down off the hill.

The real problem is that the hole that our sump pump tube went through to get outside is gone.

For now, the water will have to go out through the bulk head.

Train Layout

With the dust vacuumed and the tools gone, the kids have been playing in the unfinished rooms.  Evelyn wanted to work with Colin on the little table in the living room.  We gave permission to Alistair to build a Lego train layout in the dining room.

Last Day of Major Work

Today was the last day of major work on the house.  While we're gone over spring break, Justin is going to sand and stain the floors and install some doors upstairs.  Valley Floors also has to come back and finish the shower walls. But that's about it.  Justin and Keefe came to the back door to say goodbye, and it was sad to see them go.  They have been great working with, and we are really happy with their work.

Obviously we have a lot that we still need to do - painting, finish carpentry, tiling, and electrical.  I think that will progress much more slowly.  

New Oak Floor

The weather was lovely yesterday so the guys worked on siding and trim.  Today they installed the new, beautiful oak floor.

Subfloor Issues and Remedies

The floor under the hardwood floor in the playroom is in bad shape.  There is some rot, Justin thinks was caused by a kitchen sink (there are plumbing holes by the rotted area).  There are some strange wear patterns that hint to a completely different configuration of the room.  (Note that the varnish where Evelyn is standing is still intact, and the floor around it worn lower.)

The other issue is that the playroom floor and the new addition don't line up exactly.  If left alone, the new plywood floor would be 1/4" lower than the addition plywood at one end and 3/4" higher at the other end.  Justin decided it would best to remove the subfloor in one section to be able to create a level floor.  (It was the rotten bit anyway.)

Hello basement.

Justin had to install new sistered joists (carefully over Colin's wiring), especially near the wall because the joist is under the living room wall.

Beautifully level and all ready for new oak flooring.

New Baseboard Heaters

Today Matt Piper's apprentice installed the new baseboard heaters upstairs and downstairs.  On Friday they started to install heaters downstairs that were way too tall to be compatible with the paneling that we will be installing. They were nearly eleven inches tall.  At just over nine inches, these new heaters are still taller than the other ones in our house, but they will fit with the paneling. 

Meanwhile, outside Justin and Keefe worked on the siding the trim.