Phase one: Build new room off of living room to the enclosed stage. (projected completion July 17)-- on schedule
Phase two: Build new combination bathroom/laundry and dining area to the enclosed stage. (projected completion Aug. 3rd ) -- behind 2 weeks
Phase three: Build new pantry and kitchen space to the enclosed stage. (projected completion Aug. 31st){possibly Sept. 15th, since Phase 2 had delays}
Here we go again.
Before pictures.
Time for some demolition.
If we were beginning to second guess our decision to upend our lives and live in utter chaos, just to have a nicer pantry, this demolition section confirmed the NEED for removing the utility room and rebuilding a new one.
We discovered that not only was the old utility room oddly built a step down from the rest of the house and accessed only 'through' the bathroom, but it was also built on the ground. No foundation of any kind.. no barrier for the snow melt or rain runoff. Since it was built this way, the boards were rotting away. Since the boards were rotting away the entire floor was sagging and literally disconnecting the utility room from the house. Since it was sagging, there was extra pressure on the water lines from the well/pump to the pressure tank. Since there was extra pressure on the water lines the fittings didn't fit together properly... which caused them to leak. Since the water lines below the floor were leaking, more moisture was rotting away the floor boards. Since the floor was rotten, there were sections of floor that had caved in and a thin linoleum had been placed over it... to 'hide it?'.
But it gets better.. worse... well..
Since the room was sagging and pulling away from the house, mice found a way into the walls of the room. As the demolition continued and they pulled off the wall panels, they discovered an enormous and very disgusting 'mouse poop pinata'. It showered down on them. ewww!!! very gross. The evidence would suggest that they had been living in the walls for a number of years.. before we arrived.
There's more!
Since the mice had been living in the walls, they had also taken to chewing on the electrical wires. They had chewed through both the wires and had exposed the bare wires.. As annoyed and disgusted as we were, we were also very grateful that their fire hazard attempts had not succeeded in causing an electrical fire!
To complete our demolition of danger and disturbance, we discovered a bee hive in the rafters.
We were pleased to see the rented dumpster cart off all of the disgusting remains.
Now to rebuild the utility/pantry room. Once again, dig holes and pour concrete.
The weather is cooperating and we're full steam ahead.
There's a haze in the air... We aren't certain where it's coming from, and we're not enjoying breathing it in, but on with the renovations.
Floor joists.
The lumber store delivered the wrong size. 12" instead of 9". They were sorry.. and would happily exchange them.. in about a week. Already behind schedule and unable to put off construction, some recalculating was done and the 12" joist were made to work. (Lumber store, apologized and only charged for the 9" ones.)
Adjustments were applied and the floor building continued.
Plumbing.... Full Stop.
This seemed to be the beginning of the real inconveniences.
Water had to be turned off for an entire day! And electrical was also turned off periodically.
the pressure tank system had to be rebuilt in it's new location. It took longer than anticipated.. (learning that most phases take longer than anticipated).
After a day and a half of no water, everything was turned back on. By the next morning, we discovered that it was leaking. A lot.
It wasn't a matter of tightening, it had to be rebuilt again. After consulting the internet, and asking at the store, another day was spent without water while the system was rebuilt, again. This time a new approach to the gluing and threading of connectors was tried.
It worked.
We had water again.
I showered, ran load after load of laundry and washed every dish we owned.
That night, it snowed.
The new pressure tank system which will one day be enclosed since it's in our new and improved and enlarged, wonderful utility/pantry room, was not yet enclosed. No walls or roof had yet been constructed. So it was essentially sitting outside on a glorious open to the freezing elements deck.
Yes.. pipes. froze.
We turned off the water for yet another day, and drained the pressure tank. When Patrick returned he made a few adjustments and we were once again back in business.
Now we wrapped bats of insulation, blankets and a tarp around our water giving friend and ran a trickle of water in the sinks at night.
The pressure to finish the exterior of the construction before anymore freezing conditions was mounting.
Every spare minute had already been devoted to construction, but now with the days getting shorter, more and more was being done by flood lights and in the dark.
In our extra spare time.. when Mr. Boss Nougat Nutbar (Patrick's new name) isn't around (wasting time at that other money paying job)... we sometimes do things other than eat, cook, clean, school and play games... The new room needed some work before guests arrived. It also would help to keep the house a bit warmer if it had some insulation. So Jim and Duncan donned protective masks and goggles and began insulating and then drywalling the room. It really is going to be nice to have it finished.
We put up the last piece of drywall in the room about an hour before Caleb and Connolly's arrived.
Visitors for Labour day weekend or no visitors.. the weather forecast for a steep drop in temperatures and more snow kept us focused on continuing the construction. Thankfully the visitors were willing to assist with the next stage. Hefting the 600 pound beam into the rafters.
This beam was so that I can have the open span in my new open kitchen area. We discussed multiple ways to lift it and in the end, it went up without a hiccup.
Duncan, even felt like doing some chin-ups afterward, so it couldn't have been too arduous.
Walls
They make the other parts of the construction look as tedious as they are.. The walls go up quickly and seem so impressive. They define that we aren't just goofing off, there is a method to all this and it's beginning to literally, take shape. With visitors here for the long weekend, we made great headway...
but... then the extra help had to leave... But the forecast was still calling for SNOW! so we had to call in reinforcements. The 'B' crew.
We measured between the 2x4 framing and wrote the measurements down. We were very exact.
We also discussed fractions and reducing fractions.. but we didn't mention the backward numbers... Writing with a sharpie on wood, upright is a new skill.
Then we called out the measurements to the sawman, (Daddy). Then we tapped them into place in between each stud. Jim and Duncan followed behind to nail them in more securely.
They didn't appreciate our whimsical arrangements. (So boring!)
Another task that we took care of was knocking down the temporary supports, (they weren't needed anymore) and removing the nails.
Minors (and I) have specific working conditions that must be adhered to. One is no power tools. Another is no long hours... or rather, long hour. It was definitely break time. (And I had sawdust in my eyes and a sliver already.)
We have high tech safety measures implemented.
There is a metal rack for stacking our winter firewood on the porch. I hadn't given it any thought at all, but it was in front of the new wall to the addition. The only way to access the addition is in between the framing off of the porch. Apparently construction workers over the height of 5'4" have all been banging their heads on the metal post. So now the high tech safety measures. (a yellow streamer)
Had I known, I'd have suggested moving it out of the way.
The dedicated workers continued into the wee hours concerned over the cold forecast.
And snow it did. And temperature plummet, it did!
Not a lot of snow. It did melt by the end of the day, but the bigger concern was the temperature.
Without a roof yet, we haven't chimneys, so we can't light a fire. So we bundled up. It was only forecasting a week of freezing temperatures! We kept building right through the cold.. Okay.. Patrick kept building.. I bundled up some more!
And then on one of our cold mornings, we woke to discover no water pressure. We were baffled until, a confession from the boys that when they were driving their wiggle cars recklessly in the new addition, they ACCIDENTALLY bumped the valve on the water tank and water starting going everywhere. So the floor and the insulation below became waterlogged and the plastic sheeting below ripped. (Patrick had to remove the wet insulation and reinsulate a section of floor and then patch the plastic sheeting. The water tank was not permanently damaged, but the boys were banned from riding their cars in the addition anymore.
We spent a day without heat or water.
When I say we were without heat... I neglect to mention the electric heater that we moved to where ever we were congregated. It was well loved.
The boys built robot suits from the chimney pipe boxes! Complete with cat carrying compartments.
Windows were installed. Exterior walls were put up. Enclosing the addition was much desired. And then...
In order to complete the exterior enclosing, a hole needed to be put in the wall... my bedroom wall! The two windows in my room were being removed. No problem! It's only 36 degrees outside.
But they did need to go. One was becoming a wall instead of a window that looked into the new pantry. The other was being replaced since it was broken. Replaced with a larger one that opened. So I packed up my room, moved the bed out of the way and covered everything left with plastic. One long day and my room was all buttoned up again. Better than ever. And construction left my room and returned to the exterior enclosing once again. (It seems that construction reaches a certain stage in each area and then it's moving on time. My walls now need painting.. but since there will be another demolition on the other wall, we wait to paint.)
Phase four: New Roof (projected completion Sept. 7) {probably more like Sept. 18th}
This phase snuck in and became part of phase 3 when we weren't looking. It may have just been a HUGE priority and we tackled parts of it whenever we could. Heat was priority number 1.
Every spare minute and some we couldn't spare were spent enclosing the house so we could put the roof on! Late, cold nights. Early morning starts. Long... long days. Gratefully Patrick worked half days for a week and came home and worked some more... on the roof. Even before the exterior siding was on the house, the roof and subsequently THE CHIMNEY's, began to go on.
When the first day of roofing finally arrived, Patrick made an offhand comment. "Probably should have had you painting the trim so the drip edge won't be in the way."
umm.. what?? I could have been painting all this time? So.. I changed into my painting clothes in a jiffy and was racing to paint the trim as fast as I could ahead of the roofers. One evening and an afternoon and I had finished. There was a section that I couldn't quite reach, so the handy roofers lay on the roof and reached over the edge to paint it for me. Then I carried on. Until... this section... where I had to be on the roof. It wasn't even the steep section. I am not a fan. Don't know why I'm fine on the ladder but not on the roof. Sure hope it never needs another coat of paint.
Back to the waiting game. If the weather cooperates and they finish the exterior paneling, I may get a chance to do some house painting also. (keeping my fingers crossed).
As for suggested completion dates.... It's still September, just, and we're starting some areas of phase 5 while we finish up the tail ends of phases 3. Phase 4 thankfully is completed. (Pesky.. oh, we need to get some firewood for winter, keeps rearing its ugly head also.)
Meanwhile supply deliveries have become so commonplace that I don't take photos anymore. They also signal more work... In the dry summer weeks we could have the pallets placed near the work area and use the supplies from there, but now items need to be tarped or carried into the house or addition areas to stay dry or keep from freezing. I helped pack 126 boxes of flooring, 22 packages of insulation and 10 sheets of drywall.. the other 60 sheets of drywall... well I held the door. (drywall is both heavy and awkward to carry)
There's rarely a moment of peace and quiet and every task is interrupted. And everyone still wants to eat.
Coming up... the final finishing of Phases 3 and then full force into phase 5.. which we are sneaking in and starting a little bit already. Plus hopefully some painting.
Phase five: Interior drywall, electrical and plumbing. (projected completion Sept 14){maybe Nov. 1st?}
Phase six: Arrange cabinetry in kitchen and install counters (projected completion Sept 21){maybe Nov. 15th?}
Phase seven: Flooring throughout house ?} (projected completion Oct. 10){maybe Dec. 1st}
Phase eight: Complete interior of kitchen/pantry (projected completion Oct 17){maybe Dec. 15th?}
Phase nine: Complete interior of bathroom/laundry (projected completion Nov. 2nd){maybe Jan. 15th?}
Phase ten: Complete new room off of living room (projected completion Nov. 14){somehow this got bumped and will likely be completed.. Oct. 10th?}
