House Renovation: Week One

Wow. It's been a long week. We've moved and simultaneously plunged into a major renovation. Surprisingly, while we are tired and stressed, we are having a great time. We are so lucky to be doing this renovation and to have the help of our wonderful families and friends. Thanks y'all! I've been trying to keep up with the process in between work, contractor meetings and late night gutting/moving stuff out of the way for the next days step. Proof that this is really all happening below:

On Monday our house received a delivery of LVL's, strapping and other lumber...poor little house was stuffed to the brim.

The old rotting wood column and jack column were removed from the basement, old concrete was cut out and a brand new footing was poured!

The plumbers had to come in and cut the old cast iron pipe and all other old plumbing that was in the way of the LVL installation.

Check out those notched beams under the bathroom! Yeah, I was scared to walk on the floor above that (no worries it's fixed now!).

We gladly came in Monday night after a long long weekend to tear out the rest of the lath, plaster and wood paneling in the entry hall so that our contractor could install beams in that area too.

Goodbye toilet. Hello downstairs.

Our very own accidental skylight in the bathroom. We managed to patch this one up last night about one hour before it started raining. And by we I of course mean P because I was too scared to get all the way up on the roof. I know, I know...I'm a chicken. I think I'm going to brave it this weekend in the sunshine...not as the sun is setting...and no, I don't know why that makes a difference.

I had to throw this one in. We had to turn our clawfoot tub on it's side to get it through the bathroom door (it's a fatty). This is what we discovered on the bottom, circa November 14th 1935. Our plumber picked up one end and said "oh yeah, this is one of the light ones". Ummmm, my arms beg to differ. I guess I am just thankful we don't have one of the heavy ones. Btw, anyone want to buy a tub?

Just look at this beam! Isn't it beautiful!?! Most of the joists under the second floor are getting one LVL sistered onto them to stiffen the whole house up (it really has worked, the upstairs used to be like a trampoline). Then two beams (made of three LVLs each) will sit on the sill and carry the load from upstairs. All of this to remove two interior walls (and stiffen up the whole house). It seems excessive, but guys, I can already tell it is so worth it! I can't wait for wall-less pictures!

Speaking of wall-less pictures. Proof that one of the walls has already been removed! We plan on filling in where the walls once were with a contrasting hardwood and then finishing the floors all at once.

Just two days after delivery, look how much smaller that pile of LVLs has gotten! Oh I can not wait to get over there tonight and see the progress. They are hoping to have all installed by the end of this week...which means, no walls no walls! So exciting.

Back down in the basement the two lally columns have been installed. See them there in the back?

Renovations make Porky tired.


Whew. It makes me kind of tired just looking at the photos. I know some of you might be thinking, "what are K and P doing during all of this?". Well, over the next week we have to continue coordinating with the professionals while simultaneously gutting the rest of the upstairs and getting the demo debris out of the professionals way. It doesn't sound all that hard, but it really is. Plaster is heavy heavy stuff. Yuck. So, in the words of our electrician, "wow, you guys have a lot of work to do before I can start". Yes, yes we do.