Remodel: Day Eleven

The boys' hall

All the drywall is up. I hesitate to say the drywall is done because taping still need to happen. I don't know if taping is considered part of this phase or if it happens later. The project areas are looking different:

Bathroom looks more finished with drywall

Bathroom closet (looking more like a niche)

The north wall used to have a vent. 

Ceiling over the studio with the shed window and part of fireplace

Larry left a note that the drain finally arrived. Remember, the project was delayed nearly two weeks because the drain was delayed. The plumber will return to install it this week yet, which means the tile and concrete work should stay on schedule.

Remodel: Day Ten

One unhappy cat

More drywall went up on the ceiling today. Now the studio up to the kitchen is done as is the side entry down the boys' hallway. Yay! The porch ceiling, chimney, and bathroom are all that remain.

In which I am a little complainy. The plastic is starting to annoy me, mostly because I haven't planned very well. For two days in a row now, I have come home from the grocery store with perishables--eggs, milk, ice cream, raw shrimp--and not been able to get into the kitchen. And, it has been difficult to get to the working bathrooms. I now feel total empathy with Nancy, our poor cat who refuses to walk through the construction zone to get to her food or the litterbox.

There are so many screws in the drywall, which seems like overkill and reminds me of the thousands of staples that held down the carpet pad in our old house (John and I pried each out of the floor before we had the hardwood refinished). I am skeptical about how well the screwheads will be camouflaged before painting. Also, I'm noticing the drywall doesn't have the neatest edges and looks raggedy where it meets the walls. When the drywall sub did the walk-through he assured me that care would be taken to make neat edges. The goal of which is to avoid needing crown molding to cover the edges. Honestly, I don't have anything against crown molding but they don't fit our aesthetic, and the absence of them keeps the knotty pine walls from looking hokey. Hopefully Larry will be able to shed some light

More photos, hopefully, tomorrow.

Remodel: Week Three, All Drywall All the Time

Over the weekend, John and I went to Architectural Antiques to see the light fixture and assess the damage. The crack was pretty severe but only upon pretty close--18"--range. Andy, the owner, offered us the fixture at half price, but was washing his hands of the light. So, if it breaks, the fixture goes in the trash. John and I decided that from the distances of both the dining loft and floor level, no one would be able to see the cracks, especially if we turn the shade toward the fireplace or toward the center of the pendant arrangement, we may be able to camouflage the damage. We bought it. I find it only slightly bothersome that we bought a broken light, but it's far more interesting than a steel plate.

Today, the drywall specialists arrived. Larry's note read, "Drywall all week!" I don't think the exclamation point was necessary. Two dudes are doing all the work--the ceiling, fireplace, and the bathroom.

The drywall dudes hung still more plastic so that our house looked like a funhouse, or, as John put it, the alien quarantine scene from E.T. Despite all the plastic, this part of the work is an enormous mess. And, I'm okay with that. It's annoying, sure, but mostly I want the best results and leaving the popcorn texture will not allow a good fit between the old plaster and the new drywall.

Drywall progress

Layers

Pink board with lots of plaster on top

Fireplace

At the end of the day, much of the ceiling over the studio was finished. Woot!

Holes for lighting + lots and lots of screws to cover

It's going to be a long week.

Remodel: Day Eight

The house hopped with activity today. Construction Worker John was here to start Phase 2 framing. He prepped the dining loft and the built-in closet adjacent to the boys rooms for the drywall installers who will be here on Monday. It's All Sheetrock All the Time next week. I know this work includes the ceiling and the fireplace, but may also include the bathroom walls and ceiling.

The drywall was delivered by several burly fellows and now fills the studio.

Disaster was narrowly averted as Construction Worker John and I were reviewing the bathroom elevation and noticed that the electrical outlet was too close to the sink and wouldn't meet code. Quite frankly, I'm surprised that the electrical inspector didn't notice when he was here yesterday. 

The lads were home today so we cleared out rather than risk sitting in the den with the animals all day. But before we left the house, I took a phone call from Emily at Architectural Antiques, who called to give me bad news. In rewiring the ceiling fixture, a significant and obvious crack was detected in one of the shades. Too busy to process this information, I asked for a refund.

Then, I went to my Pinterest lighting board, where this light immediately caught my eye:

I clicked through to the website and put in a request for a quote. Chances are that if you have to ask for a quote, you don't want to know. But, I really like this fixture, and it's close to the antique light.

Husband John was kind of attached to the antique fixture so we're going to drive over to Architectural Antiques tomorrow to see the extent of the crack and whether we might be able to camouflage it. Among other things, it could be a better placeholder than a plate.

Remodel: Day Seven and Lighting

Both Larry and an electrician were here this morning, but only briefly. The city's electrical inspector stopped by at 11 and poked around briefly before signing off on the building permit. Since there isn't much to report today, I thought I'd focus on lighting, which was the purpose of my field trip to Architectural Antiques yesterday.

To get oriented, below is a "before" photo of the ceiling.

What you may not be able to see is the ceiling pitch, which is one huge slope that levels out at the very bottom where it culminates in the porch ceiling. Another thing you may not be able to see is the ceiling height. I have always rounded way up to 20' but the highest point over the studio* is 14'. This isn't crazy high, but it's high enough where serious ladders are required for changing light bulbs, and our tendency is to hire someone to change them. We've only had to do this once because, fortunately the recessed fixtures required CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) that have a 5-8 year life.

On my first meeting with Aaron, I decided that I didn't only want to repair the ceiling, but I wanted more light and proposed installing LED fixtures. Aaron and the electrician he brought in were all over LEDs. The new configuration would feature two rows of three LED glimpse lights with one row at the "bottom" (near the front porch) and one row at the "top" (closest to the dining loft).

We would also install a more decorative ceiling fixture in the center, directly over the sitting area of the studio. I imagined this fixture would be sculptural and would provide visual interest from both the lower level and from the dining loft above.

The following were deemed suitable candidates on the basis of aesthetics:

Each of these fit the requirement of being sculptural and interesting from above and below. And, each had the added benefit of being the right scale. We have a huge space to fill, and I'd like to take advantage of that. But, each fixture runs between $5000 and $10,000. Sigh.

Do you see where I'm going with these particular fixtures? All of them are balanced like mobiles. So why not a mobile? These caught my eye:

We're not quite "sold." Can't commit. So I told Ashley I didn't think we'd find anything before the project ended, and I didn't, quite frankly, want to be pressured into something to fill space. She said the electrician could run the wiring and put a plate over the hole, which would leave us prepared for whenever we found something at our leisure.

Then, John found this midcentury fixture by doing a keyword Google search:

It was perfect--the aesthetic, the period (1960s), the length, the price. It required rewiring, which was included in the price. Sold!

*studio is the term we use for our living room. Because we thought we'd make things there. Which we don't. But we still prefer the way it sounds.

Remodel: Day Six and a Field Trip

Almost every morning since construction began, Larry has started our conversations with "I sent you an email this morning," but of course I hadn't seen it.This morning, though, I managed to check email even before Facebook, and there was an email from Larry informing us that the linear drain for the shower still hasn't arrived. He apologized and promised to stay on top of it. Apparently the plumber was supposed to install it today. Larry's hope is that the drain will be here in time for the concrete and tile to stay on schedule. I hope so, too.

Consequently, only the electricians are working today, and they weren't expected until the afternoon. Fortunately, I had exciting plans for the day: a morning field trip to Architectural Antiques in Northeast Minneapolis and an afternoon outing with my friend Caryl. We attended a delightful presentation about Laura. Ingalls. Wilder. at the Hamline Midway library where we were the youngest audience members by 15 years.

First, the field trip: Architectural Antiques in Nordeast. My mission was to inspect a light fixture for the studio. John found the perfect period-appropriate hanging fixture online, but I needed to see it hanging in the store and make sure it was installation-ready. Although I located the light almost immediately and could have completed the transaction quickly, I took some time to imprint this amazing repository of lighting, furniture, ecclesiastical pieces (altars, lecterns, statuary, and more), columns, arches, and more, spanning decades and historical periods. Check out some of these goodies:

cherub

Eastlake window locks

Raytheon radar

Stairway with wainscoting and attached doorframe

Bowling alley seating

Perfect for someone else's house

I bought the light fixture, which I will reveal tomorrow. It needs to be rewired from vapor wiring, which enabled a gas charged light bulb, to conventional electrical wiring. At the same time, I may have the cords lengthened depending on ceiling placement.

The electricians were here this afternoon. Earlier this week, they had discovered that the outlets on the front porch that have never worked are (actually) on a switch. You have to flip a switch to turn on the outlets. I don't even know why someone would want that, but there you have it. Among other wiring work, the electricians "hotwired" the front porch, and now the outlets are not connected to a switch. They also attended to an outlet that doesn't seem to work only to confirm that it does in fact work but that it wasn't grounded. To ground it, a hole would be cut in the wall to find the grounding wire and attach it. Seems simple but the cutting up the wall part isn't so easy as the wall is covered in wood paneling that would need to be removed and replaced so we're taking a pass for now. The lead electrician was in a much better mood today and gave me some ideas for getting more light into various areas of the house, especially in the shed dormer area over the dining loft. Filing away for phase 2.

Remodel: Day Five

Today was a quiet day. The roofer was the only worker today, and I barely heard him. He prepped the area around the new venting, which was the HVAC specialist's contribution yesterday. I just noticed it for the first time from Winston's bedroom (pictured above). Shiny.

The electrician was scheduled to be here today but is coming on Wednesday instead. The plumber will be here on Wednesday as well. So Wednesday will not be a quiet day with disruptions to power and water likely. I tried to make the most of being at home and the ability to use water and power with impunity. I washed dishes and laundry with abandon, especially the unexpected loads of laundry (keep reading).

I think the animals appreciated the quiet, too. They're a little stressed out by having strangers in the house. August just barks. But, Nancy has been protesting by peeing in various places around the house. This morning, the unmistakable tang of cat urine hit me before I even entered the boys bathroom. Nancy had peed on the bath mat and on the shower curtain. Not to be outdone, August then marked the spot on the floor where the bath mat had been, even though I'd applied the enzymatic cleaner. Argh. I have set up a litterbox in the boys' bathroom. Finding one that was small enough to fit behind the door wasn't easy but I did find a biodegradable box, which works with the temporary nature of this setup. My hope is that by creating an accessible spot for them to do their business, they won't need to walk through the construction zone to get to their litterbox. Poor stressed-out animals, indeed.

Remodel: Day Four

After a quiet weekend where we allowed ourselves more time to adjust to the disarray of living with construction, it all got a little more real. Larry arrived around 8:30 with the plumber close on his heels. During our touch base, I was informed that, in addition to the plumber, the electricians and HVAC specialist would be here all day. So, no water, no power.

And, guess who is here all day because there is no school for MLK Day? And, guess who has an assignment due on Wednesday? Yup. Thing 1 and Thing 2. Fortunately Winston was able to go over to Peter F's house to play. Simon and I picked up John and took him to Zen Box for ramen and takoyaki. Then we camped out at Dunn Brothers.

Upon our return home, progress was evident. A four-foot long slice of ceiling was missing from above the original entry, and that hole freaked me out a little.

Before (note recessed lighting and chimney water damage)

recessed lighting gone! smaller holes cut for LEDs.

closer view. note guidelines!

All the existing light fixtures had been removed thus leaving several large holes. New holes had been drilled uniformly for the new LED lights. And, another but much longer slice of ceiling was missing near the fireplace. The electricians were cleaning up when I arrived so I said hello. The apparent lead electrician said, "Let's just say you've got an architecturally challenging house." Why, thank you. But, I'm sure he didn't mean it as a compliment.

Scaffolding

Other changes included prepping the space. Scaffolding that resembled a jungle gym had been set up in the studio. The furniture that had been wrapped in plastic on Friday was further consolidated and wrapped again. The peninsula was shrouded in plastic. Another sheet of plastic had been hung over the kitchen doorway. With my prospect removed, I missed my open kitchen immediately.

Old insulation + new insulation (pink stuff)

I spent some time exploring and taking photographs. Then I sat down in the den, in my Mama Bear chair, to process the changes before fixing dinner in my newly, temporarily enclosed kitchen. And that's when I heard running water. When I looked in the general direction of the running water, I saw Nancy in the laundry basket of clean clothes--my clean clothes--and realized she was using it as a litter box. Grrr. Poor kitty.

Remodel: Day Three

For a split second this morning, we thought we might have a reprieve from construction. Fine thinking when we're only two days into a six week project. I know. But work wasn't on the schedule, and no one had shown up by 8 a.m., and the guys are pretty punctual so one can hope.

shower niche framing

medicine cabinet framing

And, then they arrived and spent the day framing--the new linen closet, the shower niche, and the recessed medicine cabinet. The carpenters also wrapped all our belongings in the studio--bookcases, furniture, boxes--to protect it from construction dust in the upcoming week. Everything is shrouded as if in a cocoon. And, I'm grateful because in the cruel light of day, I can see that every horizontal surface in the kitchen and dining loft has an inevitable, but fine, layer of dust on it. 

At the end of the day, Larry left us a note to say that we have quite a bit of copper pipe, which is good. There had been some concern about lead pipe, which would need to be replaced to meet current building code. I'm not exactly sure how, but copper means a different kind of routing and additional cost. Yay!

August looking cute but small

August survived his first week of construction. He hated being confined to the den, and I can only imagine him going ape-shit when I leave the house. The cats are a little freaked out too. But, here's hoping they'll have a better week.

Remodel: Day Two

Hanging by a thread

A lot of loud noise and thumping and banging came from the general direction of the rest of the house. For most of the day, I stayed somewhat locked in the den and recapped my reading year before too much more of 2015 gets away from me. That said, I didn't have much time to check in with the carpenters, and they left before I got back from picking up kids and running errands. When I went downstairs to use the guest bathroom, I noticed the towel rack mounted on the wall over the toilet was on the floor with towels scattered everywhere. The vibrations of power tools must have popped  the rack right off the wall. Crazy!

Here's what I know: jackhammers were used. Here's what I observed: the blue bathroom is devoid of almost all evidence of its former self. All the fixtures are gone, including the last half of the tub. The walls are completely down to the studs and the floor is exposed concrete. Even the closet framing has been removed. I hadn't imagined that the closet would be demo'ed, which means that we're really building up from scratch.

The schedule doesn't indicate that work is being done tomorrow. That can't be true. I'm feeling a little exhausted. The construction binder said that demolition would be stressful, and initially I was too excited and busy packing to think much about it. Here on Thursday, it's true, the week has been stressful. But, it's a good kind of stress, if that makes sense. It's the anticipation and the uncertainty and the change to routine--all of that attendant emotion sucked the life out of me. I plan to self-medicate with a cocktail and a pizza.

Remodel: Day One

We survived the first day of construction! I had been apprehensive, not knowing what to expect because the schedule was vague: prep and demolition. Larry, our contractor, and two other guys arrived punctually at 8 a.m. and promptly taped heavy brown paper on the stairs and over various pathways through the house. And, then they cranked KQ92, the classic rock station, and started ripping up the bathroom.

First the toilet and sink were removed. 

The CMU (right) was once the house's exterior wall

The tub was cut in half to ease removal and to get it through doors. One half went out to the dumpster today; the other half will go tomorrow. Manageable chunks of vinyl flooring and wallpaper-covered drywall left the house in utility buckets. A few weeks ago, my friend Rose said, "It will be interesting to see what you find once you get into the walls." And, indeed, among the wall detritus were many safety razor blades. At some earlier point in the bathroom's history, there would have been a slot in the wall where razor blades could be deposited. A little internet research showed pictures of slots built into medicine cabinets and even tiles. 

The wall above the sink was framed for a medicine cabinet once upon a time ago.

When Simon and Winston arrived home from school, they were assaulted by a chemically, burned smell. So, we asked, "what is that smell?" and were told that it was a combination of the tub's plastic coating and the demolition saw's coating.

The animals fared well. August was contained in the den all day and only occasionally curious about the bumping and thumping and clanging. Nancy appeared in the den at some point during the day and proceeded to use a cardboard box as a litterbox. She was certain about not wanting to leave the den. Trixie was missing all day. I had dark fantasies of her being sealed in an open space so that the next person who renovated would find a cat skeleton in the wall where we'd found razor blades. She finally appeared just before 9 p.m. Phew.