Some progress

After taping and mudding, the walls were texturized in preparation for painting. We expect painting to occur this week, followed by trim work. We are on a rocket timeline to finish early in the new year.

A busy week

It's been a busy week. Our gas line is active. Our electrical is roughed in. A crew hung sheetrock (taping and mudding begins next week). With a forecasted 7 day stretch of sunshine, the gang also is working furiously to complete siding so that the painter can coat the exposed portions of the exterior before the autumn rains return. As you can see, the back of the house already has been painted. On Tuesday, we meet with the cabinet maker. On Wednesday, we discuss flooring.

A little more progress

We added a small accent to the front porch with a window we salvaged from the original home. The house is in the process of being wired.

Uh, it's a lot bigger than it seemed on paper

The mudroom and nook have been framed, and the front porch is now covered. Two 4x4 skylights will be installed over the porch and mudroom before the roofers arrive, and hopefully will allow ample natural light, even during cloudy days. Inside, the dining room, kitchen and breakfast nook run unimpeded from the front of the house clear to the rear.

Mudroom and Nook

Progress on the front porch

Today they laid the beam for the roof over the front porch. They also attached joist hangers and ran our new gas line. Light rain is scheduled for the weekend.

Ductwork everywhere

Well, after much fretting, heating and ductwork has been installed. We opted for a high-efficiency 95+ variable speed furance to keep us warm during the winter. Work already has begun on the front porch. And pressed concrete was poured into the mudroom last week. After the porch, mudroom and breakfast nook are framed, we expect to begin on electrical. And so it goes...

Plumbing!

Our plumbing has been roughed in. The plans call for 3 full baths -- master and kids' bathrooms on the second floor, and a guest bathroom on the first floor. In one photo, you can see plumbing for the kids' sink in the foreground and the bathtub in back. In the distance you can see the space for the master shower. The other photo is of the guest bathroom, which, in addition to sink, toilet and shower, will have a stacked washer/dryer. It's amazing what you can pack into a 50 sq ft space.

Next up: HVAC and electrical.

Progress

Lest anyone forget about our "other project," here are some photos of progress since our last post. The second floor is framed out, and stairs have been added from the main floor. Some kitchen windows were moved to make way for the anticipated sink and range, and you can see where a small pantry will be added. Siding started last week, but further work on the siding is on hold until the mudroom and front porch are built in a few weeks.

Windows

Um, the title is self-explanatory.

We are dried in

Roofing was completed last week, and they've begun framing out the second floor. At some point, we'll be able to see the outline of three bedrooms and two baths upstairs. The first floor remains a different story -- at present, it's essentially one big room, with a small bedroom on the side. Windows are being ordered, to be installed at some later date.

Last minute skylights

Summer finally has arrived. Good weather has offered an opportunity for work on top of the house. The dormers have taken shape, and the roofers worked over the weekend. At the last minute, we decided to add some skylights to brighten what will be the back bedroom.

Forgot to mention...

We forgot to mention that the facade of the house will look dramatically different in a few weeks. We will be adding an old-style front porch that runs the length of the front of the house -- 36 feet long. To the left of the front door (in front of the mudroom and breakfast nook), it will be 5 feet deep. To the right of the door (in front of the living room), it will be 13 feet deep. We intend to use the porch as our outdoor entertaining space (in addition to our garden in the back).

The trusses are up!

The crew took advantage of the damp days to assemble the front and back walls of our second floor, and stowed the walls flat underneath the tarp until a break in the weather pattern. Today, they made the decision to go for it. In a single day, they lifted the front and back frames into place, affixed the trusses and set plywood on half the back half of the roof. Frightening to think how far along we would be if the weather had been good these past few weeks. If the weather holds, they hope to lay plywood on the front half tomorrow before framing out the sides and beginning work on the inside of the house.

Slow moving

We had a new foundation poured for the mudroom and breakfast nook. To the left of the photos will be the ground-level entry into the mudroom, the floor of which will be either slate or stamped concrete. To the right will be the breakfast nook, which will be set higher up on the foundation. We've also included a photo of the 80 year-old backing to our coved ceilings, which we are losing as part of the project. We have been cursed with unpredictable weather, and have not witnessed two consecutive days without rain for quite a while.

It's raining again

The good news: our roof trusses have arrived! The bad news: after several days of good weather, the rain has returned. Work on the house progresses slowly pending better weather. We are hoping for a dry spell so that they can lay the new gas line, pour a new slab and start framing our mudroom, breakfast nook and second floor.

Double Wide

Our house now looks like a double wide trailer (not that there's anything necessarily wrong with a double wide). Yesterday, they removed our dining room bumpout. Today, they eliminated our second floor. We have a feeling it will take them longer to put it back together than taking it apart.

The one remaining room

As of Friday, the house had been pretty much gutted. Plywood had been removed from the roof, the windows had been put into storage and the everyone was just awaiting a dry spell (this week!) to deconstruct the second floor. Amid all the destruction, there is one room that remains largely untouched (see photos).