Has it really been a month?

Well a lot has happened since the last time. The biggest was hosting my cousins wedding at the house. That was the big mystery event I eluded to before. We had been talking about it for almost a year now so there was a tremendous amount of anticipation. We were not really sure what shape the house would be in but we knew we could get the grounds together and that is what mattered most.

My cousin Albion, whose wedding it was, came down a week early to help us get everything together. It was good to have the extra hands because we needed to finish up a few projects in and around the house and the house also needed a good cleaning. So that is where the week began.

We set up a kitchen for the caterers to work out of, We Finished up some electrical so we had power and lights, We hooked up the plumbing and the hot water heater so there was water, and we cleaned up the house to accommodate a few guests.

Reyna and I had been doing some landscaping over the past few months so things were taking shape very nicely, but I felt we needed a bit more to fill in a few areas to really finish things off.



So I decided to take on a few more landscaping projects as if I did not already have enough to do. I felt this area off the back door was pretty bare. It needed a pathway and some a plants especially a nice tall one in the corner.



Reyna had weeded this area a few days before and I decided it needed some color. After all this was where the reception was taking place.



I was working until about an hour before the wedding and this brick walk was the last thing.
There were a number of bricks that had been pushed up by the roots below that needed to be fixed.




It was a big day the whole family was going to be together again and it was the unveiling of the family home. I was very excited and also very nervous. We had done so much work and now it was time for others to see.



The wedding was absolutely wonderful. It was a quaker ceremony where people were encouraged to stand up and say a few words about the bride and groom. It really was beautiful. So many people said so many wonderful things. Albion and Claire really are two wonderful people and it really shows in all the great things people had to say. They truly are perfect for one another. I wish them all the best in there life together with there beautiful daughter Estelle.

Unfortunately I didn't take any other pictures so hopefully I can get some from someone that did. I got caught up playing host even though I was trying not too. All together there were about 140 people who attended. We set up 2 large tents to accommodate all the guests for dinner. It was a buffet style with excellent food. There was a dance floor that got some very good use. There was a bar set up serving some very tasty Mojitos and Mint Julips and the cake was yummy. I met some really great people and had such a wonderful time. I think I am ready to do it all again. I guess I am the only person left in my family to still get married. HMMMM??????

These will be the final changes......

Well this time I thought I had it all figured out but I was wrong. We had framed all the interior walls and started roughing in the new electric. We were moving along very well finishing up the first floor. Until it came time to do some fishing. I was having difficulty fishing wires through the wall that separated the kitchen from the hall way so I decided to remove the plaster and re-frame it.

I started removing the plaster and found the original wall.



Tongue and groove planks made from beautiful old growth lumber.



It needed too much work make it look good as is so I decided to remove the wall and salvage the lumber for future use.



It made such a difference removing the wall it really opened up the room and brought in a lot more light.



This is where everything began to change once again. Now this part of the house is becoming the nicest section, the ceiling is taller and the stairway is beautiful. So it got me thinking, which is usually not such a good thing. I began thinking about sectioning the house differently using the existing stone wall between the second and third addition to divide the house. It breaks the house more equally and we get to utilize in my opinion the nicest part of the house. It leaves us with plenty of space with room to grow if needed.

So that's it the FINAL game plan.

Yet another change in plans.

Well I am back better late then never. A lot has happened over the past few weeks. Reyna and I took a little vacation last week (the main reason I am a little behind in writing). We went to Block Island, Rhode Island for a friends wedding. It was really beautiful there.

Before we left on vacation I decided the whole ceiling should come down in order to make things a little easier in the long run. The ceiling was full of dirt that had been accumulating for some time, it was a messy job. All that dirt, plaster and lath rained down upon us, boy was I glad I had that hard hat they require at the dump.

Here is my dad helping to clean up the mess I made. He actually asked me to take this picture to show everyone the things I make him do.



After the dust settled and we got things all cleaned up we realized just how nice the old beams were. After a very short discussion we decided to leave the beams exposed. We then began framing the walls. It is going to make our work a lot easier in the long run plus we will have the added benefit of insulation. Hopefully it will help make this house a bit more energy efficient.



We need to run new electric throughout as well as ductwork and plumbing.



This area is where the future kitchen will be.



We also framed out the upstairs walls. Now the debate is which insulation to use, Blow in Cellulose or Spray in foam. Decisions Decisions. Before that can happen though we need to rough in the mechanical and address the windows. I guess I know what I will be doing with my nights for the next few weeks. RESEARCH....

On to our next project.

We decided to separate the utilities for the apartment and the main house. Since our current electrical service was not adequate for that we decided to bring in new service and while we were doing that put it in the ground. The utilities currently come in at one end of the house so we moved them to the middle for several reasons. We did not want to trench in the current location for fear of damaging the root system of our massive 200+ year old oak tree. We also wanted to locate them in a more central location. We decided to bring the cable and telephone in under ground as well.

We marked out a path from the utility pole to about the middle of the house.



We then rented this incredibly cute little backhoe for the day and I got to work.



It took me a better part of the day to do it with the machine I can't imagine if we had to do it by hand.



Here it is 7 hours later



120' long 3' deep and 1' wide



We installed the new wire, all the hardware, and got our inspection. When I returned from my vacation we filled the trench back in and planted some grass. Let's hope that grass is fast growing.



While I was in landscaping mode Reyna and I decided to get a jump on things in preparation for the upcoming celebration. We bought some wonderful plants at our local nurseries and stared planting.



This is just the beginning. They should all have filled out and be blooming just in time for the festivities.



On another note here is a recent photo of our garden. Reyna and I are both very excited and proud of our first garden everything is growing so wonderfully. It won't be long now before we have some fresh veggies. So far we have had lettuce and herbs and they have been great. It sure is nice to be able to walk outside and things for dinner. I cannot wait for some fresh tomatoes.

All around the grounds.

Now that the weather is nicer my free time has become all about cleaning up the grounds in anticipation for this summers festivities. After all that time indoors it sure feels nice to get some fresh air and sunshine. A few weeks back Reyna and I decided to plant a garden. We had the space so we figured we would give it a try. This is the first garden for both of us so we are pretty excited. We brought in some good soil, got some really nice plants, and went to work. I can't take too much credit though I am just the muscle. Reyna has really been the one tending to the garden. I can't wait for some good fresh homegrown organic veggies.



I also started collecting cobble stones from around the property. My grandfather had a thing for them. Many years ago he would bring a few home every day from work. I found quite a few buried throughout the yard and decided to put them to use. They make for a very nice border.



After we took the two trees down in front of the carriage house we were left with a bare spot which had never seen much sun. Reyna decided to do a little landscaping that is really starting to take shape and fill in nicely and I decided to plant some grass which is struggling. We also decided to buy a grill for my birthday and cleaned up the patio so we could enjoy it. AHHHH what suburbanites we are becoming or is it that we are just getting older.



My Dad brought in his portable saw mill so we could saw up some of the trees we took down. I must say it is a pretty awesome machine.



We made some nice lumber from the logs. We had a few small logs of Maple, Walnut and



a nice big piece of Fir. It's a little knotty but I got some nice thick slabs which should make some great furniture when the wood is dry in a year or so.



While cleaning out the brush around the house I decided to take out a stone planter box that was against the house. I think that it was contributing to some water problems in the basement. Behind the planter I discovered the original kitchen drain. It was a pretty cool discovery.



The gas company came and installed the new meter so we were able to fill the hole back in. One down one to go. Next week we should have the other hole filled back in as well.



Last week we decided while we were doing all this work we should probably insulate the walls. The walls are 20" thick stone walls with very little R-value and absolutely no insulation. Only one room in the house was furred out, lathed and plastered. In order to do it right we decided to tear it out. All the other walls in the house are plaster directly on the stone. We are going to eventually frame all the walls and add insulation. I am in the process of trying to figure the best type of insulation to use.

This room is going to be a living room and kitchen for what will be our apartment once it is finished. We will be staying here until we finish the renovations of the rest of the house. After that we plan to rent it.



I believe this was the original pantry area partly due to it's close proximity to the fireplace. You can see scars in the wall from what look to be shelving and cabinets. We are essentially putting the kitchen back into it original location.



I pulled down the mantle over the fireplace and exposed the original beam. You can see the hand tool marks, it is massive and really beautiful. We have been talking about leaving the beam exposed and possibly exposing the stone wall around it. We shall see.



Next to go is the ceiling, we need to run electric and duct work throughout. Cutting the old plaster without damage is no easy task. I think it will be easier to tear it all out then try to patch the old plaster. Plus it will look better. Till then I leave you with this.

My new ipod wearing technique.

Back to my old ways.

Alright I missed last week so much for getting on a consistent schedule. I am trying to be a little better about keeping up so I am writing in real time. It has been helping me keep faith and not get overwhelmed with the project. Some days I feel like we are not getting anything done, but when I look back I see how much we really have done.

Last week we moved on to finish the framing of the laundry area.



Roughed in the plumbing for the bathroom.



Set the bathtub and start hanging the backerboard.



We decided to use PEX instead of copper. Partly because of the increasing cost of copper and the how labor intensive it is to install. PEX costs a little bit cheaper but can be installed in about 1/3 of time. It took us about a day to finish the rough in which was a whole lot faster then it would have taken if we had done it in copper.

All of the feeds are home runs which originate from a manifold in the basement. Each feed has it's own shut off which makes it much easier to make repairs to or replace an individual fixture if needed in the future.



That was the fun we had last week which leads us up to this week. We moved on to setting up for moving our electrical service below ground and adding an additional gas service to the apartment. We started by calling and having the utility lines marked to make sure our final locations were suitable. We then dug 2 holes.



One for the electrical service.....



and one for the gas.



We had to drill holes in both locations to bring the new services into the basement. While we had these areas open we decided to re point the walls. They looked surprisingly good for being 200 years old.

Back on the inside we roughed in a new gas line for the apartment.



Which sure was a lot of work. Pipe fitting is not an easy job

So that brings us up to date on where we are with the house. There have been a few other things we have done around the property which I will share with you next time. Until then I leave you with this.

Another can of worms.

I had a nice break outside but it was time to get back to the real work at hand. It was time to frame out the bathroom in the apartment. We had some serious work ahead of us repairing the damage done during the previous remodel, probably during the 30's or 40's. The floor joist had been hacked away, in order to accommodate the plumbing, and wet bed for the tile. The joist were scabbed back together and somehow survived all this time.



We sistered new joist along side the old to strengthen them up.



We put down a new plywood subfloor.



Then we framed out the new bathroom.



We then decided to move downstairs and address the floor below the bathroom. There did not seem to be much support in the corner and this worried me. This was to become the laundry room and it needed to support the washer and dryer. I felt we should pull up the floor and see just what was below. It took a bit of convincing but my Dad finally agreed.



It was a lot worse than either one of us expected.



There was no support in the corner. The floor joist were rotten and the first 3 feet of the beam was pretty much gone. The original beam (basically an entire tree) was just a shell. Fortunately this beam was not structural and any load it originally carried had already been supported.



This is a picture of the inside of the original 300 year old beam . It is about 14" x 14" x 20' long and is completely hollow. It looks as if it had been eaten by termites many many years ago. Surprisingly though it still has some strength to it.

We cut back some of the rotten stuff, did some cement work and framed the floor with some new lumber.

Next week we need to put down a subfloor, frame out the laundry room, and start doing the plumbing. Fun Fun Fun!!!! Until then I leave you with this picture. They were scars left in the wall from the old cast iron stack, I though they looked pretty cool.