The Lake House

Thank goodness for caulk

2008-09-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness for caulk. Today I tackled the first part of trimming in around the back of the fireplace exposed during demolition. I don't think the contractor really knew what to do to finish it off so, he left it unfinished, both at the top and at the bottom.

The bottom I knew was going to be a pretty simple solution. We had some extra lengths of the finished white oak quarter round molding. This was a simple trim job nothing special, 4 or 5 standard cuts and it was finished. Tacked to the floor with a brad nailer and the base was finished. (well almost, still need to mix up some mortar to fill in the void between the rock and oak quarter round, but that's for another day.

The part of this fireplace trim project that ended up taking the entire day was the stacked crown molding I decided to use for the top part of the fireplace. I needed to build a base on the ceiling because the floor joist for the second floor were left 4 inches away from the stone (per code.) This meant there was nothing to tack the crown into on the top. I used a standard 3 inch base molding and laid it flat on the cieling, and with a generous amount of consturction adhesive, I was able to afix it to the ceiling (I used some nails as well - not sure if they realy are helping or not, but I felt better.) Next the crown mold was going to go up against the base and against the stone fireplace back. This is where the problems started.

There were a few problems the first of which was my own ignorance. The first time I did crown molding I think I got lucky with the angles - everything worked fine. This time, the moldings spring angles were not the same and thus I didnt get as lucky. After spending about 4 hours and cutting through 16 feet of molding I finally sat down and did some research. (with some thinking juice.) What I learned is that based on the spring angles of the molding the miter and bevel angles change - old dog / new trick. This miter / bevel chart was extremely helpful: http://www.installcrown.com

The second issue (which ultimately the caulk came to the rescue with) was the uneven surface of the rockes and unusual angles it creates. In one are I chewed away the back of the crown molding so it would sit against the stone a little better. All in all it came out -- ok. I had one corner that I had to use a generous amount of caulk to 'mend' it.

Now we can nap

2008-08-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

Today was the second day of the blinds installation. We ordered blinds for the master bedroom and bathroom about a month and a half ago, they were shipped and time allowed for hanging them this weekend - Finally. Naps were almost impossible in because of all the windows - problem solved. Bring on the naps! :)

We were also happy to have our new bedroom furniture arrive this weekend. This to was about a month and a half wait. Well everything is up and looks good. We need to get deep pocket sheets, the new mattress has a bit of a pillow top -- great for sleeping but not for fitting standard sheets.

Next project will be to permanently hook up the dehumidifier in the basement to address the moisture problem.

To cap off the day we got to see one of those wonderful sunsets ----

Let it tickle your toes

2008-05-31T18:27:00.000-07:00

Today was the second day of the carpet installation. The plywood is finally covered and they are just finishing stretching and tacking. Believe it or not, they finished what they said they would. Getting closer!!

Carpet,Carpet, Carpet

2008-05-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day in the carpet installation. Padding is down and the carpet is waiting to be installed. The 2 guys claim they will have it all done tomorrow -- I question that timing. But we will see!

Steady as she goes

2008-05-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well the contractor is back in the game (for now -- fingers crossed.) Today he worked on the garage, taping and mudding the drywall. Now, I am no expert but I think mine was better :) We are pushing for a final inspection for next week -- which would mean we can move in!!!

Well as this is moving forward we are also trying to clean up the landscaping a little. At least enough to make it somewhat presentable. I spent a day filling in this big hole we had from the water main break with gravel and top soil, raking and leveling things off. Well I was sore but the fruits of my labor are finally beginning to poke through!

another one down - balcony deck complete

2008-05-11T18:53:00.000-07:00

Well it has been an interesting week. We finally heard from the contractor. I don't know the full story (nor do I care to) but there was something 'very important' that he needed to take care (more important than our house I guess.) Anyway, he finally showed up on Thursday and began working on the balcony deck.

We needed more material so after an early morning call on Friday it was delivered. No word (or work) on Firday, no word (or work) on Saturday. We made the decision that we were finished and would have the other contractor (yes we have another one in the wings) finish everything.

Well I guess that was the fire because as we visited the job site today viola - the balcony deck is complete!

Taking Control of a Lost Cause

2008-05-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

Well our contractor situation has not improved. No calls back now for over two and a half weeks and the only thing completed during that period is the railing outside. It isn't looking good and we want to move in.

So today I began finishing the drywall in the garage. 95% of it the drywall is hung but none of it is finished. There are some huge gaps and some large variations in the surface heights (more than an inch in some cases) so this should be a lot of fun. (basically it wasn't hung too well.) For our Certificate of Occupancy we need to have it finished -- but it does not need to be finished well (so I think I should be able to handle this!) I would like to see if I can do it well enough to put a nice finish coat or paint on it all -- we will see.

Before

After (while drying - the huge mess is due to about an inch difference in surface heights, it may dry by next week sometime!)

If anyone has any pointers feel free to post them!

Glassy glass frameless shower door

2008-04-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

Today the long awaited shower door was installed. We had been waiting for about 2 months, and it took a call to the supplier before an install appointment was scheduled -> "Sure, when would you like it? Wednesday or Friday this week?" -- amazing.

Anyway, it is in and it looks tremendous. We selected a frameless style with brushed nickel hinges and handle (matches the other fixtures nicely.) Unfortunately we had to install a shower door sidelight because of the side of the opening. At least we didn't have to have the top frame rail installed like we were originally told we would (hopefully we don't need it!)

And the wolf BLEW....

2008-04-06T19:13:00.000-07:00

Well we still aren't finished and now things are already starting to fall apart! Things are moving along reeeeeally slowly and now the shingles on the new roof are, well, blowing off! We have been assured by the contractor (of course) and also by the supplier that the application of the shingles is correct, and they must be defective. So we have to fill out a bunch of paperwork and I guess get new ones? Anyway, they are hurricane grade shingles so this really shouldn't have happened.

A now a week later, more have come off...

This week this is supposed to be taken care - shingle replacement - we will see how we make out with the manufacturer.

Just Chill!

2008-03-16T14:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend we hooked up the last of the appliances (I think?) The under cabinet wine cooler and refrigerator all fit in in their appropriate spots nicely. There was a trim plate that had not been installed under the counter that I thought would need to be trimmed to fit. Upon further investigation I figured out it wasn't fitting because there was a temporary bracket installed. With that out it fit like a glove, a few finishing nails and we were in business.

The refrigerator was a little more trouble than I had expected -- the thing is heavy! (390lbs.) On the way into the kitchen from the garage where it had been housed for the past 2 1/2 months, we hit the ceiling, corner of a wall and then when pushing it back, nicked the cabinet - all in all no major damage but I had a few repairs today.

After figuring out how to hook the water line up, reading the instructions (hoping I wasn't doing something wrong) and after we took all the packing materials off -- it was in. Overall everything looks good - just can't wait to start using this stuff!!!

keeping on, keeping on

2008-03-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

This past week there really wasn't anything major that happened, just a lot of small detail work and finishing. Most all of the baseboard molding is in and painted (minus the powder room for some reason.) This coming week we should see all of the shoe molding going down which will finish off the moldings.

The mantel finally came in on Friday after it was initially shipped damaged so a new one was overnighted. It isn't going to be anything too outrageous, just a simple ~9' x 10" x 1 1/2" slab of white oak to match the floors. Once that is installed this week, the mason can finish off the stone work on the fireplace (check off another thing on the list.)

The light in the dining room got moved this week as well. This was a slight miscalculation in how we wanted the light positioned. We have left some space on the one end of the room for a future built in china cabinet, but we forgot the need for a walkway on the opposite side of the room. Result, the light was too far to one side. Now moved we should hopefully be all set.

Sir, you have passed.

2008-03-07T15:51:00.000-08:00

Today was one of the most exciting steps towards a move in date yet! We had the final electrical inspection today, which was more of like a little party. In attendance:

Myself
Electrical Inspector
Town Inspector
Electrician
General Contractor
General Contractor's #1 helper

Needless to say, with all the problems (there has been many), headaches (there has been many),, stress (there has been too much) we passed!!! We received our little sticker and all is well. There are still a lot of little things that need to be taken care of but, slowly, surely we are now seeing the light at the end of the long tunnel!

Home Telephone at large

2008-03-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

The phone block that the electrician installed was unfortunately inadequate for the number of extensions we have in the house - so it was time for an upgrade (and we aren't even living there yet!) So we decided to install a BIX Cross-Connect System from NORTEL. Eventually we will install complete phone system (but just not yet.)

Anyway, I am not a professional but think it is an improvement over what was there, and more of the jacks work than before! (I haven't tested all of the jacks but from the chunk I tried only one wasn't working -- hoping for a mere loose connection in a punch down.) Next, we have to try and figure out how to distribute cable to all the rooms.

Solid as a rock - Granite Rock

2008-02-25T19:40:00.000-08:00

Today the long awaited counter tops were installed. What seems like year ago (I think it actually was last year!) selected three different type of granite for the kitchen, master bath and first floor main bath. We had been waiting for these things forever - and well worth the wait, they look great!

Fireplace transformation

2008-02-24T19:12:00.000-08:00

The fireplace has finally become the focus of our attention. After a long long period of disappointments:

found out we couldn't have a traditional wood burning fireplace unless we had the entire chimney and firebox dismantled and completely rebuilt
found out that the wood burning insert we could have installed looked like something better suited for a doll house
found out the gas insert we were told we would have to install to meet code would have a sheet of glass over the flame at all times
finding a mason who would tackle the entire job (not just one part) and do a good job

In the end I have to admit that I am much more happy with the final product than I thought I would be -- it looks amazing. We are still waiting on mantel to come in so it can be installed and the stone work finish around it but it looks great otherwise!

The stone veneer is Canyon Rock by GAF
The hearth is a solid slab of Pennsylvania blue stone.
The gas insert is by Heat & Glo
Mantel will be White Oak Slab

Here are some photos of the fireplace transformation (thanks to the contractor for taking the middle photo and sending it to us while we were out of town)

Kitchen Cabinets. Finally.

2008-02-06T19:12:00.000-08:00

Today the cabinets finally began to be installed. After a very, very long wait and many many stressful meetings and question/answer sessions they are finally here. A small section has been installed the remainder will be installed tomorrow. They look great!

We discovered a problem, that we aren't to pleased about. It seems that the services for the island (water, drains and electric) were actually installed 1 foot closer to the wall then they should have been. This has forced the island closer to the opening between the living room and other counter concerning us about the rounded extension on the island counter top. We have decided to wait until Friday and see what the counter top experts have to say when they arrive on Friday to measure.

Eventually something HAS to go right!

Floors are finished -- time to cover them up!

2008-02-05T18:58:00.000-08:00

Well now that the floors are all finished and they sat for a week, it is time to get things underway again. Tonight we covered the entire floor with Red Rosin Paper what a chore! (man am I out of shape and getting old!) It looks good all covered up, knowing it will be somewhat protected.

The first thing that is going to happen is the cabinets will be installed. We are anticipating this as being our next major step towards completion, until this point we have really only had an empty shell of a proejct (minus the master bath of course!)

The Hardwood Floors - they be done!!!

2008-01-27T19:45:00.000-08:00

The white oak floors are all done. Three coats of Swedish protection and now all that is left to wait for them to cure (another 7 days.) They really turned out great, and the house is finally starting to look like a house!

The next step is to finish the stairs - they are all in but need the same Swedish loving as the floors. Kitchen cabinets will be installed beginning next week along with appliances.

Hardwood Flooring -- begun at last!

2008-01-02T19:16:00.000-08:00

Today was a very big step in the completion of the house - both good and bad. Let's start with the bad. One of the big things we wanted in a house when we were looking was a wood burning fireplace. We thought we had found one. The problem is we didn't like the brick that was on the front once we uncovered the field stone chimney, and thought we would knock it off and re-skin with cultured stone - bad move.

Come to find out the fireplace had no smoke shelf and because we did "surgery" it was considered by the inspector 'new work' and thus had to meet strict codes regarding fireplaces. We had a tough time finding a knowledgeable mason, and after we found one we discovered our hopes of a wood burning fireplace were not feasible. The entire thing would have had to come down and be rebuilt. Not as big of a deal if we took care of it when the house was all apart, now with everything framed and put together - major expense.

It looks like at this point we will replace it with a gas burning fireplace - now we know.

Now for the good. After the wrong wood was delivered to the house once and then again almost for a second time, and after a month of delays, the hardwood flooring is finally being installed - a great looking white oak. We figure it will take a good week or so to get it all installed and then probably another week with finishing. But when it is done... good things!

We were also happy to see the lights installed between the kitchen and living room (they were a long time coming!) (you can see the mess we made of the fireplace in the background)

Hallway Tile

2007-12-28T18:14:00.000-08:00

The tile is 95% finished in the hallways. We weren't able to continue the hardwood flooring through these hallways because they are located on a cement slab. 3/4" plywood would have had to be place down before the 3/4" hardwoods were installed. This increase in height would have forced the stairs out of code. Anyway, we selected a tile that should tie in nicely with the wood floors. Once the hardwood is down the remaining trim tiles will be installed.

Laundry Room Cabinets

2007-12-28T16:47:00.000-08:00

The laundry room is really starting to shape up nicely. The laundry cabinets are all installed and look great. The counter top still needs to be cut out so the wash sink can be installed The only other thing we are waiting on is the arrival (and installation) of the washer and dryer. Our contractor pointed out one small oops -- one of the larger cabinet doors actually hits one of the ceiling lights. Small oversight and something we are going to live with.

Along the tile road

2007-12-05T19:10:00.000-08:00

After struggling with decision of what tile to put on the walls (that will remain for a long time!) for the first floor bathroom, we finally came to a decision. We picked a porcelain tile family that matched what we were looking for. The floor has a 13"x13" varied colored tile, which matches the 8"x8" on the walls of the tub/shower surround. We then selected a matching 2"x2" border flanked on both the top and bottom by a 1"x2" trim. The tile color contrasted nicely with the bisque tub and soap dishes. Master Bath is next!

Drywall finishing

2007-11-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

Well the drywall is hung and the finishers are going to town. It will be a number of days and a number of coats to smooth things out (something about an old, uneven house??) Anyway, it is looking more and more like it could become a home everyday. Drywall finishing Hoah!

coming together little by little

2007-11-06T18:47:00.000-08:00

Well things are progrssing nicely now. The house is almost fully sided. The new downspouts were installed (now they match the siding) and the skylights were installed the roof was finally finished! The new septic system is all in and hooked up (along with the repair to the water main!)

The drywall finishing is progressing nicely. We are beginning to have some issues with the heat in the house, so this week we are going to finish getting the furnaces installed and hopefully get the propane delivered. (there has been a problem thus far trying to get it, soon hopefully.)

We have been struggling with the wall colors but I believe we have nailed them all down. Paint is coming this weekend if all goes acording to plan.

Drywall, Drywall, Drywall

2007-11-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

Had to post these images this afternoon.
Was at the house this morning for the fainal rough electrical inspection (finally) and the drywall guys were going at it! It was amazing to see them working, like a well oiled machine. Shouting measurements, cutting, drilling trimming -- all at once. Absolutely amazing!

Siding?

2007-10-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

Well it is official, it is starting to be put back together! Yesterday, the roofing materials and siding arrived. We had to use a 50 year shingle because of the close proximity to the water, and we chose to use a vinyl siding that has additional built in styrofoam insulation - CertainTeed Cedar Boards

Today, one half of the roof was shingled (we are waiting on the skylights to do the other side) and the siding started going up. We really hope we made the right decision regarding the color, but at this point it's a little too late for second guessing. In either case - it looks a heck of a lot better than the yellow!

Low batteries and new windows!

2007-10-03T19:56:00.000-07:00

We finally got out to the house tonight to discuss switching and electrical requirements with the electrical contractor. It was also our first opportunity to see some of the new windows installed! The windows arrived yesterday but we were busy with the plumbing supply showroom picking out sinks and faucets to get to the house before dark. I was planning on taking a bunch of photos tonight but of course, after 2 shots the camera shut itself off due to low power. I was able to squeeze a few more shots out but not many.

Unfortunately it looks like we are beginning to fall a little behind our original time line. The electrician doesn't think he will get through everything next week, which means no insulation the following week. The insulation contractor is booking 2 weeks out now, which means we will have to wait around until we can get scheduled once the electrician completes his work. :-/

More photos of the great progress coming tomorrow!

Continual Improvement

2007-09-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

Today the progress continued. Not only did the entire new roof get framed and sheeted in, we made some major decisions on the layout of walls in the first floor corridor and media room (you will have to wait for those photos but here are some of the roof.)

Onwards and Upwards

2007-09-21T21:26:00.000-07:00

After deciding what we wanted to do (stick frame it all instead of the trusses) we had to place a quick order and keep our fingers crossed. Today the 'emergency' lumber arrived (big thanks to the supplier!) and away we went. There was a lot of time spent setting the one main LVL and then leveling out the studded wall. When we left this evening they were making great process. Plan was to begin sheeting before dark -- excited to see how far they got!

notice something wrong?

2007-09-19T18:34:00.001-07:00

Yeah, it seems that the trusses are the wrong pitch, dimensions or something. Fun Day. (sorry for the dark photos - it was a long day and it was getting dark)

Will the destruction ever end?

2007-09-17T19:42:00.000-07:00

Today we got our first peak at the project after being out of town for the weekend (Thanks - we had a great time!!!) What I expected to see was the new trusses that were in the driveway last week all framed up and a new roof on the bridges - not the case. I guess there was some heavy winds and rain while we were gone so construction of this sort was not safe.

Not one to sit idle (thank goodness!) The contractor and his team of "beat-things-downers" decided to lay into some of the other areas of he house that had yet to come down (exciting!!!) The wall between the office and the hallway was torn down, totally opening up the space.

The next exciting hole was the loss of the enclosing walls around the front stairwell. This really opened up the space and makes walking up the stairs less like walking into a tunnel. (Maybe a new skylight in here someday, hmmmmm.)

In contrast to the additional destruction we were happy to see the blown in insulation cover the exterior walls quite nicely.

And if the insulation wasn't enough -- we have 'some' floors!!

I wonder what tomorrow will bring...?

Three_way door, is no more...

2007-09-04T19:07:00.000-07:00

Today we were back at the job site after a relaxing time away for the labor day holiday. There were some issues that came up while we were away that required a number of phone calls - but all is well.

The progress has been great. We met again with Kitchen Cabinet designer to go over some changes and specifics about what we want to see. That process will get underway as soon as the drywall is up in the kitchen so accurate measurements can be taken. We were very excited to see the the three-way (yeah, it was weird) is gone! In place of it we are going to have a nice welcoming open space

(check out the before and after photos. -> )

The walls for the powder room are all complete. It was an odd space. We will probably never know what the 2' tall tile walls were for but we are happy to cover them up.

Much much more to come, but it is really nice to start seeing some actual square walls coming together.

and then there were floors

2007-08-28T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well a little flooring at least. Today the dining room was re-framed, moving the access to the basement into the corner, a much more out of the way location. Then some of the sub floor was laid down. Mind you it is a little, but a little is better than none making this a good sign.

The sub floor we are laying down supposedly has a 'limited' 50 year warranty. It it called Advantech Sheathing and is manufactured by Huber Engineered Woods. The overall cost was not much more than traditional board and this comes with an added piece of mind.

After checking out the work completed thus far, we decided to take a break from life and enjoy what we fel in love with when we first saw the place. We are looking forward to many, many more evenings like this.

One wall at a time!

2007-08-26T14:47:00.001-07:00

Today we were pleased to see our first new wall in place. After the contractor and the architect sorted out requirements and what needed to be put in place where, we are finally under way. This is our first new wall, between the media room and the living room. It is framed with 2x6s and will accommodate the double French doors that will come later on.

A few of the walls have been modified from 2x4s to 2x6s to provide increased support. Much of this increased support is needed to facilitate the large open areas we are looking to create. Many of the supporting beams have also been doubled or tripled up, providing the required support for the upcoming second floor.

The second wall is underway, but requires a little more care. a new beam will be installed across the entire span of the house. Because of this, removing the existing wall is a slower than normal process. Temporary support walls are put in place as sections of the existing wall/header are removed. This wall is about half way removed, should be finished up tomorrow.

Fireplace skinned

2007-08-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

Well today was a another slow day. It seems there are some questions about the drawings so before any of the main support beams were set in place, some questions have to be answered. In the meantime, more of the new floor joists were set in place. The big deal is the the brick facade was torn (pounded) off. (sorry about all of the 'orbs' we are assuming they were there due to dust and not spirts. Well if they are spirts we hope they are friendly.) Our plan is to replace this brick with a custom stone veneer from Canyon Stone or a similar company. Tomorrow is another day. Hopefully the answers will come from the architect and we will be able to remove some of the load bearing walls blocking the wonderful view to the lake.

New wall (sorta)

2007-08-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

Today things continued to move forward -- at a slow pace. A number of things were accomplished today, few of which provided visual evidence of anything being done. One thing that did take place construction wise today, was the the installation of a temporary support wall that allowed a load bearing wall to be removed, so it can be rebuilt.

The inspector stop by today and spoke briefly with the electrical and plumbing contractors. It seems everyone is on the same page and the inspector seemed pleased with what he saw (let's hope it stays that way!)

The electrical contractor has made a little more progress in taking pulling wires out in preparation for relocating the main panel and replacing it with a smaller sub-feed panel.

New floor joists

2007-08-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

Today we began to see a little progress -- a little. A large number of the floor joists that had been taken our to allow for the digging, began to be replaced. This process ended up taking a much longer time than originally planned. It seems the sill plate was basically gone - rotted away like a bad hunk of cheese. Treated lumber had not been used, so it had to be replaced. Once that was taken care of the joists started getting dropped in. Originally the floor had about a 1.5" difference in height due to going from the transition from one section of the house to another. This finally provides us a little solid floor to walk on. Nice.

kinkn' it into gear

2007-08-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Today we finally got things rolling. We have secured our electrical contractor as well as our plumbing contractor. Signing some of these contracts has been interesting -- based on the fact we know little about what is required when renovating/building a house we are hopeful things will work out. The General Contractor has been very helpful pointing out things we need to look out for and ask for.

The electrician began by pulling some of the existing wiring that needed to be removed before the roof is raised (unfortunately there is now one outlet that works in the entire house.) This coming week the electrician;s crew should be able to begin running new fixtures and outlets this week -- hopefully.

On the other side of the fence, the GC and his team have been hitting it hard. We received the first (of many) loads of lumber today. In particular I found some of the beams that are going to be used rather amazing. The laminated beams are about 20'-30' long.

The ceiling and related joists are out of the center of the house. Goal is to get the new trusses delivered and installed within the next week -- we will see how that goes.

We also met with out last kitchen designer today. This is the only custom cabinet maker we have met with. We are excited about his ideas and enthusiasm and the work he showed us is really nice. We need to verify some details with him and should hopefully be able to make a decision within the next couple weeks.

Floor Ripper

2007-06-25T19:14:00.001-07:00

Today was the last day of digging. When we pulled up the floor we were surprised to find a large amount of the floor was, well dirt. It was an obvious decision pour a cement floor. To provide enough room to run the heating under the floors once the cement was poured, ~6" of dirt had to be cleared out. The guys tore the old octagon window out (we weren't planning on keeping it) and opened up a large section of wall to wheel the dirt out. Next step - cement!

Play Day!

2007-06-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

Today we took some time off from the chaos of the house and everything else going on and set sail on the mighty open water. Our goal was to find the house by water which we did. It was pretty easy - all we had to do was look for the large yellow building on shore. It ended up being a perfect day.

New Furnance!

2007-06-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

Well due to a crash of my laptop and a long restoration process I have missed a few days of progress (I will go back and update at a later date.) Anyway, the house has been torn apart -- literally! and now we are slowly beginning to put things back together (well a little)

The first of the 2 furnaces was set in place today. Per my request, the intake and exhaust were plumbed in and set through the wall to the garage and then through the exterior wall (nice job guys!.) The furnaces are 92.8% efficient so we are hoping for great things from them (translation - low heating bills!)

We are going to be running propane for now, until the gas company HOPEFULLY runs gas lines in front of our property. (seriously, the line stops about 800' from us) :( The systems are outfitted with cooling coils, but presently we are holding off on compressors.

Tomorrow the duct work is supposed to get started, on the back system, I will shoot more and post when time permits.

After Closing

2007-05-31T19:26:00.000-07:00

We had been through the house a number of times and could do nothing but watch it get worse and worse. The electric had been shut off by the bank (or by the property's caretakers appointed by the bank) early in the year. This gave way to a rather obvious issue:

Sub zero Temps

base board water heat
(with the water still on)

no power
(no heat)

big ol'stanky moldy mess!!!

The one room of the house has a partial basement (the rest of the house is on a slab or crawl space.) With the power shut off another issue arose - sump pumps need electric to work. Well this basement had a little water in it - about 5' to be exact. Check out the ripples - yes thats a ladder to the floor - neat huh~?!

Here are a few more photos of the mold and odd fungi we encountered growing in the house. Think of it as a large real life petri dish. These were taken the day of closing. (the last photo is of a fungus replacing the locks to no one would break in and steal our mold)

Things must be eliminated.

in the begining...

2007-05-31T18:25:00.000-07:00

After our wedding we quickly decided it was time to move on up to something larger. Our ~600 sq/ft apartment just wasn't cutting it. So we began.

We discovered a property we fell in love with immediately. We arranged for financing and insurance and were ready to roll. Due to some seller issues (which will go unmentioned at this time) the closing date we had came and went. We were crushed. Then we found out the property was in foreclosure and would be auctioned off.

Fast Forward ->

Bank bought the property at auction, we bought the property from the bank and here we are - on the road to making the house of our dreams habitable.