Sorry it has taken me so long since the last post. All this construction work is making it hard to have the strength to blog when I finally get a moment in the evening.
So, here is the before and (planned) after pictures for our house:
The house as it is now
Planned after drawing- including the new stone screened porch and dining room
We are adding lots of new windows/skylights for extra light and warmth in the winter when the sun is lower in the sky and will shine directly in the windows (it snows here). The eves on the roof will be extra deep (18 inches) for added shade in the summer months when the sun is higher in the sky to keep the house naturally cooler. The new windows will be double hung so they will open from the bottom and top for air flow in the mornings and evenings to keep the house naturally cool. We added a new duel-fuel Train HVAC system (made in the USA) last fall that is both gas and electric. It has a brain that switches back and forth to use the most efficient fuel depending on the temp outside (we are already saving money with it). We will use closed cell expandable foam insulation in our new vaulted ceilings, nearly 100% efficient. There will be ceiling fans throughout the house to keep the air moving. The limestone for the porch will come from less than 50 miles away. None of that Drywall from China. Ours comes from local gypsum mines in Shoals, Indiana. We will use local red oak (a renewable resource) for the new dining room floor to match the rest of the house. We are very lucky to have had a LEED certified architect (and also our good friend) Kris do the drawings for us.
Fingers crossed, our finished product will come out performing and looking as great as the drawings.
Steve and I continue to work on the back of the house. We have been busy replacing windows and finishing up the pocket door installation. We hope to be moving back into the master bedroom the first week of August. The cats would love that more than anyone!
Here is a photo of our current bedroom in the basement. Two single foam beds on the floor. It's kinda like camping in a dark, cool cave (about 68-70 degrees. Great at this time of year when it is 90+ outside). We keep trying to look at the positive side of living through this :o)
Giant holes are being cut in the walls in the bedrooms to install new larger windows. We are excited about more light in the house and are looking forward to adding an extra window in the master bedroom.
A video of Steve cutting a hole for a new window. Notice the shop-vac hose he is holding between his legs to catch some of the plaster dust from the saw. I thought he was going to smack me when I took this picture of him in that wonderful position. He has seen the blog, so he knows how hilarious it will be. At least he isn't giving me any plumber butt too! :o)
So, you can imagine after hearing that noise in the video, how much fun our cats are having when they think the sky is constantly falling. Here is how Lulu deals with it. Not a bad idea as it also keeps the dust off of her.
Here are the new master bedroom windows. We are keeping with the original 1953 trim work and then building out new sills (there were none before), so we have salvaged what original trim we can and then will have more milled at Indiana Lumber (yes, we still do have a mill that can actually fabricate stuff for you). We are using the original douglas fir and pine. LET THERE BE LIGHT!
Here are a few photos of Rowan and I putting the room back together. She is taking down the ceiling fan to clean the thick sheet rock/plaster dust off of it. Notice how her face is covered in dust. I'm not sure, but I think the look on her face is not one of delight :o)
Jenni is painting the newly textured wall. We re-painted the entire bedroom just to freshen it up after 10 years.
We have also had to do some extended patching of our VCT (vinyl composition tile) floor in- between the kitchen and Rowan's office, where the new pocket door is being installed. We will do more of this once the kitchen is expanded too.
OK, so this is just a picture of me and a big giant fiberglass rooster. We found this really bizarre fiberglass figure manufacturing shed out in the country the other day when we went out for a drive after being at the gym, and I just HAD to pull over and take some pictures because it was so surreal. I mean how many times in your life do you come across this stuff? Comic relief............that's what it is, and what we need right about now :o)
It was like a petrified zoo!
I want the rooster to put in our front yard!
Go here to see why I am attracted to these kinds of things:
I used to hang out at these places when I lived in the SF Bay Area. The little things that make life interesting.
More soon (I promise!)........
