Taking shape

This will be the master bedroom.  The gable peak to the right will come off as soon as it looks like we might get four days with out rain.  The room that was a bedroom there will become a hallway and master bathroom.  The back opening that you see will be french doors that will open to a balcony. 

This is the main floor addition.  You are looking at the south door.  The interior walls is the the bathroom on the right and a coat closet on the left.

Here is the brick wall that they started to pull the brick away.  We always thought it was just two layers of brick, but in fact there are three.  Can you tell what they used to stabilize the brick.  The picture may not be very clear.  That is barb wire. 

This week they were going to take off the existing roof, but we have had so much rain and cold weather the contractor has done everything else possible.  We just need four days of clear weather and the roof would be finished.    We really appreciate the fact that he has watched the weather and not left us with rain in the house.  This worker suggested that we go up another floor because the view from up there was incredible.

Humpty dumpty sat on a wall

It is amazing how quickly the walls are raised once all the preparation has happened. We had to spend a morning waiting for the electricians to move the power lines.  The circuit box had to be moved down in the basement and the phone line moved as well.  Then we had to wait for the plumbing inspector to come and give us the okay on the new sewer line, so that the test pipe could get out of the way.  Little details that are kind of important but don't show much in the way of getting things done.  My patience is being stretched and tested.

North wall with picture window to match other front windows in existing house.

This is the south wall.  It will have a glass window door with a transverse side window.  Originally  we wanted this wall to be mostly glass, trying to capture as much light as possible.  I am looking forward to a back yard door.  We will add a deck eventually.

Here is the building supervisor and her assistant.  They both try to be in the middle of everything as much as possible.  Once Peyton made friends with "the workers" she isn't nearly as upset about the project.  Everyday I tell her at least five times to leave them alone.  This day she was told to go no closer than the garbage can because they were moving around there lift.   Roxy is very fond of the workers.  She follows them around and gets her daily ear scratch.  She is very picky about not letting them see her hiding treasures, bones and whatever else she fancies.  Allan watched her trying to bury a bone but when she checked around and saw that she was being watched she pranced off to find a better spot. 

And here is the GARAGE!!!! 

Ode to my Garage

No more frantic dashes from car to home

fighting raging wind and storms. 

No more layer of winter ice on my windshield

or ten minutes to warm up the car

Birds will have to take there target practice somewhere else.

Bikes will have an official home besides somewhere on the grass.

The space that is all about function. No paint, carpet or fabric swatches.

This just might become my most looked forward to part of the house.

Pictures tell the story

The foundation forms are just about ready.  This took a good two days to build in pretty nasty Spring weather.

I don't know how they did this while walking on 4" boards.  It didn't even seem to bother them.

Wow it is a cement hole now!!  One this lovely day my dog, Roxy, decided to go down in the hole.  There were some boxes in there as well and for some strange reason Roxy would not go around or over those boxes.  She just sat down there and whined.  So I went down thinking she had stuck herself to the sealant.  Well, her backside had definitely met with the black sticky goop, but she was just out of sorts about those boxes.  I threw them out of the hole and then started to wonder how I was going to get out. ( I just jumped in without thinking about a ladder.)  Well I was really grateful that I am over six feet tall and could reach the top of the garage foundation and was able to pull myself out.  This however messed up my shoulder and I was babying it for two days.  The dog jumped right out.  Shesh.

Hurray the mountains of rock and dirt going back where they come from almost.

I wondered how they would get the cement floor smooth.  Peyton took this picture.  She is fascinated with what they are doing and I have a full time job keeping her out of the way.  It has helped easing the loss of the porch.  That was so upsetting to her.

Can you see the difference in the old and new foundation.  That old foundation was poured with the outside against the dirt and in several spots it looks like there is no cement holding the rocks together.  It is very thick however.

We always told everyone that our walls were made with two layers of brick.  Guess what it is really three layers.  This is layer #1.  The brick is very soft but we were able to save quiet a bit. 

A floor.  Wow I won't be looking down in a hole much longer.  I have a beautiful garage floor now as well.  Things are going to start taking shape really fast now. One of our not such good surprises is we discovered that the floor joist to the second level are made with 2 x 6 boards which means we might have to take out the kitchen ceiling.  That will be messy.