Who Hoo!

Thursday the 26th. Yes! The siding has been installed and trim boards attached to complete the desired look. We are very happy with the result and our contractor is as well. The trim details will allow the house to really return to it's original design.

We added large fascia boards above the windows to return the house to it's original foursquare design. The boards are 18" wide, and we added a small trim detail in the middle to carry an accent color once painted. Additionally, we widened the corner trim, added crown above the fascia, and widened the trim around the windows. Once the siding is complete, we will add a small detail under the window sills to complete the look.

Where the addition meets the orgiginal house will probably bother me for years, but we simply can't afford to re-side the entire house currently. The transition will become less jarring once paint is applied, however.

The carport is gone! Now we need to design the backyard.

The rain has come

Tuesday the 24th. The felt is on and siding will begin tomorrow. We were very happy to see the trim begin to be installed on Monday, including the water table board near the foundation. We realized only a few weeks ago that these details were not included in the bid from our contractor, and had to scramble to make sure he could add them.

These trim details will make a big difference on the exterior once complete.

The first and hopefully last disappointment of the project for me is something that's relatively small. We arranged for our builder to install tounge and groove under the eaves as opposed to plywood, as it clearly is more in line with the age of the home. This was an expensive addition as T&G is not cheap, but unfortunately I was not specific about how it was to be installed. As a result, the ends of the T&G, as they round the corners, are cut at 45 degree angles, whereas most older homes have a design in which the ends are staggered and create a weave effect. A simple miscommunication, our contractor indicates this is the way he's always done it and I think once it's painted it will look fine. It's a lesson for me, as a slightly OCD person, that I need to be very specific about details if they are going to matter in the future!

French door is in!

Demolition is progressing on the carport. I'm glad I handed this off.

Where's the rain?

Saturday the 21st. Beautiful day, although the forecast does call for showers later. Cynthia, Joaquin, and I took the opportunity to inspect the work and came away very happy. Joaquin is especially pleased with all the new opportunities to get dirty!

Our builder was able to roof both stories on the 20th, so rain should not be an issue. The old house is now completely closed off and no longer exposed with the exception of the old siding on the western wall.

The skylight for the office is looking good.

The deck is done! We love it.

New bathroom space. This will be the sink and medicine cabinet.

Shower here.

Perhaps as exciting as any development during this project, the carport is leaving! After years of enduring a love/hate relationship with it, we're bidding it fond goodbye. I originally planned to remove it myself, but after pricing the rental cost of a jackhammer, concrete drop box, dump run, and rebar cutter, the price our builder offered was nearly the same, and didn't require two days of grueling work!

Revealing Itself

Thursday the 19th. The roof outline is nearly complete and the application of felt will soon begin on the plywood. We have been EXTREMELY lucky with the weather, as we've had sunny days nearly throughout the framing process. This has been crucial, especially during the days that the old house had to be opened to make room for the new addition. The builder will try to actually roof the house on Friday the 20th, as the forecast finally calls for rain over the weekend.

We will finally have an easy means of accessing the backyard.

The Trex is being installed. Trex is a recycled material, a bit more expensive than wood, but with a much longer lifetime and again without the maintenance issues.

We found a cool old french door at the Rebuilding Center, a local nonprofit that takes in used items and makes them available to everyone. The door will hopefully grace our bathroom downstairs.

Taking Shape

Wednesday the 18th. The roof trusses have been raised above the 2nd story and the outline of the addition's profile is beginning to become apparent.

The deck is quickly beginning to take shape, and the Trex material has arrived. We are very excited to have stairs on three sides.

The siding has arrived and will likely be installed next week. This is Hardiplank siding, a fiber cement product that will be very durable and require far less maintenance than wood.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, pipes from the new bathroom needed somewhere to go, and this was the easiest fix. To compensate, our builder created a nice soffit that had room for heavy insulation to reduce noise significantly. Additionally, we decided to seize the opportunity to brighten the kitchen a bit and added three halogen can lights above the sink and main counter areas. Expecting a huge box, we were pleasantly surprised to see how the soffit came out as it really fits nicely into the kitchen.

2/17/09. The second story is framed.

The beginnings of the deck are apparent.

Construction continues unabated

Monday the 16th. Interior framing of the downstairs is done.

The contractor is adding a barrier to ensure the deck, when and if it begins to rot, does not transmit the decay to the house.

Cool!

We discovered the house continues to have tounge and groove siding under old plywood installed in the 50's or 60's. Hope to salvage.

Framing Begins

By Friday the 13th the first floor walls have been framed! This has been a very fast moving week with a new sight and look everyday.

The exterior layout is beginning to take shape. The opening for the french door is visible, along with the windows for the bathroom and office.

This is the space where the office/craft area will be. That window on the west wall will actually be moving up to match the others.

The addition will be strapped to the new foundation using these bolts. Should be very strong and will actually anchor the main house!

The ground cover has been laid and you can see additional straps for the foundation. This was required by the city and will incur an extra inspection. The straps will be connnected by bolts drilled into the existing foundation wall of the main house and then will be secured with epoxy. While there is an extra cost, we may be able to qualify for earthquake insurance or a discount from our homeowner's insurance provider (fingers crossed).