Day 38: Water is the Enemy!

Well, wouldn't you know it, as soon as the roof comes off the rain blows in, driving, continuous rain. I awoke to the sound of pitter patter, on the inside of the house! The roofers had sealed it all in before they left, but alas, the flashing around the chimney and skylight was no match for Mother Nature. They are busy trying to get the shingles on before the next deluge. The worst of it was in our bedroom, which is a newer addition. The repair work will be no fun. The cost of advancement... a little pain before a little gain.

Day 37: Adding Spirals, Tearing Down the Roof

After heavy deliberations, we finally picked a shingle color and style. The pressure was so great. Imagine picking the wrong one and having to live with it for the next 30 years. For some reason the word marriage pops into mind! The roof on the original part of the house came off today. The roofers from Fransiscus Roofing and Siding did a good job protecting the areas in the drop zone. It promised to be a big job, with at least 3 layers on some parts of it. Because of the shallow pitch of the roof on the back of the house, and driving wind and weather off the lake, throw in an old skylight and the back roof has more challenges. Water has found its way in some of the weirdest places, like the middle story ceiling. Hopefully a fully integrated, single layer roof will take care of any worries.

We have also decided to go ahead and add a spiral staircase connecting the upper and lower studio area. Currently, to get to the upper studio from the lower is 4 steps up, right turn down the hall, right at the powder room, up 10 steps, left on the landing and step up one more. It will also be nice to close off the main house when things get down and dirty in the studio. I can close the door to the main house and feel like I have gone to work. Another plus, if we should ever have need of separate living quarters for someone, this will do the trick. The opening is just roughed in now.

Day 36: Insulation

This is one of those things that costs, saves and remains hidden. This is the 3rd addition to the original house and yet, it is not all insulated. The new addition will of course be insulated, but there are parts of the original house that don't have any, especially the entire east wall of the house and parts of the front that never had any additional work done to them. Under so many layers of siding, it probably wouldn't have made a difference, but stripped down of 2 layers, it will be noticed. Ouch! Holes will be drilled between every stud on every level and insulation blown in. They will be patched before the siding goes on. Ouch! Ouch!

Once the upstairs bathroom got framed in, and mechanicals, meaning electrical wiring, plumbing and HVAC, were finished, we had a better idea of what we wanted, and it wasn't exactly how it was done. Joe, from Killeen Plumbing stopped by to move the vanity plumbing onto the adjacent wall. The bathroom will have a pocket door to save space, a 5' vanity on one end, a tub on the opposite end and toilet in the middle. Small, but well appointed.

Day 35: Under Glass

Today, installation of windows began. They are double hung, Anderson windows with a removable grill work. The sliding glass door out the back of the studio matches the one in the family room fairly well. What a difference a day makes.

Day 31, 32, 33, 34: Making Adjustments

Now that the garage floor is in, work on dividing up the space has begun as well as installation of all the mechanicals.

A header wall and doorway partitioning off the garage from the studio extends across the full width of the studio, allowing for larger doors to be put in at a later date if the next owners want to use the studio as boat storage.

The closet and bench area have been framed up in the foyer area. It will nice to have a more reasonable size of coat closet than 4'.

Turns out the header going from the new foyer hallway into the garage/studio allows for only a 6' door. To remedy that, the steps start 9" into the hallway, backing the doorway up the same distance. It works out in that it is one less step in the studio and only shortens the hall by 9".

The pole that held up the main electrical line was finally taken down. The power was rerouted into the house through a new panel in the studio. Not exactly where I would want it, but there are limits to what can be changed based on the amount of pain it takes. Since the box was already in that location in the previous garage, it was best to leave it where it was.

After another in depth conversation about what goes where, the electrical has been roughed in throughout the addition. I learned that there are specific requirements on the minimum number of outlet boxes per room, and per wall. Every room has a cable and phone outlet, as well as a ceiling fan box for future options.

The HVAC location and where the run should be has created some challenges. Because the studio is a slab floor, vent and return lines have to be put in the ceiling and not all of it fits between ceiling joists. A soffit had to be installed to cover the trunk linr and then shortened to accommodate the possible addition of a spiral staircase.

Plumbing lines have been run for the upstairs washer and dryer, bathroom and lower studio sink.

Inspections of all the mechanicals were lined up and ticked off. Looking good!

Day 30: Finishing Up

The concrete floor was finished off with cut marks to dress it up and allow for curing and shifting.

It has been a relief working with the crew of Brady 3. They have been flexible as well as willing to make adjustments as we see how the space is developing and shift our perspective on it all.

Day 29: Cement to Concrete

Our garage floor is now more than gravel. Fortunately the roof keeps the rain out because it has been raining almost nonstop for the last few days.

The prep work was fairly extensive. More gravel was added and leveled out by Brian and Johnny of MPW Construction, who did the earlier excavation. The geodimeter was brought back to find and mark  level lines, much to the dismay of our dog Chessie. Seems the noise it emits turns into a trembling mess that follows me around everywhere I go. But she is beginning to see the workers as no longer guests, but just another member of the household. In other words, she doesn't bother to get excited for company.

Plastic was layed down over rebar to strengthen the floor. There was some concern over how to treat the existing garage floor. In the end, a 4" layer was added to the top of it. The floor is now flush with the entryway into the house. It will be interesting to see how the threshold will be finished off.

Here's a view of the wet cement. I had this incredible urge to try a 'snow' angel, but refrained. This long expanse was a lot of work finishing off. The pour was in the morning and at 5 pm, there was still some finishing going on. It was finished off with a very noxious spray sealant and was beautiful when done. We hated to walk through the mud and track prints on it. The green pole sticking up is the floor drain pipe that will be cut down at a later date. I was convinced it was a good idea to keep it, especially if the next owners would want to use the space for boat storage or the like. Due to the exterior elevations so close to the current entry height there was not enough height to add a break and lower the garage floor. Visions of our first night  in, where the garage drain backed up into the garage with 2" of water, soaking my art materials started to creep in. I have been assured by Trevor that it will not be a problem during extremely wet times. The downspouts, which were part of that system, are being diverted to their own drainage system outside the garage.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Day 28: Good-bye Front Door!

Here's a view outside the second story bonus room above the new garage. The felt is down for the roof and we are in the process of picking roofing and siding. Not an easy task as the size of the siding samples are 2" x 6".

The well worn front door is finally gone.

What is visible in this picture is the door to the main house. There was a small vestibule that had a small coat closet and only one person could use at a time. The floor will be removed completely, and the crawl space under it will be filled with cement as part of the building codes in this area.

Day 27: Working Under Cover

This is the door that used to go from the guest bedroom into the attic closet, above the old garage,  a real head banger. We didn't know there was a window there in the original plans of the house. It will be removed and boarded up. Who wants access through a bedroom???? Not us.

Access to the second story of the new addition will be from the stair landing in the original house, where this window currently is. Again, remains of a previous window in the original house. Underneath the aluminum siding was wooden clapboard and underneath that was planking seen here.

We've nicknamed the second story addition The Tree House. Every window looks either into or over a tree of some sort. The space is very sculptural and as we move along we get more ideas of what we want to do.

The opening to the left of the picture window is where the window to the vestibule will be. The door to enter the house will face our neighbor and the entryway and foyer will have a coat closet and bench for preparing to get in and out of the cold.

Days 24, 25, 26: We're Back

Life is getting busier all the way around. Our weekend away was a nice reprieve and work continued on. The outer sheathing is going on, a waterproof, durable material called Tyvek. It looks and feels like paper but acts plastic.

The front porch is coming along nicely. The aluminum siding is removed revealing the original wooden clapboard. The aluminum will be part of the recyclable material, that hopefully someone will benefit from. One thing is for sure, it is daunting to see how much waste a job like this produces. Fortunately, their is a mind for recycling as much as possible.

The drama of the fall sky continues.

Day 23: G-E-O-M-E-T-R-Y Who Paid Attention in School???

We are getting a porch roof! The bulk of the new addition is under cover and the start of the tie in to the existing house roof line has begun. This is the tricky part, where many angles meet and have to shed water, snow and fall droppage without creating problems. The geometry involved in this is really involved. It is apparent that good carpenters are good in geometry. It is all about being able to see 3 dimensionally and work backwards from the end results. Does your brain hurt yet???

The covering over the porch and shed roofs will be metal, that will go with the roof and siding colors, which we have yet to finalize. It is not like you can repaint it like a room that is just not the right shade of chartruse. Fortunately, the choices for siding are not so large as wall paint!

Here's some more Lake Erie drama as we were getting off the freeway this evening. The clouds were truly leaden all day, but lightened up to end in a swath of color.

Day 22: Roof

There is a lot of steep roof line to cover over with plywood and the crew from Brady 3 are working carefully. Takes more nerve than we have to work on a pitch like this.

Day 21:Roof Raising Under the Sun

I love looking at the design of the roof rafters. So many angles, the rhythm of the rafters, sun casting linear patterns across the different planes... beautiful.

This is a view of the front as it is rapidly changing. It will look like an entirely new house from this perspective.

The roof line is pretty high up there, not for the acrophobic.

This is the view looking east from the west side of the house. It is a long roof line that has been broken up into sections of differing heights. This makes it much more interesting to look at.

On the right end of the roof is a shed gable that comes out, matching the style of the original gables in front.

Day 20: On the Job Saturday

Work resumed this morning at 8 am with a crew of 5. It was a morning of catch up. We got up on the ladder after they left to see what the space would look like. It is a far better way to test the design of it and get an idea of just how much space we are adding. We thought we wanted a 2nd story deck, but a look out the window was obscured by the greenery of trees. A view of the lake was best from the lower level. No deck.

The space above the new garage is large with all kids of ceiling changes and cutouts. We will probably be waiting to finish this off, but the possibilities are exciting.The changing seasons along Lake Erie can best be described as dramatic. This photo was taken about 10 pm. Beautiful!

Day 19: Was Good While It Lasted

Today is a total washout. Water, water everywhere.

Day 18: Sunny Day

Got my morning biking in, which put me a little behind heading to the studio so I was able to see the fine work of the City of Bay Village plumbing inspection department. They came to check what had been done so far, which amounts to pressure testing the infamous sewer pipe, the one going through the front wall. All the glue joints were working with 6 psi for 30 + minutes, and the pressure dropped like it was supposed to as it was being released. Passed! Sometimes I feel like a parrot... sometimes I feel like a parrot. I won't repeat anything else I overheard while eaves dropping.

Working on getting the roof rafters up and under cover is a priority as we are still getting a little water with all the downpours that are happening.

Day 17: The Second Story is Taking Shape

We left before the workers got here today, but were so excited to see the second story taking shape and actual design of the house start to show when we got home. Dave Maddux, from the Arcus Group, has done a beautiful job of keeping the feel of a cottage, which our original house probably was, but finding a way of 'stacking' space to create interest, space and style.

The yard in the front is getting pretty tight for all the materials and equipment being used. At least there is a visual relationship to the size of the checks we are writing! We met with Trevor this evening, the tall drink of water to the right here, to talk about upcharges. He's one of the three in Brady 3.  Everyone who has done renovations or built a house knows what upcharges are, and once the project gets going it is easy to see how it happens. It starts with something like this: "Hey, I wonder if it would be possible to do __________ instead of what we orignally planned of ____________. There's a time for dreaming and a time for a reality check. We had a little bit of both at the meeting. The great thing about working with Trevor is that he's very upfront right away about the impact of our changes. The major ones, like putting in a $4000 door system vs a $1200 door system on the back of the studio, are what causes the upcharges. Just because anything is possible with enough money doesn't mean it should be done. R-E-A-L-I-T-Y  C-H-E-C-K! 

Day 16: More Wind, More Rain

Not a lot can happen with wind advisories and rain in the forecast. Getting out of the house, around the construction and mud that is accumulating in spots, with dog, computer, portfolio, purse and lunch in tow is not fun, but still has not curbed our enthusiasm for the project. Tomorrow is a better forecast.

Day 15: Rain, Wind, Rain, Wind

It is amazing that any work got done today. At first we didn't think any did, other than tacking up of tyvek along the western wall. It was when got above it that we could see the walls for the second story built, covered in tyvek and ready to be attached. Tomorrow is another day of winds with gusts in excess of 40 mph. Wonder what progress will be made???

Water is the Enemy

We were awoken this morning by the sound of a heavy rain, the first in a long, relatively dry summer. Luxuriating in bed, we pulled the shades up and marveled at how calm the lake becomes in these types of rain. If it weren't for the few visible ripples, the water and sky would seem to be one. What a show!

Chessie, our faithful watch dog, let out a few puffs, letting us know she thought a stranger was in her domain. We passed it off as possibly a critter testing the frontier. Got up, got dressed, started the day and thought I heard someone knocking on the door. Ran down to check front door, no one, back door, no one, side door, no one. Bang, Bang, Bang. Someone was on the new construction! Are they working on Saturday?????

Chris, the supervisor from Brady 3 was tacking up plastic to securely cover possible rain openings on the outside of the house, where the garage used to be. Impressive. Went down into the basement to throw laundry in and splashed into a puddle. Not good. Apparently the water shedding off the roof was funneling into the opening where the new sewer line was put in, filling the hole and finding places to spread into, which happened to be into our basement, traveling along the sill and dripping down the north wall. Not only did Chris put up plastic over the side wall of the house, he diverted the water shedding off the roof away from the hole where sewer line enters the house, threw stone to fill the hole, cleared the garage drain so the water would drain from the old garage slab and all in the rain on his day off. He must have left his cape at home, otherwise it would have been wet too!

We have experience with same kind of thing in another life, memories of our Arbor Chase house in Atlanta floated to the surface. For that very reason and my penchant for moving things around when I work, I tend to put most of my things on rolling wheels. Only a little water on the area rug under a work table left it's mark and the rest was easily mopped up. Chris ran to his office and picked up a dehumidifier which is harmonizing with the one we keep on down there. The rain has been light and in short bursts since.

Awww, the thrills of demolition, renovations and construction!

Day 14: More Framing

The floor/ceiling joists depending upon how you look at them, went up today. Though the progress will probably seem less dramatic once the outer shell is completely done, there is still much work. It is so exciting standing in the middle of what will be our 2 car garage and remembering how nice it was to have one. The things we so easily take for granted!

The front porch seen in this picture will not be here much longer. An interior wall will be built to support the upper level of the house and it will be taken out to make room for the new entrance which will face east, off of a usable porch. Currently the front door faces south.

All that commentary about staging of materials is becoming a dead issue. Chris and crew from Brady 3 moved all of the wood under cover. Again, they are tidying up with broom and brawn.

The best view of the front entrance will be coming from the east.

Once all the brush was taken out and the construction got underway it was easier to see how 'old' looking the front windows are looking. New windows look to be on the horizon. The house is a mixture of 3 different periods of windows. Ah, the beauty of being eclectic.