Holy Sheet(rock)

After a weekend off for Labor Day in NEK with the Smith Clan, four pups, 3 visits to Parker Pie, a double rainbow, and a few campfires, we turned our attention back to work on the house, specifically the breakfast nook.  I also got in a little more insulating (my favorite!).  I’ll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

Where we had left off:

Once we finished the ceiling, we moved on to the walls.

(The T-square was largely useless, as there isn't a right angle in This Whole Damn House)

Family picture in the nook!

View from the nook into the kitchen.

We're totally super-psyched to have the sheetrock up in the breakfast nook.  Having the walls up really gives us a better feeling for the end product.  Next up... kitchen ceiling and walls sheetrock (after -- you guessed it -- a little more electrical work and insulation). 

MAJOR 84 HIGH STREET TO-DOS

Inspired by Jeff Lewis on Flipping Out, I've taken project management to a new level.  Problem is, for every 3 things we remove, we add 10.  What can you do.

OVERALL HOUSE

ROOF

 PATCH ROOF


 CLEAN ATTIC

 PHASE 2: POA FOR ROOF REDO

DEMO

 COMPLETE DEBRIS REMOVAL BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND FLOORS


 CLEAN SECOND FLOOR/RED ROOM CLOSET

 POA FOR BASEMENT CHIMNEY/LOLLY COLUMNS – NEEDS TO HAPPEN BEFORE WE LAY FLOOR IN FRONT ROOMS & APPLY FINISHES

HVAC

 MAKE A DECISION ON NATURAL GAS V. CONTINUING WITH OIL FURNACE

O IF OIL: INSTALL POWER VENT, SERVICE FURNACE, PICK OIL COMPANY

O IF NATURAL GAS: SCHEDULE CONVERSION

PLUMBING

 INSULATE PIPES IN THE CRAWLSPACE

FLOORING

 REMOVE FLOORING THROUGHOUT

 PATCH FLOORING

 INSTALL SUBFLOOR

 INSTALL HARDWOOD IN KICTHEN, NOOK, FRONT ROOM (EXPECTED DELIVERY: NOVEMBER)

 PAINT MUDROOM FLOOR

OTHER

 SWITCH OUT KNOBS ON ALL DOORS

 PAINT MUDROOM WALLS, CABINETS

 INSTALL KNOCKER

KITCHEN & NOOK

DEMO

 DEMO LAST BIT OF WALL IN KITCHEN

 DEMO BACKSPLASH

 FINAL BITS & PIECES OF DEMO

ELECTRICALS

 RUN LAST BIT OF CIRCUITRY IN KITCHEN


 RUN WIRE TO SECOND FLOOR AND DEAD END FOR FUTURE USE


 RECHECK JUNCTION BOXES FOR PROPER CONNECTIONS


 CONNECT SWITCHES, PLUGS ETC.


 CONNECT TO MAIN CIRCUIT BREAKER


 TURN POWER ON

 FINISH RUNNING WIRES SO CAITLIN CAN INSULATE

 WIRE FOR PHONE

 INSTALL FAN ELECTRICAL BOX

 INSTALL NOOK PENDANT (CAN WE DO BEFORE PLASTER?)

 INSTALL KITCHEN FAN

 INSTALL PHONE, SET UP VERIZON VM

 INSTALL POT LAMP SURROUNDS

FRAMING

 FILL IN BLOCKS, AND STRAPPING

 SCREW IN BOLTS FOR SUPPORT

 FINISH FRAMING IN "LOOK-THROUGH" IN NOOK

INSULATION

 FINISH BREAKFAST NOOK WALLS

 SEAL UP CRAWL SPACE OVER BATHROOM AFTER FAN IS INSTALLED

 STUFF BATTING WHERE WE CAN IN VAULTED CEILING

 INSULATE KICTHEN WALLS

 APPLY FOIL INSULATION TO KITCHEN CEILING

PLUMBING

 MAKE A DECISION ON VENT OVER STOVE (NEED TO DRAW OUT)

WALLS & CEILINGS

 HANG CEILIING SHEETROCK IN NOOK

 HANG WALL SHEETROCK IN NOOK

 HANG CEILING SHEETROCK IN KITCHEN

 HANG WALL SHEETROCK IN NOOK

 FIND HIRED HELP FOR PLASTER COAT

 PLASTER KITCHEN & NOOK

 PAINT

CONSTRUCTION

 BUILD OUT NOOK BENCH

 MAKE A DECISION RE: STAIR LANDING AREA (HUNG CABINET, COUNTER, WINDOW, RADIATOR…)

 NEW DOOR FOR BASEMENT, HARDWARE, ETC

FINISH WORK

 FRAME IN WINDOWS, ALL TRIMWORK

 PAINT TRIMWORK

OTHER

 RECYCLE BIN FOR UNDER SINK

 PAINT ALL BUILT-IN CABINETS

 UPHOLSTER NOOK BENCH

 PHASE 2: COUNTER TOP PLAN

 SECURE MARBLE TOP ON ISLAND

 SCRUB DOWN ALL APPLIANCES

 SCRUB DOWN ALL WINDOWS, BEGIN CONSIDERING TREATMENTS

FRONT ROOM

DEMO

 WALLS

 CORNER UNIT BUILT-IN

ELECTRICALS

 WIRE FOR CANDLABRA WITH DIMMER ON DINING ROOM SIDE

 WIRE FOR SIDE TABLE LAMPS (UNDER COUCH ON FLOOR)

 WIRE FOR ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM (INCLUDING CABLE, ETC)

FRAMING

 ADD POSTS IN FRONT ROOM, HARDWARE

 PATCH BEAM IN FRONT ROOM

INSULATION

 APPLY FOIL INSULATION TO CEILING?

 FILL IN WALL HOLES WITH GREAT STUFF?

 INSULATE FRONT ROOM WALLS

WALLS & CEILINGS

 HANG SHEETROCK – WALLS AND CEILING (BETWEEN BEAMS)

 HIRED HELP FOR PLASTER COAT

 PLASTER FRONT ROOM

 PAINT

HVAC

 NEW ZERO-CLEARANCE GAS FIREPLACE

CONSTRUCTION

 ENTERTAINMENT BUILT IN USING SAVAGED FIREPLACE

 WALL OF BOOKS ON DININGROOM SIDE

FINISH WORK

 FRAME IN WINDOWS, ALL TRIMWORK

 PAINT TRIMWORK

OTHER

 SCRUB DOWN ALL WINDOWS, BEGIN CONSIDERING TREATMENTS

BATHROOM

ELECTRICALS

 RUN LAST BIT OF CIRCUITRY IN BATH


 INSTALL BATHROOM FAN

 FIX BATHROOM CIRCUITRY

WALLS & CEILINGS

 PATCH

 REPAINT

OTHER

 VENT BATHROOM FAN OUT ROOF

 FIX DRYER VENT

 INSTALL MEDICINE CABINET

 REMOVE SHELVES?

 BRING IN WHITE CABINET FOR ADDITIONAL STORAGE

YARD/EXTERIOR

 MOW LAWN/WEEDWACK/WEED

 RECONFIRGURE ENTRY WITH EXPANDED LANDING & DECK

 NEW BACK DOOR

 NEW MAILBOX

 REMOVE GRAPEVINES

 REMOVE RED CEDAR AND PINE TREE

 ROTATIL BACKYARD, PLANT GRASS SEED

 SOMETHING TO HOLD UP BEE BALM & FLOCKS

8,143

... pounds of bricks lugged out of 84 High Street.

Gosh, we're hardcore.

Weekend Rundown

Our weekend started off on Thursday night when Ryan’s parents visited for a Thursday Night picnic at Crane Estate.  Cajun Zydeco this time.  Great stuff.  Rick and Denise hadn’t seen the place for quite a while, so it was fun to show them the changes.  At the concert, we made friends with Chip, a great guy who moved to Ipswich 12 years ago and who shared his own stories of DIY adventures.

(I had very best intentions of getting a group shot – brought my camera and everything, but it didn’t happen.  You will have to imagine the beautiful evening we had at Crane Estate, lit by an orange moon which was sneakily fall-ish.)

I should add that in the flurry of meeting Rick and Denise after work, showing them our progress, packing a picnic, and heading out to Crane Estate, we failed to note that the Phantom Gardener had paid a visit to the house, cleaning out some fried summer flowers and replenishing our window boxes and planter with purple and red Mums that look great with the house’s cranberry trim.  Thanks, Mum!

Saturday, Ryan was yet again on electricals (adding outlets and switches) and I continued with insulation.  Ryan cut a permanent bench seat and back, and framed in our “look-throughs” in the nook.  We used the foil insulation for the first time on the nook ceiling.  It went up pretty easy.  We cut a hole for the pendant light wiring, stapled it along the strapping, and sealed the seams with cold-weather foil tape. 

An afternoon trip to Home Depot inspired us to make a sheetrock purchase, what with insulation progressing along and Ryan half-way through attaching outlets and switches.  Before day’s end, we put up our first piece of sheetrock in the nook.  Ryan entertained me with his MacGuyver-like ability to scribe a circle for the pendant light, we cut the sheetrock to size, and used the sheetrock screw attachment (still experimenting with technique on that one), and hung our very first piece of drywall.  It was exciting enough that I documented it.  

It’s a little premature, but we just had to see the space with some sheetrock up.  We are really getting somewhere, folks.

Saturday evening, Ryan’s brother Sean and his gal pal Tara came for dinner after an afternoon at Crane’s Beach.  After a quick house tour (last time Tara was at High Street, we were doing the roof and not allowed inside… as we technically did not yet own the place), we headed over to The Farm in Essex, one of our favorite spots.  Thanks for making the trip, guys!

Sunday morning found us back to our usual tasks, electricity for Ryan and insulation for me.  Ryan completed a challenging install of a dimmer on a 3-way switch, which may sound rather dull, but to me, it is nothing short of magical.  Not only will we be able to dim our kitchen lights, but we will be able to turn them on coming in the back door or coming down the stairs.  We also ran a wire through the wall and up to the top the staircase to a switch that will eventually control a light in the stairwell (there is also a switch at the bottom of the stairs – another 3-way!).  And Dad, don’t you worry – the wire terminates at a switch.  No live wires hanging out in the walls.

I took some time to hang the beautiful pineapple doorknocker that was Ryan’s birthday present to me this year (right after our offer was accepted and before the weeks of touch-and-go will-we-get-the-house limbo).  With all the demo-ing, we hadn’t gotten around to hanging it. It looks great on the door.  (Fun fact: did you know a pineapple is a traditional symbol of hospitality and welcome?  Fellow history nerds of the world, read on here and for even more detail, here).  Symbolism aside, doesn’t it just look swell with Mum’s Mums?

After a few tests and verifications, the main breaker was flipped, the new circuit turned on, and… nothing.  After initial disappointment, the electricity how-to book (on loan from Ipswich Public Library) was consulted, a plug or two switched around, fingers crossed, and we tried again:

(Insert: sound of angels singing)

The plugs work, the switches work, even the dimmer works!  I could have spent hours just turning the lights down and back up again.

After a visit to Ipswich Clambake Company (I realized at dinner with Sean and Tara that I had gone all summer without a lobster roll and was running out of time), we returned for more insulating and electrical work.  We installed a bathroom fan, which in addition to being required by that pesky building code, was much-needed in our laundry/bathroom combo.  We also plan to re-vent the dryer.  After completing that install, we flipped the main breaker again, turned another new circuit on, and… nothing.  Unfazed by our previous false start, we called it a day.  Ryan read up on potential causes before bed.  I’m told the new bathroom fan may be the culprit. Well, knowing is half the battle…

All this is of little concern to me.  I’ll take a dark bathroom. We have LIGHTS in the kitchen, glorious, dimming lights!

Trips to Home Depot: 2 
Up next: Fix bathroom circuit, complete fan venting, insulating, maybe even some more drywall... and hopefully install the fan and pendant light (currently on back order, grr...)

Process shots

Well, the rest of the chimney came down pretty fast.  Ryan made himself a tent on the second floor with plastic sheeting and took down all he could from that rather claustrophobic perch and then moved on to the first floor.  We moved at a slightly slower clip, in part due to the loss of our erstwhile cowboy/daredevil third wheel Dave Case and also in an effort to minimize dust. 

Monsoon weather conditions caused some concern over the er, skylight we’d punched through our roof, but it kept us cool and the flying dust down.  A temporary patch remedied immediate concerns and we are completely thrilled with the results.  Well worth the work (and the associated dump run bill which we are still taking over/under bets on, should you wish to submit yours).