Ductwork, Deck and Time Capsule

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaPPcuQJ3m3_xh65FDcpjziAgyutrEug5cNOoG0G_vtti7yZFdE-ZE-PY3KB4F9hFYrFvn1ReQB-XXFviT42lBknLfnyIwoCsRdYDu33t5DIwpEl4mePPWpWWghaK_Hl_p5JtaUWuh1k/s1600/IMG_3471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAaPPcuQJ3m3_xh65FDcpjziAgyutrEug5cNOoG0G_vtti7yZFdE-ZE-PY3KB4F9hFYrFvn1ReQB-XXFviT42lBknLfnyIwoCsRdYDu33t5DIwpEl4mePPWpWWghaK_Hl_p5JtaUWuh1k/s640/IMG_3471.jpg" width="448" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I didn't get my floor samples done because I had other things that</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">needed to get done first.  Did you ever spend a weekend</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">working on a project that ends up just feeling like a setback?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Before I get to that, let me show you this week's progress.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMK4Calhe6TcmFLfutabSF2I0wgsKnrPD5sQHL7UFNa5H38zjFPLieLbCnMoer8MgJ1zOh7AVRnZqbXlKzFWwqalpy3yVI1q6QOkgQtTbE6ByRPAcPUjm0PLR0Wo7FvqUogSZK-zjUUxI/s1600/IMG_3461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMK4Calhe6TcmFLfutabSF2I0wgsKnrPD5sQHL7UFNa5H38zjFPLieLbCnMoer8MgJ1zOh7AVRnZqbXlKzFWwqalpy3yVI1q6QOkgQtTbE6ByRPAcPUjm0PLR0Wo7FvqUogSZK-zjUUxI/s640/IMG_3461.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The heating ducts are in to the upstairs.  You'll also notice the new window.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was the window that was in the old bathroom.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGv4vRM5MDa3_XMYaAGAR49FDsqZezFDx4mOvIcI02MfId0wC8anCsqVolMf6CrUqd0l9hLjCyJli-0t9Nq0pS17dqeq6RvX_zgibIgDkZi2gvmJOahS5gdK-kawJqx497KKsFX7BUZdA/s1600/IMG_3462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGv4vRM5MDa3_XMYaAGAR49FDsqZezFDx4mOvIcI02MfId0wC8anCsqVolMf6CrUqd0l9hLjCyJli-0t9Nq0pS17dqeq6RvX_zgibIgDkZi2gvmJOahS5gdK-kawJqx497KKsFX7BUZdA/s640/IMG_3462.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The other new window that will be over the sink.  It's the same exact size</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">as the old window, it just slid up a few inches so it clears the countertop.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBJ0QbLyP7BebilDKnm_KjP5VyhHXjvFHQ-5PlwVJ2KmeymRulih6eoQsIExipTeOldOoxG0wq20_eTVsSriH9bsmunnGv_oMIduYLsPJYMSujIr1ikfKThja6QZJ2xItlPjUr-B3XY8/s1600/IMG_3468-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBJ0QbLyP7BebilDKnm_KjP5VyhHXjvFHQ-5PlwVJ2KmeymRulih6eoQsIExipTeOldOoxG0wq20_eTVsSriH9bsmunnGv_oMIduYLsPJYMSujIr1ikfKThja6QZJ2xItlPjUr-B3XY8/s640/IMG_3468-1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The new windows from outside.  These are same windows I used</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">on the front of the house.  Marvin, clad with ebony aluminum.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggR2HMeL_AhmHR1xynwSrbXWndYYwAJ-pUkpq9-C1FXAEN9EC0hdnm3jCD7JtZ_Mc5pahiCDrXj_UBFH9Sy3juznmwnq7ghjWDryfKHNnQvpMt17J56Fu5o98OQ_Xpo1-GTsxhOU7DmXY/s1600/IMG_3471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggR2HMeL_AhmHR1xynwSrbXWndYYwAJ-pUkpq9-C1FXAEN9EC0hdnm3jCD7JtZ_Mc5pahiCDrXj_UBFH9Sy3juznmwnq7ghjWDryfKHNnQvpMt17J56Fu5o98OQ_Xpo1-GTsxhOU7DmXY/s640/IMG_3471.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The back porch has it's new columns in place on the first floor.  I'm really</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">happy with how they look and now that I see them in place, I don't want to</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">add any railings on the first level.  I'm not required to have any railings if</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the deck is less than 29 inches high.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9omrB38Zv_wBbHJ_wsS1Evwwqn_XirHuvXqJw_fVmfdlZ4POFmCU8KvO2O5RkiwPsYh-IO4l_1uer2vreEUi1YLTepXcYFaRQ3iI5MoFibU0XERo2_sab8J0mtQ7Y8yXJDdlpWgPTBDg/s1600/IMG_3473.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9omrB38Zv_wBbHJ_wsS1Evwwqn_XirHuvXqJw_fVmfdlZ4POFmCU8KvO2O5RkiwPsYh-IO4l_1uer2vreEUi1YLTepXcYFaRQ3iI5MoFibU0XERo2_sab8J0mtQ7Y8yXJDdlpWgPTBDg/s640/IMG_3473.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The columns are Turncraft Polyclassic columns, eight-inches square.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">They're made out of a fiberglas reinforced resin that's supposed to be stronger</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">than steel and concrete.  You just cut them to length, secure them in place and</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">then the capital will slide up and get tacked in place.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oY0lkY24V1S5ZcjI0n75Mks8E63hGQBbKd_tdwsHPoS5gqnS9EVW3QMjVCdfzq9QoVdZ7ScQ1dAumfDRZ4ndxo6T6gn0LxlOu2ujBTcjQWYcXTGA-AZxgYVcQkUCIcdmbaPJx0ozk3Y/s1600/IMG_3469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5oY0lkY24V1S5ZcjI0n75Mks8E63hGQBbKd_tdwsHPoS5gqnS9EVW3QMjVCdfzq9QoVdZ7ScQ1dAumfDRZ4ndxo6T6gn0LxlOu2ujBTcjQWYcXTGA-AZxgYVcQkUCIcdmbaPJx0ozk3Y/s640/IMG_3469.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I spent the weekend working on the deck.  I bleached the wood with wood bleach</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">to get rid of the mildew stains, wiped it down with a baking soda solution to</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">neutralize the bleach and gave it two coats of Behr semi-transparent stain.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTZwP9yTdm-FRp4HIBev85T0EX5NI7f_0nVbCRom711aVjy6rbhn7s7IuW6De4hD4wbTvyM4igBPB2Sj2TnI1-hC0swkS9Oez7i_U1HkQh7N1sp8lYDfMFUGdO_MN2WPzCmFwxI9ex-w/s1600/IMG_3472-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTZwP9yTdm-FRp4HIBev85T0EX5NI7f_0nVbCRom711aVjy6rbhn7s7IuW6De4hD4wbTvyM4igBPB2Sj2TnI1-hC0swkS9Oez7i_U1HkQh7N1sp8lYDfMFUGdO_MN2WPzCmFwxI9ex-w/s640/IMG_3472-1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It doesn't look too bad in the photos but it's really blotchy.  It seemed like</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the water-based finish was drying as quickly as I was putting it on so I couldn't</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">keep a wet edge.  The orangey-pink color of wood also makes it look lavender.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it.  Probably go more opaque.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXG3RlLJwFSz_RrMKw6W6mxZRbKvFKLyC6cK7qQNk4ciMQlyvA2JXUIewXdcvBMhVEGsak3uUispygN0Rus054tdc9QtbfMHucURCYjMg0-EZ4sC0gxmYZav1QvG83FpBLf4zCPhsEZk/s1600/IMG_3474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXG3RlLJwFSz_RrMKw6W6mxZRbKvFKLyC6cK7qQNk4ciMQlyvA2JXUIewXdcvBMhVEGsak3uUispygN0Rus054tdc9QtbfMHucURCYjMg0-EZ4sC0gxmYZav1QvG83FpBLf4zCPhsEZk/s640/IMG_3474.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the view of the dining room window.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowEWFmmBbpnr_AWUQ0mpNvzsatK_srbeAGa95MQnM0w3Llw5Q58_OvTU-HTfOhuL3bcAANhxk-hPHzfl9tVc0Y43lpGunj2EznX4C5jXi7MbYmLJGy7NpGT9Y-OMYp9SzZhxmKEm5r0I/s1600/IMG_3459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowEWFmmBbpnr_AWUQ0mpNvzsatK_srbeAGa95MQnM0w3Llw5Q58_OvTU-HTfOhuL3bcAANhxk-hPHzfl9tVc0Y43lpGunj2EznX4C5jXi7MbYmLJGy7NpGT9Y-OMYp9SzZhxmKEm5r0I/s640/IMG_3459.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Back inside for a minute.  The floor joists that span the two foundations</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">are getting back with pieces of plywood so that the spaces can be filled</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">with foam insulation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclz5A4sjkHo-pCaH2ByR_tUTNMZcWmEl7V-QkccKj2HbRm-pk8wfrZ7mMfr4KOnhj5vKxDsUtaz-j_N1Z-dbZcEEcMrdADg7Mls0IexAdlE1M-HleYNv27LGNRWz96hM3eDYsDMHUSJ4/s1600/IMG_0348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclz5A4sjkHo-pCaH2ByR_tUTNMZcWmEl7V-QkccKj2HbRm-pk8wfrZ7mMfr4KOnhj5vKxDsUtaz-j_N1Z-dbZcEEcMrdADg7Mls0IexAdlE1M-HleYNv27LGNRWz96hM3eDYsDMHUSJ4/s400/IMG_0348.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This was my last chance to get my time capsule buried.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I used an old tool box that was in the basement and filled it with goodies:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A first generation iPod mini that's never been taken out of the box, an</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">old iPhone, an empty bottle of cold brew coffee (since it seems to be all</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the rage right now), blueprints of the house showing all of the work I did,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">before-and-after photos of the house, printouts of several posts from the blog</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(including all of your comments!), photos of me and cats, a newspaper, Google</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">maps of the neighborhood, historical maps of the neighborhood and an article</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">on global warming that included pro and con arguments about human causality.  </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-kku78adk4HssP_04HblPtvztVrNWvTBq-eAFyU4dm_d-LWWswpA2W_b0WL7T3KzHP11EjpZDddRTOPl5U1priQyPFdR-TqshE8DfRFB7sihAo1Wg61u43KOotfGkEfvi4P_Cz4mpLw/s1600/IMG_3458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo-kku78adk4HssP_04HblPtvztVrNWvTBq-eAFyU4dm_d-LWWswpA2W_b0WL7T3KzHP11EjpZDddRTOPl5U1priQyPFdR-TqshE8DfRFB7sihAo1Wg61u43KOotfGkEfvi4P_Cz4mpLw/s640/IMG_3458.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All of the paper materials went into tyvek envelopes just to protect them from moisture.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I closed up the tool box, put in a trash bag and dropped it down the last opening between</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the two foundations.  It's weird to think I'll never see this again in my lifetime. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The plumbing, electrical and HVAC inspections should take place this week,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the insulation can go in and then the fun part can begin!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>

Ductwork, Deck and Time Capsule

I didn't get my floor samples done because I had other things that needed to get done first.  Did you ever spend a weekend working on a ...

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Floored

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr25DQgyeZW3HJZ0Kqtf0hYW23zkEt9FRMPrae7aZEFa3-pmovJiE97jEo9_SGWWqSk00IGjZ-yLUFW5nYhWn5srvsOLyzhq-GvafaXbgJ_wWnGHHmDU_tdJtL2bn2tmocDntddTl5cyY/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr25DQgyeZW3HJZ0Kqtf0hYW23zkEt9FRMPrae7aZEFa3-pmovJiE97jEo9_SGWWqSk00IGjZ-yLUFW5nYhWn5srvsOLyzhq-GvafaXbgJ_wWnGHHmDU_tdJtL2bn2tmocDntddTl5cyY/s640/13.jpg" width="410" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I know I'm a little strange but I love the look of exposed lath.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If this were my summer cottage by the sea, I would keep it like this.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just hang a few paintings on the wall.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Anyway, the demo is done.  Well, I think the demo is done.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's why I'm not sure.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTG_sBoyQvSrlK-CNA57-BKwPbWLws_u7iwD0o6Ai_WANtfPAaVVTQpTr-mvBVhxg570DgdlmUeiZm7f6CinNBFoPUVARdcddBk7g9dXWatkn16HcGXrxhKb0ny9VIooeIRmWWKwxKLx4/s1600/darryl+carter+kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTG_sBoyQvSrlK-CNA57-BKwPbWLws_u7iwD0o6Ai_WANtfPAaVVTQpTr-mvBVhxg570DgdlmUeiZm7f6CinNBFoPUVARdcddBk7g9dXWatkn16HcGXrxhKb0ny9VIooeIRmWWKwxKLx4/s640/darryl+carter+kitchen.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darryl Carter</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I was toying around with leaving a few of the old beams exposed</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">like in this Darryl Carter kitchen (which is one my favorites)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">but until everything was gutted, there was just no way to know whether or not</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">anything would be pretty enough to leave exposed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So I was looking forward to getting home and walking around the space</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">to make an assessment.  I unlocked the back door to step in and found...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9plhlXdgwavFEwO-SSBNJpzaQYOsknivuuSIff7fcf8IKBtWUFxsGcRwOni60cWSIRvkD5IrvCPtLs-gEK0W6TEAGLwZrMUKnyAYiltQXDdXTLUwRgtlWsL-dxnq-h9xTELLpBvXbD8/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf9plhlXdgwavFEwO-SSBNJpzaQYOsknivuuSIff7fcf8IKBtWUFxsGcRwOni60cWSIRvkD5IrvCPtLs-gEK0W6TEAGLwZrMUKnyAYiltQXDdXTLUwRgtlWsL-dxnq-h9xTELLpBvXbD8/s640/8.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">No floor at all!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I guess the subfloor was just so crazy and at all different levels, it </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">just didn't make sense to save it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5W7lPDvtIA_nloRewciQu6XqXaJhzzzfK_DefcOm0-ygyNliWK7ITk88wOR3EC71U-wRhKLiLpRu_VQZmGQMSjgoCqoZM2XCgpBEi4yfPigWT6ZnTvT5BBqhP3u103M8cpfHhvh_Xx3w/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5W7lPDvtIA_nloRewciQu6XqXaJhzzzfK_DefcOm0-ygyNliWK7ITk88wOR3EC71U-wRhKLiLpRu_VQZmGQMSjgoCqoZM2XCgpBEi4yfPigWT6ZnTvT5BBqhP3u103M8cpfHhvh_Xx3w/s640/1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">There's nothing left but the floor joists.  <a href="http://heresmygarden.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Rosemary</a> left me a comment</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">on the last post that the house looks so vulnerable in this state.  I think that's a great word.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We also discovered a second foundation, in about three feet from the outer one</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">just was I had suspected.  Why?  We'll get back to that.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-r2q8BC2qirqfLFLveBFdVrAAqsBeWCBMca_rA6lFlDdPCxAG76916UYTeXFkG68YFp0NZX6UfZcySQ78frq6kkpNu4LTDbBx3tNRrkR_yHd-2HBBULZuFAeCoEto0DynPRCsRazGdQ/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-r2q8BC2qirqfLFLveBFdVrAAqsBeWCBMca_rA6lFlDdPCxAG76916UYTeXFkG68YFp0NZX6UfZcySQ78frq6kkpNu4LTDbBx3tNRrkR_yHd-2HBBULZuFAeCoEto0DynPRCsRazGdQ/s640/2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The joists under the old bathroom don't seem too bad.  New 2x6s have been</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">sistered alongside the old 4x5 joists and additional pairs of 2x6s were also</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">added in between.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjElayCHakOydQu-aso3JgliUoiX8meKXp9mtCbR-fMw76PxssVwpyGFAjfdD-v0ZmNE_fa7o3cMVePM543lerCN_mEHVoRIR4Ygr-nUylJPZKS14Ucy9IEVupkm2wgR9QSw-ZKj9w8Y0Y/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjElayCHakOydQu-aso3JgliUoiX8meKXp9mtCbR-fMw76PxssVwpyGFAjfdD-v0ZmNE_fa7o3cMVePM543lerCN_mEHVoRIR4Ygr-nUylJPZKS14Ucy9IEVupkm2wgR9QSw-ZKj9w8Y0Y/s640/10.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In other places joists were spaced about two feet apart.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sixteen inches is normal and probably code.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmngtKxxS0ZKI1BMOnpFs7Cnl5JPX_v7gLOWlmzrGBvdGA1TAgo5Cule8Y8NoAilvgsQqKbyY4c3WOTaJ4ivHwh_zLWnTu-KOV8p0Es8BtSurQChNTGwB8iwiPe117a4rVKTYdIQhWBUk/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmngtKxxS0ZKI1BMOnpFs7Cnl5JPX_v7gLOWlmzrGBvdGA1TAgo5Cule8Y8NoAilvgsQqKbyY4c3WOTaJ4ivHwh_zLWnTu-KOV8p0Es8BtSurQChNTGwB8iwiPe117a4rVKTYdIQhWBUk/s640/6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And between the two foundations, the spacing is over 30 inches!  Many of the </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">joists are at different levels and the entire floor is just way out of level.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I could certainly beef up the structure with new joists and pad some of the</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">joists that are too low, but it just might make more sense to rip it out and</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">start from scratch.  There's certainly no better time to fix it properly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">From a purist point of view, I would love to leave anything original intact because</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">it's an historical document; on the other hand, the perfectionist in me would like</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">it all to be new.  I have a little bit of a stomach ache about it but I'm  not going</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">to shed any tears or lose any sleep over it.  Just gotta figure it out.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It is what it is, as they say.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViO0UsSq0Dk3j9xSYub2YGirWKHqeotU3rL1kjZpm7d_CRM6mRsev5o5CyLsNkrCjBXozGxT0zg8EtfqlFwUhZ8-vW3Z1IZCe1PdsAnfq-7YtXupRp630b-4Rz28tt-nRNZ1lCc_KExg/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiViO0UsSq0Dk3j9xSYub2YGirWKHqeotU3rL1kjZpm7d_CRM6mRsev5o5CyLsNkrCjBXozGxT0zg8EtfqlFwUhZ8-vW3Z1IZCe1PdsAnfq-7YtXupRp630b-4Rz28tt-nRNZ1lCc_KExg/s640/6.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But let's talk about the two foundations.  As I said, there are two foundations</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">about three feet apart but notice the center floor beam goes all the way</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">across to the outer foundation.  There appear to no bones, no treasure,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">no stash of Paul Revere's silver although it would be fun to poke around with</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">a metal detector.  The inner foundation seems a little better built and made</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">of gray fieldstone...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjNdM8OtdfcPjbo2S57M1R2pCb7majfgMxfTi9Yt0EFNhzi2IUawYDXf9d-LdxJJN5v_zOcW_-B5zzBILdcud-yhdj5vfsijxXCNy0WAhg2vm8QDxs4P5D1B4-m6SyEVjtIPZUuR_Nhw/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjNdM8OtdfcPjbo2S57M1R2pCb7majfgMxfTi9Yt0EFNhzi2IUawYDXf9d-LdxJJN5v_zOcW_-B5zzBILdcud-yhdj5vfsijxXCNy0WAhg2vm8QDxs4P5D1B4-m6SyEVjtIPZUuR_Nhw/s640/7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-r2q8BC2qirqfLFLveBFdVrAAqsBeWCBMca_rA6lFlDdPCxAG76916UYTeXFkG68YFp0NZX6UfZcySQ78frq6kkpNu4LTDbBx3tNRrkR_yHd-2HBBULZuFAeCoEto0DynPRCsRazGdQ/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>...just like the foundation on the rest of the house. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhv32VjE6tKQu61bR6QQIuLE9tyw1jVyTDPNPFw-8tAs1ZPGv4SWUO0QcaOXjUTnj06g_yKg7epVdsG7nEiReZQFRN6v4IlDgyTGL2-I7K_IBSguSFK5mAL3Mcq5RPo33byiS-zWuqACY/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhv32VjE6tKQu61bR6QQIuLE9tyw1jVyTDPNPFw-8tAs1ZPGv4SWUO0QcaOXjUTnj06g_yKg7epVdsG7nEiReZQFRN6v4IlDgyTGL2-I7K_IBSguSFK5mAL3Mcq5RPo33byiS-zWuqACY/s640/4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The outer foundation has a few wooden piers that have been filled in with brick.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's much more makeshift than the inner foundation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ns2OtgTfj8Ya7GNRZl1bJteOVkAp_kuP2mzmkMcaMbVifYWry9W6PCShyphenhyphenPm3aelXhkK5dGP8GtMNIUaRFjjIou4b9BYuC9hz1dJlVhSaK85N4ZOJQLKhLM_2ExtUCnZ3pik4xhTVHxQ/s1600/12B.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Ns2OtgTfj8Ya7GNRZl1bJteOVkAp_kuP2mzmkMcaMbVifYWry9W6PCShyphenhyphenPm3aelXhkK5dGP8GtMNIUaRFjjIou4b9BYuC9hz1dJlVhSaK85N4ZOJQLKhLM_2ExtUCnZ3pik4xhTVHxQ/s640/12B.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> The ceiling joists (and the second floor) go all the way across but notice on the back wall,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">the sheathing is different on those three feet between the two foundations.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But why?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiBvRWoKm3qrvfBkJU5M0DhQiqHAHrVoSO2fb02F3C8yIKWoxFPFif0GVsTcx4mSVv5Aku1S9Gm5cRVOS1YMlukVZd4NdAFM9S5bjeKAZhWxtIU8mkIWgDzrMBoKNm-P4s9gkOvaJUHo/s1600/then+and+now.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbiBvRWoKm3qrvfBkJU5M0DhQiqHAHrVoSO2fb02F3C8yIKWoxFPFif0GVsTcx4mSVv5Aku1S9Gm5cRVOS1YMlukVZd4NdAFM9S5bjeKAZhWxtIU8mkIWgDzrMBoKNm-P4s9gkOvaJUHo/s640/then+and+now.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">     1856 drawing                                                      2013 diagram</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you look at a few key measurements between the 1856 drawing and its current dimension,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">you'll see that the house has gone from 61 feet to 42 feet on the right side and from</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">37 feet to 18 feet where the porches are.  Nineteen feet is missing!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I suspect there was a barn attached to the back of the house.  A place where horses and</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">firewood might have been.  But the double foundation?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yxaEuP9nUTQmjYfaV9FjMEaOWMFdAs17MkupLouIgEq1hpEw2gkX-lkr_zWZ3hrTfVR7WUbiSRPI1dW4GcxA1DYeYPFdyrlySm-SXdQD-BNIBKrEghrD2-7_uOiI7xPOLCP39DQAoGM/s1600/inverted-porches.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yxaEuP9nUTQmjYfaV9FjMEaOWMFdAs17MkupLouIgEq1hpEw2gkX-lkr_zWZ3hrTfVR7WUbiSRPI1dW4GcxA1DYeYPFdyrlySm-SXdQD-BNIBKrEghrD2-7_uOiI7xPOLCP39DQAoGM/s640/inverted-porches.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo:  <a href="http://ourlittlebighouse.com/greek-revival-inverted-porches/" target="_blank">Our Little Big House</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My guess is there was an inverted porch on that side of the house.  Perhaps just wide enough</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">to provide cover from the rain or snow to get firewood.   I think that explains the more</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">solid inner foundation of the house and a porch foundation that was most likely entirely on piers.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If I didn't lose three feet of my kitchen, I would love to recreate that.  I think it would be </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">really nice detail on that side of the house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yWdWgpUVQzdGi2DCvUNbgwwj9mbfW2x6tlRXHK5_VBbBIT_y3fKfUF7TX9WSc7fIWFMd97BJPh2gW4MioF_4maUqQ5lww7YNVqZtiU6zS-ZyBMivqSjCbkhk_PXSYvubPOJ01BSVzyY/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yWdWgpUVQzdGi2DCvUNbgwwj9mbfW2x6tlRXHK5_VBbBIT_y3fKfUF7TX9WSc7fIWFMd97BJPh2gW4MioF_4maUqQ5lww7YNVqZtiU6zS-ZyBMivqSjCbkhk_PXSYvubPOJ01BSVzyY/s640/5.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Up next is dealing with the plumbing and heating.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This plumbing stack serves the upstairs bathroom.  It would probably</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">make sense to renovate this bathroom at the same time but I have my limits.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cast iron is famous for splitting open.  This is most like over 100 years old</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">so it's time to replace it with PVC.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJd0VYGHt5IgWBQFwcIMRWF9n82-1bF5jL3GI8fsWSFBOMjid3bZwqVbt5tA9yAB2ggIGNhb_Mx5dvVykC4dM3kNJr6Q_453JeSA1xwMTGIO8XvGJOTzHwIEbXBS43Lu3_836Sb2I6tO8/s1600/plumbing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJd0VYGHt5IgWBQFwcIMRWF9n82-1bF5jL3GI8fsWSFBOMjid3bZwqVbt5tA9yAB2ggIGNhb_Mx5dvVykC4dM3kNJr6Q_453JeSA1xwMTGIO8XvGJOTzHwIEbXBS43Lu3_836Sb2I6tO8/s640/plumbing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8yWdWgpUVQzdGi2DCvUNbgwwj9mbfW2x6tlRXHK5_VBbBIT_y3fKfUF7TX9WSc7fIWFMd97BJPh2gW4MioF_4maUqQ5lww7YNVqZtiU6zS-ZyBMivqSjCbkhk_PXSYvubPOJ01BSVzyY/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The plumbing stack was boxed in just beside the old kitchen sink.  In the new plan the kitchen</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">sink will be placed right in front of the window.  The challenge will now be to move the plumbing stack back into the outside wall as far as possible so I can get a nice expanse of countertop.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Having plumbing in an outside wall can be a little troublesome in the wintertime</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">but I'm being told if the pipes are wrapped in foam and then foam insulation</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">is blown in around them, there shouldn't be any issue with freezing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Can I get a witness?</div></div>

Floored

I know I'm a little strange but I love the look of exposed lath. If this were my summer cottage by the sea, I would keep it like this. J...

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Demolition, Man

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvIB5hyknN7DY7PL8YpIkEbcHfySxbyNUGVOxrJt7NRry6TdZod1QPEEEIIcj8A69MD_oAmqAvorqc1IaPZvukA6LXNVGsycCMNRZCh6lY0_eOTWTnTR8TXOUyQSBUsbgxSRZ8aORTLE/s1600/IMG_0813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFvIB5hyknN7DY7PL8YpIkEbcHfySxbyNUGVOxrJt7NRry6TdZod1QPEEEIIcj8A69MD_oAmqAvorqc1IaPZvukA6LXNVGsycCMNRZCh6lY0_eOTWTnTR8TXOUyQSBUsbgxSRZ8aORTLE/s640/IMG_0813.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Demolition has started.  Three hours, two guys, one dumpster...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cjf7PJJ-C3ZIyCM0s6SZQmn4c2TZrwDWmk-A9rWwurV-vGMGlsPkf4pdkRBAmXVdI5HnMTldYHJtZ2EtfKuEz-wLuoZFTv4hCZV50LdVTExgUVgxX-YlG_KInDLx-8NWUkeroWEymAQ/s1600/IMG_3315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cjf7PJJ-C3ZIyCM0s6SZQmn4c2TZrwDWmk-A9rWwurV-vGMGlsPkf4pdkRBAmXVdI5HnMTldYHJtZ2EtfKuEz-wLuoZFTv4hCZV50LdVTExgUVgxX-YlG_KInDLx-8NWUkeroWEymAQ/s640/IMG_3315.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from upstairs</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">...and the porches were history.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecy1oaS0bNfMhXHnK2zz_K5Fq2zQUYwSkDq0H081m9Dunit43jX_gFxu5DvCd68NmS9aRt3V1_S7bs3JNxN7qDhOE_BZ-wdxqi-sz4uthNTK0Qi1d2Y1DgbDclcWFN9yX9qmbi7ZC9lw/s1600/IMG_0821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecy1oaS0bNfMhXHnK2zz_K5Fq2zQUYwSkDq0H081m9Dunit43jX_gFxu5DvCd68NmS9aRt3V1_S7bs3JNxN7qDhOE_BZ-wdxqi-sz4uthNTK0Qi1d2Y1DgbDclcWFN9yX9qmbi7ZC9lw/s640/IMG_0821.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The house looks better already.  Those porches were just bringing the house down.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWTbQC9EoR2IPwaUKWXcYlxtMvnQxrhJu2jzvj0LFphgBjPa9YDL45L8I2j5ZfNyeVVnTB1hBHRS8tT-F2wa0m15vGHnPkUa_iS5cfaby5bPuQ_frPjBFx2U7qac6ixWjl77tdjiUBlo/s1600/IMG_0824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEWTbQC9EoR2IPwaUKWXcYlxtMvnQxrhJu2jzvj0LFphgBjPa9YDL45L8I2j5ZfNyeVVnTB1hBHRS8tT-F2wa0m15vGHnPkUa_iS5cfaby5bPuQ_frPjBFx2U7qac6ixWjl77tdjiUBlo/s640/IMG_0824.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />Under the porch were five shovels and a pitch fork.  There is no visible gap under the kitchen<br />but we still can't figure out why there's three feet between the outside of the foundation<br />and the inside of the basement.  The basement walls under the kitchen are poured concrete - so<br />much more modern than the rest of the basement - so it just may have been dug smaller than <br />the outside foundation.  I think this is where coal was shoveled in to the basement.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0AT5BfZEGzgaSSVQzhQehYNC018tcmRwdsMisw2_FRYA1Uv_Ky0znRRB8PWbFyVONzbToR_KBuvlZMrzvMJ9goiAmTpOtZSQt2jzCSr8t2ogdTazDMgoiHx109DK6rVmo3XhvvwskVU/s1600/IMG_3325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0AT5BfZEGzgaSSVQzhQehYNC018tcmRwdsMisw2_FRYA1Uv_Ky0znRRB8PWbFyVONzbToR_KBuvlZMrzvMJ9goiAmTpOtZSQt2jzCSr8t2ogdTazDMgoiHx109DK6rVmo3XhvvwskVU/s640/IMG_3325.jpg" width="480" /></a><br /><br />Inside the going is a little slower.  The kitchen tile is set in a bed on thick mortar<br />on a metal lath that's like a cheese grater.  Watch your fingers!<br /><br />Above the tile is evidence of the stove flues that went in to the chimney.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcbsfVRi6K41MrEy6yBKm_R_p34Q28z0GU46wbHdklC1Xln65yS-y2V-EVeJtLcZPl_wYDPeGjtGwy6ajfQhYrVsV5bWQ9BvcPMEx0SSzaa9wYkhRFSWqoOaPKY3eHXDF4fUDBSpELU4/s1600/IMG_3331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcbsfVRi6K41MrEy6yBKm_R_p34Q28z0GU46wbHdklC1Xln65yS-y2V-EVeJtLcZPl_wYDPeGjtGwy6ajfQhYrVsV5bWQ9BvcPMEx0SSzaa9wYkhRFSWqoOaPKY3eHXDF4fUDBSpELU4/s640/IMG_3331.jpg" width="480" /></a><br /><br />The floor.  Ceramic tile on plywood on linoleum tile on plywood<br />on hardwood on subfloor.  It was a good two inches thick, maybe more.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3Jdnu15GVc_vqE6_urU_hahivSzYElbrjEo3AWfKi8xZp17Mkiid1HTVbPpreRzUr5F2x_p7UdOwnxwFilFXA3AL-g91FKd9AIVImq8Bzw8TI3h7h9pAOWvE8XkpQltCpiBDaXXNY-k/s1600/kitchen1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd3Jdnu15GVc_vqE6_urU_hahivSzYElbrjEo3AWfKi8xZp17Mkiid1HTVbPpreRzUr5F2x_p7UdOwnxwFilFXA3AL-g91FKd9AIVImq8Bzw8TI3h7h9pAOWvE8XkpQltCpiBDaXXNY-k/s640/kitchen1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's a few before-and-now photos.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YdZ5FVn8yA4o63HpUazCxc_9V50hIllS9x0YElYS7S6ZkSWSFRfaYANEXyFeewWKZJFDMmRsDdl2I38jeinopZi2d_oXfurnEHZTwoTAdGNzBIv5r3JBxLVZ8j20VZZBIAj11PuRZuY/s1600/kitchen2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YdZ5FVn8yA4o63HpUazCxc_9V50hIllS9x0YElYS7S6ZkSWSFRfaYANEXyFeewWKZJFDMmRsDdl2I38jeinopZi2d_oXfurnEHZTwoTAdGNzBIv5r3JBxLVZ8j20VZZBIAj11PuRZuY/s640/kitchen2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />One of the cats took up residence next to the sink after it was emptied out.<br />He seemed kind of sad about the old kitchen going away.<br />(Maybe that was just me.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOjSGTGzYSPgH0WZo-VmiS6XNFRIY6FJl_Un6Bz2MzC7FOhOglnXFd9IkjynBxqW37LW5iM3-B-aTrmMuOuw6Gcg8L9oJYIhQvvxWiQ4lFpWKEEk6DOSbMZ0YxOCpbPtNOZ30Cpq-ZGw/s1600/IMG_3338.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOjSGTGzYSPgH0WZo-VmiS6XNFRIY6FJl_Un6Bz2MzC7FOhOglnXFd9IkjynBxqW37LW5iM3-B-aTrmMuOuw6Gcg8L9oJYIhQvvxWiQ4lFpWKEEk6DOSbMZ0YxOCpbPtNOZ30Cpq-ZGw/s640/IMG_3338.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is the same kitchen window that was next to the sink.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The bathroom window is in the distance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Pretty, right?  It's so old!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZIgbFT5dm8R0JnTHP2atj2H1_C1Ed-8PtbZ_q_4BWE6-jqDmm-K5aj8694b6QumzZPb9hEj50rai-D2wpq38BgnNJ9azvZys3eAVWFhUs7kVhmlyCcDCmOZAYv5P8FZgTZUnFwbcbJ4/s1600/IMG_3336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZIgbFT5dm8R0JnTHP2atj2H1_C1Ed-8PtbZ_q_4BWE6-jqDmm-K5aj8694b6QumzZPb9hEj50rai-D2wpq38BgnNJ9azvZys3eAVWFhUs7kVhmlyCcDCmOZAYv5P8FZgTZUnFwbcbJ4/s640/IMG_3336.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Here's an old drum trap circa 1900. All lead.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The claw foot tub and sink drain to this.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNQmFph4FkBL57kR-vuIjMZnfRQbNOE2b-jGwZWANm3jm1OWvzNOdiMvtlwG0Opro6jGSJZHxdM0bO4_nPUlGbZHMUWkiL8wbXjjUS1Iw_S2K6wNvsYbJWxAh5itm_m_3RyvOMkF7yl0/s1600/IMG_0852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifNQmFph4FkBL57kR-vuIjMZnfRQbNOE2b-jGwZWANm3jm1OWvzNOdiMvtlwG0Opro6jGSJZHxdM0bO4_nPUlGbZHMUWkiL8wbXjjUS1Iw_S2K6wNvsYbJWxAh5itm_m_3RyvOMkF7yl0/s640/IMG_0852.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The old pantry.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJuR4MY8iqvO3wK4nq6Zxb2l1B-S4yWTyWvz43NKHk2hRQMZGX7OY6IwKteZlMV6FybfbTVxudZ4xv2oB8fU0cJ_npYUjINteV83ovLsnFv8scSv9DzuKbmOyiCH8Ksh6uXnxgS_F4UA/s1600/IMG_0853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJuR4MY8iqvO3wK4nq6Zxb2l1B-S4yWTyWvz43NKHk2hRQMZGX7OY6IwKteZlMV6FybfbTVxudZ4xv2oB8fU0cJ_npYUjINteV83ovLsnFv8scSv9DzuKbmOyiCH8Ksh6uXnxgS_F4UA/s640/IMG_0853.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The back door to the <strike>porch</strike> air.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuhydQMXq5ql88Rzkvq4BtZsCSIUCoNfhWf4nE1r1U8PH0g6Wl-STjH_T-FZHxAP6pf0awdKORb4SWCr6r83U9NQPhyS-usc81KKDecSl_E9FTEX5f_p0A-48XDTXhKw85hLCv877ao4/s1600/IMG_3330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRuhydQMXq5ql88Rzkvq4BtZsCSIUCoNfhWf4nE1r1U8PH0g6Wl-STjH_T-FZHxAP6pf0awdKORb4SWCr6r83U9NQPhyS-usc81KKDecSl_E9FTEX5f_p0A-48XDTXhKw85hLCv877ao4/s640/IMG_3330.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">How's this for an example of bad construction technique?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A charred joist between the kitchen and bathroom that's about a foot shy of being</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">tied to anything.  I was told there had been a fire in the house - I saw evidence</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">of fire up above the ceiling where the new bathroom is - but this burned joist seems</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">to have been put here later.  Nothing around it or attached to it is burned.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I always find demolition both nauseating and exciting.  I always fear that something</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">horrible will be revealed, something will spring a leak, start a fire or fall down.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">At the same time, it's the beginning of something new.</div></div>

Demolition, Man

Demolition has started.  Three hours, two guys, one dumpster... View from upstairs ...and the porches were history. The house looks better a...

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Back Porches

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVgo7f1OAX8xqrzqz87WR1t8piKEBiXLTs-5yqSmRY1Nf7OfQeKWcc6iQM9Eu9-awF_7_qcpRqFQ-pP2apVIUdOLOm-L40CmQXQXTpHDE2LXaMWgNSVrkhzYvgH7A3PqJNeEpQKe8cUU/s1600/porches+header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVgo7f1OAX8xqrzqz87WR1t8piKEBiXLTs-5yqSmRY1Nf7OfQeKWcc6iQM9Eu9-awF_7_qcpRqFQ-pP2apVIUdOLOm-L40CmQXQXTpHDE2LXaMWgNSVrkhzYvgH7A3PqJNeEpQKe8cUU/s400/porches+header.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Just off the kitchen and master bedroom are my back porches.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdIn-lM5HZRkJpcdd1y5KkW28yav6X-UqfOHd2y4HoLbJyuTHXiBLY2MKCqux73_GtjMiIA3VplQORkjobCfi01ypBHUNa3xcaAHjPk6ElJ1cA647FQOUqJYr17nW-nr6LERbRRDJLpY/s1600/house+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdIn-lM5HZRkJpcdd1y5KkW28yav6X-UqfOHd2y4HoLbJyuTHXiBLY2MKCqux73_GtjMiIA3VplQORkjobCfi01ypBHUNa3xcaAHjPk6ElJ1cA647FQOUqJYr17nW-nr6LERbRRDJLpY/s400/house+002.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">My renovation strategy since buying the house has always</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">been to tackle the ugliest thing.  I started here.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ooj6GsgkfSEolJBVajUPbP4zTImZV6-7PUPXMaN3GIKYgCHUq_qm4S7Q5KKYXHnxBjyEkN6MfZx5pH2jj2C8LKnwn3WFgHzjERjy8zKFcYzlCtSAkf747UxLXy4xWJqgJ_rsvYbV8jE/s1600/b&a3+back+porch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2ooj6GsgkfSEolJBVajUPbP4zTImZV6-7PUPXMaN3GIKYgCHUq_qm4S7Q5KKYXHnxBjyEkN6MfZx5pH2jj2C8LKnwn3WFgHzjERjy8zKFcYzlCtSAkf747UxLXy4xWJqgJ_rsvYbV8jE/s400/b&a3+back+porch.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I've ripped things off.  I've added new things.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I've painted them.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQjylLcCQxqIQEMDzXpFMH0mmRBOnhyphenhyphentSVeL2vU7GtGaEriyVn1bTlLqKBpdTQi3j9yU9gFuhVhhvi5SyVF9PlEEU6YF-xNp3sAYKaz2SLekSU2A8GjBOuF_96gOnkEXfseTRxehmG_k/s1600/porch1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQjylLcCQxqIQEMDzXpFMH0mmRBOnhyphenhyphentSVeL2vU7GtGaEriyVn1bTlLqKBpdTQi3j9yU9gFuhVhhvi5SyVF9PlEEU6YF-xNp3sAYKaz2SLekSU2A8GjBOuF_96gOnkEXfseTRxehmG_k/s640/porch1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And painted them again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And it's all been lipstick on the proverbial pig.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmB6OMWIHFd_vwwxc8BfBkQv2mNGTOOMhUor7CKMOhK1MCLoPCxCJxWiD2CB6j246o0tXxqVcvc9XlnxBqjZ2MxWSaowc1rRpwBKhbub8HKoIXMDEUdxLvla_x0UJH9erHURF07UunlEk/s1600/IMG_3272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmB6OMWIHFd_vwwxc8BfBkQv2mNGTOOMhUor7CKMOhK1MCLoPCxCJxWiD2CB6j246o0tXxqVcvc9XlnxBqjZ2MxWSaowc1rRpwBKhbub8HKoIXMDEUdxLvla_x0UJH9erHURF07UunlEk/s400/IMG_3272.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When I was out last weekend cutting back overgrown plants</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and shrubs and I discovered new problems.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyiL0A7QmJ9wBpE4EwTc2gQ9sKJ5nRq4bHlw_BtjFmKrAHbPg-RMeq-A7B_zZMiANMc6ZI3-a48vdOV143esQFBhkr4sn8n2Isp3vun5-P6MHGFd6XUxQVOz4o0k1JAOjq8f3jJgnNQYc/s1600/IMG_3269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyiL0A7QmJ9wBpE4EwTc2gQ9sKJ5nRq4bHlw_BtjFmKrAHbPg-RMeq-A7B_zZMiANMc6ZI3-a48vdOV143esQFBhkr4sn8n2Isp3vun5-P6MHGFd6XUxQVOz4o0k1JAOjq8f3jJgnNQYc/s400/IMG_3269.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The center post is rotting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtSYZw88YDQ_lPtmY8ixDCXOgDzOqCPgIaVXwmKMbzpGrghnNDm2XHHPG4_uOQ07QLOOIuNouTuUUumtggf4esZlFFn2cpoLph5cMpLGg7xTjZIsU0_QZdRJTawxEvxCcwAeYma103i0/s1600/porch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtSYZw88YDQ_lPtmY8ixDCXOgDzOqCPgIaVXwmKMbzpGrghnNDm2XHHPG4_uOQ07QLOOIuNouTuUUumtggf4esZlFFn2cpoLph5cMpLGg7xTjZIsU0_QZdRJTawxEvxCcwAeYma103i0/s400/porch2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You can actually see the lower porch is sagging in the center.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrM_MtKYgEL29SGR4jCimbSt2ikkrJ6xsXq64QdZZRzlUfraB7vYeyZPOUqSsl31bp_brPE-WZu3IWByzFF8GpGi5Ega7PNyXZCqJ5EY6jJPZHyKDAKEWyjIHmy9G_0XkR-7ABqnYHwdk/s1600/IMG_3270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrM_MtKYgEL29SGR4jCimbSt2ikkrJ6xsXq64QdZZRzlUfraB7vYeyZPOUqSsl31bp_brPE-WZu3IWByzFF8GpGi5Ega7PNyXZCqJ5EY6jJPZHyKDAKEWyjIHmy9G_0XkR-7ABqnYHwdk/s320/IMG_3270.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The brick piers are crumbing...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjei0LD12iPKPz9qxdN61ZLwPaNf5bQCz9Bi9ce2ARoyYftGQ2UFuvmuJUB2GaEv4VdLPHzH8t9A2338X1GfKi-Bah0uOCJ7WrhgatWF8Eq6001LlwjMes9CFjw8Xmv9ZzZ47SaIcfHH94/s1600/IMG_3271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjei0LD12iPKPz9qxdN61ZLwPaNf5bQCz9Bi9ce2ARoyYftGQ2UFuvmuJUB2GaEv4VdLPHzH8t9A2338X1GfKi-Bah0uOCJ7WrhgatWF8Eq6001LlwjMes9CFjw8Xmv9ZzZ47SaIcfHH94/s320/IMG_3271.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">...along with the porch foundation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The time has come to replace them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT18DvaqVG5Exj1TUkhvcctn7-BUJIulrp4Myi6FKChzGt-KFJBsgqZIyK7mEaz1Xj2aWg9KQILHfTi9ohbLjptuOgYyGaWUyd_AEuezrDdJ4-RinRDLI5FoK7-aDaZWnX06h4e8D1lZs/s1600/rear+elevation.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT18DvaqVG5Exj1TUkhvcctn7-BUJIulrp4Myi6FKChzGt-KFJBsgqZIyK7mEaz1Xj2aWg9KQILHfTi9ohbLjptuOgYyGaWUyd_AEuezrDdJ4-RinRDLI5FoK7-aDaZWnX06h4e8D1lZs/s640/rear+elevation.JPG" width="614" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The thing that worries me most about the porches (and the kitchen)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">is I don't know what is under one-third of the kitchen.  There is basement</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">under only two-thirds of the kitchen and the rest is unknown.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Might it be on piers?  It's a mystery.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Historical documents don't help.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrmxG8RCo0oDcmKJnnq4rliomOHM_sel80AvSwxjpL6wBJxcHHghqCEg0sfJ9SUKWqTSmX7rTHC7IIXUGvhKG9cqNoddjhIALGlKEOgZsKYaE9i9VbPMBwcAOn5DyK7QThdxa0B9LzLg/s1600/1854+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBrmxG8RCo0oDcmKJnnq4rliomOHM_sel80AvSwxjpL6wBJxcHHghqCEg0sfJ9SUKWqTSmX7rTHC7IIXUGvhKG9cqNoddjhIALGlKEOgZsKYaE9i9VbPMBwcAOn5DyK7QThdxa0B9LzLg/s640/1854+map.jpg" width="452" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On an 1854 map of the neighborhood, it almost appears like</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">there were porches, or at least one porch, on the house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7NzsL72wcGOiC74ToaPP4wpLvXfvK5c-8wdJlGbLsIwUu7GX6VNKGuFHpg-4yZr29xxIJMh2rJy_O84dnrLo9OaynKMMuIUB5bqM63QLv2aTbLorI_R7ySSt0O4QQ46jPioyEMMYj3M/s1600/1856+drawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI7NzsL72wcGOiC74ToaPP4wpLvXfvK5c-8wdJlGbLsIwUu7GX6VNKGuFHpg-4yZr29xxIJMh2rJy_O84dnrLo9OaynKMMuIUB5bqM63QLv2aTbLorI_R7ySSt0O4QQ46jPioyEMMYj3M/s640/1856+drawing.jpg" width="308" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But on a drawing of the house from 1856, it's clear</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">there's only a small staircase leading from the kitchen.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The woman from whom I bought the house told me her father </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">added the porches in 1940.  Whether or not there were ever porches</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">on the house prior than 1940, I don't know.  But these porches just don't look</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">correct to me.  I wanted to see something with more formal balance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The porches may not be original but I want them to look</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">like they might have always been there,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhNhY7WCt4JPyeM5d2RG26yjvkcwicSi9ZOQZGRZV9teTy3le80A07OwN27wGMmjh5WCqbIBOWWV3n_UU29W2XV1En5HZYzLXLkcUcN5XiEdEsLa97nuusN1f1nC7xTdbhlkNfkDNajg/s1600/Old-Wayland-Town-Hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzhNhY7WCt4JPyeM5d2RG26yjvkcwicSi9ZOQZGRZV9teTy3le80A07OwN27wGMmjh5WCqbIBOWWV3n_UU29W2XV1En5HZYzLXLkcUcN5XiEdEsLa97nuusN1f1nC7xTdbhlkNfkDNajg/s320/Old-Wayland-Town-Hall.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Wayland Town Hall<br />Photo:  <a href="http://mass.historicbuildingsct.com/?p=737" target="_blank">Historic Buildings of Massachusetts</a></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">The closet thing I could find locally to what I think my porches</div><div style="text-align: center;">should look like is the front of the Old Wayland (suburb of Boston) Town Hall</div><div style="text-align: center;">built in 1841, just a year older than my house.  I don't have the triangular</div><div style="text-align: center;">pediment above the porches, nor would I want the back porches</div><div style="text-align: center;">to compete with the front of the house but it's the symmetry</div><div style="text-align: center;">that my current back porches lack that I'd like to add.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Co-lfkR61eTb24xXPjUV0KFmp3WmuOt8QcSHqphnrD7BVuZEimb1Xuq681F9-X_dqCpuPhKqOz3cxBq13bIXgr5YK0tyvAWxcqKJBjuDlDx615m0lTqpneYEgGK-zOhPHeyY03vAVCg/s1600/Side+elevation.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Co-lfkR61eTb24xXPjUV0KFmp3WmuOt8QcSHqphnrD7BVuZEimb1Xuq681F9-X_dqCpuPhKqOz3cxBq13bIXgr5YK0tyvAWxcqKJBjuDlDx615m0lTqpneYEgGK-zOhPHeyY03vAVCg/s640/Side+elevation.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So I've split the columns into two one-story sets that are thinner</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">than the columns on the front of the house and with no flutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This creates smaller-scaled bits that won't compete with the front of the house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To create the symmetry so quintessential to a Greek Revival, you'll</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">also note I've created a center entrance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRT0Rgk_WJdhC09KjuCfc9hPLILIxYuKQK80aohnOikI2SH7NzlBuLBdUK5h_hzX8A1RmUX0L5La6Q633x-ybl33VvmP3LtQvuOK20fNZ4o9BPEKoXI0q7maB_E6YuoAOlqhoq33PIZYg/s1600/driveway+side+elevation.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRT0Rgk_WJdhC09KjuCfc9hPLILIxYuKQK80aohnOikI2SH7NzlBuLBdUK5h_hzX8A1RmUX0L5La6Q633x-ybl33VvmP3LtQvuOK20fNZ4o9BPEKoXI0q7maB_E6YuoAOlqhoq33PIZYg/s640/driveway+side+elevation.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Adding the back porches to my kitchen has consequences:  the budget.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I've decided not to add a second window above the kitchen sink.  The</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">cost of removing the old chimney, repairing and residing the house just</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">to add one window without an attractive view, just no longer made sense.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I also need to take a look other places where I can save money without</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">holding up the progress.  Right now it's appliances, lighting and cabinetry.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Work should start tomorrow.</div></div>

Back Porches

Just off the kitchen and master bedroom are my back porches. My renovation strategy since buying the house has always been to tackle the ugl...

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