Controlled Demolition

The blog's getting a little out of date.  Sorry for that.  On the weekend of July 1 and 2, we had a little work party to start tearing out the old office partitions and assorted cabinets throughout the first and second floor.d  HVAC installation started on these days as well, but that's for another article.

Several people showed up both days and we crossed pretty much everything off of our initial list.  Either they got a lot done or we didn't have enough on the list!



Some of the work was delicate and controlled at first.  We had to make sure we weren't removing too much of anything or damaging adjacent elements that we wanted to keep.  Of course, there was plenty of opportunity for a good ol' fashioned sledge hammer!  Here Jim Mitchell removes a chase built to hide a vent pipe from the dental sinks in the adjacent room.







Mom had a blast swinging a hammer and tearing apart the walls in what we believe is the old waiting room.  Gary, my stepfather pictured above, has been a huge help by filling in for me when I'm away on business.



A satisfied crew after opening up what will become our formal living room.



Gail and Leslie (left and center) came on board when we were still looking for a new site to place the house.  We didn't actually meet for the first time until they came out to watch the movers prep the house.  They've been a constant source of help and ideas.  Kimberly (right), is a tremendous asset to our restoration.  She and her husband, Jim, are always there for us to offer advice and help.  They've recently built a wonderful custom home themselves, so they're experience with construction, subs, and inspectors is invaluable.

Below, Leslie stands proud again after finishing yet another partition wall.



Denise is finishing up some board removal in what will become the mudroom/side entrance.  One of the most exciting finds of the day was the original siding on what was once a side porch.





The end of Sunday left us ecstatic with the renewed rooms.  The original floor plan became more apparent and the open-ness of the areas were fantastic.



Nothing left now but to finish the HVAC, start the plumbing, run the electric, cable, network, etc.; build out new bathrooms, fix plaster cracks, replace the roof, repair and repaint the siding....oh yeah, and put in a kitchen.  Won't be long now!