Make way for ducts

It’s not that I haven’t been writing. I have. I just haven’t been writing about the house, despite telling my accountability group that I will write at least once a week.

Our space keeps getting smaller.  We’re living in the original house which is 20 by 30 feet, except that there is no kitchen, unless you count the porch which has no electricity.  A few weeks ago, we lost the hall closet (original kitchen space) so that ducts could be run from the attic to the basement. That was when we also lost heat because the HVAC contractors removed the furnace. And we went half a week without hot water, because the pilot light was somehow extinguished.

Now we’ve lost the bedroom closet, in order to make another entry to the kitchen. My hanging clothes are in the living room and basement. Other clothing is on shelves and bins in the basement. Dan’s clothes are either at work (since he rides his bike, works out, and showers there) or in the basement. Mostly I’m living out of my suitcase which is under the coffee table next to the toilet.

The renovation is starting to look house-like, even if there are no doors, which is a problem when it rains and when birds fly in and make nests. We’re about six weeks from the end, though our living space may get worse before it gets better.

Progress as promised...

The house is framed. Roofing is making headway in one sense though luckily, not in another. Yesterday I was hit by a falling shingle. As I stepped out the front door, I felt particles falling and lifted my hand. The shingle glanced off my hand. It scraped my knuckles, but missed my head. Of course, my hair would have cushioned a blow, but I’m grateful it avoided my face and glasses.

Windows and door should be installed soon. I had a walk-through with HVAC and electrician sub-contractors. Electrical and plumbing are getting roughed in. House wrap is installed over the sides in preparation for Hardi-plank siding.

This is quite the hive of activity with contractors in and out & up and down as they remove HVAC from attic; others are removing and placing roof shingles; electricians in the back; and ongoing framing. It gives me chills, although that’s partly the open door with people in and out.

Construction photos

I'm continuing to add photos. Here's the link.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=108672810249922705602&target=ALBUM&id=5684992171631402449&locked=true&authkey=Gv1sRgCKHTxOKGqMmeQA&feat=email

Have a pleasing journey on the way to age 85...

There was an interview in the paper with Nortin Hadler who writes books on the overuse of medical treatments.

How to have a pleasing journey on the way to age 85—that isn't the title of his book, though it it made me wonder how often do we think about our future and the life we want to live.

We have a lot of information about the efficacy of medical treatments: what it makes sense to do and what  it doesn’t.

Questions to ask your doctor: how certain are you that this procedure or treatment or medicine will provide meaningful benefits? What about possible harm? How many people are helped by this intervention? What is the likelihood of the same outcome without treatment? What’s the anticipated effectiveness of treatment given my age, frailty, and other illnesses I am dealing with? To what extent will it prolong life? If it gives me an additional year, how will I be feeling during that time? What will my quality of life be like?

Doctors should help you to cope with discomfort and minimize suffering. Surgery may not be the best way to accomplish this.

Do we want to call gray hair, wrinkles, and the slowing down a disease or reframe as an essential time of life—generativity? Many of the physical changes of aging are normal. For example, is puberty a normal stage of life or is it a disease (some parents may claim it’s a mental illness, but that’s another issue). Should we view aging in the same way?

Interesting that my autocorrect changed my misspelling of aging to gaining? Wouldn’t that be a wonderful way to think about getting older.

BPW BLOG list

This has nothing to do with the house work, except these are essays that I've been writing for work and I want to keep track of them in one place.  Not all were written to the background noise of jackhammers and compressors, though there have been times when I couldn't hear myself think.

You could say that Rachel is my muse because two articles feature her. Thinking of the world I want Rachel to experience and inherit helps me focus where I direct my attention and energy--including the renovation.

Everyone Can Lend a Hand Through Mentoring http://wp.me/pnD4O-2mP

Joining Forces - Women Veterans Speak Out: The Trenches, Remembered

http://youngwomenmisbehavin.com/2012/01/31/joining-forces-women-veterans-speak-out-the-trenches-remembered/

http://youngwomenmisbehavin.com/2011/11/23/stand-by-your-brand/

Same essay, two venues: Sexual harassment starts in school
http://www.hervotes.us/2011/11/15/sorry-rachel-there-is-still-sexual-harassment/

http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/11/15/so-sorry-rachel-there-is-still-sexual-harassment/

Washington Post letter: Can we slay the car monster?  http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/commuting/can-we-slay-the-car-monster/2011/09/23/gIQActNKrK_story.html 

Rachel helps me work

Written for BPW CEO's byline: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deborah-frett/veterans-day-women-military-female_b_1082346.html

Week 6: We've been framed!

The framing and sheathing work continue, so the rear area is starting to look like a structure, though not quite a house yet.

We've been lucky with weather this winter, although you have to wonder what's going on. We had a false alarm about snow yesterday, although it did snow in Winchester.

The soil samples from under the oil tank were clean of petroleum. That means we don't need bio-hazard remediation. It's also good for the water supply that we consume and that drains into the Potomac.

The wall check survey is within the setback, so we've cleared that hurdle.

The compost bin is like the cask of Amontillado. So many bricks are blocking that it will be inaccessible for months.

Week 5: status report

Status as of 31 January:

·         We passed backfill inspection this morning
·         Sump crock and drain pipe have been set
·         Backfill is being done today and finished up tomorrow
·         Pressure treated sill plates and termite shield have been installed
·         Floor framing lumber delivery is scheduled for tomorrow morning
·         Mason will layup the block pier in crawl space
·         Floor beams have been installed in crawl space
·         Dumpster has been delivered and is on site
·         Cut center will be established tomorrow
·         Floor framing will continue tomorrow
·         First floor walls should begin Thursday.
·         Wall check survey was done today--ensuring that the foundation is set the correct distance from the property lines

Week 4: Home renovation weight loss diet

It’s been over two weeks since I wrote.  With all the unpleasant surprises uncovered in the first two weeks of demolition, leading to costly change orders, I was sick to my stomach.  When I’m stressed, I forget about food or can’t get it down. When you don’t eat, you lose weight.  Not good. Because then, you have no insulating body fat when the heat goes off.

It was raining and thundering this morning. The machines have churned the backyard into a mud pit. The foundations were poured yesterday and removed today.  Now, it’s sunny and windy.  The wind isn't so good while riding a bike, but we need more sun and wind to dry the yard so our soil doesn’t keep walking away on the bottom of everyone’s shoes.

Days 7-9: Here be dragons

It’s been some challenging days. I can make do with spotty electricity, water, and heat.  But the internet started working intermittently on Monday.  When I called Verizon about FIOS (calls of 40, 20, & 10 minutes duration for service troubleshooting), I was told that there was a network outage in this area. It’s hard to work from home without an internet connection. I am thankful for friends who allowed me to use their internet.  It sure beat sitting outside the library (closed) and starbucks (forgot money) using the wifi connections there.   

Internet wasn’t the biggest dragon encountered. In using a bobcat to remove the patio, the driver, Adelino, snagged a piece of rebar embedded in concrete. It was the cover of a brick-lined well—probably the water source predating the current water pipes. A neighbor mentioned he also found a well in his backyard during a home renovation. Between the well discovery and the bad foundation and footings around the kitchen, it has been some discouraging days.

Daily demo death toll: 2 trees and a bush.  Today's rain is churning the dirt into a mud bath.

Day 6—Between an arch and a hard place…

Some people like surprises (sorpresas) more than others. The rule of thumb with a renovation: surprise=change order=$$$

Two issues arose yesterday. The patio has concrete under the bricks. Because of how uneven the surface was, we figured it was dirt under the bricks. So, the concrete needs to be removed to make sure the floor joists can be made level.  Today’s jackhammer noise is the sound of progress. The patio and the arch have been turned into a heap of bricks and concrete.

And there's a metal tank under the driveway...  It appears to be an old heating oil tank. Our current HVAC runs on gas and we figure that this furnace is over 30 years old. So, I guess the tank has been there for a while. It’s at the edge of the house where the foundation will be poured, so it needs to be removed.

Day 5: I-beams away

The backyard looks like a tornado hit. Sometimes it’s hard to keep the faith.

This house has secrets. Given that it was built in 1928, perhaps that's to be expected, although it’s the rear section that is oddest and it was built in the 70's. The room subject to demolition was suspended over two I-beams resting on a brick arch. The circuit panel indicates welder. So, was it a welding workshop? Why was it built the way it was? Were there leftover steel I-beams in the yard and it seemed like a good way to put them to use?

Possible crisis averted: With the temperature below freezing (muy frio) yesterday, the exposed plumbing was a problem. Since the kitchen sink is now outside, it was vulnerable. A plumber came and capped the pipes to prevent them from bursting.

Day 4: It takes a village to raze a house...

Today’s high is supposed to be 34°, but sunny.

Given the current state of the kitchen (la cocina), I’d take the old one. But I am looking forward to what comes next.



Thankfully, the door between living space and demolition area was installed yesterday. It helps buffer the cold gusts. I still mostly wear my coat and hood when I'm inside though.

As I was taking pictures, I noticed attic insulation and gaps, which means that the eaves are open to the air. Washington Gas Company will benefit from our energy profligacy this month. I'm sure Climate would say, "This is hurting me more than it hurts you."

La pared (wall—but fewer walls as the day goes on)

Steve surveying the demo

Luis & Salvador

The dumpster filled up yesterday.  As a diehard recycler & composter, I feel bad about all the debris we’re sending to a landfill, though less than if we razed the house. The workers are separating the metal, so there's a stack in the yard now. I just need to get it loaded into our small utility vehicle (amazing how much a Civic can carry) and haul it to Potomac Metals http://www.potomacmetals.com/. The closest facilityis in Springfield, but there are three other sites in VA & MD. Every little bit helps.

Dia tres: Semper Gumby

Today is the 3^rd day of demo. Luis and Salvador are the ones tearing down the house. This is a good opportunity for me to learn some Spanish during construction. 

It’s one of the coldest days we’ve had in northern VA. Of course, winter and the new year have just begun. The high today is supposed to be 31° with a low of 20°. We've even had some flurries.

The kitchen now has a partial roof, and currently there is no door/wall blocking the living area from the demolition. My focus is La Puerta—to get a door installed today. I am thankful for having heat, even though we are helping to warm the neighborhood with a large gap to the outside.

The kitchen is now on the enclosed porch--of course, no running water or stove there. We thought we were smart with this setup. Unfortunately, the porch electricity is on the same circuit as the I-beam room that mostly disappeared yesterday. So I have an extension cord running to the DR outlet.  

This photo show the I-beam wing at the end of the day. The arch & beams will probably come down tomorrow. They certainly added character to the house but make it hard to create a functional layout.

Being affiliated with the military is good preparation for renovation, hence Semper Gumby—Always flexible.

Day 2--construction photo album

More photos of the construction process:

https://picasaweb.google.com/greyjs/Habitat4serenity?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKHTxOKGqMmeQA&feat=directlink 

Day 1 of demo: Arlington graffiti

Demolition started on 30 Dec. In the Army, there is now zero week before you start Airborne school. We have had 18 months of pre-construction zero weeks--planning and preparation to get to this stage of construction. It’s amazing to watch what probably took months of construction getting turned into rubbish in a matter of days.

Steve, our GC from RARCO, tagged surfaces and items with spray paint indicating those to be demolished and what will be kept.

General contractor--in charge of what happens and fails to happen

The I-beam room now has no roof. It is capped with the blue tarp of rooflessness, like post-hurricane Florida.

The heat pipes and radiators were removed from the rear of the house. The HVAC crew fixed it so we can have heat in the part of the house we'll be living in. Of course, right now, there's no door separating the front of the house from the rear so it's pretty cold. Good thing that temperatures have stayed above freezing.

I think I will go investigate what the loud crash was...