Stitch: From the SW Corner of the Downstairs

Stitch: From the NE Corner of the Downstairs

Built to Last

This is the base of a vertical structural timber at the NW corner of the stair tower. The bolts go through the lumber and tie into a right-angle brace which is anchored to the concrete. In the event of an earthquake, the walls will hopefully not walk off the foundation. On the other hand, bolting the walls to the earth like this... logic tells us that an earthquake would just shake the whole thing apart anyway.

Taking Shape

The wall framing for the stair tower nearly completed. The window rough openings are now clearly defined.

Fusion

A section of the old foundation has been cut out to open the wall into the new stair well. This view is from the existing basement looking west through the area where the spiral staircase once stood.

Cubist Masterpiece

Framing begins for the stair tower. The scaffolding is inside the structure. Notice the rectangular opening at the top of the South (right) side. Windows will go there. There's also a sidelight set of windows going into the West side (the side closest) along the right edge. They'll be very tall and narrow--11' tall by 14" wide.

• 2/23 :: Daniel adds : It's always fun comparing these things to NYC construction. For instance, you can't use wood studs for any construction here, only steel.

Room With a View

This is looking from the front entry way out through that giant hole in the last photo. Taken just minutes before the green staircase leaves this home forever.

The Void

The crew covers this exposed portion of the house with their giant blue tarp when they're not working, and we were lucky to get a shot of the gaping hole before the scaffolding went up. That lathe and plaster wall is 100 years old, but will be coming out over the next few weeks and will be replaced by a set of french doors. The corner window will also be pulled out and will become a shear (support) wall.

Loading the Flatbed

The longer section is loaded onto the flatbed. This section and its sister will each end up in different homes as independent staircases. We sold the stairs through Craigslist the week before they were pulled out of the house.

Crane Stitch

Jules, one of the Green Hammer guys, actually owns this crane/flatbed truck combo. I'm not sure if he was joking when he told me that his insurance policy specifically forbids bungee jumping from the crane.

Stair Extraction: Motion Picture

Here's a short video of the crew pulling out the 14' top section of the stairs. The total stair height as assembled was just over 21'. Oh, since our camera doesn't record audio, we added a ridiculously unnecessary overdub of heavy machinery.

One Last Stair Shot

Next up: The removal.

The Fate of the Green Carpet.

Even the creative minds at the rebuilding center wouldn't be able to find a reuse for this nasty old carpet. To the dumpster it goes.

Master Bedroom: Facing West

You can see the arborvitae plants through the window. None of neighbors can see into our yard and, perhaps even better, we can't see into anyone else's (with the exception of our lovely neighbors to the South.) The house is very tall and covered with windows, so the fact that both the interior and exterior are so private is notable.

Master Bedroom: Stitch Facing South

A great illustration of the room's natural light - both South and West. You can see beneath the loose batt insulation that the floor is cut up in two places. When the architects were designing last summer, they needed to look into the floor to see how the second floor structural members were installed. Keep in mind that before the second floor was put in, the only thing up here was the roof for the first floor. The stick framing wasn't anywhere near enough to hold up a second story, so an additional layer of structural joists had to be put down. The first cut (on the right) told us that the main structural beam runs N-S down the center of the room. We had to come back later to find out how wide the beam is, hence the second cut on the left.

The Systems: Exposed

Looking up from the first floor through the second and into the roof framing. We're standing in what was formerly the closet space between the West "living room" and the back pantry/stair area. The wall is gone and so is most of the floor between the first and second floors here. The duct running up the right side of the photo is for heating the second floor. One nice thing about this project is that we won't have to replace the heating furnace--it's natural gas, forced air, and very high efficiency.

All in All it's Just Another Break in the Wall

Looking from the basement bedroom North through what was once the closet space. The bedroom carpet has been peeled back to the East side of the room because the concrete cutter will be needed here to cut the old foundation wall out where the new foundation has been poured. The cutter uses water to keep the blade cool and the runoff will go right onto the floor. The nice light is provided by our friend the sun, as there is no wall to block it.

Deconstruction: Stairs to the Basement

Face/Off

This is where the definition between inside and outside becomes fuzzy.

Gratuitous Kitty Shot: Cita

The cats couldn't move into the apartment (1 block away) with us for two reasons: 1. they had recently moved and would likely be traumatized by another and 2. the landlord didn't allow it. We set up a very nice garage home for them, with an easy cat-door entry. We also take them inside (when there's an in-/outside distinction) during cold weather. The permanently-filled cat bowl is our way of making up for our lack of companionship and Cita has put on some bulk as a result.

Concrete Pilings for Deck

Our concrete expert told us that we were building a SUPER solid, if not overbuilt, structure. Our architect explained why. It turns out that small houses with lots of openings (windows, french doors etc.) are highly unstable, and require extra support wherever possible. It makes sense: with so many windows for natural light, we end up with very little shear wall.

Internal Shot: Foundation

3 Weeks Later...

The foundation appears! In case of a major earthquake, we will seek shelter in our VERY solid stair tower.

This Hole is Deeper Than it Looks!

The hole, where the foundation for the stair tower will soon appear, is approximately 12'x12'x8' deep. Little surprises such as the dry-rot seen under the window are being remedied as we find them, to insure the house is good for another 100 years.

The Back Back Yard

Cita, our lovely rodent-hunter (she had more than once delivered us with fresh squirrel. Blech!) appears in the lower right corner of the photo. We hope to convert the former dog house behind her into a chicken coop. The city of Portland allows up to 3 chickens per family, but, in order to keep the early-morning peace, no roosters are allowed.

Deck Excavation

This shot is looking West from the front porch. It puts into perspective the size of the yard. When the project is done the porch will meet the deck, and will continue to the far holes and around to the right (North.) There will be concrete planters built into the deck for bamboo or other tall plants. This will give the illusion of privacy from the street without an actual physical barrier.

From the Kitchen Looking In

The tub was once along the same wall as the toilet, which was a huge waste of space. The bathroom will remain functional while the kitchen will absorb the extra room. We will replace the leaded glass window over the toilet with a frosted-glass window that opens.

Stitched Exterior Shot: Excavation

Excavation for the stair tower foundation and deck pilings begins!

And Even More....

And More...

Both of these windows in the old, cramped kitchen area will be replaced with low-e, double-pane windows. We wish we could afford beautiful wood windows but found that vinyl were selling for around 1/4 the price. Energy efficiency is a high priority for us, and, in the end, we couldn't justify leaving some old windows in order to have the occasional wood new window.

Reverse of last shot

This was taken looking from approximately the location of the old kitchen/bathroom interface, towards the front entry. Note the nicely sorted pile, ready for donation.

The Chimney Emerges

This is a clear shot from approximately the front door back to what was once the small kitchen and large bathroom (the blue area.) The chimney (far left of photo) had been hidden behind walls. We plan to expose the chimney and clean up the brick.

Down to the Studs!

The same ex-lathe and plaster wall as the earlier post. It feels more open already!

Surprises Found During Deconstruction

Here you see a collection of mice feces found beneath where the "green monster" and lower cabinets once were. Needless to say, Cita and Satsuma have helped us with the pest problem, and the construction will leave little room for rodent homes. We aren't anti-rodent - Crystal Springs flows just a block from our house and we've enjoyed watching the nutria (R.O.U.S.) who frequent the creek. We just like them less when they're in our walls!

Breaking Down Barriers

This is an original lathe and plaster wall. The front entry is just behind it, as we're looking just South of East. There will be no replacement of this wall; tearing it down was crucial to opening up the floor plan.

Interior Deconstruction

The same sorting we observed outside occurred inside. Here is a pile of drywall shortly after the project began. What you can't see are the other piles of material, some to be trashed, other to be reused. Here in Portland we have two great sources for reused building materials: The Rebuilding Center and the Habitat (for Humanity) Restore. You can donate, or buy, everything from faucets to windows to fixtures to stoves at both. Craigslist has proven to be another asset for the reuse portion of our project - through this site we've purchased windows and a toilet, and sold the staircase.

Let the Games Begin!

I wandered by one glorious day in December to find the deck gone. Not only gone, but artfully deconstructed. At one point in my conversation with Dan, the expert deconstructor, I asked him to "toss" an old table that had been languishing outside for 6 months. He looked at me with shock, and replied "Nope." He continued on, explaining that the plastic laminate top could be torn off of the table and the rest of the materials salvaged. He's got five kids and I quote "Wants to be damn sure that there are some green spaces left for them." And that is why we hired a "green" contractor. It turns out that one of the most wasteful portions of the project is the deconstruction where, typically, everything is tossed into a dumpster. Dan had the deck materials separated into piles including scrap metal, reusable wood for us, wood that can be reused but not in our project, and trash. The last pile represented perhaps 10% of the total decking materials.

The Back Yard: Before

As we've noted before, the back yard is totally private and relatively untouched, save for three established trees. The blank palate is exactly what we wanted so that we could create a yard that's environmentally sustainable, low-maintenance and filled with lovely things to eat. The basis of our horticultural plan is what's called "permaculture" which is essentially a contraction of permanent and agriculture. The idea is that the plants sustain each other and us without the need for chemicals, artificial fertilizers, frequent weeding or copious amounts of watering. The last point should hit a nerve with anyone who ever house-sat for our old place in the summertime (that would be you, Olsen and Kelda) and had to spend 1.5+ hours a day making sure our plants were nourished.

Master Bedroom: Before

It's hard to believe we can't find a better photo of the second floor bedroom, so this'll have to do. This is looking South from the entry way. The backyard is off the photo to the right. The closets are to the left and behind the photographer and to the left is the master bathroom. We're going to remodel that later this year, so we'll include 'before' shots of it when we get to it. By the way, that goes for the basement, too. For now, we're focusing mainly on the first floor, stair tower, front porch, and deck. At the moment, the only thing we're doing in this bedroom is some entry way re-working to make it fit with the new stairs and we'll eventually be laying down some new carpet. It's not that we didn't appreciate the continuation of the hunter-green theme to the second floor. It's just that we're not really into golfing in our bedroom.

First Floor Bathroom: Before

This photo does no justice to the disproportionately large floor plan of the first floor bathroom. The other half of the bathroom is to the right of the toilet, where there is a gorgeous cast iron claw-foot bathtub. When we measured the bathroom and kitchen dimensions, we found that the kitchen covered almost the same square footage. Our project calls for reducing the size of the bathroom, repositioning the fixtures, tiling the floor, and using the commandeered floor space to increase the size of the kitchen. We also scored ourselves a dual-flush European-style toilet off of Craigslist which will replace the one you see. It saves water by allowing the user to determine how much is needed to adequately clear the bowl. The "big flush" uses 1.6 gallons, and the little a mere 0.8 gallons. Plus, it's far more styling.

Walnut Tree

This view is from the driveway in front of the garage, looking south. The large tree in front of the fence is an English Walnut, more correctly called a Persian Walnut. The Persian Walnut is a non-toxic cousin of the Black Walnut, whose leaves contain a substance called juglone, which gets into the soil and creates inhospitable soil for most plants (thanks for the factoid, Dad Kurynny). We figure that this tree is roughly 75 to 100 years old.

East Face: Before

The window in the foreground will come out and be replaced with what we're calling a "pop-out" or "bump-out," but which is essentially a cantilevered (i.e., no supporting foundation) extension to the kitchen. It will house pantry space and a pair of new windows overlooking the front walkway.

You can see in this photo the original and newer electrical hookups (left and right, respectively). Both of those will be ripped out (and a new meter relocated) to make room for the bump-out.

The far window, along with the two smaller kitchen windows, the bathroom window, and a window on the South wall will be replaced with low-E double-pane versions. When we bought the house it already had new windows in the basement and second floor. After the remodel plans came back we realized that the finished house would only have five original single-pane painted-shut (ech!) windows. One of the goals of our project is to keep the house warm in winter using as little energy as possible, so replacing those last original windows is now part of the scope.

East Lot: Before

Our general contractors will hand the project over to us at approximately 2/3 completion. We have so many skilled friends and friends-of-friends that we wanted to general the last portions: interior and exterior painting, flooring, tile, cabinets and concrete counter tops. We're hoping to take over sometime in April, and depending on how effectively we manage our portion, we should be done just as the summer begins. We have a hard deadline for everything except the final touches as we're hosting a bachelor/ette party for our lovely friends Matt and Karen (holla!) at the end of June.

Exterior East Side: More Before Shots

The time line: We moved into the house on July 2nd, 2006. We had been working with our architect since mid-May and had hoped to get the project underway by the end of the Summer. It was such a nice dream. The reality was that we didn't even apply for permits until late fall. Only after the permits were into the city did we realize that our budget was not going to cover the whole project. We cut about 1/2, resubmitted the drawings and received our permits in mid-December.
The crew from Green Hammer broke ground the week before Christmas, but, due the holiday hoopla, didn't make it much past basic deconstruction until January. Then the snow came. Three snow days in two weeks = a student's dream, a remodeler's nightmare. Concrete can't cure in sub-freezing temperatures, so the project was on hold until the weather cooperated. Since then the guys have been working hyper-speed, and we're not too far behind schedule.

First Floor Plan: Permitted

North is to the top of this drawing. This is a very close approximation of what the final first floor plan will be. Even since these drawings were printed, we've made a few minor changes, including running the south-side deck boards E-W for the whole length of the house past the front entryway.

Highlights include the large french doors opening from the living area onto the West deck; the expanded, open kitchen complete with piano-shaped island, the pop-out pantry/bay-window-seat (East side) and the stair tower (West side). There are lots of nifty little touches like a built-in concrete planter, exposed-brick from the old chimney and the original claw foot, all of which will be better appreciated in person. Come one, come all!

The 1st Concept: If Money Grew on Trees

Originally we'd hoped to do more than we're doing. This seems to be the remodeler's refrain. Luckily we were able to pare-down the project before breaking ground, saving ourselves (and our pocketbooks) a lot of heartache. We reevaluated our goals when figuring out what to cut. Turns out we're not formal enough to require a formal entry, nor do we have enough clothing to require a walk-in closet. The balcony was hard to let go of, but we decided that a larger first-floor deck would compensate. What we kept: The stair tower, complete first-floor remodel, window-seat "bump out" in the kitchen, new flooring and windows throughout, updated siding and roof as well as a re-built front porch.

First Floor Plan: As-Built

As you walk in through the front porch doors, you feel like you're in a hallway. You can kind of see the kitchen, but there's a giant green shelf-thing hanging off the east wall and it's at eye-level. It's impossible to work on the counter tops directly beneath it. The bathroom is as large as the kitchen. The spiral staircase is a charming, if dangerous touch. The back entry way (by the spiral stairs) was added when the stairs went in (ca. 1992). Prior to that it was a bedroom. The rest of the open living space is oddly partitioned and closet spaces are in near-unusable configurations. The solution? Down to the studs and start over!

The Kitchen: Before pt. 2

According to the Country Living Magazine article about our house, this green atrocity was custom made for the owner's fiestaware collection. Custom made, you say? I can't believe that these aren't being sold by the bushel-full at Ikea. What, with the sleek, modern style and functionality.
This "green monster" made it especially difficult to talk and cook at the same time, which was a serious problem as talking and cooking are two of Rachael's favorite pastimes. We came home one day and it was gone. Perhaps it went to tacky-object heaven.

The Staircase: Before

Honestly, who says, "Honey, grey steel is just so passe. How about dark green?" Thank goodness for Craigslist. The staircase, however unsightly, was necessary to link the newer second story to the main floor and basement. Soon: postings of how the stairs were removed (and, presumably, installed.)

The Pantry: Before

Ah, claustrophobic spaces. This one was a gem: a relatively unusable pantry, a bulky-yet-too-small-to-take-a-king-sized-bed-up staircase, and a small useless hallway. This will become a mudroom, storage space and mini-office. The door, through which the light is shining in the photo, will remain. We're building a mini-deck for a recycling center, which will be accessed through this egress.