Next up: The removal.
Monday, February 19, 2007
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.
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.
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 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
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.
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