Dancing on Air

The first half flight to the second floor is done. So is the landing midway between the first and second floors. The stairs to the basement are in, although you really can't see it in this photo. For now, we've got temporary railings. We haven't quite figured out what we're going to do for permanents.

Last of the Vermin?

We're still pulling the house apart. The East wall studs are out completely, the South wall siding is off and a temporary load-bearing stud wall and post have been placed to hold up the second story (heard this before?). The crew is going to make an attempt at finishing the framing and sheathing before the week is out, but they might be slowed down if they find any more termite damage. The heavy timber sill plate on the east wall was chewed through so badly that it made a hollow thud and exhaled a cloud of wood dust when tapped.

In case you're worrying, the termites are long gone (thank goodness).

Ripping Deeper (Reverse Angle)

Reverse angle of the last post. This view is from the Southeast corner of the lot, facing Northwest, looking into the living room.

Ripping Deeper

After comprehensive consideration, we've decided to reframe the two walls on the East and South sides. Today the siding came off the east side. All this reframing is due to the skinny outside wall studs, which make effective insulation somewhat difficult (among other challenges). We'll reuse the siding, but it'll be reattached to 2x4 studs instead of 2x3s. This process also makes electrical rough-in a little easier and we'll be able to properly sheathe and wrap the house before the siding goes back on.

More of a New Wall

Same wall as yesterday, more studs today. And one lonely kitty.

Half Flight

1st floor looking down into the basement. The first half flight of stairs is in.

Back Fill

The excavator was in today. The foundation trench is back filled with gravel and is capped with a layer of top soil.

The Springwater Corridor

The Springwater Corridor is a 17-mile long recreational path that cuts through Sellwood not ten blocks from our house. The inspiration is Olmsted-ian in nature. It serves as a connection between many of the city's larger, less tamed greenspaces. It also serves as a primary biking artery for those heading from Gresham, outer southeast or Sellwood into downtown. From our house it takes about 20 minutes (Rachael speed) to get to downtown Portland.

Greenspaces, Pt. 2: Sellwood Park and Environs

Photo taken at Sellwood Park at Sunset.

Sellwood Park located on a large overlook above Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Oaks Amusment Park and Sellwood Waterfront Park.

Oaks Bottom is a sizable wilderness area that can, at times, resemble a giant bog. The great blue heron is one of the many species native to the refuge, and a pair of bald eagles frequent the area (but live on nearby Ross Island.) Rachael's middle school students have spent time volunteering here, focusing on native species restoration and invasive species removal.

Perhaps better known than the refuge is the amusement park located between the Springwater Corridor (see next post) and the river. The year-round carnival, called Oaks Park, includes a cheesy roller coaster and other staples (bumper cars, tilt-a-whirl etc.) as well as a roller skating rink. The rink features a floor that is built on floats. This is less of a novelty; the close proximity to the river has resulted in the rink's frequent flooding. There's also an enormous working organ hanging from the ceiling above the center of the rink. Thursday nights still feature live organ music. This place is all the rage for middle school dates....or at least it was when I was 13. Not that I dated then, Dad.

Sellwood Riverfront Park is a smaller park right on the Willamette river. It features live music on Mondays in the summertime. Last summer's highlight was a band called The Stolen Sweets, headed by local legend Pete Krebs.

As for Sellwood Park, it's one of the nicest in Portland. It's expansive and diverse with a public pool, grove of Douglis Fir Trees, myriad baseball diamonds, basketball and tennis courts, a playground and some great viewpoints. The Northwest edge is also a great place to sneak a view of the fireworks on the 4th of July.

The Eagle Has Landing

The landing midway between the basement and first floor is emerging. The small spaces below the landing and stairs will be used as a wine cellar. The water on the floor isn't a leak; it's some rain that found its way in through the upper story windows over the weekend.

A New Wall

The wall that will separate the living room from the stairwell is getting roughed in. This photo is facing west, standing where the kitchen island will be.

Insulating Foam

This 2" thick insulating foam panel wraps the foundation on the stair tower. We put it on the outside so that we didn't chew up precious stairwell space.

• 3/27 :: Michael adds : There is also a "dry-lock" vapor barier painted on the outside of the foundation behind the blue rigid 2" insulation.

Greenspaces, Pt. 1

Here's a map of our neighborhood, called Sellwood. It is the southern-most neighborhood on the East side of Portland Proper. It's technically two neighborhoods merged together to form Sellwood-Moreland. The area is defined by the river (to the West), 99E (to the East), the county line (to the South) and the westerly curve of 99E (to the North.)

The major greenspaces are named from the neighborhoods, that is, Sellwood and Westmoreland. We're located within spitting distance of Westmoreland Park, and 12 blocks due East of Sellwood Park.

Bathroom Studs

The old bathroom south stud wall is out and a new one is in. The new bathroom doorway is at the center of the photo. As you walk in, the door will swing to the left against the bathtub. The toilet will remain where it is and the sink will be on the right. The wall that separates the bathroom from the expanded kitchen will come straight out from just right of the square picture window (above the toilet).

Caustic Acoustic

Until this morning, the basement ceiling was covered in acoustic tiling. We've pulled it out and as a result added another 5 inches of head height, which makes a huge difference. The room will eventually be an office, a bedroom and an entertainment room.

Insulating noise between the first floor from the basement is a significant part of this project. Upstairs, we're installing a soundproofing underlayment beneath the wood floors. The underlayment is made of 93% recycled rubber materials and is almost a half inch thick. If the underlayment doesn't block all the noise we want it to, we'll attach strips of glued double-lam sheet rock to the underside of the main floor in between the basement ceiling joists.

The finished ceiling will have exposed joists and systems (HVAC, electrical, etc.), but we'll paint everything one color to give the whole thing a unified look.