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.
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