The DIY Days

So here is how it is going. The false ceilings in the living room and dining room came down with a crash and a lot of plaster dust.  I dawned my bicycle helmet, safety goggles and gloves and man handled it until I had both ceilings down. The support beams were big, wood and had been cut when 2 by 4's were still 2 inches by 4 inches.

We hired help to pound these big guys down and in 2-hours, the job was done and "J" and "G" were off to lunch. We didn't have to saw the beams, so the mess was minimal. Now we have gaping holes  in the walls where the beams were perched, but the drywall-er says, no big deal.

Paper molding.

We have spent our days talking with architects and contractors. We have three more appointments and then we are determined to get this big show on the road. So far, we have just used our  sweat equity, but we are getting to the end of our talents.

Knob and tube electrical

Demolition is a blast and I hope to get to destroy the kitchen I have been hating for 6 years.

Tonight's discovery was pretty spectacular.

Old forest, wide board Douglas Fir. The tight grain shows the age of these trees.

Floors on October 25, 2015 nearly finished.

 Living room pre demo.

 A screw driver and crow bar does the trick.

 Two hours in and the living room is half way done.

 First step is done, note the hole in the original ceiling, looks like someone's foot.

May 15, 2015

Today is May 15, 2015. After nearly 6 years of discussing the "Restoration Project", it has finally begun. The first steps are small ones, fear is my biggest barrier to just going for it, but it has begun. Our 1895 Queen Ann Victorian has been mistreated quite a bit by prior owners, so we are dealing with many challenges. We decided the most obvious and perhaps the most simple place to start was the ceilings. The original 10 foot, ceilings, decorated with picture rails and crown molding received a "face-drop" sometime in the 60's which left the ceiling 8 1/2 feet high and the molding absent. Today, with a crowbar and muscle, I removed the 1/2 inch dry wall that covered the original ceilings.

First peek at the hidden ceilings.

 The framing is very old 2 by 4's (we can tell by the size of the lumber), but in great shape and will take some real work to remove, but today, I just wanted to look at the ceilings and see what I was dealing with under this facade of drywall. Turns out the ceilings are in pretty good shape, no dead animals or dust in the cavity and only a few really bad spots that will have to be completely redone.

Pulling down the drywall comes easily, ceiling appears intack.

I didn't tackle the knob and tube wiring that keep the chandelier lit, that will be an electrician's job. The framing was mostly nailed in, rather than screwed so it may create a lot of damage trying to get it down. We will see. My project for tomorrow is to check out the local experts and see if I can find a ceiling expert and electrician willing to take this first room on.

4 hours later, the chandelier hangs alone with the old knob and tube wiring exposed.

Challenges: Drywall is really heavy and our trash bags were not strong enough. The bags are too heavy for me to lift,  and they are ripping and it was raining outside, so they spent the day piled in the corner. Not a great first step, but the rain has stopped and I got two of the bags into the trash.

Time spent:  Started at 7:00 am and had the layer of drywall down by 11:30 am. Clean up took another hour, but basically a 5-6 hour job.

Best part:  Seeing the ceilings I have been thinking about since we moved in, I knew they were up there and now I can see them. We are looking for lighting and fans, can't wait to get started.