December 1- Lots of progress has been made in three days

It has been surprising how fast the demo has progressed. First the trees were removed, then the wood that will be salvaged and put back in, and then in a matter of minutes the back porch was given a shove and down it came. Loads of debris leave the driveway in the small dumpster. They decided the big dumpsters were just too difficult to maneuver in the tight spaces. The crew arrives early to get parking places along our narrow street.

By the third day, the roof and kitchen walls were down. Footings were removed and we are nearly down to dirt everywhere except the kitchen floor. They will salvage some Douglas Fir from the floor.

Demo Day 1:

Salvaging the exterior slats.

Little porch is stripped for salvage wood before it is removed.

Lower slats are removed and saved.

Last look at the Crepe Myrtle tree.

The little porch collapses with a push from the back hoe.

Three layers of roofing material piles up. The original roof was painted redwood shingles. Now these dried shingles are considered a serious fire hazard and have all been removed.

The kitchen floor stands alone with the final roof section sagging without support. I feel a twinge of sadness, but mostly I'm so happy to get going with our project.

Redwood joists are pulled down one at a time. As the kitchen structure starts to loosen up.

Porch footings are not deep enough or wide enough to fit the updated building codes. These giant pieces will be re-used as part of the layered support under the existing house.

I return to the house at night and find the original stairs standing alone in the dark. Three days of work and this is what remains.

The back wall is getting buttoned up. I'll get by without heat for the night. Temperatures are dropping, but no sign of rain. Kitchen floor is still in tack, but not usable due to warping and sagging.