The Chaos Begins...
I have updated the pictures so that clicking on them will bring up a larger image!
We used to have a '4-square' house with a 1 story addition off the back. The goal of this remodel is to add a second floor to the first story, then create a very liveable space on the third floor with the addition of five dormers to a hip roof.
We were supposed to begin the first week of July, but due to the City of Wheaton's very bizarre and illogical building codes, we had to wait for a variance...but that is a whole 'nuther story...
So, we actually began work Tuesday, October 8th. The Craftsmen of Wheaton is my general contractor (Larry Ledenbach) and the demo/framing crew is from T4, an excellent group of guys who do quality work...
As our number of pictures has increased, I've split the pictures up between three separate pages:
I have included the text updates on this page, but the pictures are on the separate pages
Day Nine
Well, now the work begins in the attic under the big blue tent...the old floor joists were only 2x6, so we are having to add a 2x8 on top, with a gusset tying the two together. There is also the problem of the old electrical...the house had originally been gas lights, then 'advanced' to knob and tube, then some bx, then some regular conduit...so we are trying to figure out just how to best use this time of 'openness' in the attic to correct some of the unique problems...
Day Ten (The Two Week Mark)
Well, although it may not look like much happened, the joists have all been placed and reinforced, and most of the support structure has been removed, paving the way for the start of the installation of the roof rafters tomorrow (10/22). We are currently waiting for the electrician to finish up the cleanup of the mess made over the past 100 years of varying types of wiring. Hopefully tomorrow's pictures will show a bit more visible changes...
Day Eleven
Sure enough, the guys got the four hip rafters up as well as most of the full length ones running to the ridge rafter. We are still waiting on the electrician to clean up the wiring, but the framers had to go ahead and tack down the sheeting so they could continue work without going through our very old lath and plaster ceiling... I know the pictures are hard to understand, but I don't have a wide angle lens for my digital camera, and from the outside, there doesn't appear to be any differences yet...
Day Twelve
Well, the roof is starting to take shape...basically all that remains is the five dormers...which is probably the most time consuming...We are still waiting for the electrician to come and clean up the wiring mess...maybe tomorrow?!
Day Thirteen
Two good things happened today: 1st, the electrician showed up to start cleaning up the wiring mess, and 2nd, the framers started sheeting the roof! (as can be seen on the picture on the back of the house). I will go back to merely putting up the pictures as a journal of the progress until something needs to be 'said'...so enjoy...
No noticeable changes on the outside today, but there was a lot done on the inside. Walls were put up for three more of the dormers, and the knee walls were put up in most of the attice. Yesterday the subfloor was put down...starting to look liveable!!
Day 21
Well, the framers are done, and the roof is being put on.