Karen's house project @133 Ohio

A firm foundation puts
us on a solid footing

Thursday, July 3, 2003

Tentative plans for a pit barbecue were abandoned with glee Monday, June 23, when the concrete folks turned up to pour footings. They returned Tuesday to drop off forms for the walls, which were poured Wednesday, June 25. The walls dried quickly in the scorching heat, and the forms came off by Friday. By Thursday, July 3, we're ready to wait for the concrete people again.

Meanwhile, inside the house, Kevin, Shane, John and Mark worked away at strengthening the flimsy 2x4 ceiling joists between the first and second floors. Using LVL beams (glued plywood; very strong), they reinforced the house and eliminated the annoying squeak heard whenever someone trod the second-floor hallway. Drop beams will mark where the old walls stood.

Jeff the plumber reworked the plumbing to the second floor and installed temporary supply lines. The configuration necessitates a soffit in the ceiling outside the kitchen pantry, which prompts us to change plans and use a drop beam and soffit over the breakfast bar. All the soffits should flow together and perhaps look planned. The one over the breakfast bar will house "can lights" over the sink

The folks from Vendura came Monday, June 30, and installed the surfaces of the shower walls, ceiling and that wacky bathroom step. Kevin came over at 6:30 in the morning to cut the water to the house, as that was the only way to shut off the water to the poorly plumbed bathroom sink, which was in the way of resurfacing the riser.

Also Monday, Paul the architect returned from vacation at his cottage to ponder the new stairs to the basement. We could not achieve the code-required 36-inch width and so applied for a variance, which Harry from the city granted by phone Wednesday, saying the paperwork would arrive in a week or two. Kevin plans to work on the stairs Saturday when no one but the cat will distract him.

In hopes that Jeff would be able to restore water and install the new toilet Tuesday afternoon, Kevin's crew removed the downstairs toilet from the demo zone. Jeff came Wednesday, and by the end of the day, running water was restored to the house. More importantly, the upstairs toilet is working. Measurements were taken for the shower door, which should arrive by the end of July from Bob Cooper Glass.

The water-proofer-drain-tile people did their thing Tuesday and Thursday, and the excavator returned Wednesday, July 2, to put the dirt back, tear out the chainlink fence and remove the old driveway apron.

Now we wait for the concrete people to return to do the flatwork -- pour the basement floor and new driveway apron, and replace two sections of the sidewalk. They said they'd be here Wednesday …