The Eagle Has Landed….
In the space of 24 hours, Promethean bathroom demolition began and the laws of gravity were invoked to get the house set down on its foundation.
Sunday I went up with a milk-crate full of tools, including a spanking-new reciprocating saw. The tub/shower surround and the mystery cabinet above it are a regular puzzle-box, but luckily I have no intention of preserving either one, so tearing them out consists of literally tearing, as well as sawing and with my trusty vise-grips, bending the fiberglass till it gives way and breaks (which sounds like a train crash). This stuff is very tough, so progress was slow, but the most notable effect was seeing daylight at the end of the tunnel shower stall, which backs up to the bedroom closet, which had already been torn open by idiot vandals who scavenged maybe $5 worth (!) of copper pipe back before I got the house.
Anyhoo, let there be light in the biff (for now): The going-forward plan is to have a sun-tube put into the ceiling.
By mid-afternoon, I was getting signs that it was time to quit for the day: fingers and toes were really cold (because December) and my cheap LED worklights had all quit working (evidently they like the cold even less than I do). Plus, by 3:30 on a cloudy day (cf. December) it’s already getting twilight-y outside.
I took the hint, and headed home, thinking I’d take it easy the next day.
But no—even before breakfast, a text message came in from Justin the house-mover: “we’re letting your house down today”.
Sammy and I scrambled into our longies and then the car. By the time we got there, the deed was done:
The crew were all in the back yard or in the basement, loading out the last stack of cribbing timbers.
(note to self: really, I should see about getting a Bobcat. So very handy.)
We got a team picture before they left. Uncle Bill was already onto the next project, talking about how he could use the I-beams that they had just pulled out from under my house.
THANKS GUYS!
Next big steps include getting electricity in, the roof re-shingled, basement windows installed, building the stairway/landing and back door, and steps built up to the front door to facilitate hauling old stuff out and new stuff in. And plumbing, and drywall in the basement, and tons more.
I’ve been told to expect that the house-settling-into-place will continue for a few weeks, during which time the floors should level out again.
Final shot: Standing in the basement, looking up thru the (empty) stairwell to the living room above.
Bonus: by the end of next week, days will start being longer again, a few minutes each day.
