Measure twice

This week, I feel like the details of this project are starting to get away from me. I’m very particular about things, so it is frustrating to see errors and have to deal with them (or learn to accept them).

I’ve looked at many houses over the years, and know a good renovation from a sloppy one. Since starting the project, I’ve been determined to do everything I can to make sure this is a good one. That means all the details must be handled just right.

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6 month update – parking, roofing, and rot, oh my!

We are now officially into the 6th month of the project. After our village issued the work permit on August 17th, 2017, we applied for a parking permit on September 15th, 2017 when it appeared work was imminent. Our house is walking distance to two schools, and there are street parking restrictions as a result.

Our driveway is long and narrow, and only wide enough to accommodate a single car. Since the contractors can’t park on the street, the driveway is their only option. The parking permit allows us to park our car on the street when contractors are using our driveway.

That permit was good for six months, and the police officer we received it from told us to return to have it renewed. When we returned last week, the police department denied the renewal. Maybe it was just a bad day, or maybe a neighbor has been complaining. Who knows.

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Addition progress: roof, electrical

Progress over the past two weeks has been considerable.

The framing of the addition is nearly complete. The carpenters are nearly finished with the roof. For the first time, we are able to see the true size and character of the addition.

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Delays, and lumber delivery

Work has been stalled for over a month. We had been hoping to have the slab poured before the end of last year, but the weather didn’t cooperate.

Photo taken January 3, 2018

After several attempts on milder days, the concrete crew wasn’t able to complete the work. In cold weather, concrete takes longer to cure, and it is essential that the temperatures don’t drop and freeze the concrete while it is curing. Despite insulating the ground, it still froze.

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Foundation progress

Work continued last week despite the cold. The concrete forms came off the foundation walls, so it’s now easy for us to envision the size of the addition. The walls were damp proofed on the outsides, which is why they look completely black in the photos below. Exterior drain tile was installed around the addition. The escape window is clearly visible, and the window well drain pipe ties into the drain tile system.

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