Week 7 - Day 30

Friday

The patio french doors came today, looking forward to seeing them installed.  We had a 'design' meeting with Will to go over things that we need to get done and the decisions that need to be made.  Particularly the electrical and where we want plugs etc. Need to find stoves as the plumber will need to need to know the specs for installing the gas lines.   Oh, and Will temporarily vented the boiler out the side of the house from the basement, great to have it out of the way. 

Week 7 - Day 30

Friday

Didn't get much sleep last night due to the Niagara Falls coming through the house.  All okay, because excellent blog material.  What would I have to say if nothing happened. Here is my propped up tarp trying to keep the rain out.

Week 7 - Day 30

Friday

Week 7 - Day 29

Thursday

Ahhh,  turns out they disconnected about half of the radiators.  There is still structural in the basement that needs to be done and some of the lines were in the way. The power vent is still back east somewhere and they were unable to find one in town, so the vent still hanging out the window. Some framing here and there was done today, and that's all she wrote.

Week 7 - Day 29

Thursday

Good news, they are putting in the power vent for the boiler today so we won't be gassed during the night.  In the meantime the guys cleaned up the area and pushed the vent up above the window and I can turn the heat back on. 

Plumbers Paul and Brad are here and the whole heating system is being drained, not exactly sure what is going on, wait and see I guess.

Week 7 - Day 28

Wednesday evening.

The boiler has shut itself off again. Ah ha ! I now know where the reset switch is. Went about my business in the basement and came upstairs later and the exhaust is blowing back into the house. That can't be good and Lord it stinks. 

All that can be done at this point is to push the vent farther through the window. This involved getting the oven mitts out, hot to the touch by this time, taking a mallet to it to flatten it a bit so I could close the window more.  Nothing like heating up the great outdoors. Also duck taped the holes along portion of the the vent that is still in the house. Taped vapour barrier over the window to try to help with the cold air and the fumes but it's still coming in.  We have decided to turn the thing off for the night just to be on the safe side.

Now I think he is trying to kill us.

Week 7 - Day 28

Wednesday

Back to the the blustery, rainy weather. Things are starting to pick up for decisions that need to be made. Door hardware, kitchen design, lighting, electrical, radiators, doors, tubs. Yikes. Going to yoga, that might clear my head.

They closed in my deck today and put up a temp railing, yeah.  In order to do that, something had to be done with the boiler vent so it is currently hanging out the kitchen window.

Week 7 - Day 27

Tuesday

Woke up this morning to a beautiful sunny day. Luck on our side. 

Work has continued on the new roof and my bathroom is no more. Will was somewhat entertaining, knew something was up when I heard him running through the house to shut off the water. Nothing major, just funny. The porch over the back door has been taken down, getting ready for the french doors for the main floor kitchen.


Looking good, like it's always been there.

The porch over the back door. French doors will replace the kitchen window to the right.  All summer I could hear a lot of buzzing in there and Brandon found several nests when he took it down.

The boiler vent isn't holding up very well.  This will be relocated at some point.

Lulu. No worries, he is doing okay.

Week 7 - Day 26

Monday

Terrible, rainy, blustery Vancouver day.  All day. Not sure what has been going on but I got home about 10pm and the tarp had come loose and was dangling off the side of the house.  Unfortunately, no pictures. Wind was still howling, and there I am trying to pull in a 20' tarp back up to secure it somehow, with a flashlight. 

Sometime later, I heard someone pound up the front stairs and back down again.  Assuming it was the neighbour, either to tell us about it or to tell us to stop the noise. Doesn't bother me too much, but I can understand it would be somewhat irritating.  Not much I can do about it, not planning to get up on the roof.  By this time the tarp had slipped again and I managed to secure it a little better by jamming it in one of the windows and securing parts of it down with some electrical wire hanging around.  Looks tight now, what will be. The rain has at least stopped and looks like the sky is clear, so hopefully it doesn't rain through the night as the roof is wide open to the elements now.  I am living the Red Green show.

Week 6 - Weekend

Spent the weekend cleaning out a corner in the basement for me to move into.  Decided to move my real bed in there. Oh, so much better.  Cold, but better.   Have room to hang up a few clothes, room to move around and since the cat hogs the bed I have room to sleep. Okay so there is no heat or insulation, but how hard can it be?

Oh, on a side note. Keep lots and lots of different types of brooms around  and more than one dust pan.  I seem to spend a lot of time hunting them down.

Week 6 - Weekend

The pressure valve blew and there was hot water pouring out of the overflow.  The original overflow pipe went into the sink, but when the tank had been moved for the footings it needed to be disconnected.  On top of the tank you can see the cut off piece to the left, good thing it missed the electrical wires.  Luckily the garbage can was right under it and most of the water collected in there. Lucky I was home, too. 

A friend came by and gave us a lesson on how to clear the pressure valve, which sometimes can have debris in it. Which took care of things, but by this time the plumber was on his way and replaced the valve.  It was full of rust and it seems the tank is on it's last legs.  We will see. I came up with temp solution, hose from the shop vac duct taped to the overflow pipe and then into the sink. Red Green at it's best.

Week 6 - Weekend

Long weekend for all of us. Oooh, getting cold, man. Can't say we weren't warned though. More and more like camping.  Saturday morning, I heard some weird noises, like water running which is always alarming when I am the only one in the house, and this is what I came across. Excellent.

Week 6 - Day 25

Thursday

Remembrance Day.  They are working today and will take Friday off to have a long weekend and we all took a minute of silence at noon. They have been busy on my floor today, along with some structural in the basement. When the beams that are required are in I'll move down there.

Plywood is on the roof, crying out for a skylight.  I am still thinking about it, as it is facing south, too hot maybe.

Gabe working on the new soffit over my deck.

'Sistered' rafters over my new living room. 

Week 6 - Day 24

Wednesday

I met an angel of mercy at Ikea and her name is Sylvia.  She was great help and got me started so I am feeling better about it all. I have some idea of what to do in the kitchen, getting closer. Got home and the roof is on, sort of.

Week 6 - Day 24

Wednesday

Aaagh, cat woke me up around 5.30 this morning wanting out and I am now watching Holmes on Holmes. Not sure if that is a good idea, makes me go mmmm..

Nice sunny day today, which is great since there is a hole in the roof.  Easier day for them  to get things done upstairs. It is getting colder, but still holding off on the construction heaters and I am getting a chance to wear my winter sweaters and toques  around the house, usually never cold enough in Vancouver.

Will needs our kitchen layout, the plumbers and electricians need to get a look at the layout for quotes etc. We are getting our cabinets at Ikea and I have had a few stabs at the program they have but 'just don't get it'.  So that is where I am off to today. If I can't figure something out, I may have to hire somebody.

Week 6 - Day 23

Tuesday

Rained like a fiend for a good part of the day, got really cold, and icy rain. It is evening now and it is pounding down, guess I better check for leaks. Did I mention the vaulting on my floor?  Since the ceiling over my kitchen and living area have to be framed in anyway, Will suggested to vault the ceiling.  Cool.  I like those kind of changes, no extra money, right?  The ceiling will follow the rafters up to the ridge beam.  The wall and the doorway to the deck have been framed in so it is starting to take shape. Love it.

Week 6 - Day 23

A few days later.  This is the true optical illusion.  The roof nor the beam have been altered. Each rafter is 'sistered' at a different width.  When the drywall goes out it will all be level.

Week 6 - Day 23

Tuesday
Optical illusion.  What is off?

Week 6 - Day 23

Tuesday

No rain last night but a bit of wind and it is blowing through the house...brrr.  I have tried to hermetically seal myself in my little room with the space heater and the down quilt so Lulu and I are cozy for now. 

Lots of talk today about how the new dormer will meet the dormer of the bathroom on the outside. Thank you Will for being patient in going over the options and thank you Gabe for the visual aids. Funny guys. We had budgeted for the roof of the bathroom dormer to come off in order for the two roof lines to meet in a logical way and I can't visualize it. I trust him though and he is trying to save us money, since the demo budget has gone over, and I am sure it will look great.  As the demo continued through the day, the options continued and at the end of it all, the simplest and cheapest option won out. I did eventually get it, the roof the bathroom won't need to come off. That is great news. 

Week 6 - Day 22

Monday
The view looking north.   We had designed a deck on this side of the house, but the city said 'no go', three times.  Still good cloud watching, though.

Week 6 - Day 22

Monday
My new view. I will have a very good vantage point to keep an eye on the neighbours and anything funny going on.

Week 6 - Day 22

Monday
Lord this blogging takes up time. I am still 2 weeks behind and trying to catch up. They are back on the roof today.  I spent the day cleaning out my cubby, as the dust piles up before you know it.  Still thinking about moving to the basement for the space and I can get away from the dust.  It isn't heated, but it is currently warmer down there, and the construction heaters should help.  
haha...I am not someone who normally has a TV in their bedroom, and I guess I should figure out the snooze feature.  Linda asked me this morning if I was really watching Red Green at 3am.  Aaaah, no. 
The clocks have gone back this weekend, so it is darker now, the weather is still good but definitely colder. The roof should be closed up by the end of the week, so keeping fingers crossed for the weather to stay on our side.

Week 5 - Weekend

Upstairs before & after.  This is Stan who I think likes to smash things. This is my old bedroom and the new stairs will be coming up in this area.

Week 5 - Weekend

Basement 'rec' room looking the other way

Week 5 - Weekend

Basement 'rec' room before and after - looking one way.  That is Steve, retired and likes to  smash things.

Week 5 - Weekend

Lots of activity this weekend and lots of help. Steve and Finn, work friends of Linda and her brother Stan came by. Oh and Dennis, too. We did some demo and cleanup on the top floor but left a big mess up there for Brandon...hahaha

Got the basement 'rec' room all cleaned out.  Dennis pulled out a good amount of the old wiring in the basement and he hounded me till we got all the nails out. Lots of complaining went on about the builder of this house and the big honking nails.  Here is a good picture of the sort of thing we found all through the house.

Marcus the electrician came by to hook up the 220 construction heaters, just in time, as it is markedly colder with a hole in the roof.  Heating up the great outdoors.

It rained Saturday night and it was leaking everywhere, so we have pails and and bins and a tub that we found in the attic, what I like to call recycling.

All I can say is that I am bone tired.  Off to the pub to pay the weekend crew in burgers and beer.

Week 5 - Day 21

Friday

Poem will definately take over if I don't catch him, even in the garage. For some reason Lulu lets him, still not sure if they get along or not.

Week 5 - Day 21

Friday

Never takes as long as I think it is going to be.  Too bad it has clouded over and will probably rain over the weekend, but it is a done deal now. They are framing in for the wall.

Covering up for the weekend & keeping my fingers crossed.

Week 5 - Day 21

Friday
Now we're cookin'.

Now that there is a hole in my roof.

Friends came to check things out.

Guess it is too late to say I changed my mind.

Week 5 - Day 21

Friday
Yowsers
I have been gone for most of the day and this is what I came home to.

Week 5 - Day 20

Thursday

It has got very cold here today, start of things to come, I guess. Still planning to get the roof opened up today and some structural being done here and there.

Poem stakes himself outside the garage door.  He knows Lulu and the food is in there.

Week 5 - Day 19

Wednesday

oooh, lots of cursing and banging this morning coming from the bathroom.  Seems when 'someone' nailed shut a drawer in the bathroom from the other side. The drawer that Linda kept her hair dryer in, took her sometime to get it out. Funny.

It is a beautiful, sunny day here and unseasonably warm, so Will felt a need to take of advantage of the nice weather. Here he is taking the shingles off of the roof. My kitchen will be on the east side of the dormer and the roof will be raised on this side.