Life is still good in the renovation world. I've been spending most evenings over there tearing down the walls. I've been lucky enough to get a tremendous amount of help from friends which has not only made the work more enjoyable but makes it all come down a lot quicker.
So far, the attic is completely gutted and "cleaned". There are no more walls up there anymore, it is one big room for the most part. I think that current plan is to turn that into a "master" suite type area with a bathroom, a large closet, plenty of space for a bed and dressers and probably a little space for a sitting area. All of this sounds good until I have to actually do it I'm sure. There are currently great floors up there, heart pine I think, but only in the two original rooms and the little hallway which is no longer there. I'll have to either try to patch in new flooring to match or pull it all and try to use it else where. I'll also remove the chimney, which will be another hole in the flooring but will allow the space to be wide open.
I plan to move into the attic space in a few weeks and try to keep it relatively clean up there. Currently, it is "livable", at least to my standards, although it will not be a very luxurious existence for the summer I'm sure.
The hall to the second floor is stripped. Half the hall on the second floor is stripped of the plaster along with the front bedroom, most the second bedroom and 90% of the third bedroom. Hopefully, by the end of tomorrow all of the walls will be clear of nails and plaster.
The 30 yard dumpster I have in the driveway is basically full. I'll keep that for another weeks and then get a new one. It costs just over $500 to have it for two weeks which isn't too bad.
I've found some pretty cool stuff in the walls so far. Most notably a Playboy from 1989! Just kidding, I did find it but it really was the least exciting find. The walls in the attic were lined with news paper from 1898 which were still readable. On September 24th, 1898 there were trips to the White Mountains for $5, a one way ticket to Newport from Boston for $1 for Labor Day and the best burlesque show in Boston was only 2 bits (that's for you dad). 1898 was probably when people stopped calling a quarter two bits.
I thought that was exciting but then we found another paper all folded up from 1882! Clearly this house is older than 1910. The headline in that paper was about the wrangling and philibustering going on in the Senate. Some things didn't change much over the last 130 years. Although, the current tensions are not caused by relations with Indians.
So, things are progressing along. I hope to have the place fully gutted in two or three weeks which I think is totally doable. I'm trying not to spend EVERY night over there because I don't want to burn myself out.
If anyone is bored tomorrow, walls and ceilings will be coming down!
(I'll figure out how to integrate pictures better next time around)
Dave
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