Screaming Pines got a major upgrade.
If you've been reading posts recently, you are aware of the house remodeling project.
This post is for those interested in the details.
If you aren't, keep on keeping on and I'll see you later, gator.
After the windows were put in, there was a week or two before more action.
Came home from work one day to see the asbestos siding taken off.
This is what was underneath.
Wooden siding beneath this old version of waterproofing.
You can also see the secret window here.
It was boarded over and the new siding hides it completely.
the other secret window on the side of the house.
This one was more obvious, because there was a ledge
sticking out. It was also boarded over and is once again hidden from view.
The soffet is also being removed and replaced.
The old is visible here.
The grey siding on this section wasn't asbestos, so it was left in place until the new siding went on,
then it was removed. I think the wooden siding beneath was all left in place, because I don't think it was worth it to tear that off too,.
the yard looked like this for weeks.
In varying degrees.
They took over my parking slab and back yard.
This is the pile of asbestos siding, bagged up and ready to be taken
to the appropriate resting point.
blocking the hole from the removed vent grill. to keep critters out.
Another day, I came home to what was essentially a war zone.
Generators going in the yard, roofers all over the place.
I was allowed to enter the house, and be completely overwhelmed for several hours.
The roofers had a couple hours of delay before they could begin that day due to rain,
and they worked until 930PM to finish because rain was forecasted for that night, so
they wanted to get it done.
The chimney was removed, at my request, and as I don't think it's covered
by the roof insurance claim or the DREAM Project work scope, it's removal
was on my dime. Fortunately, because the workers were already up on the
roof, the roofing company gave me a decent price quote to take it down.
It was crumbling and was likely to create a leak point, and, after having 3
different people look at the pipes and tell me that nothing is connected to
it anymore, I chose to have it pulled down.
View from the back door. Yikes.
It was loud. And somewhat stressful.
But they got it done in a day's time.
I've only found a few stray nails left in the yard.
Then, two days after the roof went up, the siding crew came in and
took over the yard.
It took a bit of coordination between the contractor and the roofing company
to get them to time their work to get everything done in the correct order.
After the asbestos was removed, then the roof could be replaced, then
the new siding could go on over the roofer's flashing and water sealing.
To their credit, the two companies did seem to work together as needed to
get everything done on time.
New siding ready to go.
I occasionally had to park sideways or in the grass because
they like to use the cement slab as a staging area.
It was temporary, of course, so I just dealt with it.
Looking pretty ugly. Not for much longer though.
I was, however, able to get the contractor to save the porch roof.
I think the original plan was to take it off and replace it
with an awning. That would have made me sad, so I am very
happy they were able to make the existing roof work.
It was shimmed up to level, and the posts were sheathed in metal.
Then new shingles to match the big roof and siding and trim.
The salvia plants took a beating from the siding crew.
They have seemed to have survived it though, as they are
still green and blooming with purple flowers.
The bees have even returned! Bees like these flowers.
Taking down all the stuff on the walls in preparation for the new siding.
Looking all bare.
the photos don't show it completely, but I took the other stuff down too.
Wrapped in waterproofing and ready for the new siding!
This took a day and half to complete.
The crew did a great job, I think, and the windows were trimmed as the siding went up.
The new soffet was put on too.
hang in there little buddy
a nice olive-ish green for Screaming Pines.
Huge improvement from asbestos grey.
That was actually painted that way, because I'd find grey patches.
The asbestos siding was white. History, mang.
The little roof was eventually shingled to match the big roof.
The contractor didn't communicate to me very clearly about what was happening
to this little rain stop, so I told the roofers to ignore it. Well, the
plans changed and I wasn't told about it, and long boring story short,
this now matches. It was just kind of a dumb comedy of errors.
All fixed now, so no problem.
The pipe is still grey. I think I'll leave it.
I got my own numbers and was there to have them put them up.
I also had them put up a set of the old numbers on the back of the house,
facing the alley, for hysterical and historical reasons.
I appreciate their humoring me. I like the result.
Near the end of the work on my house, the neighbors were having work done as well.
They had the fence replaced and a deck put in. Snazzy.
Gutters and downspouts went up on a Saturday.
And then it rained so I got to test them out right away.
One of the final things to get done was the radon mitigation.
I left for work one morning with a crew of guys in the basement,
one already bashing out the window to allow for a pipe for cement.
A few sections needed to be covered with cement.
then a pipe system was installed in the basement, and connected to another
pipe system on the side of the house.
For a few days the window looked like this.
Waiting a few days for the cement to cure.
The new pipes.
My furnace off to the left.
yikes a puddle.
the new window was leaking a bit.
I let the contractor know, and he sealed it up.
Should be leak free now.
I don't like the stairs to the basement.
They are even more dangerous than the stairs to the bedroom/attic,
but I've at least gotten used to those stairs.
Fortunately, I don't go down to the basement all that much,
so it's one of those problems that's deal-with-able.
A lousy picture of the new pipes.
I actually like the side-effect of having the crusty parts of the
basement floor cemented over. Looks better.
A better picture.
Experimenting with the flash on the camera.
My own little UFO.
Apparently, it's wired into the electrical and a fan runs
to pull the radon away and out of the house.
The pipe runs up to the roof.
New window, and eventually cement on the window well, to
stop the leaking. Neato.
Finally, the porch railings were installed.
The old rickety ones are gone, and the stairs should be a bit safer now.
I will eventually repaint the steps, and plan to put a mailbox
back out by the fence, because I'm not too nuts about
the small box by the door.
But those are small things I can do on my own.
The DREAM Project has been a wonderful gift.
My house problems were fixed, and I didn't have to go broke for it.
There were times that I was a bit annoyed by the process, but the
result was worth all the irritations. And I'm thankful for that.
🏡
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