Last week we had to go and “mow” (that word doesn’t do it justice) the lawn, as it was up to our chins.   We will have pics up for this week at the beginning of next.  Thanks for your patience!

Thanks for your patience.

New windows in front foyerOriginally uploaded by brocklrocks.

This week has seen alot of progress. All the new windows and the new front door in the foyer have been installed, COMPLETELY changing the look of the front of the house. Being the first thing you see, this makes a huge difference to the appearance of the house. We’ve also begun installing the rest of the windows through out, making a really big difference.We’ve also begun to run electrical throughout, making sure there are more than enough outlets in every room.Under the stairs has been framed in for a pantry or broom closet or whatever the new homeowner chooses to use it for.The front closet has been framed in and all the bedrooms and stairwell have all been framed in. Progress is happening swiftly! You can tell that spring is in the air, with the river finally thawing and the snow beginning to melt, it’s onwards and upwards from here!

New patio door from outsideOriginally uploaded by brocklrocks.

This was a big week in terms of changes at the house. The stairs have finally been installed and make a HUGE difference in the appearance of the kitchen dining area. (not to mention less of a worry of hitting your head!)
The new patio door has been installed in the kitchen area, bringing in tons of natural light. It doesn’t look so gloomy in the house anymore.
The foyer has been the big project this week, framing out the new closet, new floorboards and the entrance to the living room, while getting ready to install all new windows and a new front door. This will be the first impression of the house upon entry, so alot of care needs to go into it.
Next week, we will have the windows and doors installed, and alot more of the frame work done. Keep watching!

Future home of new stairsOriginally uploaded by brocklrocks.

Another busy week at the house. As you can see, the stairs came out. And don’t worry, the ladder is not our new answer to stairs, although they take up very little space! The stairs are in the process of being built and hope to be installed the beginning of next week.Upon removing the stairs and beginning to frame, we realized it would just make more sense to rip out and replace the flooring in the kitchen and dining room as well, so voila! It gives the room a much cleaner look (and smell!)The floors have now all been replaced upstairs as well, making it easier to begin framing the bedrooms once the stairs are all back in.

The patio door is framed and about to be installed any day. The windows have all been removed and are being reframed for the new windows, which because of a little glitch are a touch late but should be in any day.

We found another set of tenants upon tearing out one of the windows, a LARGE hornets nest, gives you the eebie jeebies just to look at it! It must have been a TREAT in there last summer.

Next week, both patio doors, should be installed, the stairs will be complete and we’re moving on to the foyer. Stay tuned!!

Roof completeOriginally uploaded by brocklrocks.

Another productive week, hampered only by the first snow day of 2007! Valentine’s day, we ended up with a blizzard and seeing as all the schools were out and the roads were treacherous, we called it a day and took a much needed admin day to figure out where the heck we are and where we need to be!
So as you can see, the roof is complete-ish. It is boarded and tarped, and will be shingled once the weather is a touch nicer. We raised it 8 inches to allow for a higher ceiling in the master bedroom, and what a difference it makes, both from inside and out.
Please forgive the dust in the pics, it is VERY dusty in the house and the camera was really picking it up that day.
So, this week, we’ve finalized the layout, flip-flopping what was once the kitchen to now be a family room and the kitchen in the far top corner of the front of the house, leaving to the right of the stairs as a dining area. The cabinets for the kitchen are officially on order, we have framed several more walls on the main floor, including a patio door off the family room which will lead to a deck and mapped out where there will be another patio door off the kitchen/dining are, allowing TONS of natural light into the kitchen, and access outdoors to bbq if the mood strikes!
Plywood has all been installed in the master bedroom, and all the walls have come down pretty much on the top floor as the stairs are being moved back, as unless you are 4ft nothing, you WILL hit your head on the way up or down, currently.
The master bedroom has been mapped out for a walkin closet as you enter to the right and a master bath to the left. If you’ll recall, there was another chimney also on the roof, but it was dormant so was removed. The remaining 2 rooms will stay bedrooms and just need to be reframed.
Stay tuned, as next week brings the moving of the stairs, as well as the electrical started just to name a few things!

Working on the roof

Originally uploaded by brocklrocks.

This week has been a very eventful, albeit long one. Progress is being made in leaps and bounds now. The basement is now entirely framed and ready for drywall. A new oil tank has been installed. The once missing floor has been completely replaced, with several very sturdy support beams now installed in the basement.

The main floor bathroom and bedroom have also been framed and are ready for drywall. The bathroom is slated to be a 3 piece, including a custom tile shower, pedestal sink and toilet.

The biggest project this week, as you can see, was the roof above the master bedroom. We pulled a 7 day work week to get this done before an impending storm which is headed this way. It couldn’t have been done without the help of some very good friends and family, who sacrificed their weekends to help us get it done. The entire roof was removed, so at one point, the master bedroom essentially felt like being on a deck. Thankfully the sun was out, but so was the wind, it was FREEZING out there. All new trusses were installed and the walls all rebuilt. What an amazing transformation, making the house appear that much taller. The roof has now been been boarded and will be tarped, once the chimney comes down, to be shingled once it is a little bit nicer out, closer to spring. What a mess, removing all the shingles, and then tin for the roof. In doing so, it was discovered we had a masked tenant in the form of a raccoon, who was NOT very happy to be ousted from his home in such cold temperatures. But he wasn’t willing to pay rent so OUT he went!!

Next week will be another busy one, now that this major project is out of the away. Thanks again to those who helped, we couldn’t have done it without you!

Formerly known as the kitchen floor

Originally uploaded by brocklrocks.

This has been a busy week. We decided to remove and replace all the beams from the main floor, to provide better, safer support, as well as to aid in the levelling of the walls. Quite the sight to be able to see all levels from the basement! Poor Jay, who isn’t the biggest fan of heights, had some coffee issues for a few days! As you can see in the pics, there were actually untreated tree trunks, serving as beams. They say they don’t build them like they used to, sometimes that’s a good thing!!

We have also removed 1 of the sheds, kind of scary actually if you could have seen how easily it came down.

The utility room is framed, and ready for drywall, once the rest of the basement is done.

It has been FREEZING this last week, making for some interesting working conditions. The next few weeks brings some big changes, so keep watching!

This seemed also to be a bit of an admin week, lots of appointments, to order windows, upgrade the hydro, check out kitchen options, etc etc.  No pics really of this week, I mean, how many concrete pictures can you take?  See you next week with more pics!