House Project 2010: Weeks 8, 9, 10, 11

This past month of construction started with the unsettling realization that our kitchen wall had to come down. A kitchen wall that has stood in place - undisturbed - for 155 years. A wall that was almost 2 feet thick and whose contents were not completely known.

But the workers soon solved that mystery.

Like many other pioneer homes, our house is sitting on logs (that's what those large round circles are). Our foundation is rock.

The workers thought - at first - that they would get the wall down in 3 hours. It ended up taking 7 guys a full day's work to get this bugger down. SOLID ROCK from floor to ceiling!

Really? They couldn't find a better place to chuck the rocks than in my flowerbeds? Really?!?!?

Our famous Farmington rock. Can't wait to find a good use for it.

There were also a few bricks thrown in. Just randomly placed amongst the rocks in the wall.

We also found some old layers of wallpaper on some plaster sections. Very cool.

Windows came and made a world of difference.

Essential, but not worthy of picture taking, was the rough plumbing, duct work, heating and A/C, electrical, and insulation. It was an interesting process to watch. We've all had fun watching the sequential process of building a home.

While in Montana, the exterior started to go up. This was a little nerve wracking because we had been concerned about getting just the right color (a grayish-brown combination) with the right depth (not too dark but not too light). We weren't here to see our color choice go up. Maybe that was a good thing? I won't go into all of the details, but it was a fluke that we ended up with the color Thatch. It turned out to be the perfect color for us. We LOVE it.

My lovely and dedicated friend, R.M., took pictures and texted them to me on a daily basis. Thanks to her, our minds were put to ease, we knew all was going to be beautiful on the home front, and the workers were more than slightly distracted (due to her cuteness). Thanks, Rand!

This past week, the dry wall went up. It was a noisy process. Since the temporary wall was put in place - to act as support when the kitchen wall was taken down - it has also acted as a fortress against dust. We have had minimal dust during this process. We are going to have them keep that wall up until all of the sanding is done. We should be able to go through the messiest portion of construction virtually unscathed. Woot woot! We are grateful for simple miracles! :)

A large beam had to be hung where the previous kitchen wall had been to support the weight. The gold colored rectangle on the floor is where our back door used to be. Once that temporary wall comes down, our kitchen eating area will be expanded and this area will serve as the breezeway between the old and the new.

Any suggestions of where the basketball hoop should go?

On the left: access door to basement

Above: loft area and access to our master bedroom area

Hallway behind the stairs: closets, half bath, and new laundry room

On the right: access to old house through breezeway

On the right where there is a door open: access to garage

Master bedroom views.

Hallway with closets, half bath, and laundry room.


Our basement is quickly being filled with stuff from the attic and is serving as a dumping ground for all odds and ends.

What a difference a month, some color, windows, some decorative trim, and a clean camera lens can make!