June 26, 2007
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Let the Work Begin!
We live in an unusual little house with a flat roof and cedar shake siding. Jim and I have been talking for years about what to do with it and just recently firmed up some plans. We will be tearing off all of the old siding and replacing it with hardy board. We will be re-doing part of the foundation under the dining room and kitchen. Currently, there is no footing under those rooms, only a stem wall. We will be putting on a pitched roof and installing all new windows. And we will also be replacing the flooring throughout, tearing out the stairwell wall for a more spacious look, raising the kitchen ceiling, and replacing the water-damaged living room ceiling. It's going to be a big project, but I think we will be happy with the end product.
In the evenings, Jim, Isaac, and Seth have been pulling off the metal flashing around the upper edge of the roof and then tearing off the first six to eight rows of shingles. I can reach the rest of them and pull them off during the day when they are all at work.
We thought we would be finding bees and bats in the framework, but so far we haven't run into any real trouble. I think we have found probably 300 small bees' nests, but the most bees we have found on any one nest has been three. We have killed about 50 or so bees in all. No bats as of yet! Wherever you live, you will hear me scream if I find one. I promise!
There is a framework underneath the cedar shakes that has to come off as well. We have a wood burning stove that we use exclusively for our heating, so all the wood will go to a good cause.
The shakes and the framework are FULL of thousands (make that millions!) of nails. My dad has been coming over almost every day and pulling hundreds of nails to help us. He is pretty amazing because he had an entire lung removed just over a year ago due to lung cancer. He then went through chemotherapy. But here he is, working as hard as his one lung will let him. He has been a huge help!
Titus's job has been to pull nails out of the shakes. He's pulled a couple of thousand already. He is a hard little worker and so far has kept his enthusiasm about the commencement of the remodel.
Abby has been working hard at stacking all of the cedar shakes that we will be burning throughout the winter in our wood stove. It's unbelievable how many shakes were used to side this house!
We hope to have our permits for the foundation and trusses in a few weeks. We will keep you posted as the work progresses. We plan to have a work party when we tear down the sunroom. Sure wish all you Xangans could be here for it! There will be lots of good fellowship, food, and fun that day!
Comments (28)
Just make sure you remind all the Canadians who come: You're coming down "to visit", not "to work" or "to help". Working and helping get us sent back to Canada by US customs officers. Even if it's just helping friends.
Wow! It sounds like the finished product will be great! Just remember that as you are in the middle of the reno!!! My MIL just finished some major reno and it was beating her down towards the end! But now their home is loverly! And she loves living in the fruit of their labor!
Leepike Ridge: Wonderful! I loved it! I am actually reading it to the wee ones now. ND Wilson is a really good writer. Go here for an interesting story he wrote: http://www.esquire.com/fiction/napkin-fiction/napkinproject. I loved that story as well.
HOW BRAVE YOU ARE!!!
Take loads of pictures!
that sounds like a lot of work AND a lot of fun. Our last house was built with cedar shakes.
Good post Mom!:)
Lets see... You have 2 pictures of the house, a picture of Isaac, a picture of Grandpa, a picture of ME? and a picture of Abigail.
WOW...
Well; I don't know about "all" us Xangans, but I can think of *one* who might be persuaded to grant that wish...
Lost of work! =)
Yes; I'd love to. By my standards, you're not all that far away (*without* having to go through Seattle!), and I'd love to meet you folks "face-to-faces", too. An "odd bunch"? I should fit right in.
The only weekend currently booked-up on my schedule is July 20~22, which is my Church's Family Camp.
So!!! You've started. No turning back now I'd love ot come help with the food part. Cooking too, not just eating.
We're gone though from August 4-9 for Trinity Festival. And then your guys and mine are busy on whatever day they have carnivore night for the young men's studay. And then your gang is gone for their conference. Hmmm.... don't things get busy in a hurry.
Your house is bald.
Had to say it.
Mike's coming up to help? We should plan a work day!
That is a huge job, but man, the end result is going to be gorgeous!!! I hope it all goes well!!
Cool
; I'll keep that date "open"!
WOW! I bet you'll hardly recognize it when you're done.
Nope. No Canandian holidays that day. I'll run it by Vic, but I'm sure we(Vic and I) can make it. Fraser and Claire may be working.
The 7th shouldn't be a problem for me, either.
What an interesting looking house you have! I like your guys ambitions... sounds like it will look amazing when it's done. Hard work but so rewarding when it's finished!!!
Duly noted. Should be fine.
They come from camp Thursday for sure. Late morning I think.
So the uglier it gets, the closer it is to prettiness!!
That work day is going to be a blast!! I hope I can make it... because I hope to be working by then so I don't know what my hours will be like. *crosses fingers*
Wow! I am impressed. I'll be praying for you
When we built our house we were told numerous times "if your marriage can survive building a house then you have a strong marriage" and I hear that remodeling is even more stressful. Sounds like with the family working together, though, it should be a good time for you all.
(Father, may this project draw husband and wife closer as a couple and the family into a stonger unit.)
Wow, no going back now! Wish we were closer, it's always more fun to work at someone else's house.
We want to go to Trinity Fest some year, but it won't be this year. Paden's going back early to be there.
Take lots of house pictures.
haha yeah
the kitty totally cracked me up 
Wow! That is going to be a lot of work! Good luck!!
I thought it was if you could hang wallpaper together. you're good. Reno's is that theory on steroids.
Fraser took Vic to the new Die Hard movie for Vic's birthday last night. Claire and I watched "Tea with Mussolini" at home. Two very different movies. His was about good guys beating up bad guys. Ours was about English ladies caught in WWII Italy. Nobody beat anybody up.
Wow, that's a lot of work. I hope you get the energy you guys need. Go take a hot bath when you can.
That is so cool that you can work on a project like that as a family. Very useful skills and hard work and learning to function as a team. Nice.
Thanks so much for the encouragement. I'm so glad I have friends like you on xanga.
I did check out Mrs Beorn's site. It was a well-written post and she has a very good point.
It takes a lot of guts to trust God, and sometimes I'm not particularly gutsy.
I appreciate your continued prayers. Have a blessed day!
no i prob won't b goin to the wcwc this yr but maybe we'll c, nah i prefer facebook lol
~Ben
I don't think so -- that's why it's funner to use!
I wish we could be there!
Your home improvement projects make mine look smaller than I though they were. Wow! Impressive!
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