Yesterday, we began 2 long awaited demolition projects. 1. The backhouse. 2. The ceiling in the Addition. In these cases, pictures are worth thousands of words.
Before with Johnnie’s tools of choice. (He is my demo guy for the job.)
Before – view from the back door.
By lunch time, there was obvious progress.
End of the day. (Take note of the wood and metal being salvaged on the right. Unfortunately, there isn’t much else to be recycled or reused due to the termites and poor condition of the structure.)
Johnnie taking off for the day . . .
. . . so Sara decided to try out the bobcat.
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Before – we hung plastic to contain the dust.
Before – attic access.
By the end of the day, 2/3 of the drywall ceiling was removed! It makes the space feel so much bigger – and much less debbie downer!
Cheers to all my DIY friends -
Sarah
Over the past 4 months, the project I have been unable to overcome is my ATTIC HATCH! This story begins back in December 2009 with some poorly thought-out work by my HVAC contractor. The existing attic access in laundry room was not large enough for the new air handler. Without my permission, the contractor cut a section out of my original bed board ceiling and one of the structural trusses. I was so aggrevated! It reminded me – yet again – that subcontractors need more supervision than you’d expect. Because they don’t have the whole project in mind, they don’t think past their trade or immediate tasks.
For the past 6 months, a piece of plywood has covered the hole. With summer in full swing, it was time to solve this problem. The plywood panel is not sealing the hole well and allowing our cool, conditioned air to escape. To remedy the situation, I will build a new frame that does four things: covers the damage, seals the opening, is sized to reuse the original hatch panel, and can be removed if HVAC maintenance is ever needed.
The original panel is 23″ by 26″. I will make a frame with the inside dimensions of 21″ by 24″ to hold the panel.
I used my chop saw to cut the wood to the correct lengths. Then, I used small metal angles to join the pieces together. These angles did not provide the rigidity I needed, so I added 4 additional metal straps in the outside corners. Because I may need to be able to remove the frame in the future, I’ll use metal L brackets to hang the frame from the truss members. With my frame in hand, Liz helped me hold the frame in place to confirm the measurements and locate the existing structure.
With help from Liz and some clamps, I successfully installed the frame! Weatherstripping and caulk helped seal the edges and create a tighter seal. In the future, I’ll finish up the painting when I tackle the walls and ceiling!
Filed under: Contractor work
Just before I purchased the Depew Redo, I learned quite a bit about “knob and tube wiring.” The home inspection revealed this type of ole’ fashioned wiring was in the attic – supplying all the ceiling-mounted lights. I had never come in contact with this type of wiring . . . so a little research was in order.
“Knob and tube wiring” was common in the United States from 1880 to 1930. The copper wiring is insulated by asphalt saturated cloth and designed to let heat dissapate in surrounding air. The knobs and tubes are ceramic elements that anchor and protect the wiring. Unfortunately, this wiring method can be a fire hazard by modern standards. Safely splicing in additional wiring can be difficult. Insulation, including batts and blown-in types, can not encase the wiring due to heat dissapation, as required by the National Electrical Code.
With this information and the requirement from my home owner’s insurance provider, I decided it had to go. Fast forward to November . . . as I set out to hire an electrician to replace the bad wiring and add some new plugs . . . their inspections revealed my house is full of “knob and tube wiring”. Very bad news for my wallet.
I’ve hired Steve Lyons from Lyons Electric to overhaul my house. He was recommended to me – and I’ve had a good experience. http://www.lyonselectric.com/
I’m happy to say my whole house is getting re-wired, along with a new sub-panel.
