Project Basement - more framing

This is taken from the northwest corner of the guest bedroom. You can see the pocket door leading into the bathroom, the shower is visible, and you can see all the way through to the outside door. 

Project Basement - a bit more framing

This is how we ended the week - probably 2/3 framed. Next step is the plumbers.

This photo is taken looking northwest. The wall with the horizontal framing/wood is actually the pocket for a pocket door that will go from the guest bedroom directly into the bathroom. That means that guests won't have to come out of the bedroom into the family room in order to use the head, which I think is a good thing.

So I'm actually looking through the main bathroom door, through the pocket, and into the guest bedroom. the other door opening on the left side of the picture is the door to the guest bedroom. 

Project Basement - Shower!

Mad Dog brought the shower in today because it wouldn't fit through the new doorway. It's nowhere near installed but is resting almost in its true spot. 

Project Basement - Door & Shower

This is the view from the inside of the new door. 

Project Basement - Door & Shower!

This photo is taken from the outside, looking down our new concrete steps into the basement. The new door has been hung and works...well, as it should, which is a great thing. The plywood above the door shows how high the old door went; this new opening will mean that a) you'll walk directly into the basement at ground level and more importantly b) we can turn the odd-shaped office in the back of the house into a 7x10.5 bedroom for the boy. This weekend, in fact, Heidi and I are going to move the contents of the office upstairs (which is where the rest of our crap currently is) so Mad Dog can work on framing in the door and adding the necessary floor joists/boards. 

Project basement - collateral damage

This is another painful crack. This may be one where Mike has to chisel out the area & fill again; other smaller hairline cracks (which seem to be everywhere) can be filled with latex caulk and painted. Hopefully good as new.

The front door has some difficulty opening, and the deck is at a new angle. More detail to come on Project Porch Decision: Repair or Replace.

Stay tuned. 

Project Basement - collateral damage

So this is what happens when you lift a house that has lathe & plaster walls. This is the worst of 5 or 6 areas that actually experienced significant 'buckling' from the jacking. Mike is going to come through and basically chisel out the buckled areas very carefully, then fill the areas with Fixall, then do a topcoat. I'll wind up priming & painting those areas. 

Project Basement - framing begins cont'd

There's still a bit of jacking going on, as I mentioned. This is one of the jacks. It's very, very interesting to be in the basement when the house is rising...about 89 years of popping and cracking just above your head. 

Project Basement - framing begins cont'd

A better view of things, this time looking northeast from the southwest corner of the basement. You can see the main beam & wall that has been framed - just beyond the duct. You can also kind of see the opening for the bedroom and bathroom, which are separated by the post that stands just behind the tire of the saw-dolly-type-deal that Mad Dog has.

This week Mike is exhibiting at the Seattle Home Show (which is where Heidi and I met him), so he's over in the morning and early afternoon, then heads to the home show for the late afternoon/evening. 

Project Basement - framing begins cont'd

This is looking down into where the good ol' toilet will eventually go (on the right you can see the drain). The vanity and mirror will go towards the top of this picture; the mirror will be facing west. 

Project Basement - framing begins cont'd

This is looking down into the hole for the shower P-trap. The shower should be delivered tomorrow. 

Project Basement - Framing begins cont'd

This is taken looking just a tad northwest. I wanted to show the size of the beams that now run almost the entire length of the north & south sides of the house. They're supported by 6x6 posts that now support most of the weight of the house, sitting on top of the new concrete foundation.

Mike is now beginning the process of framing the downstairs - framing will run just along the inside of the new concrete and things should really start taking shape. Ron will be over tomorrow to get a sense as to how he's going to tackle the plumbing, now that things are starting to take shape. 

Project Basement - Framing Begins

Jacking went pretty much according to plan. The great news is that the house is now within 1-1.5 inches of being the same level all the way around, where before it was anywhere from 1-4 inches depending on where you're standing. It's a noticeable difference by all accounts.

This picture is taken with the stairs from the main floor just to my left, looking west. Note the jack on the right side of the picture - that's being used to level the floor in the bathroom, which for some reason didn't entirely come up with the sides of the house when Mike jacked the perimeter.

Essentially I'm standing in the laundry room, and I'm staring beyond the sump pump pipe, through the future bathroom and into the family-in-law and other guests' bedroom.