Dave & Heidi - SeattleOZ

the final before & after

2008-08-17T16:19:00.000-07:00

Remodel - before & after

The latest update!

2008-06-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

The shots from high up were from the Genie that Mad Dog rented -- 45 feet in the air :-)

latest update! getting closer

2008-05-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

the latest

2008-05-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

080513 update

texture & prime

2008-04-22T22:16:00.000-07:00

textured & primed

updates - siding & new south windows

2008-04-21T22:02:00.000-07:00

link to pics

new photo reel - sheetrock & back porch

2008-04-10T20:40:00.000-07:00

this slide reel should bring you up to date on the house!

2008-04-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

all is well - drywall guys come on tuesday, so upstairs is coming along great!

http://picasaweb.google.com/dave.osborn/Remodel

2008-03-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

walking up the stairs - matt opened the wall where we'll put a half-door which'll access a finished crawl-space for storage.

this is the mini-dormer that'll be perfect for a little nook for the little ones.

hey, i like my new room! connor opening the door to his room. the hardwoods were there (!) but will be covered by carpet.

this is going to be the crawl space. the studs on the right will be removed and there will be a good 40 square feet of storage - perfect for stacking boxes...after we cull through our junk!

killing me!

2008-03-20T20:34:00.000-07:00

the original siding was lap cedar and cedar shake - which was covered by vinyl. the corbles were even removed and not put back (you can see the dark spot at the peak of the gable where the corble once supported the roof). mad dog will be adding new corbles.

porch? we don't need no stinkin' porch!

2008-03-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

the new subfoundation and new walls, which'll be insulated

needless to say, we're not going out the back door right now.

yuck!

2008-03-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

connor's new word is 'yuck' which he says in reference to messes like this in the nook.

garden window!

2008-03-15T16:02:00.000-07:00

now this is cool - a new garden window for the kitchen! the blue is of course our resident friend, Mr. Blue Tarp.

come together - right now - in my house

2008-03-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

the walls pulled apart when the nook was leveled because the geniuses who built the subfoundation never actually nailed the addition to anything. so mad dog bought a come-a-long and sucked the walls back together. this is NOT something an amateur like me would/could ever try.

new foundation

2008-03-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

new concrete - a substantial improvement over the crap that was there before!

tarp!

2008-03-08T08:17:00.000-08:00

so this tarp will be here for the duration, because they'll pull it out to saw/work beneath when it's raining. our living/dining room have a permanent blue tint right now...

skate ramp

2008-03-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

if i were a few years younger, i'd try to skateboard off my roof onto that ramp

why wouldn't the neighbors love us?

2008-03-08T08:11:00.000-08:00

a nice finding!

2008-03-06T20:38:00.000-08:00

our mini-dormer that will facilitate a bit more storage than expected!

for rent: comfy attic

2008-03-06T20:37:00.000-08:00

looking east through what used to be the closet!

the back porch

2008-03-06T20:28:00.000-08:00

this is the back deck stripped of most of its dignity - stairs & stairjacks are gone, railings, pretty much everything...

remodel or condemn?

2008-03-06T20:26:00.000-08:00

mad dog's crew set up plywood to protect the roof & window so they could chuck the sheetrock & debris out the attic window into the trailer below...how beautiful it all looks in the yard! :-)

what a find!

2008-03-06T20:25:00.000-08:00

this south-facing window above the bay window on the top of the photo was covered by vinyl siding - it's non-functioning but pretty cool - we'll replace it and may get a little extra storage space upstairs as a result.

layers of history

2008-03-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

the south-facing bay window with wood trim. you can see the layer of moisture barrier, then the cedar lap siding, then the closest thing to plywood at the time. the original siding is pretty nice, but very damaged from the poor moisture barrier between the vinyl.

where was that closet?

2008-03-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

this is looking west after you come up the stairs and turn right - the studs are where the closet wall used to be...

attic

2008-03-04T20:38:00.000-08:00

getting down to brass tacks upstairs - or wretched insulation

the mad dog has officially arrived

2008-03-03T20:04:00.000-08:00

you always know when mad dog is in the house because you get one of these in your yard!!

some perspective for you

2008-03-03T20:02:00.000-08:00

that's the same house - nook supported by 3 beams. today (monday) they poured the new footer and tomorrow the new foundation walls will go in.

the attic has been demolished - pics of that soon

look, no hands!

2008-03-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

the subfoundation - gone. the nook - in midair.

looking east, south side of house

2008-03-03T19:58:00.000-08:00

a homeowner's special: 18" foundation, cracked and crumbling in 4 spots...needless to say, it had to go...

More shots

2008-02-26T20:50:00.000-08:00

Two more shots from the day...

Project Exterior & Attic - Day 1

2008-02-26T20:44:00.000-08:00

I think that Connor's general annoyed look in this photo says it all: "Guys, you've gotta do something about this place."

So - Mad Dog did something. Today much of the back porch came away. Off to the races! Layers to be removed include vinyl, then weatherproofing, then original siding, then wood, then studs.

Wombat's room

2006-04-06T21:28:00.000-07:00

This is the real color. Note the special light switch cover.

Kermit's room

2006-04-06T21:27:00.002-07:00

The room isn't quite as green as it looks. This is looking through wombat's door at the window.

Workroom

2006-04-06T21:27:00.001-07:00

From inside my workroom looking into the family room

Peace at last

2006-04-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

Need I say more?

Bathroom

2006-04-06T21:26:00.001-07:00

Another shot

Guest room

2006-04-06T21:26:00.000-07:00

Closet and window in guest room.

carpet

2006-04-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

Guest room entry on the left, bathroom on the right. You can see the vanity and shower door in the bathroom - mirror still needs to be put up in the bathroom.

carpet

2006-04-06T21:24:00.000-07:00

Looking back towards the west. Tallie is on her way into the guest bedroom.

CARPET

2006-04-06T21:23:00.001-07:00

Wow. The same angle I've taken many times before, but decidedly more livable. We are blown away at how homey it feels down there now.

CARPET

2006-04-06T21:23:00.000-07:00

Looking north from the entrance to the family room, past the stairway on the right directly at the door to the sump pump.

CARPET

2006-04-06T21:22:00.000-07:00

You-know-who taking her trip up the stairs towards Wombat's room (which is on the left at the top of the stairs - kitch is to the right).

almost done!

2006-04-06T21:21:00.000-07:00

The south wall of the house with new windows, new casing & trim, and siding put back on.

almost done!

2006-04-06T21:20:00.000-07:00

The new exterior entrance to the basement with door casing. Mike will be painting this door late this week/early next. Note the motion light and exterior plugs on the left of the door. 'Cause I'm sure I'll need to plug something in, right?

almost done!

2006-04-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

So we slacked for a week or so and Mike went to work. This is our upstairs bedroom, fully carpeted by Dave the carpet man (or as Mike calls him, the Chicago Mafia). This carpet was more than we could afford, but well worth it now that it's in.

the home stretch

2006-04-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

Tiled corner of the workroom beneath the stairs - great storage.

The home stretch

2006-04-06T21:17:00.000-07:00

Mad Dog tiling the workroom. He and Edgar have their system down to a science.

PB - texture

2006-03-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

I had a couple extra shots but these are really pretty boring. Mad Dog is PAINTING tomorrow and will have it done apparently the same day, so we're pretty jazzed about that. He told us that it's possible that we may actually have use of our laundry room by Friday of next week, which would mean that the tile and I believe trim would have been installed. The doors will be here on Monday. Things are getting CLOSER. That's good 'cause Heidi ain't getting any less pregnant.

PB - texture

2006-03-23T20:42:00.000-08:00

I'll grant that this shot isn't particular different from the one with just sheetrock, but oh well.

PB - mud, texture, & primer

2006-03-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

I skipped the mud bit and now we're done with priming and texturing, which looks great. Mad Dog had to bark a bit at the subs because they blew through on the first/second round of mud fairly quickly. We ran the monster fan all night and kept the heat on and it actually dried things out pretty well.

PB - sheetrock

2006-03-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

Very cool storage under the stairs.

PB - sheetrock

2006-03-23T20:38:00.001-08:00

I like this shot a lot - looking northeast across the family room towards the stairs.

PB - sheetrock

2006-03-23T20:38:00.000-08:00

This looking in the guest room at the massive window. Heidi and I love the window sills I think the most - we'll be able to use those for plants & storage, etc.

PB - sheetrock

2006-03-23T20:37:00.000-08:00

The fact that Mad Dog painted the blue crap all over the shower has saved it from tons of scratches. A very cool touch.

PB - sheetrock

2006-03-23T20:36:00.000-08:00

Looking towards the bathroom and guest room - through the bathroom pocket door.

PB - sheetrock

2006-03-23T20:35:00.000-08:00

A now familiar shot. The soffit is nicely framed & covered and the can lights work very well.

PB - sheetrock

2006-03-23T20:34:00.000-08:00

By the way - these sheetrockers did this in the span of about 6 hours. ridiculously fast.

PB - sheetrock

2006-03-23T20:33:00.000-08:00

Taken looking towards our basement outside door - new window is on the left. They totally rebuilt the north side wall to make life easier for everyone. The weather hasn't cooperated to get the siding back on yet but Mad Dog will be on that as soon as the dust is out of the basement.

PB - sheetrock!

2006-03-23T20:31:00.000-08:00

I'm way late on these pics and probably won't have too much commentary for this series. Suffice it to say that things are moving quickly now and we're very, very happy about that!

PB - bathroom

2006-03-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

Heidi and I decided that a blue shower would be a good look for the basement.

Just kidding.

This is a temporary coat that is painted on the shower (pretty much like a latex condom) that keeps it from being damaged by people stepping in/around it - sheetrockers, etc.

Looking directly through to the wall in the bathroom is the plumbing for the sink; just to the right of the sink is where the toilet will be.

More to come. Sheetrockers are supposed to be in on Tuesday 3/15.

PB - more ductwork

2006-03-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

This looking at the duct/trunk running down the north side of the family room. Remember that this used to run only about halfway down the length of the room, so Mad Dog has extended things significantly.

PB - ductwork

2006-03-08T19:46:00.000-08:00

Cold-air return duct framed in in my workroom. You can see the outlets at torso height to facilitate workbench and power tools. Thanks again for the saw, dad!

PB - sconce

2006-03-08T19:44:00.001-08:00

The ductwork (running along the top left of the photo) is going to be framed in, but it's in a bit of an awkward place lighting-wise. Not good for another row of can lights, so Mad Dog suggested a couple wall sconces, which will do good things for the room. It'll be perfect for keeping the room just dimly lit.

PB - stairs

2006-03-08T19:44:00.000-08:00

So I get excited about stairs. Sue me. Or better, yet, add it to my ever-growing Mad Dog tab.

PB - baby's room

2006-03-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

An updated view of wombat's room, this is where the closet used to be. The door to his room is now framed; should be completely finished incl carpet by end of March.

PB - stairs!

2006-03-08T19:41:00.000-08:00

A thing of beauty if you ask me. No more smacking your head, no more darkness in the stairwell, no more steep declines. These stairs are SOLID.

PB - window 1

2006-03-08T19:35:00.000-08:00

The first of four windows, this one on the southwest side of the house in the family room. There will be about a 12" sill, which will be great. It's amazing how much larger these windows are that their predecessors.

PB - workroom & family room

2006-03-08T19:32:00.000-08:00

Taken standing in my workroom looking west through the family room. Note the ductwork (trunk) has been extended. Heat ducts extend off into two ceiling registers in the family room, one in the work room, two in the guest room, one in the bathroom, and one in the laundry room.

We're probably going to need to increase the RPMs of our existing furnace blower to make sure that we get enough heat upstairs. :-)

PB - laundry room

2006-03-08T19:30:00.000-08:00

Same angle as the shot 4 pics ago. Stairs are done, laundry room door is framed. I'm planning on putting cabinets along the wall on the left side of the photo.

PB - Family room

2006-03-08T19:29:00.000-08:00

Big picture. Note the ductwork - which is the old stuff. In subsequent photos you'll notice a change.

PB - Guest room

2006-03-08T19:27:00.000-08:00

Taken looking northwest. Closet has been framed. We're planning on putting a window seat next to the closet with built-in storage.

Project Basement

2006-03-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

Just a different angle on the stairs. You can see the switches for the family room on the left along with a fixture for one of two wall sconces. More on those later...

Project Basement

2006-03-08T19:23:00.000-08:00

Very, very cool. Taken standing in the laundry room looking at the base of the totally new stairs. Mad Dog added 2 new treads and the stairs themselves went from 9+ inch rise to less than 7.5. It makes a HUGE difference.

Project Basement

2006-03-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

Taken from the entry to my workroom (SE corner) looking west. You can see the can lights are up. They're actually on two separate switches - one that controls the west 4, and one that controls the east 3. So if wombat wants to play quietly and constructively on the east side of the family room while his father peacefully watches the football game, the boy can have light while the father enjoys the dimly sit section.

See, blogs can be sarcastic, too. :-)

Project Basement - Updates!

2006-03-08T19:17:00.000-08:00

Been a long time - sorry about that. Lots to report. This shot is taken with my back to the kitchen (main floor) and the stairs to the basement on my left. I'm looking along the east wall of what was previously the computer room. You can see that the raised 'closet' (if you can call it that) is gone and what remains to be demolished is the 'raised' part of the floor.

Project Basement - more framing

2006-02-25T17:05:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-25T17:01:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-02-22T19:22:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-22T19:21:00.000-08:00

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

Project Basement - Door & Shower!

2006-02-22T19:15:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-21T20:43:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-21T20:40:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-21T20:38:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-21T20:33:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-21T20:31:00.000-08:00

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

Project Basement - Framing begins cont'd

2006-02-21T20:27:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-21T20:22:00.000-08:00

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.

Project Basement - Level in Ballard cont'd

2006-02-15T20:30:00.000-08:00

I am so glad that Mike & Edgar didn't throw this away. This is the old 6x6 beam that was sagging & cracked. It's now apparent to me why it was so bad. You can see not one, not two, but THREE very large knots in the wood that weakened it. It was very cool to see and equally reassuring that it's down and will be replaced with a slightly newer version. :-)

Project Basement - Level in Ballard cont'd

2006-02-15T20:27:00.000-08:00

A boring shot but a critical component. The brown board on the floor down the middle is pressure-treated lumber that will serve as the base of the wall that'll run down the middle of the basement - serving to support the center of the house. Once Mike frames in the new wall, he'll be able to take down the temporary structural support (left 4x4s). He'll need to cut and repour the concrete slab where the temporary wall was, because it's pretty badly cracked...a testament to the weight of the house and the need to support it adequately!

Project Basement - Level in Ballard cont'd

2006-02-15T20:25:00.000-08:00

A cool shot of the window on the northwest side of the house. You can see the concrete cut - roughly 2x the width of the window. That's the cut for the new window, which gives you an idea of the size & how much light it'll let into the new bedroom downstairs.

Project Basement - Level in Ballard cont'd

2006-02-15T20:19:00.000-08:00

Just a better shot of the jack & the sizable nature of the beam. The other thing I forgot to mention is that Mike decided to support the weight of the house on top of the new foundation as opposed to using the spaced pier pads. The logic is that we now have a very, very strong foundation (14-16" of it depending where you're standing) and there's no reason to stress the floor, even with 10" concrete pads. Mike mentioned he was still a bit concerned with cracking the pads, and that this approach would solve that challenge.

Project Basement - Level in Ballard cont'd

2006-02-15T20:10:00.000-08:00

This 4x10 beam is resting on top of a number of (I believe) 20 ton jacks that span the length of the south side of the house (and north as well, tomorrow). The west portion needs to come up a couple inches, more so on the northwest side than the southwest and more so on the southwest than the northeast.

It'll become a bit more clear tomorrow as tomorrow is jacking day. I'm looking forward to having a level house and Heidi is looking forward to having things solid beneath us again. To that end, Mike believes he'll actually have the downstairs framed at some point next week...so these pictures should really start to take shape!

Project Basement - Level in Ballard

2006-02-15T20:04:00.000-08:00

This is the week where the house will become more level than it has been in many, many years.

For those of you who have been in the basement, you've seen "the beam" - the cracked & sagging and generally dangerous beam that bookends the chimney and is generally in the center of the house. This is the new one. This isn't cracked or sagging or dangerous (although it's toe-nailed in at this point so it's not holding up much of anything). You can see where it butts up against the old (and very intact) beam in the upper-right corner where light brown turns to white.

Ignore the copper piping in the picture as it's definitely not going to be popping out anywhere near where it currently is.

Project Basement - New Foundation cont'd

2006-02-12T09:09:00.000-08:00

This is looking north from the southeast corner of the house. The exterior door would be in the upper-right corner of the house. You can see the thickness of the concrete a little better here.

Project Basement - New Foundation cont'd

2006-02-12T09:02:00.000-08:00

Now looking east at the door to the outside. We ordered a new composite door from Frank Lumber (The Door Store) in Shoreline and Mad Dog will put that in probably in a week or two.

Hopefully you can see the new concrete walls and the difference in thickness and, well, newness. We (Mad Dog) added an average of 6" of concrete around the perimeter and poured a bunch of 10" deep areas to support the weight of the house when we (again, loosely using the pronoun) jack it up. Said jacking will commence on Tuesday 2/14. Who wouldn't appreciate cracked plaster and a lopsided deck for Valentine's Day? All in the name of a level abode.

Project Basement - New Foundation

2006-02-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

Different angle, same steps. Mad Dog did a terrific job; there is some minor concrete patchwork to be done but I am very pleased with this portion specifically.

Also, although you can see it, the bottom of the stairs (where the concrete is level with the slab) has a 10x10" drain that is tied into the the same piping that collects water from under the foundation and routes it to the sump pump. So any big rainstorms where the water isn't collected by the downspouts and instead trickles down the stairs won't cause any problems; the water will just be routed to the sump pump.

Project Basement - New Foundation

2006-02-12T08:46:00.000-08:00

This is a fun shot, for me at least. This is looking at the exterior entrance to the basement with the new steps poured & pretty much completed. You'll recall that the goal of this portion of the project was to eliminate the need for the extra headroom as you enter the basement. Said headroom had created the need for an awkward raised-closet-type thing in the office-soon-to-be-Wombat's room.

The plywood screwed to the old door is our version of a high-tech security system. Between that, the guard cat, and the semi-automatic, I think we can keep Seattle's would-be intruders at bay. :-P

Project Basement - concrete cont'd

2006-02-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

This is a challenging shot to explain. This is taken with the camera sticking out the back door to the outside. The plywood is leaning at a 65 or 70 degree angle against the back of the house, protecting the new concrete steps from getting wet. The concrete you can see in the photo is the top of the stairs and the first actual stair. The wood on the bottom-right of the photo is plywood covering the remaining stairs and actually is more for security than anything else - making it so no one can slip into the basement from the outside.

Mike and Edgar will be back on Monday to remove all the forms, which will be cool. Our new windows also arrived and are leaning up against the back of the house. There are 6: 4 for downstairs and 2 on the main floor for our bedroom and wombat's room. Not sure when those'll be installed.

After Monday, Mad Dog Remodeling will take a week-long break to allow the concrete to set. They'll be back on Monday 2/13 to get the house jacked up & level, and then we'll be back to the races.