-
Recent Posts
Archives
- February 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
Categories
- -Chronological Recent Posts
- Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope
- Appliances
- Bathrooms
- Central Vacuum
- Condensing Modulating Gas Boiler
- Construction
- Deconstruction
- Design Style
- Distractions
- Electrical
- Energy Efficiency
- Family Room
- Finishes
- Fireplace Boiler
- Floating Walls
- Furniture
- Green Building Interests
- Green Roof
- House Systems
- Inspections
- Kitchen
- Landscape
- LEED Project
- Living Room
- Local Products
- Maintenance and Repair
- Master Bedroom
- Mini Split Air Conditioner
- Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil
- Monitoring
- Moving
- Organization
- Planning
- Plumbing
- Pool
- Project Team
- Radiant Cooling
- Radiant Heat
- Radon Mitigation
- Reduce Reuse Recycle
- Roofing
- Sideline at son’s house
- Solar
- Spa
- Spencer House
- Tile
- Tools
- Trim
- Trombe Wall
- Ventilation
- Xeriscape
Cloud
-Chronological Recent Posts Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope Appliances Bathrooms Central Vacuum Condensing Modulating Gas Boiler Construction Deconstruction Design Style Distractions Electrical Energy Efficiency Finishes Fireplace Boiler Floating Walls Furniture Green Building Interests House Systems Inspections Kitchen Landscape LEED Project Living Room Local Products Maintenance and Repair Master Bedroom Moisture Intrusion/Expansive Soil Monitoring Moving Planning Plumbing Pool Project Team Radiant Cooling Radiant Heat Radon Mitigation Reduce Reuse Recycle Sideline at son’s house Solar Spa Tile Tools Trim Trombe Wall VentilationBy Date
March 2021 S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Category Archives: Deconstruction
Deconstruction–Step One
Colorado has rules. There are more rules there than we are used to. We knew remodeling in a city would require lots of drawings and permits and inspections and stuff we don’t generally like to do. So the first step … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction, Inspections
Comments Off on Deconstruction–Step One
Deconstruction–Step Two
Not only does Habitat for Humanity build affordable houses for people, since 1998 Denver’s Habitat has been building LEED certified homes that save the homeowners more each year that energy costs increase. Habitat has a lot of experience with recycling … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction, Reduce Reuse Recycle
Comments Off on Deconstruction–Step Two
A Summer of Deconstruction
The summer months were spent tearing out the walls and some of the drywall in the house. Most of this work was done by me in one or two week visits to Colorado. This is what the house looked like … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction
Comments Off on A Summer of Deconstruction
Midsummer’s Dreams
We decided we could tackle one room at a time. Starting with the master bedroom. So off came the drywall and down came the walls.
Posted in Deconstruction
Comments Off on Midsummer’s Dreams
Brawn vs. Brains
If one room at a time was the plan, then the whole room would have to be demolished, including removing the concrete floor, the next step was renting a huge air compressor and jackhammer to get the floor out. Immediately … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction
Comments Off on Brawn vs. Brains
On Beyond Zebra (i.e. first notions)
Giving up the idea of completing one room at a time meant more time on the task taking out the rest of the walls so someone else could take out the floor. Needed somewhere to put the trashed drywall and … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction, Planning
Comments Off on On Beyond Zebra (i.e. first notions)
Labor Day Labors (Plus 10 days)
The walls fall away and begin to reveal the amazing interior spaces of the house. It was fun getting to this point but there is still a lot to get done before the floor can come out.
Posted in Deconstruction, Reduce Reuse Recycle
Comments Off on Labor Day Labors (Plus 10 days)
Bagster Truck
The debris began to overwhelm the garage with the three filled bags so I called the Bagster company to find out about hauling it away. They declared that the bags had to be in the open, and could not get … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction
Comments Off on Bagster Truck
Late September Reinforcements!
By late September, the project needed a boost. So my husband and son came out to help and to cut down the dead trees at the entrance and one that was planted too close to the house. That one rattled … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction
Comments Off on Late September Reinforcements!
Back at the Ranch
Now that the players have all been described, how are things going at the house? The slab was removed after days of breaking it up with the jack hammers and hauling wheelbarrows of concrete out to the rubble field. We … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction
Comments Off on Back at the Ranch
The Trouble at the Bottom….. (Pete Seeger)
We can say it is a good thing to find the trouble at the bottom which would have reared its ugly head someday especially if we had tried to install a cosmetic fix for the existing slab. Excavation of the … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction
Comments Off on The Trouble at the Bottom….. (Pete Seeger)
Dirt Can’t Hide (From Intensified Digging)
Excavation resumed after the plumbing was dug out. The goal was 16 1/2 inches down from the top of slab or about a foot of digging throughout. The first few inches were completed before the plumbing was dug out, just … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction
Comments Off on Dirt Can’t Hide (From Intensified Digging)
Into the Void (Our Caisson Foundation)
We were very pleasantly surprised to find that the rear wall that holds back the earth bermed north side of the house has a caisson foundation. I had never heard of this type of foundation, and it is not generally … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction
Comments Off on Into the Void (Our Caisson Foundation)
Hot Town in the Summertime
Denver has a particularly temperate climate but it does get hot and even humid there. Last summer there were several stifling days while I worked tearing out the walls. So I was planning to find a cooling solution for this … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction, Energy Efficiency, House Systems
Comments Off on Hot Town in the Summertime
Dropping the Attic
The first step was removing the rest of the loose fill fiberglass insulation from the attic rafters. Messy job. I bagged all the loose fill in case I need it to fill in or increase the depth of the insulation … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction
Comments Off on Dropping the Attic
Nature’s Warriors
Hey, what was that tap tap tapping on my house? Yeah, I think I let this one happen. Even while I was home it did not occur to me that the birds could drill a hole right through the siding … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction
Comments Off on Nature’s Warriors
Bare Bones
I decided that the cathedral ceiling being extra tall and inaccessible, was too difficult for me to tear out myself. I enlisted the help of some demolition experts who I contacted through their ad on Craigslist. They came over with … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction
Comments Off on Bare Bones
Goodbye Fiberglass (Mostly)
There were a lot of damaged fiberglass batts in the walls and ceiling. Most of the batts had to be discarded due to mold, mouse holes and urine. The fiberglass batts just about filed the 30 yard dumpster, as well … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction
Comments Off on Goodbye Fiberglass (Mostly)
Hornets’ Nest! @#&!
One of the demo experts started to tear out the hallway ceiling and came running out with a terrified cry of “HORNETS”! The guy was very allergic and would have had to take lots of Benedryl or get to a … Continue reading
Posted in Deconstruction, Maintenance and Repair
Comments Off on Hornets’ Nest! @#&!
Door Warranty Prep
I met with the door warranty team in mid-June and they asked me to seal up the front of the house and add an awning of some kind over the doors, put in a landing so dirt would not splash … Continue reading
Posted in Air Intrusion/Thermal Envelope, Construction, Deconstruction
Comments Off on Door Warranty Prep