Sullivan House: Renovation Log

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  • Hmm, I was wondering also.... ;)
    • Mudding in bathroom is complete.
    • Major cleaning of back yard, including removal of many stones and blocks, digging up bricks and all kinds of random detritus
    • Broke up large stone blocks and slabs for removal
    • Nearly filled a 10 yard dumpster
    • Showed the house to my Aunt and Uncle
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  • Andy worked a few days this past week but I wasn't following what he was doing closely. Was a packed work week for me so I didn't make it down to the house during the work week.
    • Kitchen mudding nearly complete
    • Met with potential plasterer to get quotes
    • Met with chimney sweep
    • Set up dehumidifier in basement
    • Brought new kitchen lights
    • Put caulk bead around ceiling of bathroom
    • Started spackle/wall repair in Kyle's bedroom
  • Started spackle/wall repair in Kyle's bedroom
    Prime before spackling.
    • Started priming the bathroom
    • Lots of back yard cleanup
    • Filled dumpster completely
    • Cleaned weeds/ivy off of sidewalk and along fence on Calumet side
  • edited April 2012
    Week of April 8:
    • Electrician started grounding the outlets in the main room
    • Brought over chairs for the front porch & restocked the beer supply (priorities, people!)
    • Picked up additional tools, smoke detectors, outlet covers, and a lawn mower
    • Met chimney sweep again for repair quote
    • Got dumpster swapped out for a new one
    On Friday, my dad and Jeff (my former scoutmaster) drove 9 hours from Pennsylvania to help out at the house thru Monday. Jeff owns his own construction company in PA, and they came with a van full of tools.

    Friday, April 13:
    • Gave tour to dad & Jeff
    • Surveyed exterior of house for damage
    • Purchased lumber for exterior repairs
    • Unpacked tools and lumber for Saturday
    • Kyle worked on spackling his room
    Saturday, April 14:
    • Deconstructed & rebuilt entire back porch
    • Deconstructed bottom steps & handrail posts on front & sides steps to front porch
    • Aaron and I disassembled & removed rear screen door
    • Made another trip to hardware store for lumber and supplies
    • Brian & Nicole finished priming bathroom
    • Perry & Kyle worked on their rooms
    • Cleaned trash and debris out of house and organized supplies
    • Mowed the lawn for the first time
  • edited April 2012
    • Made significant progress on finishing the new back porch
    • Finished deconstructing rotten front porch railings and balustrades
    • Starting building new rails and main posts for front porch railing
    • Finished priming Perry's room
    • Did some wall repairs in Kyle's room
    • Started wall repair in upstairs hallway
    • Ceiling repair in Perry's room
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  • April 16:
    • Finished rebuilding back porch
    • Rebuilt bottom step & large bottom post for front & side of veranda
    • Cut, routed, and sanded the rails for the front & side stairs on the veranda
    • Removed a ton of junk from the house, especially the basement
    • Worked on condensing scrap pile into carriage house
    • Considerable cleanup inside carriage house
    The installation of the stair rails for the veranda didn't get done, but they're ready to be painted and assembled inside the house. It was a hugely productive long weekend.
  • edited April 2012
    • Electrican got electrical box installed in front room ceiling for ceiling fan
    • Let some friends in to shoot engagement photos
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  • Oops. Haven't updated in a while.

    This week:
    • Plasterer got started in front room
    • Electrician made progress on front room and kitchen outlets
    • Got ceiling fan box installed in front room
    Today, Icrontic friends Meghann and Andrew came to help:
    • Nearly done with plaster in front room
    • Cut and laid floorboard in bathroom
    • Did another skim coat in Perry's room
    • Finished priming Kyle's room
    • Started wall repair and primer in Brian & Nicole's room
    • Started tile in bathroom
    • Cut out hole in vanity for plumbing access
    • Knocked down old drywall ceiling in basement white room
    • Removed all nails from drywall ceiling in white room
    • Removed all ceiling debris into dumpster
    • Cut out space for network box in front room floor molding
    • Installed network box in front room
    • Pulled four CAT-6 drops from front room into future network closet in basement
    • Cut grass
    • Organized carriage house junk piles
    • More weed/landscape maintenance
    • Vacuumed white room ceiling/removed old cobwebs in basement
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  • Another busy day.
    • Got much more of the bathroom floor and wall tiled
    • Ran another four-drop network pull from future IC office to network closet
    • Cleaned carriage house more
    • Began leveling and re-grading dirt in backyard
    • Threw out more big trash into dumpster
    • Someone took a dump in the non-functional basement toilet. GRrrrrrr. Cleaned that.
    • More wall repair/prep in Brian/Nicole's room
    • Began second network pull in future IC office
    • Significantly cleaned basement
    • Removed a great deal of legacy wiring (phone, CATV, speakers, etc.)
    • Punched down four CAT-6 jacks in front room
    • Finished installing drop in front room
    • Drilled hole for second network drop in office
    • Marked spots for network drops in upstairs bedrooms
    • Began initial exploratory phase for upstairs network drop logistics
    image
  • Also yesterday:

    * Removed most of remaining junk in house
    * Removed TV antennae from attic
    * Yardwork
    * Swept debris from alley
    * Removed junk / organized main room
    * Plaster work finished for now
  • Today: emailed bank about a loan. Gulp.
  • Big day at the house. Brian, Andy, Dave, and 2 techs from the heating company were there all day. I joined them for a few hours over lunch.

    * Adjusted bathroom radiator lines
    * Installed radiators in the bathroom and master bedroom
    * Loosened radiators throughout house for easier removal for painting
    * Surveyed w/ contractor to decide next week worth of general work
    * Removed vestiges of old security system (panels, motion sensors, fire alarm, wires)
    * Continued CAT-6 installation in first floor
    * Additional electrical work in bathroom & kitchen
    • Began exploratory drilling from basement to second floor for network runs
    • Finished all network drops on first floor
    • Drilled holes to run network cables through joists in white room
    • Re-routed cables from front room network run for neatness
    • Tacked all network cables in basement
    • Took measurements for custom shelf buildout in my room
    • Cleaned up significant amount of legacy wiring in basement
  • edited May 2012
    Jeff & Perry joined Brian, Dave and I today.

    * Worked on retrieving drill bit buried deep in a wall (got stuck during wire run yesterday)
    * Got front porch rails halfway installed
    * Cleaned last of the junk out of the cellar room
    * Brian continued work on CAT-6 runs in basement
    * Ran wire to final sconce in bathroom
    * Ran new 20amp circuit to bathroom for ceiling fixture
  • Monday, May 14

    * Electrical work continued on first floor
    * Continued & gave up drill-bit rescue operation
    * Andy tiled more of the bathroom
    * Fitted tub
    * Finished clearing junk from office
    * Took last trip of "yard sale junk" out of house
    * Began moving supplies out of main room to make way for painting
    * Cleared cabinets so they can be removed prior to kitchen ceiling installation

    Jeff and I attempted to winch 200+ pound blocks into dumpster (failed). Jeff thinks they may be as heavy as 600 pounds each; I'd believe 400. Considering burying them.

  • edited May 2012
    During the week, Andy, Dave, and Phil (Andy's assistant):

    * Removed wall-mounted kitchen cabinets
    * Raised & mudded ceiling in kitchen
    * Mudded more of kitchen walls
    * Ran electrical line to full bathroom fan
    * Installed fan in half bathroom

    Andy and Jeff joined me today:

    * Cut and partially installed top rails for front porch steps
    * Tiled behind toilet & front of tub
    * Yardwork: cut lawn, pulled weeds, cut low hanging branches over sidewalk
    * Sawed apart small tree stump & cleared more debris in alley
    * Pulled up plywood in back stairwell, exposing hardwood
    * Finished clearing main room for painting
    * Nearly finished clearing office for painting
    * Removed lace & venetian blind window coverings in office, main room, and foyer
    * Removed scrap drywall, green board, and concrete board -> dumpster

    Eight hours I was there today. So, so tired. Also, some creepy couple drove real slow by the house and then got out and walked around the house for ten minutes. So weird. I closed the front door and felt like I'd raised the drawbridge to my castle :D
    • Sanded kitchen ceiling and upper walls
    • Washed bathroom floor to prep for grout
    My shoulders are jelly
  • Also yesterday:

    * Removed radiator covers
    * Moved doors, old countertop, & radiator covers to carriage house
    * Removed coat rack in back stairwell
    * Sealed carriage house windows with 6mil poly
    * Nicole & Kyle cut the hedges
    * Weeding & more trimming in front yard
    * Jeff swung by and picked up boards for routing (for front porch rails)
    * More spackling upstairs in hallway & bedrooms
  • edited May 2012
    • Begun grouting the bathroom floor and walls. 35% done
    • Installed new lock on the carriage house
    • Installed burglar deterrent on the fence facing the alley (i.e. very sharp metal)
    • Delivered pop & water to the house
  • Me, Dave, Brian, Nicole, and Jeff

    * Continued work on front porch rails
    * Finished grouting bathroom floor
    * Installed the toilet!
    * Did temporary install of vanity/sink in bathroom for BBQ tomorrow
    * Removed miscellaneous hardware from windows, doors, walls, and closets
    * Removed wallpaper from ceiling of office & bottom half of back staircase
    * Removed lumber from the house
    * Cleaned upstairs fireplace & debris from plaster repair
    * Cleared upstairs hallway & half the master bedroom
    * Worked on installation of main bathroom fan
    * Worked on running line for second fan in main room
    * Installed temporary lights in multiple ceiling fixture places and wall sconces
    * Took out the trash
    * Weeding
  • * Partied
  • no work has been done since Memorial Day Party?
  • Not really. Both been travelling quite a bit.
  • Since Memorial Day:

    * Fixed some tiling in bathroom
    * Tiled sides of tub enclosure
    * Installed fans in both bathrooms
    * Finished mudding the kitchen
    * Installed second fan box in great room
    * Rewired several sconces, switches, and outlets upstairs
    * Reinstalled ceiling fixture in back stairwell
    * Another electrician surveyed the house for issues
    * Ran proper line for front porch light fixture
    * Identified additional remaining electrical issues
    * Began infrastructure planning for 2013 Expo Icrontic
    * Began process of taking out a loan for major projects
  • What, exactly, is left to do to be allowed to move in?
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