HVAC Overhaul

    
     The HVAC duct system is receiving an upgrade. The duct is really old and dirty, which is not enough to replace it, but it will also be too low in the room. The new and improved version will be 7-1/2" tall x 22" wide square duct. This duct will be exposed in the room The elbows you see are coming out of the top between the joists. All the rest of the pipe will be hidden in the joists and you will only see the grills in the appropriate places. Soon I will be ordering and picking up the new return duct for installation.

   The existing furnace is nearly new and is a 90+, or a 90% efficient model. It will be more than adequate to supply the basement and the first living floor. This should be complete in the next week or so.

Old electrical

I began the process of removing some of the old electrical from the basement. It is called knob and tube. I am removing an abandoned run and will be doing some wiring on the first floor to make the outlets active that are dead. This includes all new wall boxes, outlets, switches and wire. This project is beyond my ability therefore it interests me. I purchased a book, meter and will be ready to go soon. Hopefully I don't burn down the house. (Just kidding)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knob_and_tube_wiring

Basement floor plan revision

This is the first revision to the lower floor plan. The main change is the relocation of the furnace. It will be rotated 180 deg so the access will now be to the opposite side. This one small change allows the door to the furnace room to be in the bathroom as opposed to a dedicated hallway next to the bathroom. The bedroom can therefore gain a great deal of space. It looks like I will personally be turning the furnace and sliding it back toward the bedroom about 12" - 18" to make the wall work together. This should be fairly interesting as I have not done a furnace install in about 12 years. Luckily all the connections are already there and all I need to do disconnect, spin 180 deg, and reconnect.

Basement Floor Plan

Here are a couple of shots of the proposed basement makeover. The basement has never been occupied. We will try and keep all of the window locations, while making some windows bigger for egress and better lighting. The existing door location, furnace, post and beam floor support, and stairs to the 1st floor will all remain in their existing locations. This makes the design very challenging. Additionally, most of the construction materials will be secondhand, used, new or recycled. I like this approach to building. It utilizes the most economical and recycling intensive system for the build out of the basement.

Fence

West End

Here is most of the fence project. We will be adding an arbor to the yard end soon. Custom, of course. This will complete the look.

Fencing Anyone?

Dean and I started on the fence for the back yard. It is a white picket style about 4' tall with the posts at 8'o/c. It laid out really well and we should only need to build a gate. The Arbor will come later after Tia returns from Colorado. Tomorrow we will install the fence panels and it will look great! Dean and I poured the dry concrete into the holes with a little water to follow. No mixing this time. I am pretty sure this will work well in this application.

Kids beds

Here are some pictures from the kids loft beds. These allow more usable space in the room and move the sleeping quarters up and out of the way. We also discovered that when the kids are sick it is hard to get them in and out. Overall this is the best solution to our 'one room for the kids' problem. They still need a little finishing but overall I give them a 10.



Cost new:-$400-$500

Cost to build: $175

More time than money means a lot of savings.

Almost official

Well it looks like we will be going ahead with the remodel. Lora the kids & I moved in a week ago under the pretense of early occupancy. I manufactured a loft bed for Madelyn, while Isaiah's is still under construction. Pictures coming soon. This will allow the kids a lot more space in their shared room.

Dean and Tia are here full time now and the Hawthorne house should close today (fingers crossed).

There is so much to do around here. The future looks like a lot of dust and paint chips.

I am not a plumber.

This leaks and that leaks. I fix it and it still leaks. Leaks, leaks, leaks. I capped off a pipe that has no supply connected to it, but it leaks. Now the toilet supply leaks a little. It is also connected to the same supply line that is really not connected to anything. Did I mention that I am not a plumber.

Oh yeah, I hooked up the washer and it leaked. I think I may have that one fixed though.

New House

It looks official. We will be moving to the Duplex in Sellwood, Portland, Oregon. Luckily we get the first floor which is mostly livable. The in laws will take the almost livable 2nd floor while we build out the basement for them. There is a loft that needs a full build out too. This will become the new master suite for the 2nd floor unit. This new house will give me the opportunity to utilize the skills from the TMCC Architecture Degree I received and also see the layout and planing skills in action from the drafting company. It has been a few years since any major construction work, but I am ready and excited to charge forward. Thanks in advance to Dean and Tia for the opportunity to explore some exciting design opportunities in the basement space. The juxtaposition between the classic home above and the contempory loft space below is exciting and new.