Living Room Progress

Alert the press! Major progress in the living room!

If you have been keeping up with progress inside the house, you know there hasn't been much happening for the last four months or so.  Any time off work has been spent working outside. We've had gardens to tend to, chicken runs to fence in, and of course, acres of grass to mow. This week however, was different.

Ghon contacted the stone mason we used to tear out the old fireplace and clean the log wall in the living room to talk about next steps in the living room. For sure, we knew we needed to have concrete laid to form a foundation for the wood stove insert. Ghon also wanted to lay a small concrete foundation wall to provide support in the middle of the floor. The room is so wide, finding timbers long enough to support the floor is a challenge. If you recall, the reason most work halted in the room was due to the rotten beam found in the house during the demolition. This new concrete foundation would allow us to put the necessary supports in, lay the floor boards back down, and continue forward progress: adding the stairwell, perhaps adding new windows, reframing the walls, electric, drywall and viola - a room!

As much as possible, we are planning to do the work ourselves. Well, ourselves and any friends and family we can trick into manual labor. Or, call it as it is, we aren't rich, and we will do what we can when we can based on time and money. If we can figure it out, Ghon prefers not to pay anyone to do the work.Which is why we hired a stone mason. And will have a professional roofer. And a professional electrician.

But Ghon figured he could build the forms and lay the concrete.

Then had some doubts.

Then figured it out.

Then just flat ran out of time. Our stone mason, Myron, had told us he could do the work - so we finally decided to let him do it.

Monday was prep day. Ghon picked up the re-bar needed and dropped it off at the house. Ghon cut out the rotten log from the floor. The crew cleared the area, built the forms, and prepared for the concrete.

 

Quick reminder of what the floor looked like before...

Two floor beams were removed and the concrete forms built.

Concrete delivery was scheduled for Thursday. Both Ghon and I were at work, so Myron and his crew were awesome enough to take some pictures of the delivery for me, as well as video!

Myron, our awesome stone mason, the cement delivery truck, backed up to the front porch, and preparing for concrete delivery!

On my way home from work, I stopped by the farm to see the work completed. I took a few "after" pictures. The concrete was also at the right drying point that I was able to etch our name and year into the center beam.

Concrete! The hearth, a center support and a support along the old bathroom wall to support the cross beams.

Forever etched in the house!

Ah, sweet progress. For Myron to move onto his next steps, we need to continue a rock excavation on the mountain. All of the stone that will go into the base of the hearth and the chimney will come directly from the farm. With the concrete set, we will now be able to put the cross beams in place, then start relaying the floor.

Forward momentum is so exciting!