Where are we now? Part One

It's been over a year since I last updated this blog. So much has happened since my last post, but one thing remained the same - we still haven't moved in.

Let's rewind to the time of the last post.

Fall of 2014, we hired a contractor to help move things along. We made some big design plans and changes to the house. Projects were moving along, some a little slower than others, but progress is progress, right?

It's a hell of a lot easier to tell the story with the help of pictures. If you've read a lot of these posts in the past, you know that's my go-to when I'm behind and there is a lot to say. Well, I'm behind, there is a lot to say, and, I had a posted drafted that was lost...so, pictures it is!

The first thing that the contractor did was add the staircase back to the living room. Figuring out the math and angles on this one plaqued Ghon and I months, so we were happy to get it done.

Jonathan & Genevieve testing out the new stairs.

We had knocked out the old mud room. The mud room had been a porch that Ghon's dad closed in to make a laundry/mud/pantry and the walls were rotting, the ceiling falling in. We ripped it down and cleared it out and made way for one of the first big changes. An addition.

Excavating to prepare for the footer.

Digging up the concrete slab.

Every time a layer is pulled off somewhere in the house, something is discovered. Like this old section not having the same siding due to how the room was built.

Preparing for the footer.

Concrete poured!

The addition rests, obviously, on it's own foundation. This way, it's not dependent on the old house for support.

Brought in a mason to lay the block foundation.

As much as possible, we've recycled materials and purchased materials from our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. These cinder blocks were from the ReStore, and are actually concrete blocks. This foundation is solid.

While the foundation work was going on outside, and we were waiting on fund availability to have a huge shipment of lumber delivered, our contractor started working on the front porch. We had bought a ton of lumber when we first started and had plenty still sitting around. We peeled the indoor/outdoor carpet off the porch and found some rotted wood, so off we went. We wanted a traditional, open farmhouse porch look, as opposed to the screened in porch that was there.

Ghon goofing around - where the porch used to be!

Investigating rotting footers - all replaced of course!

The porch had been serving as a storage area - so there's a ton of junk in the corner.

New corner support.

Jacks to hold the upper level porch up while tearing out and rebuilding the lower foundation.

A finished side! Well, almost finished...

New floor boards and custom door to the root cellar.

We used the hardware from the old door.

With the porch done, it was time for new stairs!

Digging out for the concrete footing.

A brand new lower level porch!

While Ghon and the contractor were ripping out some sections of the porch, they found this dated rock in the foundation. We now have a better idea of when the addition was put on to the original log cabin!

A few more progress pictures of the front porch.

Lower level complete - working on the upper level.

Ghon helping install new supports.

Old school construction!

Finally, time to do some priming! 

First all the seams, then roll the primer.

Fixing the porch made a huge difference on the house.  A nice little face lift for place.  We received a ton of comments once the porch was complete.

And just to refresh your memory, here's a before and after - front porch edition. No  more slope, no more stapled screens, no more rotten floor.

The porch and house have evolved much further than this, but I'll save that for another post.