Construction - Week 4

Construction - Week 4
Originally uploaded by BillieS.

Construction is moving right along but I don't think we will be finished in four more weeks. We are still in somewhat of a destruction mode. This week the roof over the stair well was taken out. That was one whole day with a sledge hammer. First one man would work with it....Bam, Bam, Bam, Bam. When he got tired another would go to work....Bam, Bam, Bam. And all the while inside the house pieces of the roof were falling down the stairs, and there was a cloud of dust.

We had hoped to keep the large built in storage piece that was at the top of the second floor landing but when we started laying out the stairs we found there would not be room for it and enough room for the stairs to make the turn to start to the new third floor terrace. More destruction to take it out.

It is quite amazing to see how the stairs are made. So far they have chipped out a trench in the brick about 4 inches high, braced a ramp along the side of the trench and, although we don't quite understand how it all works, they will form the stairs on the ramp. This view is from what was the door on the second floor landing. The old stairs from the living area are on the lower right and the ramp to the new terrace is on the left. Of course, the roof is gone....hope it doesn't rain this weekend.





Both of these show the second floor landing where the large built in cabinet was located. Above it you can see the forms for pouring the landing for the new terrace.



The other important thing that happened this week was from scoffolding such as this. They brace boards together, tie it to other boards or columns and make scaffolding. This particular one is about 2-1/2 stories high and from it they have plastered two sides of the new construction. Also all the inside railings of the new terrace were plastered this week.

The tile for the bathroom has been ordered and the new doors and windows should be arrive next week. Progress, yes but already at the end of the 4th week, it seems like we have been in a a construction zone forever.