Now We Need Grout!

The tile has been installed and is drying.  On Monday, they will grout and the fireplace surround will be finished!  I booked the gas insert installation, so in about two weeks, this project should be complete.  If only the kitchen could go as fast.

I went back and checked the dates on this blog and we purchased our appliances from Sears six weeks ago.  They were supposed to be delivered today, but they called at the last minute to say that they are not at the warehouse yet.  Hummmmm.  How long does it take to deliver appliances?  I called the 800# for the details and well, they don't have any.  A very nice person told me the same information four times after putting me on hold twice and I still have no idea what's going on with this delivery.  In the end, she offered me a $100 gift card to Sears for my inconvenience and assured me that Sears will call within 24 hours with more information.  I'll let you know what happens in 24 hours...

No contractor today.  It's been nice to have a little quiet in the house today.

Fireplace Tiling

All of the prep work is complete for the fireplace and they began tiling today. We worked with Motawi Tile in Ann Arbor, Michigan to design and create our fireplace hearth, surround, and mantel.  We coordinated the tiles with they entry floor tiles that we installed last summer. It looks so pretty! They should be finished on Monday and then we can have the fireplace insert installed.

Now Let's Update the Fireplace!

I thought that it couldn't get any louder in the house. Well it did! The kitchen continues to be demoed, we had thunderstorms throughout the day and then we started tearing out the old fireplace in the living room. Our house is loud and crazy right now. I am trying to stay focused on the end goal, but reality is setting in and  I am finding all the noise and dust really annoying. 

We have all caught colds or some type of illness. Madeleine threw-up last night at 2:00 AM and Will is super tired. Brian cleaned out all of the exposed vents and replaced the furnace air filter and I have a cold. Hopefully, the dust will begin to settle and the noise will be a little less intense and we'll all start to feel a little better!  

Here are the latest pictures from the house:

 

It's Been a Long Week

As I pulled-up to the check-out register at the grocery store, the cashier said, "So, I take-it it's been a long week." 

Why yes it has! My cart was filled with only beer and wine. He then said, "Would you like a few chips to soak that up?" 

Great idea! I immediately ran to the chip aisle at his suggestion.

It has been really loud, dusty, dirty and crazy in the house this week.  Brian was in Germany on vacation - I mean business.  He had a few flight delays and ended up spending an extra day in Toronto.

We had a few unexpected issues, but it appears that they should be resolved.  Whew!  Looking forward to kicking back with a cold one -or two- and enjoying the holiday weekend.  Have a wonderful Memorial weekend!

Dumpster #2

When the dumpster arrived on Monday, I thought that there was no way that we would even come close to filling it! Well, today Dumpster #2 was delivered.  

More demo happened today. Most of the floor has been torn-up. Our contractor said that we might have to have an exposed beam across the kitchen. Brian and I really do not want one. He thinks he may be able to find a solution so that the beam is not exposed. Cross your fingers!!

We also have had a few miscellaneous things occur. Our building permit is now posted - so we're officially legal! I had one picture casualty during the demo. I think I can do a repair job on it and it should be good as new! And -- we finalized our cabinet color today! 

 

Major Destruction Today

Wow! That's about all I can say. Wow! Rod and his team are going to town on our house. There were times throughout the day that I thought the house was falling down! 

I am starting to have a sense of how the space will look now that the drywall and plaster is off the wall. We also discovered that we have uninvited guests living in our house - carpenter ants. Ugh! I am calling the Bug Man tomorrow and getting rid of these pests!  

No Turning Back Now!

The loud noises you probably heard today, came from both the saws-all and heavy metal music at our house. There have been times throughout the day that I thought that the roof was caving in! 

The dog is not lovin' the noise and has gone on a hunger strike. She could lose a few pounds, but I keep trying to explain to her that crash diets never work! I ordered her a "Thundershirt" today. It is supposed to help dogs that scare during thunderstorms. Hopefully this new tool will help her with her noise anxiety!

Well, the kitchen is pretty-much gutted. The gigantic dumpster is quite full - which is unbelievable! Our architect stopped by today to check-out the progress and seemed happy with the discoveries under the walls. I am all in favor of a boring, predictable job!

Madeleine showing her Minecraft "Chopping" Arm

Bare Walls

 There are about 3 sub-floors below the hardwood - one with this pretty tile!

Let the Fun Begin!

After 3 weeks of waiting, the dumpster arrived today!  And it sure is big!  Will was so excited to watch it drive up into our driveway and BANG onto the ground!

Not only did the dumpster arrive, but we no longer have a sink, dishwasher, oven, or refrigerator.  A few smalls walls even came down!  

New Patio Chair Pads

As we no longer have a functional kitchen - even though demolition has not begun - we have been eating outside on our patio. Our patio chair pads were so gross!  Moldy, dirty, yuck! I had to do something about it! I sewed new pillows and chair pads and they look so much better! We are now safe from black mold poisoning while we eat dinner this summer!

Packing Up the Crack House

The contract is signed and the deposit has been cashed, so it's now time to get this project going! We packed up our house last weekend in anticipation of the work beginning. My parents helped Brian and I take on this enormous project. All of our worldly possessions are now stored in the garage and we have created a mini-kitchen in the basement to tie us over.  We let the kids draw on the wall that we're tearing down. My mom had this brilliant idea to write, "Empty" after finishing each cabinet or drawer, so we could track our packing progress.

Our architect stopped by to drop-off the latest plans and said, "Looks like you're living in a crack house!" It actually does - with writing on the walls and cupboards, holes in the ceiling and various parts of the kitchen already demoed, I think he summed up our place pretty accurately! 

  

  

Packing Up the First Floor

 

  

Taking down the banister 

 

Crack House Graffitti