The first piece of mail at our new address arrived today - the report from Dave, the energy auditor, telling us which renovations will qualify for how much rebate from government energy stimulus packages.
"The envelope, please..." Since we're redoing so many things that improve energy efficiency, we qualified for enough rebate to cover that new bathroom, the unexpected hardwood floors, the glass garden doors and windows. Phew! This must be what it feels like to win a lottery! YIPPEEEE!!!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Basement bathroom change of plan
On Saturday night, we sat down to have a planning meeting with Hugh, to schedule phases of the work.
He pointed out how we are gutting the basement, redoing everything, and then leaving this old bathroom in the corner. "The work and mess and expense of redoing it later will be way more! It only makes sense to do it now, while the whole basement is torn up. The new etched concrete floor would look great in there, like the rest of the basement."
"Hugh," Andrew replies, I nod - "We have to keep within the budget, and we are planning to do the bathrooms later, one at a time, as we get the money. We just can't do it all right now, even if it's cheaper in the long run."
Argument ensues. We talk about our different priorities, realities, money. H. insists, having just done a similar bathroom job in his own house, that we can do this for much less now than later.
The next morning, Andrew is browsing the internet. I drop by for a look. Toilets. Shower stalls. Sinks. "These are really cheap on sale, and we're get energy rebates for new toilets anyway..."
Mike O'Neil tore out the old basement bathroom today . Round Two for Hugh. We went shopping for shower stalls. Lesson: know good advice when you hear it. And be
brave! (Watch for the "After" photo!)
He pointed out how we are gutting the basement, redoing everything, and then leaving this old bathroom in the corner. "The work and mess and expense of redoing it later will be way more! It only makes sense to do it now, while the whole basement is torn up. The new etched concrete floor would look great in there, like the rest of the basement."
Argument ensues. We talk about our different priorities, realities, money. H. insists, having just done a similar bathroom job in his own house, that we can do this for much less now than later.
The next morning, Andrew is browsing the internet. I drop by for a look. Toilets. Shower stalls. Sinks. "These are really cheap on sale, and we're get energy rebates for new toilets anyway..."
Mike O'Neil tore out the old basement bathroom today . Round Two for Hugh. We went shopping for shower stalls. Lesson: know good advice when you hear it. And be
brave! (Watch for the "After" photo!)
Parquet? Hardwood!
Time to remove the carpet in the Cave (Andrew's office room) and in the living room, revealing the parquet floors to buff and coat with a new finish. Large cracks, loose pieces and buckling showed the glue had dried up, wood had shrunk - floors not worth the repair.
H. caught my dismay - "Mom, you can't repair this - you burn it."
"Parquet...?" I echo weakly.
"Mom, 'parquet' is what you get in the Louvre! This is kindling."
"I never actually liked this 'parquet'; I just thought we'd use it anyway... New floors aren't in the budget..." I feel myself falling into the abyss of renovation surprises. A classic case of "This Old House"... Where's Bob Vila, or Mike Holmes, when you need him?
Wait - who needs them? We have Hugh! "Mom, I could get you T&G [tongue and groove] maple and install it for free, then have Mike finish it. It wouldn't cost you much more than you'd spend cleaning this up."
" I'd need an estimate of the cost and durability, vs. the repair and its durability..."
"Sure, Mom. No problem."
Home Depot's sale flyer has an ad for T&G birch, with a cherry finish. H. is duly impressed. "That's a great deal, already finished!" Andrew and I compare the finish to our favourite antique pine chest, and the colour is lovely - warm, honey-colored hardwood. It's a deal! Mike O'Neil started shovelling up the 'parquet' - after all, this is not the Louvre! Hardwood, here we come. Round One for Hugh. Lesson: seize an opportunity to embrace change!
H. caught my dismay - "Mom, you can't repair this - you burn it."
"Parquet...?" I echo weakly.
"Mom, 'parquet' is what you get in the Louvre! This is kindling."
"I never actually liked this 'parquet'; I just thought we'd use it anyway... New floors aren't in the budget..." I feel myself falling into the abyss of renovation surprises. A classic case of "This Old House"... Where's Bob Vila, or Mike Holmes, when you need him?
Wait - who needs them? We have Hugh! "Mom, I could get you T&G [tongue and groove] maple and install it for free, then have Mike finish it. It wouldn't cost you much more than you'd spend cleaning this up."
" I'd need an estimate of the cost and durability, vs. the repair and its durability..."
"Sure, Mom. No problem."
Home Depot's sale flyer has an ad for T&G birch, with a cherry finish. H. is duly impressed. "That's a great deal, already finished!" Andrew and I compare the finish to our favourite antique pine chest, and the colour is lovely - warm, honey-colored hardwood. It's a deal! Mike O'Neil started shovelling up the 'parquet' - after all, this is not the Louvre! Hardwood, here we come. Round One for Hugh. Lesson: seize an opportunity to embrace change!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Dump run in snow
January 20, 2010
Another sleepy morning, fresh snow covering pine boughs, lawn and chunky slush. Andrew disappeared at 6:45 am to dump another load of basement debris. He met a parent from his school community there, who helped him unload the stuff. Someone else does these early morning missions?! I'm relieved he's not there alone in the dark and the snow. Home for a quick shower and off to work with his autistic little ones all day, then groceries, errands and collapse at home. I solved problems for disabled students all day, made dinner, cleaned up, put away the groceries, started the laundry. The 4 month honeymoon of house-sitting here and happily planning the reno was so calm... How long can we keep up this new pace? I've booked a break in Puerto Rico for my birthday in February. Andrew will have to wait for March break. Sleep, here we come.
Another sleepy morning, fresh snow covering pine boughs, lawn and chunky slush. Andrew disappeared at 6:45 am to dump another load of basement debris. He met a parent from his school community there, who helped him unload the stuff. Someone else does these early morning missions?! I'm relieved he's not there alone in the dark and the snow. Home for a quick shower and off to work with his autistic little ones all day, then groceries, errands and collapse at home. I solved problems for disabled students all day, made dinner, cleaned up, put away the groceries, started the laundry. The 4 month honeymoon of house-sitting here and happily planning the reno was so calm... How long can we keep up this new pace? I've booked a break in Puerto Rico for my birthday in February. Andrew will have to wait for March break. Sleep, here we come.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Blower test - the energy audit
Tuesday, January 19
We met Dave, the energy auditor, today, with all sorts of ideas for maximizing our energy efficiency by using the new government grants for upgrading. We are definitely upgrading! The basement demolition showed a bit of rot and moisture in a couple places behind the basement insulation, and old windows need replacing. New doors and windows were in the plan; nice that they're included in the rebate programs. Dual-flush toilets were added to the shopping list, to reduce water use, and thicker foam insulation in the basement will reduce the gas required for the new furnace. A heat pump will draw heat from the air (physics of which are beyond me at this stage...!), further reducing reliance on natural gas. Furnace, heat pump and a/c units have been ordered, to be installed as soon as the basement is cleared. Along with new Energy-Star appliances, the house will be warm, efficient, and use less water. And the elimination of baseboard electric heat will cut the hydro bill. I call that upgrading!
I had a new thought while looking at the basement without walls, with only the studs standing there. We could reconfigure the basement entirely. Do we want the walls where they were? There is nothing structural about them - we could put them wherever we want. Do I know what I would do differently? Maybe not. Never occurred to me to wonder. I don't know what I would do with 1800 sq. ft. of empty basement, a palette on which to design bedrooms, recreational space, laundry, workshop, office... Oh no - this looks like an overwhelming opportunity - I don't even know how to take advantage of it! I'm supposed to be writing a dissertation, not a floor plan... Stay with that. Or keep the rooms where they were? Make a change? What change? Run home to my computer? Maybe a dissertation is less work... I think I'll return to writing there.
Dinner out with Andrew and a diagram of the basement. We sorted the basement floor plan, into its original configuration, with two added walls, one to separate the laundry from the woodworking shop, and one to make a bit of storage/furnace room from one end of Neil's bedroom. It will still be 20 ft. long - no loss! Phew. Back to plan A, the original floorplan. But at least we know we considered the alternatives while we could. Next stop, furnace and ductwork. I'm sure I won't be needed for that, and I won't find anything to worry about reconfiguring, so the dissertation will get some attention until at least the end of next week. Oh - about paint colours...
We met Dave, the energy auditor, today, with all sorts of ideas for maximizing our energy efficiency by using the new government grants for upgrading. We are definitely upgrading! The basement demolition showed a bit of rot and moisture in a couple places behind the basement insulation, and old windows need replacing. New doors and windows were in the plan; nice that they're included in the rebate programs. Dual-flush toilets were added to the shopping list, to reduce water use, and thicker foam insulation in the basement will reduce the gas required for the new furnace. A heat pump will draw heat from the air (physics of which are beyond me at this stage...!), further reducing reliance on natural gas. Furnace, heat pump and a/c units have been ordered, to be installed as soon as the basement is cleared. Along with new Energy-Star appliances, the house will be warm, efficient, and use less water. And the elimination of baseboard electric heat will cut the hydro bill. I call that upgrading!
I had a new thought while looking at the basement without walls, with only the studs standing there. We could reconfigure the basement entirely. Do we want the walls where they were? There is nothing structural about them - we could put them wherever we want. Do I know what I would do differently? Maybe not. Never occurred to me to wonder. I don't know what I would do with 1800 sq. ft. of empty basement, a palette on which to design bedrooms, recreational space, laundry, workshop, office... Oh no - this looks like an overwhelming opportunity - I don't even know how to take advantage of it! I'm supposed to be writing a dissertation, not a floor plan... Stay with that. Or keep the rooms where they were? Make a change? What change? Run home to my computer? Maybe a dissertation is less work... I think I'll return to writing there.
Dinner out with Andrew and a diagram of the basement. We sorted the basement floor plan, into its original configuration, with two added walls, one to separate the laundry from the woodworking shop, and one to make a bit of storage/furnace room from one end of Neil's bedroom. It will still be 20 ft. long - no loss! Phew. Back to plan A, the original floorplan. But at least we know we considered the alternatives while we could. Next stop, furnace and ductwork. I'm sure I won't be needed for that, and I won't find anything to worry about reconfiguring, so the dissertation will get some attention until at least the end of next week. Oh - about paint colours...
Monday, January 18, 2010
Dump run
Monday, January 18, 2010
7:00 am. I rolled over and pulled up the covers as Andrew whispered in my ear, "I'm off to the dump!" with a trailer load of debris from the basement demolition to unload before picking me up for work. Glazed in ice, the slippery driveway and then the dump platform made it impossible to execute the dump run completely before work, so the remainder of the load trailed Andrew all day, bits of basement panelling sticking out behind. Tomorrow will be a better day. Eric Vreeken got the basement cleaned out some more, and the energy audit tomorrow should tell us exactly what we need to improve the "R value" when we re-insulate the walls. It can only get better, right?
I have this nagging worry about the parquet floors we're counting on refinishing. Hugh pointed out how the glue has dried up under the parquet pieces, and they lift out like so many little dominoes... How many dominoes will fall when we un-carpet the entire house??? How big is that contingency line in the budget? I like the cork we picked for the kitchen; I wonder how much of it I could stand?
I hope Neil doesn't get discouraged about the prospects for a livable basement space. He chose to have his bedroom there, the largest one in the house, and it's among the first to go... And no doubt the first to look better, eventually!
Monday, January 18, 2010
7:00 am. I rolled over and pulled up the covers as Andrew whispered in my ear, "I'm off to the dump!" with a trailer load of debris from the basement demolition to unload before picking me up for work. Glazed in ice, the slippery driveway and then the dump platform made it impossible to execute the dump run completely before work, so the remainder of the load trailed Andrew all day, bits of basement panelling sticking out behind. Tomorrow will be a better day. Eric Vreeken got the basement cleaned out some more, and the energy audit tomorrow should tell us exactly what we need to improve the "R value" when we re-insulate the walls. It can only get better, right?
I have this nagging worry about the parquet floors we're counting on refinishing. Hugh pointed out how the glue has dried up under the parquet pieces, and they lift out like so many little dominoes... How many dominoes will fall when we un-carpet the entire house??? How big is that contingency line in the budget? I like the cork we picked for the kitchen; I wonder how much of it I could stand?
I hope Neil doesn't get discouraged about the prospects for a livable basement space. He chose to have his bedroom there, the largest one in the house, and it's among the first to go... And no doubt the first to look better, eventually!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
First day - Demo!
Last May, we decided to move from Channelview Rd. and find a new home away from an aggressive neighbour and closer to Andrew's work, where we could handle the yardwork as Hugh and Neil moved into lives of their own. It's the beginning of a whole new chapter in our lives, the Bicknell Crescent chapter. Adjacent to Andrew's job, the house sits on a large suburban lot and offers plenty of space for indoor and outdoor entertaining, family time and R&R. We're looking forward to more convenience, a respite from neighbourhood conflict, and room enough for a family stage that ebbs and flows with visitors, friends, and kids returning to the nest from time to time to recharge their batteries.
We put a deposit on this house last June, anticipating renovations to begin when we took possession this winter. We got the keys to our "new" house on Tuesday, and today Andrew and Hugh headed up a crew of friends and hired teenagers to demolish the basement! Cam gleefully ripped out painted panelling while Mike O'Neill disassembled electrical boxes, preparing for new steel studs, blown-in insulation, drywall and ducting for the new furnace and a/c. Most of the acoustic panels from the hanging ceiling will be reclaimed and sold or donated for re-use. I carefully removed all the ceiling tiles from what will become Neil's bedroom. Eric Vreeken took apart the T-strips from the ceiling and two teenagers Eric Milan and Elliot Perkins took apart old cupboards and hauled debris up the exterior basement stairs. Andrew sorted materials into reusable or dumpster piles. Pizza helped keep us on track, and I left them to finish ripping out insulation and studs. What's the opposite of a barn-raising? Basement-razing? We've started!
We put a deposit on this house last June, anticipating renovations to begin when we took possession this winter. We got the keys to our "new" house on Tuesday, and today Andrew and Hugh headed up a crew of friends and hired teenagers to demolish the basement! Cam gleefully ripped out painted panelling while Mike O'Neill disassembled electrical boxes, preparing for new steel studs, blown-in insulation, drywall and ducting for the new furnace and a/c. Most of the acoustic panels from the hanging ceiling will be reclaimed and sold or donated for re-use. I carefully removed all the ceiling tiles from what will become Neil's bedroom. Eric Vreeken took apart the T-strips from the ceiling and two teenagers Eric Milan and Elliot Perkins took apart old cupboards and hauled debris up the exterior basement stairs. Andrew sorted materials into reusable or dumpster piles. Pizza helped keep us on track, and I left them to finish ripping out insulation and studs. What's the opposite of a barn-raising? Basement-razing? We've started!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
