Day 104: April 29, 2011

We're making progress. Mark has the living and dining rooms virtually drywalled, and the kitchen ready to receive drywall. I got the water supply and gas supply systems hooked up, and started on the furnace installation.

Here are some photos:

Day 103: April 28, 2011

Got the gas line run to the furnace and hot water heater, complete with a shut-off valve.

Finished the running water "command center." Now all that needs done is the PEX lines run to it.

Built the chase in the dining room.

Mark continued drywall work in the dining room.

Day 102: April 27, 2011

Got the bathtub drain finished. Once the surround it built, the tub can go in.

Started making a PVC "command center" for hot and cold running water.

Mark is continuing his assault on the downstairs drywall. He got everything he could up in the living room and is starting on the dining room.

Day 101: April 26, 2011

I continued work on the kitchen drain (finished) and the bathroom drain. Mark worked on the living room drywall.

Mark reported dampness on the south living room wall, above the fireplace. It appears we have a leak in the flashing around the chimney. When the rain stops (IF the rain stops), we'll get up on the roof and take a look.

In the afternoon, Mark and I picked up the bathtub, which had been on special order from Menard's. I also placed orders for two basement windows.

Day 100: April 25, 2011

Day 100. It seems fitting for a milestone to fall on a day like this. It seems as if possession of Martha is slowly flowing from our hands to Mark and Jessica's.

I spent the day installing new pipe to supply gas to the water heater and furnace, and working on drains in the kitchen and bathroom. Mark and a couple of his friends were busy pulling in trailer-loads of possessions, which are now stored in the garage. A child's slide appeared in the backyard, like a spring flower.

Day 97: April 22, 2011

Tied up a lot of loose ends today.

Mark finished the cleanup, caulked cold air returns and installed the bathroom hot air duct.

I finished the garage electrical, fixed the basement stairway light fixture and re-installed the baseboard.

Day 96: April 21, 2011

Worked on the garage electrical. Picked up the furnace and air conditioner from Carter's in Corunna.

Mark did a massive cleanup. It gave Martha a different feel.

Day 95: April 20, 2011

Worked for a while again on the new bathroom hot air duct, but hit a snag where it will make a turn under the bathroom floor. Decided to look for a solution among the different sizes of duct at Menard's.

Refocused on other areas. Got the west bedroom closet (through which the hot air ducts run) ready for drywall. Almost completed electrical work in the garage. (Since the power lines to the garage do not have a ground wire, we're sinking a rod into the ground and running the wire to it.)

As I left for MacKenzie's tennis match, Mark was pulling nails from the kitchen walls and getting it ready for drywall.

Day 94: April 19, 2011

Worked on the hot air ducts. Had hoped to reuse the old duct to the bathroom, but after messing around with it for a while, decided it would be easier to replace it. Mark made a path for it in the living room wall.

Got a good start on the garage wiring.

Day 93: April 18, 2011

Finished the cold air returns in the basement and got a start on the hot air ductwork.

Here are the promised photos:

Day 92: April 17, 2011

Dave, Betsy, Mark, Jessica and I met for lunch at restaurant across Wayne Street from Martha. Discussed details of loan and storing items in garage.

Day 90: April 15, 2011

Worked on cold air returns. Had to move some earlier electrical work, but otherwise went smoothly.

Day 89: April 14, 2011

Leveled and installed a new sub-floor in the bathroom. The room now has an entirely different feel.

I'll try to get pictures tomorrow.

Day 88: April 13, 2011

I had a caricature gig today at Pokagon State Park, so didn't work on Martha.

Mark and a buddy removed the furnace. That first big basement room now looks even bigger.

Day 87: April 12, 2011

Began the process of removing the old furnace. May be tougher than first anticipated. Lots of cast iron that will need to be hammered out.

Got a cold air return nearly completed.

Put three ceiling fans out on the curb for anyone to take. (It's Scavenger Week in Angola.) I went down the basement for about 1/2 hour. When I came back up, all three fans were gone.

Ordered the new furnace and central AC unit today from Carter's in Corunna. Should be in yet this week.

Day 86: April 11, 2011

The plumbing vent system is now all done.

Completed the electrical circuit for the dishwasher and put up a new porch light.

Mark got all of the cold air returns on the second floor made airtight, and has started on the downstairs runs.

Day 83: April 8, 2011

Worked more on the plumbing vents.

Day 82: April 7, 2011

Worked on the plumbing vents. Installed the new living room window.

Day 81: April 6, 2011

Great day. Replaced the old cast iron soil stack with PVC, including a new boot for the vent pipe through the roof. The kitchen sink had not previously been vented (which must have made it drain slowly), so that problem will be solved.

This was the toughest part of the remaining plumbing work. The end is within sight.

Day 80: April 5, 2011

Finished the electrical in the kitchen. Mark took up all of the subfloor in the bathroom.

Day 79: April 4, 2011

Mark removed cement from the bathroom floor. It was at least two inches thick. We surmise that in a past renovation, or possibly over TWO past renovations, the cement was used to level the subfloor. We've decided to remove the old subfloor for both quality of the new floor, and also to allow full access for the new plumbing.

I finished the electrical circuits servicing the living room and dining room. Only the kitchen, bathroom and basement to go.

Day 76: April 1, 2011

Did lots of recycling and cleanup on Friday. It now feels as if there's more room to move.

Insulated the west bedroom closet and installed outlets upstairs. The electrical work upstairs is just two or three outlets away from completion and the work downstairs is more than half done.

Mark finished drywalling the west bedroom closet. Except for the bathroom, the upstairs is ready for mud and trim work.

Day 75: March 31, 2011

On Wednesday, Mark and I were both busy outside Martha, so no work was done. Four Angola High School students died in a car crash on Saturday, and the whole community---the high school in particular----is reeling. My sophomore daughter, MacKenzie, can't wait for this week to be over.

Back to work on Thursday. Got the GFCI circuit run in the kitchen. Mark and I both worked on drywall installation in the bedroom closets. Then Mark finished two on his own. Next we'll concentrate on the bathroom.