September 27, 2009

More rain this week, so the grancrete still hasn't been applied, but no one is complaining. Most the work this week has been on the inside. The tin from the roof is being used for the inside ceiling. Not my first choice, but it doesn't look nearly as bad as I thought it would. Given time, I might even learn to like it!

The entryway porch has had the shutters installed. They're hinged at the top so they can be raised to let in light, but closed in inclement weather--necessary since there will only be screen and not windows on the porch.

The rain also brought another potential problem to light. For about 18" inside the house, the ground is damp from water seeping underneath the foundation. Might be a reason why the foundation in those areas was in such bad shape. Not sure what Mr. Brendle did about it (if anything) but it has highlighted the need for a porch to make sure we don't have a repeat of this later on down the road.

September 20, 2009

Rain prevented a whole lot of progress being made--which is why there is no post for September 12 0r 13. But that's okay--we needed the rain!

This past week has seen a lot of brush being cleared. Some of it because of the work on the foundation, but not all of it. The cedar between the Brendle house and the little smokhouse has been cleaned out, and it's beginning to look more like the "oak prairie" that it's supposed to look like!

The windows have been put back in, although one pane of glass is going to need to be replaced. Hardi-plank has been installed on the backside of the house which is subjected to weather out of the north. The other side has been painted white.

Obviously, with all the rain, the grancrete still hasn't been applied to to the outside of the house. The tin from the roof was removed in order to replace rotted boards that came to light when the ceiling was taken out.

The most exciting "find" was a message left by the original roofer. In it he stated that he had lost his punch when it rolled beneath one of the sheets of tin. If and when found he would like it back, and he left his address. He also left a date: January 4, 1939. So we finally have an exact date for the age of the Brendle house! Oh, and yes, we found his missing punch! It had indeed rolled beneath the sheets of tin.

September 6, 2009

September 6, 2009

The 100+ degree temperatures have forced work to shift to the slightly less hot evening and night hours. The two pallets of grancrete have arrived and are being stored in the smokehouse. Unfortunately it is simply too humid to apply it.

In the meantime, problems with the foundation on left side of the house have been found--it's crumbling and in need of being under-pinned. So this week pits were dug underneath that side of the house and the back corner all the way down to bed-rock--about 6 feet down--and concrete was placed to shore up and underpin the house. This has indeed helped to bring in the bulging side on the porch.

Unfortunately, in the process the waterline was cut, and it was discovered that the romex used to provide electricity hadn't been put into any sort of conduit, and it was for interior use, not exterior use. So that project has been added to list of things needing to be done.

The porch on the right hand side that is going to become the bathroom has been enclosed on the outside this week. Interlocking boards have been cut to match the originals and will be painted later.