Friday, August 20, 2010

Drywall and Insulation, Part I

The project was delayed for three weeks because the roof trusses did not land where they were supposed to (and consequently, we failed the framing inspection).  Our fantastic engineers figured out a way to reinforce the trusses so we did not have to add a soffit in one of the upstairs bedrooms and bathroom.  Of course, Arlington County took its sweet time reviewing the revised drawings, even though they were approved by the structural engineer.  And it took until today to get an inspector out to the house.  Everything has been approved now: plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and framing and they are installing the insulation today.




During the delay we had some progress in the old part of the house.  We decided to expand the dining room a bit by knocking out a closet that had been in our old bedroom.  You can see in the picture below the area to the left of the buckets is where the closet used to be.  For those who have been to the house, the bathroom door is in the far left of the photo.  I was standing in the doorway to the old kitchen when I took the photo.  It has completely opened up the dining room and the old hallway and we are very pleased with the new space.  Including the floor repair, that little change with big impact cost us a grand total of $600.


The ceilings in the old house were damaged when the tarp over the old roof became loose during a few heavy rainstorms.  The contractor replaced the ceilings for free and we had them go ahead and do all the walls while they were at it.  If you've been in our house, you know what condition the old walls were in.  It's an understatement to say they were not flat.  Here's a shot of the new drywall.




They've also installed the new windows in our old bedroom, the bathroom, and the old living room. It's hard to tell these are new because the new trim isn't on yet, but take my word for it, they are a significant upgrade from the original 1925 windows.