Reno a Go-Go - Chapter 1

When we first saw casa del Maio we knew that the small and mostly useless screened-in porch (see above) was destined to become a proper mudroom.  The house was built in 1938 and while we l.o.v.e. the charm that comes with it, we were not fans of the gaping lack of storage for, you know, stuff.  With just the three of us there were already a dozen pairs of shoes, G's tote bag, Ralphie's leash and towel, and my purse dumped in the same area that you cross through to get to the garage, the basement, and the 1/2 bath.  There were separate doors leading out to the garage and the porch, with a giant vertical support in between, leaving no opportunity for even a shelf.  And with Version 2.0 on the way the idea of dealing with that kind of cramped living plus adding a car seat, diaper bag, winter boots, etc, had me reaching for the Xanax.

Enter 730's first big reno project.  We signed with a contractor the second week in July to be rid of the porch and steal a little room from our garage to build a for real mudroom.  It's a bigger project than it appears as the porch was just a shell, lacking minor details like a raised floor, electricity, HVAC, insulation, or security.  To try to save some a little green Matt is doing as much of the work as he can.  Starting with demo, phase I:
 

Sawzall does indeed saw all.

Followed by some technical demo finesse.  Nice overalls, btw.

The walls came down with barely a huff or a puff, but the ceiling gave Tex here more of a fight.

The first of many a Menard's delivery

 Because this reno is actually adding square footage to the living space we had to get the plans approved by the Elm Grove Village Board.  It took two weeks to get on the schedule and once the meeting was finally held, they just *had* to put their mark on the project and made us change the size of the window by a whopping 4 inches.  Matt returned home from the meeting declaring that he's going to run for the building board.  The Village bylaws read that they have 10 days to issue the actual work permit.  Hey, 10, 15, it's all the same right?  Suddenly we were 3 weeks behind schedule.  The permit was finally issued and the guys got to work the next day.

That post is the first thing that's held up that side of the house in...ever.

Never has a wall made me so happy!

"Locking up"

First real glimpse of the structure

Hello, garage wall (demo, phase II)

Buh-bye garage wall.  Look at that form and intensity!

One of about 23 "union breaks".  So much for saving money.

This is what is between our kitchen and our reno.  Think it holds out all the dust, dirt, debris, and general crap?  It doesn't.

One giant opening where two tiny doors once stood.  YAHOO!

We are really pleased with the contractors we hired.  They've been here every time they say they will and they're at it from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.  I realize this is what is expected of most people in the developed world, but somehow it seems like something special in construction-land.  Matt told me the other day he thinks Bob (the GC) is scared of me.  I suggested that maybe he should be.  If only I could wield such influence over the inspector.  After the rough structure, electric, and HVAC were in, it was time for the HVAC and electrical inspection.  Oh hi, Village Inspector D-Bag, can you please hold up my project another 2 weeks?  You can?  Terrific.  

Vaulted ceiling

What has two thumbs and loves seeing a new door?  This gal.

Step aside, Bob the Builder

We just got the rough HVAC and electric approved last week which was good since we had the insulation coming in on Saturday.  Matt plays baseball with a guy who does foam insulation and took our little project as a side gig.  Matt and I have agreed that we're not doing any project half-way in this house so we were willing to shell out for the fancy foam.

Eric gets a-sprayin'.  It is unbelievable how messy that stuff is.  Call us if you plan to do this to your own home - we have some suggestions

The timeline for the original project was 6 weeks.  That would have had us wrapped up four weeks ago.  HA HA.  Neither of us thought that it would be fast or timely but I am starting to lose my cool, especially as the weeks tick by and we are down to about seven until Version 2.0 arrives.  We realize that, compared to actual problems that people have, this is a pretty luxurious thing to be freaking out about.  But my poor husband is up for Man of the Year as he slaves away every night and weekend to get this room done, PLUS getting the baby's room painted and furniture re-assembled, handling all of the yard work (and we've got some here) and trying to squeeze in a few minutes with his princess.    Meanwhile I am really hopeful that this turd of an inspector shows up while I'm home on Wednesday to to our insulation inspection.  If being pregnant is labeled as a "disability" in most HR handbooks, I hope to use the disability to set a fire under this yahoo. 

Yet to be done is drywall - plus taping, mudding, sanding, and at least one coat of primer - and installing an arch in the big new entryway, followed by tile installation (we are doing a slate floor, the tiles for which have to be individually sealed before installation. Awesome), installing all new lighting both inside and out, installing the window & storm door, reassembling the exterior siding, priming and painting the closet doors.....and a few other minor details.  Thankfully we know that changing this small room will change the way we use the house and that is our light at the end of the tunnel.  All bets are off for this weekend though, as the Orioles are headed to the Milwaukee Men's 28+ League semi-finals and we all gather to celebrate a little lady turning 3.  More to come (if we don't kill the inspector first)!