2022 Update

Hi. It's been quite some time since I posted. I thought I had posted photos of the 'completed' project but apparently had not. They will follow.

First I want to say a word about navigating this blog if you've come to read the full story. 

In the lower right hand corner of the home page is a red cursor. Tap that repeatedly until you arrive at November 2010. 'The Beginning' is the first entry I made. Tap on that and you will be able to read that entry. When done with that tap the red cursor in the lower left hand corner once and it will take you to the next page. Read then tap once again and the next page will appear. In this manner one can read the blog entries in chronological order from beginning to end which will help make sense of the renovation process. Enjoy!

Pix of the house as it is today - finished as far as I am concerned - October 2022.

A view south toward the front of the house - toward 10th Ave. - from the middle of the house. I'll basically go around in a circle overlapping photos to give a good idea of the completed space. It's all one big room now except for the bathroom.

My 'bedroom'. I've slept on a futon for decades now preferring the firmness of a tick mattress. Mini split heat/cooling pump head upper left.

Toward the east. Side door to patio center right. Woodstove left with bath door behind the chimney stack. Note the large opening/window above the closet allowing air & light into the bathroom. Woodstove used only very occasionally now with mini split heat pump providing warmth & cooling. Art from my artist days adorn here and other spots in the house. 

A closer look at those sculptures. Opening into bathroom clearly visible above closet.

The sculptures in the bookshelf SW corner of the house.

Sculpture and painting to the east of the front door. My bed/futon in couch position for daytime lower left corner.

Sculptures on the NW wall in the kitchen. Range lower left and dorm size fridge right clearly visible.

North toward the kitchen. Range behind stub wall remaining from the original kitchen wall left. Dorm size refrigerator visible in corner behind stub wall. Below the table just right of the stub wall is the propane tank to fuel the range. Just right of the back door is the 'pie safe' - an insulated cabinet with two small air inlets to the outside for keeping perishables cool (except in extreme temperatures). Almost visible the 30 gallon water heater for the house sits under the counter in the corner of the kitchen just right of the kitchen sink which is under the north window.

From the east looking west through the living room toward the park.

Looking through the bath door.

     

And east in the bathroom. Dryer & washer on left. Small built in linen closet right. Shower/tub against the east wall under window.

Westward back toward bath door on left. Built in medicine cabinet in the wall. Medicine cabinet mirror along with full length mirror on the back of the door allow me to cut my hair with a 360° view.

That's about it for inside the house - one room is pretty easy! Next I'll start you in the carport tool shed, take you around the outside of the house with a stop on the way to look at the garage/in law apartment.

Yard care tools, bike, and other miscellaneous storage in the SE carport corner shed.

Under the carport looking south toward the back/north wall of the garage. Tool shed left. In 2017 I replaced the '77 work horse Toyota wagon that hauled all of the materials for the house with this '97 Ford Escort wagon that now has 55k on the odometer. Mom was unable to easily get in & out of the Toyota.

I hauled the 30 squares of 20' long steel roofing for the house from 30 miles away on the old Toyota as well as all the blue vinyl siding from an hour and a half away. It was a good little car.

Two small air inlet openings in wall just left of the house back door between door & window for the 'pie safe' are visible here.

With garage door open one can see the toilet installed for in law apartment convenience.

A closer look reveals it shares the space with tool storage.

Looking south inside the 'in law' apartment: outside garage door at right, toilet/storage room center behind louvered doors. Shower head visible hanging from ceiling.

Sink below window right of 'front'/south garage door. Ten gallon water heater below counter left of sink. Dorm size fridge & electric fry pan complete the 'kitchenette'. Electric wall furnace adorned with one of my paintings just behind chair left. 

Looking north - just glimpse the wagon roof rack out the window. Note the salvaged white vinyl siding used for a ceiling. No worries of water damage.

Looking NW completes the circling views of the garage/in law apartment. A nice space that has had a few illustrious visitors. Next back outside on a sunny fall day.

Through the garage south/front door into the east side of house covered patio.

And northward back toward the garage. I had enough roofing steel left over to side the east side of house & garage as well as south side of garage. Mini split heat pump condenser unit lower left.

The west side of the house from across the street in the park.

A north looking view of the front/south side of the house on 10th Avenue. The plantings have filled in nicely. I'm miserly with watering so after a dry summer things tend brown. Our wet winters revitalize lawn and everything else.

And a final view of the house from the NW across the street in the park. 

That's about the size of things here at SwettLodge in Eugene circa fall 2022. Hope you have enjoyed the tale.

Remember to use the red cursor lower right of the home page to scroll back to the first post 'The Beginning' in 2010 and then the left cursor to read back post by post until you reach this the final (at least from my current perspective!) post of the story. 

Make the most of the time we share with one another and be well.

 

July '14 Rest

     Last year's Squash Domination March nets one squash per state in the union, ranging from few to thirty pounds.  Many were gifts, many eaten, certain number winter freeze succumb.

     Vast expanse metal roof where once stood dilapidated, neglected Swett Lodge causes one approaching from north/west MLK park side pause: this the right 'hood?

     Yep, closer inspection reveals omnipresent wood pile conceals rebuilt Swett Lodge garage now valley joined to hipped back porch roof. 
      Last fall, stop gap linoleum scrap east side garage roof leak; in cool, wet weather strip to rafters, 1x4 purlin 2' on center to match reclaimed steel holes, roof.  Started, prefer cool weather roof work to hot summer work, proceed house east side roof.  Uncommonly cold (freezing) late fall weather, unusual six inch snow interrupt roof fully off; strip two layers old composite shingles, one layer shakes (burn against winter weather), roof boards; reclaim rough cut 1x4s as purlins 2' on center, steel roof.

     Glance down alley as one passes, reliable old Toyota wagon peeks from carport rightly placed alley adjacent behind garage.  Swett Lodge west is working, public side: garden, wood pile, transpo, solar laundry dryer when operable. 
     A later winter unheard of ten inch snow fells old east side carport, detached from house, lightly supported as roofing scaffold, obsolete now; with midnight whoompf.  Clears for Swett Lodge east private side!

    House half roofed, continue with west side: strip to rafters; purlin, steel roof. 
    Supply plumb, insulate, sheetrock garage.
    Now finished as west side roof stage, raze old lean to back porch, rebuild with reclaimed high carbon steel plywood mill rollers as posts, hip roof for clean house roof line.

    As spring rolls along, tear off west side garage roof, rebuild with new slope to include walk way garage side; then prep for back carport: set posts, build trusses/beams.  Put it all together Memorial Day weekend, using about all my juice to get those heavy trusses up on their posts: they went.
     Roof done, enough metal remained cover garage east side wall,

 

new bike/mower storage locker in carport corner,

south/front garage wall,

and house east side.  Current plan: replace old kitchen cabinet door gate (open here for photo op) with few neighbor donated evergreen shrubs planted in foreground dirt.  The shiny beyond east side door is full length thermal glass storm door (open for warm weather) that just clears

east side's 70% shade translucent patio roof framing.

     Swett art work at home.

     Approach Swett Lodge from west side, walk toward garage door,

look back and up at porch roof framing.  Craftsman took extra care keep framing clean, attractive

      Carport truss roof system with 20' 2x4/2x6 I-beam at left.  Brother-in-law Spud, having sis Kate's willing, able assistance wonders how I manage on my own.  Even looking back from close range, as it goes with some art work, can vaguely remember managing work but never in hundred years ably duplicate: artist's life.

     Enter garage, see opposite east/north corner ready for tape and plaster.  Close to next in line on the list, all work has halted for the month of July due to the proprietor's stupidity. 

     The garage floor required leveling to pass as living space, allow floor drain/shower combo (careful: that red flag hangs from the working shower control to keep you from bumping into it). 

     Prepare garage for 2 plus yard leveling concrete pour, all ducks in a row, right?  Wrong: most details well managed, fail to recall how caustic cement can be, don not (not Don Knotts) adequate protection.  Fortunately cement truck driver aids spreading concrete as we pour at ten AM, but finish work continues 'til 8 PM; ankles, knees, butt screaming in pain.  Severe chemical burns: TIME OUT.    

     Tub soak traumitized body, focus on restoring skin to 100% coverage: nearly there now.  Most capabilities have returned: even walking/sitting weren't easy at first.

     Step all the way in, look back toward door: there's the shower works left, wall tool rack right.

From south/east corner by door to east side.  Cozy, light feeling space.  Will be a nice addition for any of a variety of uses with its own shower, stool, washer/dryer hookup,

laundry sink under blue draped south window (when done).  Hang ceiling, hyper insulate.  Small, easy to heat: may live here!

      Little has changed in the big house, save kitchen window view.

 

     Collect surplus styrofoam for couple years to fill attic two feet deep, just getting enough to complete job.  Once done tape/plaster/trim/paint walls/ceiling; chemical strip,oil floor - interior finish - can commence.  Good winter work.  Floor requires insulating; scrape/power wash/paint exterior - though if vintage look vinyl siding deal appears I'd bite - will bring Swett Lodge to completion.

     Feel comfortable taking time now.  Three and a half years into four to five year project, heavy work complete: on schedule.   Purchase price included, invest less than 90K: under budget.
     Masculine of the fraternal twin guitars receives slimmer, faster flat black painted headstock neck from lower grade Fender Squier strat; becomes current ultimate guitar, getting daily play.

     This year's garden burgeons.

Winter squash, yellow crook neck, pole beans, beets, radishes, turnips, collards, tomatoes, jalapenos, sweet purple peppers, yams, carrots, lettuce, kohlrabi.  An eating garden, planted at four multi week intervals with similar crops to provide through summer.

     All in all Swett Lodge life continues well, relaxed.  'Twas shingles' year.  Sound, paid for roof over head.  Future thrill, spill prepped. 

     Be well.