Flyin'

     Demolished kitchen wall cat stench prompts realization all old Swett Lodge wall plaster need be gone.  Work wise: ugly stuff first - get out the way.  Ergo marathon east side plaster/lath removal once properly beam supported.  West side demolition smaller job though likely chimney demo will make plenty dust, yucky work - can wait: gotta live some where.  Deciding lightweight - compare brick/tile lined - Metalbestos mutli wall stainless chimney: clean easy - can be directly above stove; less floor system dead weight; less work than masonry chimney rebuild, tile line.   Drawback: more expensive.
    East side plaster/lath readily enough 4x4, crowbar bludgeon succumb though not toll free.  Flexible lath crowbar/wonder bar sprung launches multi pound plaster wall chunks: top lip cut inside/out, protective spectacle lense large chunk severally pitted slams/bruises eye ball - wear 'em to save eyes; will more current prescription replace now compromised.  Out of control crow bar bruise inner right knee.  Fortunate: nothing serious, heal well/quickly.  

     Finalize cleanup east side plaster/lath gut.  Hand sort every debris bit - lath firewood cut/stack, plaster bucket back yard haul.  Remove middle bedroom closet wall, hall wall, bath door frame/2x4 framing.  Studs lath brad studded, vice grip denail; pull 2x4 wall plates floor/ceiling precipitate expanded mica attic insulation rain - good ole cowboy hat! - garden haul buckets worth.  Broom down ancient spider webby walls; pry loose full length 10" behind stool bath mop board; wonder bar free ancient dripped while applying, between studs plaster, scrape/pile loose plaster; net couple more carport floor buckets.  Squirrel behind tub, denail those studs.  Denail stud/door frame pile, middle bedroom window stage, 'lumberyard' stack.  Object: advance job new sheet rock level. 

 

     Proximity reveals project's - as life's - path.  Pleasantly surprised find stud rot middle bedroom window area only,

where floor joist rot has allowed wall plate sink inch or so to floor level.  Typically build foundation, floor system, wall system, roof system: restore mimics process.  Foundation fine as is when rot free floor/walls bear squarely as originally intended: floor system first reconstruction zone.  Walls bare see

original subpar window header engineering: weak double 2x4 header clearly deflected downward above straight upper window edge.  Post floor reconstruct next step: repair, properly engineer bearing walls.  There are three: east/west walls, center wall.  Finally restructure roof system: over shingle loaded, under engineered sag compensate.  Plenty work, no doubt obstacles ahead: what needs doing, what's been done clarified

 

     Wednesday after dust buckin', plaster/lath wrangling Tuesday mall hike, take in couple buck twenty five films, Sizzler dine - may try Hometown Buffet another time.  Good progress, pending couple week Chicago 11/19 visit, expect not much further done 'til return.  Wag said, front window open could throne parlay, current set up.  From bath tub toward Swett Lodge front, look past remaining bath wall stud, through front room/closet wall to front window.  Note styrofoam attic insulating blocks await right, lath firewood stack left.  Flooring gaps appear where walls once stood.

Front window toward back/bath.  Electric wires safely stud stapled, fabric draft protects denuded center wall, interior doors lean: extra 'insulation'.  All in all Swett Lodge considerably more comfortable/user friendly this winter season than last.  Warm to east side patio door/carport concept; don't want front room patio door, patio door in bedroom; considering translucent wall between front room/only bedroom - middle - to be: conclude entirely open Swett Lodge floor plan may be appropriate.  Let bloom. 

     Feel have earned break.  Will putz around remainder this week sizing things up.  Take in couple cheapo movies, football game, generally relax/heal/enjoy/pack.  Saturday Chicago flyin', enjoy healing mother's company couple weeks, update her yard work for winter - won't be back here few weeks.

 

Be well.  Peace.  Enjoy.

Knee Deep

     Not saying life driven by garbage night - Tuesday last: two front room plaster/lath walls poor enough induce some previous tenant sheet rock over 'em.  Sheet rock has no Swett Lodge reuse; dump consign.  Rip out cat piss stench sheet rock, twelve shopping bags refuse dice, cram; rescue one large piece replace funky stove heat shield.  Late breakfast, decide gut entire front room: break cement plaster free; bucket load; haul behind garage; pry lath off, later dice stack.  Finish some time 'round dark, clean system's dust yuck - extended purge process.  Enjoy evening meal, couple beers.  Miraculously some wee hour twelve neatly packaged/stacked by garage sacks sheet rock refuse disappear.  Not saying .... gotta love elves.  Ducks too! 

     Lungs need fresh air work break: ventilate garage, finish ventilate house back burner materials on hand projects.  Position/climb ladder, remove couple top back garage siding pieces splinter by splinter; cut screen, old front screen door wire mesh; slip under pried loose trim pieces; position; single (center, shiny) nail; hammer snug trim: kind a cute adequate vent - small leak, etc. moisture above ceiling some where to go now.

Ladder climb atop carport, give garage front same treatment though rip siding piece maintain same size as back vent.  Inexpensive, functional, attractive architectural detail.
     Swett Lodge front well ventilated beneath porch roof,

back requires similar treatment.  Break out few siding courses, pry trim loose, cut plastic lattice - used wood lattice in front - lath strip/brads fasten two triangle pieces, nail screen over opening, lath combo over screen, replace/snug trim: bit o' paint'll make everything dandy. 

     How best remove ugly, dirty plaster/lath debate boils; remove, denail Swett Lodge east side interior trim; possible future use stack.

Saturday am decide: gut entire east side at once, Duck evening game looms.  Demolition garb - coverall, gloves, hat - three foot 4x4, three foot crow bar bludgeon down all east side plaster/lath.  What mess!  Knee deep cement chunks, nail porcupined lath, demolished bedroom wall 2x4s in all but small front room section intimidates/inspires frenzied action least 'til loo path's clear.

Front bedroom circle saw dice lath, stack; shovel cement load bucket, horse behind garage, dump; repeat.  Opened building clues help orient inside Swett Lodge: middle bedroom next to bath.  Pictured is mess remains after nine/so hours Saturday, three/four more Sunday.  Four/five more ought to clean it up: rebuild fun begins.

Twelve bucket loads Saturday plus Tuesday's front room batch makes nice carport pile: expect dozen more east side buckets.

Tease countless small stacks lath from mess, front room haul, dice, stack.

Manage clean hall, bath plaster/lath knee deep mess by 7:30 game time, radio listen, clean up, enjoy beer; half time local tavern cycle join Spud 'n Kate for Ducks over Huskies - quite a day!  

     Open Swett Lodge east side breeze into west side living area, plaster/lath removed both sides kitchen/bath wall prompts garage wall fabric salvage, hang.

 

Unearth larger (than lath) demo lumber, denail, middle bedroom window 'lumberyard' export,

sort, stack.  Dice up, front room corner stack bunch more lath: these photos show it at this stage of the game.  Stand by east side front window look north toward hall door.  Dismantled bath sink behind ex closet behind tool bucket next to circle saw, fabric loosely covers door in plaster/lath free hall left.

Click right.

Again.

Once more, face front east corner 's lath/firewood pile.

Down hall toward bath - remember 'twas literally knee deep -

stop beside west side door.  Left: throne.

Click right.

 

Couple clicks past middle bedroom knee deep mess, more knee deep mess before, 

and after clean up efforts - big diff eh?

Click right.

Again.

Diffinitive view: from the throne.

Some say grass's greener other side - can't tell by Swett Lodge: back yard thickens nicely.  And while this week's work's nastiest grittiest, care not dwell on it any longer than absolutely necessary - marathon effort reasoning; once done it's done, way made for new, and as Kate says 'what else would I be doing'....    

God bless.  Peace.