In Earnest

 Arrived this morning to find the lane crawling with cars and trucks.  I have always loved it that so few houses on the lane are inhabited but this fall it is a very good thing for two reasons.  One, we are not disturbing them with all the destruction and construction, and two, the worker bees have some place to park!

Water turned off...CHECK.   Sewer pipe cut...CHECK.   Electric...about to be detached.  Let the digging begin.   Always wondered what those colored hoses were on construction sites.  Makes sense, gray one: sewer, blue one: water.  So simple really.  Lots of day-glow orange spots on the ground: Don't dig here!

 

Apparently the late 1940's foundation is a bit iffy so the crew must remove the dirt from around it by shovel.  At least two truckloads of dirt/sand has been taken out at this point. 

There is not a surface or area of the cottage or the grounds that is not being attacked.  Off comes the cedar shake and yes, the clapboard siding too as it was not removed before the shakes went on.  Reason, walls are build of gypsum board, apparently a typical construction practice in the 40's and 50's before it got too expensive, but there is no place to attach the shingles if we keep it.  So off it all comes.  Noisy and very messy.                   

You might ask, how did they attach the clapboard to the gypsum board when the cottage was first built.  They nailed it to the studs, but the studs aren't 16 inches on center as they should be...they are 36 inches on center!  How did this cottage withstand storms and hurricanes with so little support?  (I really sound like I know what I am talking about, don't I?) 

Sorry this picture is so dark but it is getting dark very early on the Cape now.  Here is the front of the cottage, walls removed and new window holes built.  They left the front door on, really comical as you can walk into the cottage on two sides tonight.   

Hole completed and the foundation is still holding.  After two weeks of work I now know why all the builders I have talked to in the past two years suggested I take down the cottage and start from scratch.  Would have taken a day to demolish and work could have started right away.  Would have saved money and time.  Even so, I am glad that I didn't do that.  The cottage will not look anything like it once did but I will know that the bones are still there.  Maybe we will have to call the cottage the "Joan Rivers" House...so many face lifts barely recognizable! LOL