The Kitchen Remodel--Day Feels-Like-200

[Jenise]

This must be the seventh week of constructions--but to be honest, I've lost track.

Since my last report, things have started improving. The repairs were finally completed and actual remodel work finally commenced. In the last two weeks, the new pantry and enlarged laundry room were framed in, and all the electrical and plumbing were run. As well, all the new concrete was poured: what used to be a three foot wide stairway between the kitchen and den is now a nine foot wide stairway with deeper steps for a more elegant transition, and we created a new elevated platform for bar seating.

Today on site, I have excavators checking out all the drainage and repairing same on side of house where standing water was found under the shower that was removed from the downstairs powder bath. Plumbers are here tearing apart the master bath and wall over the garage trying to find out why my general contractor arrived this morning to find the center garage door frozen shut and icicles hanging overhead--apparently yesterday's installation of new toilets throughout the house caused a broken valve in the master bath (we woke up to a flooded bathroom at 4 a.m. this morning, but the problems outside were a separate surprise discovery, and we weren't immediately sure that it wasn't a separate problem).

Also, today the electrician is working with the sound system consultant installing home theater sound in our den, any wiring we might need in the future and some peripheral electronics. Adding to the chaos, the guy from Lynden Sheet Metal is here converting our wonderful wood-burning fireplace to gas (I hate hate hate this change, but after two months of serious asthma because of smoke inhalation suffered when the sewer line testers mistakenly pumped our house full of smoke a few months ago, this has become a health-related neccessity).

Here are some progress photos:

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I'm glad things are starting to move forward, Jenise. It's going to be wonderful when it's finished... it will have been so worth it!

With all the mold and water issues, I'm amazed you both haven't had major respiratory illnesses for years now.

OK, where did those "Ultimate Doughnuts" come from? I just saw one of those boxes for the first time in the break room at work about two days ago. Weird for one to now show up in one of your photos.

Oh, and it sounds like you're over the hump! Good luck going forward.

[Jenise]

OK, where did those "Ultimate Doughnuts" come from? I just saw one of those boxes for the first time in the break room at work about two days ago. Weird for one to now show up in one of your photos.

Oh, and it sounds like you're over the hump! Good luck going forward.

Mike, I have no idea re the donuts--if that's the name of a chain donut shop, I'm unaware of it's existence in general or being located in this area in particular. Almost every contractor on this project...(thinking, no make that EVERY) comes from the Dutch town of Lynden about 15 miles from here, as do all the building supplies. These boxes tend to show up with every large delivery.

[Jenise]

I'm glad things are starting to move forward, Jenise. It's going to be wonderful when it's finished... it will have been so worth it!

With all the mold and water issues, I'm amazed you both haven't had major respiratory illnesses for years now.

It's going to be amazing. But yes re mold and water. Last week we called out the original metal fabricator (the outside of our home is skinned in metal, an improvement by the owner we purchased the house from) for a consultation on the new roof. The guy who came had been the project manager on that remodel, and told us that the reason they went metal in the first place is because they'd had the house painted and the paint didn't stick. Per this guy, they actually sued the painter who then won the case as he was able to prove that the reason the paint didn't stick was because the walls were so full of moisture nothing COULD stay adhered. They knew they had a problem--bastards!

But the smoke inhalation thing--I've had a little breathing trouble every winter and suspected that the fireplace was an aggravator, but until I had a house full of smoke I had no idea just how badly it could aggravate. Though thick the smoke was only in here for about 15 minutes before the fire department got here and cleared it all out, and though I was immediately coughing (I ignored the order to leave when I called 911, fully believing this house was on fire and staying, as most anyone would, to rescue my cats), I didn't take it seriously enough and refused treatment for inhalation because I just had no idea how much damage a short exposure could do. Now that I do, I immediately recognized what that woman I heard on the radio program meant when she referred to wood-burning emissions as a form of second-hand smoke where small doses would have a cumulative impact. One of the few bits of good luck we've had is that this was a relatively easy change to make and we already had the right guy on site right now to do the work since he was also doing the gas plumbing for the new stove.

Mike, I have no idea re the donuts--if that's the name of a chain donut shop, I'm unaware of it's existence in general or being located in this area in particular. Almost every contractor on this project...(thinking, no make that EVERY) comes from the Dutch town of Lynden about 15 miles from here, as do all the building supplies. These boxes tend to show up with every large delivery.

Jenise, I have no thoughts on the donuts in the picture, but if you want to know about Top Of The Line Donuts, then click the link below and then click the google search links reported. Or if you just want to read one report, click the 2nd link.

http://www.google.com/search?q=Spalding ... =firefox-a

http://www.yelp.com/biz/spaldings-bakery-lexington