Eye Opener

Since the foundation work was starting and the electrician was coming, we thought we might be in by Christmas. That is, until the foundation work started and the electrician got there! Then we got a dose of reality. The foundation guy said that he had underestimated, and instead of needing three joist supports, we will need twelve! Therefore adding another $1200 to the bill - OUCH. And, the notches that were cut in the joists in the upstairs bathroom to allow for the new plumbing leave the bathroom unable to withstand the weight of the claw foot tub - double ouch. So, after a bit of research on the web, we think we know how we are supposed to reinforce the joists.

The electrical end of things is a little brighter though...
The biggest part of the electrical will be the service upgrade from 100amp to 200. Luckily, that can wait until we are ready for central heat & air. Until then, we just need a few plugs added, the computer room outlets grounded, and new wiring for lights in the bathroom.

Another Interesting Find

We found this brick inside the fireplace in the sitting room. (Cara wants to make the sitting room into the dining room, I know, I know.) I tried googling "St Louis V & F. B. Co. Standard" without any luck so if anyone has any info on this, please divulge.

The House Reveals it's First Artifact

This bottle was found behind the kitchen counter as the plumbers were running the water line for the reefer. We have no clue as to what this bottle was used for or how old it is, so if anyone knows please leave a comment. We were thinking probably a medicine bottle of some sort. It has a cork stopper with a long metal pin attached. The bottle still has a white powdery substance in it (think BC powder) that is now clumped due to age and moisture.

The Plumbers Have Left the Building

The plumbers wrapped up this past Wednesday...can't wait to get thier bill :O

They were done in less than a week, they replumbed the bathroom, got the washer/dryer hookups ready (which were located in the kitchen) and the dryer exhaust vented, added a water line for the reefer, removed a wall-mounted gas heater from the downstairs bathroom, relocated the waterlines that fed the upstairs bathroom from the dining room to a closet, and removed the gas pipes that fed the water heater (which was also in the kitchen). The water heater is being relocated to a closet that is across the wall from the bathroom upstairs.

The floor joists had to be severly notched to allow room for the pipes. The clawfoot tub is going back in so the joist will have to be braced somehow. I quess that's next on the list. The plaster is going to have to be replaced with sheetrock so we are going to insulate while we have access. An electrical hookup needs to be run to the closet where we are putting the water heater, then we get to start work on the floors.

Getting Ready for the Plumbers

The plumbers called to say they were able to get to us sooner than we all expected, which meant, we had to get ready fast! The tub upstairs is not plumbed yet, and we have plans to rearrange the fixtures. To get to the plumbing, they would either have to go through the floor, or the downstairs ceiling. So last night, Chris and a good friend Sean started ripping out the upstairs bathroom floor. I joined in a little later and then Chris's brother, Matt and his girlfriend, Amy came to help. It was quite a mess and several layers thick. No worries there about the heavy iron tub falling through, that's for sure! Some of the original plaster will need to be removed, but much of the bathroom has newer drywall.

Fall Trees

Last weekend the trees were at their peak of turning colors. We took a few pictures, raked a few leaves and hung out at the new house for a while. Then we went to the Public Library and did a little research on the house. It was very interesting. We were hoping to find some old pictures or maybe a hint about when additions were added, but we will have to go to the County Courthouse to find that. We did find out who the previous owners were.
We now have all of our bids in from the subs, so hopefully work can get started soon. I'm really hoping to be in by Christmas, but my gut is telling me not to hold my breath. Chris, on the other hand, is being very patient about the whole process. The electrical starts next week, and the foundation repair at the end of this month. Hopefully, the plumber can get started by the end of this month also. We are going to go ahead and move in as soon as the plumbing is finished and just use space heaters to keep warm.

Timeline

In October, Chris and I bought a c.1895 Victorian House. We thought a blog would be a great way to document our progress in restoring and updating our new home. First a little timeline:
On August 16, we were going back to my parent's house after eating out for my sister's birthday when we took a shortcut and found it. There it stood with it's "For Sale By Owner" sign, quietly calling our names, so of course we called the number on the sign. We arranged to see it and as they say, it was love at first sight! Not only has the house been well-maintained, but the owners had done a lot of work on it. We applied for a loan, then every night lay sleepless just hoping it could be ours. After we got the approval, we spent every night imagining what we were going to do to it. I must say, we didn't get enough sleep for a couple of weeks! Throughout the process, we visited the house frequently. So much, in fact, that the owners (who live next door) went ahead and gave us a key! We went to Ireland for vacation in early October and the week we got back, we closed on the loan. So, here we go!