Through the Roof?

So I've been trying for a while to get a quote for a new HVAC system for the house. Because the house is small, and interior space is limited, rather than taking up space on the inside of the house with a new furnace, and space in the backyard with a condenser, I've decided to opt for a more expensive, albeit more space conscious roof top unit (rtu). I just today received a quote from the more impressive of three HVAC company reps which has come out to look at the project. The first to come out, while he seemed knowledgeable, couldn't put a hard and fast number to the work I wanted done, and was reluctant to provide the type of system that I wanted, which signaled to me a certain unfamiliarity. However, the second person to come out was by far the worse. An HVAC contractor which is an approved contractor for Home Depot, this fellow not only seemed to be a bit overwhelmed with scope of the job (a full install), but also didn't seem to know a whole lot about what he was say, from the assertion that a condenser unit alone for my small house would weigh 500 lbs. to the fact that he didn't know what an 'rtu' was. Fortunately the last guy to stop by was very familiar with the type of system, and had actually installed some similar units in Georgetown recently. So his experience and knowledge alone set him apart. The quote that I received seems to be in line with what I was told by the first guy: $13,700. While this is about five to six thousand more than the price of a split-system would cost, I still can't help but think that this is the right way to go.

On Track?

So as seems to be perpetually the case, I finished the weekend with less work getting done than was on my task list. The work that was done included getting the back bedroom brick wall painted with a moisture lock paint (which was prompted by the sand-like consistency of the drywall removed from this wall, which suggests to me a possible moisture issue), picking up a load of drywall from Baltimore (thanks to my friend Jason who had drywall from a project that he gave me for free...which is a considerable savings), and limbing up the front and back yard trees. I had hoped to get the metal stud wall put up on the back brick wall and get the walls insulated, but alas that did not happen. There were a few 'lessons learned' this weekend however:

1. Moisture lock paint does not work in a paint sprayer (it is too thick apparently)
2. You cannot rely on Home Depot to have materials in stock (which means that I actually used two different brands of paint on the brick wall)
3. Moisture lock paint goes on thick, so a gallon doesn't go very far.
4. I can get a 10' metal stud track in my car (see picture).

I also had a drywaller come by the house on Sunday to give me a quote for the four walls and ceiling in the back bedroom. The quote rendered of $1600 for labor only (I would have to provide materials) seems a bit high to me, so I'll be shopping this around a bit. We'll see what happens, but I may just try my hand at drywall. At a minimum I'm going to see what it would cost to just have someone install the ceiling (which I want a nice, flat and even finish, so I'm a bit reluctant to try this myself) and just finish the walls. We'll see...

Just a little hole in the wall...

So I learned this weekend that I am NOT a mason, and I have a new found respect for those who are. I realized this as I filled in the aforementioned hole in the back bedroom wall into the chimney. While I'm happy to report that the end result has remedied the existing problem, it is not the prettiest thing I've ever seen, but fortunately 1) it seems to be solid and stable, and 2) it will be hidden under paint, insulation, and drywall. Happily the mortar seemed to mix well, and resembled the consistency that I've at least noticed on job sites (to me it looks about like the consistency of a chocolate milkshake.) The 'buttering' of the bricks (i.e. placing mortar on the end of a brink before putting it into place to provide mortar between the bricks in the same row) was perhaps the most challenging aspect (especially considering that I had to butter both ends, given the width of the hole). But in the end it all seems to have work out. Next up: painting the wall with a moisture-lock paint and installing studs and insulation! ;)

A Waterlily Grows in Washington

So amidst the demolition and destruction, there have been some signs of beauty and growth. This is an image of the waterlily that I have growing in a pot on my back porch. It provided a nice counterpart to all the chaos inside the house, and I'm just happy that I didn't miss it.

I hope that eventually this will make its way to its new home: a new water garden. I've already excavated the hole for it (in an attempt to remedy the grade, which sloped to the rear of the house) but have to wait until I can get the defunct air conditioning condenser out of the way before that progresses. It'll be a while before that happens...but for now the waterlily seems happy.

It's my party wall and I'll cry if I want to...

So, when I tore out the ceiling in my back bedroom, I wasn't necessarily surprised that I might find a small hole or two in the 93 year old exterior walls. But I have to admit that I was a bit surprised to find an entire slot behind the plaster in one of the side wall. The condition exists where the party wall, which is shared with the 1908 house to the right, ends, and is met with a newer exterior wall built as part of the construction of my 1914 house. The walls are built like this to provide for expansion between the two walls, a practice that is common today. What is surprising, however, is the lack of any sort of sealant, beyond the plaster on pulled-wire mesh on the room side of the house. If sealant was used, there is no indication of this that remains. For now, I've used Great Stuff on the interior, and plan to use sealant on backer rod on the exterior. Hopefully this will be the last time I'll have occasion to say, "What light through yonder wall breaks?"

Dollars & Sense

Ah, yes...the thankless 'jelly jar' lamp.
Basic, simple, and unassuming, but regrettably not in a 'less is more' sort of way. This type of fixture is actually what already was on both the front and rear of my house, albeit much older, more worn examples. But, having yet to find that 'must have' replacement fixture for the back of the house, yet no longer wanting to look at the rusted metal fixture with the brown stained glass 'jar', I realized that it was time to do something. And upon a recent visit to Home Depot, I decided to give this much maligned little fixture a chance. Maybe it was just misunderstood. So after picking up a fixture in the outdoor lighting aisle, priced at $3.95, I wandered over to the aisle that had replacement globes for lighting fixtures, and decided to customize this little fixture with a white glass globe, priced around $5. (Note that, as was the case with my existing fixtures, some older fixtures may have smaller fittings that a new globe will not fit into.) So for under $10 I ended up with this little guy...a look that I can live with, at least until I find 'the one'. ;)

It's gonna look a lot worse before it looks better...

So I was somewhat amused yesterday when I uploaded the images of the current status of the house, and compared them with the pictures from before the start of the work. By comparison, the house looked pretty darn good! But, alas, the pictures neglect to show a lot of the flaws. The bad trim work, the ugly carpet and tile underneath, the ugly, stippled ceiling, and especially those things which cannot be photographed at all, such as the bad drafts. So, though it may not look like it at the moment, things actually are getting better...It's just an UGLY process!!

(The pictures at left are of the back bedroom, where the bulk of my work is focused right now. I'm hoping to clean and repair the brick wall this weekend.)

Looking For Inner Beauty

The fireplace started out, well, let's just say the before picture doesn't do it justice. The mantle was a simple shelf, the side trim was cheap and not well tied in to the mantle, and the marble was ugly (and glued to the brick). The brass screen had to go, and what didn't even make an appearance in photos was an "electric fire log kit", if it could really be called that, as it was really just a few sticks nailed together with a lightbulb inside and a cord hanging out of the front of the fireplace. So it didn't take me very long to decide to expose the brick wall and fireplace beneath. Since the side wall (which I will show in images later) was the party wall for the house to the north, which was built ca. 1908, I knew that the brick would be a better quality 'face brick', as it had been exposed to the elements for several years before construction on my house was begun. What I did not expect was that the brick of the fireplace would be a lower grade brick, as it was meant to be covered with plaster. Also, unexpected was that the corner of the fireplace, where it meets the side wall, would not be tied into the wall, but rather would be ragged and staggered. This is something that I will deal with later, but in the interim I'm quite happy with the final result, which I'll post a picture of in a future post.

The basic process took a few weekends. I started by removing the existing plaster with a claw hammer and wonder bar (crow bar). Once most of the plaster has been removed, a rigid horse hair brush was used to further clean the brick. Once I had removed as much of the plaster as possible, diluted muriatic acid was used to further clean the brick. While I'm very happy with the results, it is a lot of work to get the plaster off. I wasn't anticipating doing exposed brick anywhere else in the house, but have subsequently decided to expose the brick in the bathroom, as the proximity of the clawfoot tub to the wall would make it otherwise difficult to tile properly. So, just when I thought I'd never expose brick again, I'm doing so. Never say never!

Along came a spider...

So with multiple openings all around a house during renovation, it isn't surprising that from time to time one will find a 'visitor' crawling along here or there. Upon removing the drywall from my back bedroom's ceiling, I found the remains of a nest, probably, judging by the size, of a squirrel. Fortunately, I've not had visitors of this size yet, but I did have a smaller, albeit more frightening visitor the other day. A grass spider (note that I'm providing a link to a picture of this type of spider, as I know that there are those among us that really aren't fond of them and would rather not see them unwittingly). Having run an exhaustive search on the internet though I was happy to discover that it was just this, and not a more dangerous and venomous brown recluse (which several sites confirmed do not live in the DC area). I was able to catch the big guy in a cup and release him. Hey, I'm generally of the mind set that spiders are good creatures. I just prefer them outdoors! ;)

No Shower, No Washer-Dryer, No Service...

So there are a few modern luxuries that I've become accustomed to that I would have to soon learn to live without once I bought my 93 year old home.

For one, while I found the clawfoot tub 'charming'*, it was just that...a tub...meaning that there was no shower at all. This, however, was a rather easy fix...a shower conversion kit. For right around 200 bucks (though there are more pricey alternatives) this was an easy fix.

Not quite as easy to remedy, however, is the lack of a washer-dryer. With no plumbing hook-ups, electrical outlets, or logical location, this is one item that will require a bit more planning. Ultimately, a nice pair of stackable washer and dryer will sit in a new closet under my stair, opening in to the kitchen. But as of now this is a few months away.

Then there was the internet. In an attempt to save money, and not wanting to go with cable, I contacted Verizon about DSL service only (without phone service). While the initial investigation by the phone company suggested that service was available to the house, a few weeks later a pre-recorded message on my voicemail delivered the bad news. 'Upon further investigation, this service is not available.' Hmmm, well in truth the last thing that I probably need right now is to be surfing the net when I should be doing home improvements (aside from blogging, of course). Yes, this is probably one of the more easily remedied items on my list, but the truth is that I'm just not all that motivated right now. Once my home is complete and I feel as though I can set back and tool around on the internet...then, I'll get this service...either that, or when I get frustrated enough with my crappy cell phone reception in the house and resign myself to a home line...but that's a different issue...

*(okay, so 'charming' is not really a word I'm comfortable using as an architect, but it sounds a lot better than 'if it were up to me I'd rip it out and put in a shower, but now's not the right time for that drastic of a make-over'...and, well, others thought it added character too...)

It's drywall, not duct tape!

When I was in architecture school at Virginia Tech, I had a great deal of friends who were engineering students, most of whom had two things in common: 1) a need for the best and fastest computer, and 2) a LOVE of duct tape. Most would argue that duct tape could fix just about anything. And judging by the plethora of books available on the subject, there are many people out there that agree. There are ultimate duct tape books, duct tape calendars, and even Ductigomi (that would be duct tape origami). But while there seems to be an endless fascination with the multifaceted material, there is a noticeable lack of similar infatuation with a different common material.

Yes, I'm talking about drywall. And perhaps it was this lack of love for the paper-sheathed gypsum product that led my home's previous owner to find new and inventive uses for the substance. Such as, did you know that you could make a shelf out of drywall? Well, that's just what the previous owner did! Apparently inspired by a lack of storage space, and to cover up those unsightly pipes, he ingeniously used drywall to fashion a shelf, in...of all places...the bathroom. Yep! The bathroom! Along the lip of the clawfoot tub, no less. Of course there is that pesky fact that drywall and water don't mix..."Oh well", perhaps, thought this resilient homeowner..."I'll glorify this under-appreciated material yet!"

Drywall has always been a great cover-up artist. And the previous owner, as many a homes' owners, has exploited this fact. David has suggested that I should count the layers of material that make up the walls in my house, and that will likely be a feature of a future post. But in the interim, let me just say that if you ever find that plaster wall has lost it's luster, don't loose heart...drywall! Plumbing fixtures and sink vanities in the way? NO PROBLEM! Drywall can be cut around these items...mass amounts of caulk optional. Want to tile that bathroom? Go right ahead! You can glue the tiles straight to the drywall! Not convinced? Yeah, neither was I, and I'm happy to report that these occurrences in my home have been removed!

But most amazing of all, the home-owner didn't stop there! This past weekend I ripped out the drywall in my back bedroom from the ceiling and back wall, the latter of which revealed plaster that was virtually sand. While removing this, my hammer's claw got submerged into the otherwise plaster and brick wall, getting buried in, you guessed it, a piece of drywall. This time, drywall was again being used for cover-up, but this time to cover a hole in the back bedroom wall into the chimney. While this opening is not surprising, as it must have once had a grate and provided heat to this bedroom, it had subsequently been covered over, and the chimney reused as venting for the water heater and gas furnace. Concerned by the potential for carbon monoxide to now flood the back room, I quickly sealed the opening temporarily, and will brick it up in short order. But I'm still amazed that once again drywall was called into service for such an inappropriate use!

So remember...drywall...while it's ever present and makes up much of the world around us...it ain't duct tape! Oh, and just so we're clear...I wouldn't suggest using duct tape for these situations either! ;)

It's got potential

So, as a first-time homebuyer, I didn't really have a lot of money to spend. As a DC resident, there's not a great deal of affordable options. And as an architect, there weren't a lot of options that would allow me to design the home that I wanted, especially since the recently heated and now waning housing boom had renovated, or at least updated, almost any piece of property that was on the market, and all too often done in a way that was not to my liking. So I was happy to finally find a small, 1914's rowhouse that had all that I was looking for...location, potential, a certain amount of character, and, most importantly, enough room for improvement that I could make it 'my own'. So this is what I started with. A small (832 SF) rowhouse that needed a lot of love. A small bit of garden space in the front, the potential for nice outdoor space at the rear, and a nice front porch appealed to my gardener side; the potential for exposed brick and a clawfoot tub added character; and the impossible-to-use closets and tiny bathroom (4'W x 7'L) would certainly give me some challenges to turn into design opportunities.

We now join our regularly scheduled program already in progress...

So it's been 10 months since I've bought the small, two story, two bedroom, 832 SF rowhouse in the Lincoln Park area of Capitol Hill. Since that time a lot has happened...mostly demolition. I've torn out drywall and plaster, exposed brick, taken out walls (most of which will be replaced), and begun a cycle that has my furniture covered in new dust about once every couple of weeks. I've got big plans for my little house, and as an architect I'm probably pushing the limits of what is realistic for my budget, rather than resigning myself to doing just what will suffice. But I'm at least keeping a somewhat conservative approach...I mean, I'm not gutting the place (though there are days...)

Anyway, having encountered some interesting things in this renovation recently, coupled with always having people ask me how the renovation is going, I decided to start this blog about my renovation. A renovation diary, if you will, chronicling my adventures in home remodeling.

Oh yes, did I mention that I'm doing most of this work myself and living in the house while I'm working on it? Yeah, this is going to be fun!

And we're off...