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...