Removing layers and layers of paint

I managed to capture some beautiful images after two days of experimenting with sandpaper, chemicals, and a heat gun.

Hanging out at Elise's

A wonderful Christmas with Elise, John, the dogs, and the horses. I also played cribbage for the first time.

Sita posing after being groomed.

Joey, ready for his close-up. He and I go way back.

Sita dances.

Elise feeding carrots.

Little Buster Brown.

A hall is reborn!

Joists were installed today in the hallway.

Shawn at work.


Shawn and John inspecting the joists.


The view of the new hall from the original bathroom, looking into the master bedroom.

15 days on

After a bit of a delay, work is underway again at my new house.

Insane ductwork connects to the furnace:


A wall collapse damaged the connection to the furnace flu. A new duct was installed today to keep the carbon monoxide in the flu.


A new footer is poured for the hallway floor to have some support. For almost a month it's been a big hole in the middle of the house with dirt flooring.

Demo phase, out with a bang.

Self portrait from midnight last night. The demo phase is 95% done on the remodel. I seem to have saved the dirtiest, nastiest job for last. This is saying something because the whole process has been pretty dirty. I'd just finished removing the pre-1953 kitchen ceiling which has loose insulation called rock wool. It's apparently not as dangerous as asbestos to breathe, but it's probably close. I did wear a mask. I was in reality much dirtier than this photo shows.

Full views of kitchen post-demo.

Hello from Salt Lake City.

Double click on any image for larger version.

Before (and during) the demolition.

Kitchen installed after December 1953 (likely). Found newspaper with that date in the ceiling.

Demolition!

Kitchen after the demo, at night.
The kitchen, after the demo and door to rear porch.
The pantry is gone. On the left, hall to front of house.

Looking in to the kitchen from what was the third bedroom on the first floor. Looking through the former pantry.

Living room.

Old dining area.

Master bedroom.

Area of new master bath:

January 25 update:
This is a close-up of the new bathroom floor, which is the lower right corner from the above photo . . . transformed!

The 1970s wood paneling and drop-ceiling need to go . . . now. Note location of left window in room.

Note location of right window in room, you can also see inset where I am planning to add a door into what was a door in the past.

Built circa 1857.

A new house for me. The city paperwork says the house was built in 1898, but strong oral history from the previous owner (a historian with the predominant local church) make a compelling case for 1857 as the year of construction.

It's a cute house with good bones in one of Salt Lake City's best neighborhoods--known as the Avenues. I am in the lower Avenues on an excellent block that has surprisingly little traffic given the proximity to downtown.

The place needs a major facelift!

Jake over Salt Lake City.

The snow of August. Enjoying summer in Utah.