Gallery
- The old exterior wall was knocked out in the new mudroom which gave us the first sense for what that intersection will be like. We think it will be great.
- The egress windows are framed in and the windows will be installed this week! We will be able to see what the light will be like in the family room.
- Holes have been knocked in the cinder block on the basement wall and rebar put in that goes down the entire length. This week they will pour cement in those channels for additional wall strength.
- We got our air conditioning working again with the new furnace and condenser on Friday! Just in time for a miserably hot spell!
Remodel Update Week 6
Week six was a big one! The difference between last week and now is really fun. Last week we had a dirt floor in the basement, now there is cement. Last week you had to take a ladder down the last half of the steps, now there are now steps. Last week they framed the mudroom, now it is enclosed (sort of).
I’ve been amazed at all the structural engineering that has gone into lowering the floor. The extra 7" will be worth it though. This week windows get put in and most of the framing happens.
Remodel Update Week 5
This last week was short with the 4th of July holiday, but there was still some nice progress. The mudroom is now framed in and you can really see what will be. The basement got the steel reinforcement plates put in and the dirt leveled and prepared for pouring the new concrete. The original plan had the concrete getting poured this week but they got backed up on another job so that will happen at the beginning of this week.
Looking ahead we should have a floor and most likely windows in place in the basement by the end of next week. We are also hoping that we can get the air conditioning hooked up again for the main floor. We’ve been without it since the digging started and since that is done the new condenser should be able to get back in. We have our fingers crossed. It has been pretty hot lately. Luckily we still have air conditioning upstairs in the bedrooms.
We are also preparing for the project to start invading the rest of the house more. Walls will soon be getting knocked down and we’ll have to accommodate some additional disruption on the main floor.
Remodel Update Week 4
The destruction in the yard slowed in week four and the destruction in the basement accelerated. Outside we got our new egress window wells poured and the dirt around them is mostly filled back in. The foundation for the new mudroom is in place as well. The yard is still a muddy, rutted mess but at least we don’t have six-foot deep holes that people can fall in. I also can now take the lawnmower from the garage to the front of the house without walking through the alley and around the block on the sidewalk. It’s the little things!
The basement is a disaster zone however. The stairs got cut off half way down. I put a ladder at the end so I could get down and take pictures. The half of the floor being lowered has been broken up, hauled out and the dirt dug down. The half that isn’t being lowered has been cut out for the drain tile installation around the basement wall. The plumbers were here for two days rerouting plumbing to accommodate the various changes.
Next week framing starts and the new floor in the basement gets poured. I’m thinking this is maybe the ugliest it will look. 😀
Remodel Update Week 3
Week three of the remodel project has been substantial. Arriving home to heavy equipment in the yard is the first clue. Most of this weeks pictures are large holes dug around our house. It’s proven to be a big inconvenience as we cannot walk from the front yard to the backyard easily now. This leaves Chase incredibly confused about where he’s supposed to do his business in the yard.
The week ahead starts some of the framing work and the excavation of the floor in the basement. The next shots from the basement should be interesting! I love how the light comes in from outside in the basement already. I’m also pretty excited about the large windows we’ll have in the basement. I think the space will feel really nice.
We lost about 3 days this week due to rain. Everyone agreed we didn’t want large holes in the yard filled with three feet of rainwater.
Remodel Update Week 2
The I-beam is in place! This week the project has gotten dirty and more serious. I would say that the project has really started now with a decent amount of hammering, smashing and banging. Notable events this week include installation of the new furnace (not hooked up), the pouring of new footings for some central supports and pulling the central foundation support that has been in place since 1939 and replacing it with a super strong steel beam. Thank you for your 72 years of service large wooden beam.
Nothing much happened outside this week, but that will change this week. The excavation crew arrives Monday to start digging.
Remodel Update Week 1
The first week of the project really just focused on getting things ready for real work. The deck was tore apart so that the new mudroom foundation could be put in. The first part of the work on the support structure of the house started. We are removing a central support post in the basement to open the space up for the family room.
First Shots with Lensbaby
For Christmas this year Tammy got me a fun lens for my camera, the Lensbaby Composer. When I did the Stone/Steel/People workshop I mentioned that my pro friend Layne was obsessed with shooting with his Lensbaby. I thought it would be a fun option to have in my camera bag and Tammy decided it would be a fun present. I haven’t been shooting much but I used it when I was in Grand Marais this last weekend and here are some shots with it. These were all shot on manual at f/4.
Birthday Photo Shoot
My sister asked me to do a favor for her. She has a good friend that was turning 40 and she wondered if I would mind doing a small photo shoot at his birthday party. The party was known but the photo shoot was a surprise. I ended up traveling the entire week before the party so when the time arrived I wasn’t the most excited to go and shoot, but sometimes you need a kick in the butt to set up your gear and have some fun. And, fun it was! Everyone was really fun in front of the camera and had a good time posing and being posed.
I setup my black backdrop. The room was pretty dark and my only light was my Canon 580EX II flash. I was firing the flash wireless using the ST-E2 transmitter. I shot with my Canon 5D Mark II all handheld with my Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L. I had the flash mounted about eye level and fired it backwards into a bounce. The lighting all worked out better than I expected, given that I just had the one flash.
The only issue was on flash recharge rate. My flash ate 8 AA batteries and when they weren’t fresh I was struggling to keep the flash going. I’ve added the Canon CP-E4 flash power pack to my wish list for any shooting like this in the future.
Here are nine shots that I really liked from the night. I couldn’t pass up an excuse to get a bunch of adults to do a pyramid! Starting with the birthday boy.
High Resolution Album Art #3
More high-resolution album art for others that may have these albums: Chan Poling “Calling All Stars”, Cities 97 Sampler Volume 8 and Dan Wilson “Live at Pantages”.
Canal Park and Gooseberry Falls
We drove from Duluth to Ely this morning to start our weekend in Ely. We got some photos in Canal Park and of course we stopped at Gooseberry Falls. I really dig the photo of the violins.
