Morgan Remodel on Jamie Thingelstad

Morgan Remodel Final Pictures

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:00:00 -0500

For 18 weeks I wrote a weekly update on the progress of our remodel project. At the end the work was really small items, just working through a punch list and we were starting to live in the space. Now that everything is in place and we have been fully using the space for a few weeks I wanted to post a final photo walk through. The whole family is delighted with the addition and the new spaces have dramatically changed how we use our space. It’s been great.

As a comparison before looking at all these pictures, you may want to look at the pictures from the start of the project first. Or visit week 4 when it all looked like a disaster zone.

The back door of the house from the garage hasn’t changed much from the final photos at the end of the project. All the exterior work was done well before winter was (supposed to) arrive.

The new location for the grills is great. Before they were under the windows in the left hand side of the photo and were a little in the way as you approached the house. Also, having the lights there helps when you do some evening grilling in the winter.

Take note of the window on the left next to the smaller window. In the future that will likely get taken out and a door put in. The wood on top of the mudroom roof is cedar decking and it is ready for use as a walk-out deck. The railing is 36" and there is a set of outdoor speakers up there. I think a couple of chairs would work well out there and the access would be from the hallway upstairs so it could be used by the whole family.

One of the nicest changes is the spacious built-in as you enter the mudroom.

We have plenty of room for everyone’s coats, shoes and all the other items we want ready access to. I even have a compartment just for my camera so it can be safe but still easily accessed. At the end of the mudroom we put a desk and shelving and that is where I spent more focused computer time, and where I’m writing this blog post from.

I wasn’t sure about this space at first, but I’ve grown to really like it. The floor is heated in the mudroom which is nice, and I love having all the windows on the right.

The entry to the office is open, except for when Tyler closes the pocket doors.

Tammy found a small couch that works perfect in this room and is also a fold-out bed for a visitor, in a pinch.

We also have a very small corner desk in this room which is where Tammy tends to spend computer time, although she also uses the desk in the mudroom as well.

The couch was the last item to arrive but it’s already proven to be a hit. Mazie likes to read books there and it’s got a nice feel to just relax in a spot that is away from the main traffic areas of the house. The view through the doorway out to the deck is really nice and insures we are “connected” to the outdoor spaces.

In the summer I look forward to having all the windows open and being able to hear the kids as they run around and play as well as keeping a close eye on the Big Green Egg.

The stairs down to the family room work out really well and even though it is a high traffic area we rarely get jammed up there.

The cutouts into the kitchen really help it to feel bigger than it really is. It’s also nice that you can see from the kitchen all the way into the family room.

The family room was the main focus of the basement work and we love how it came out. This is as you come down the stairs.

The carpet is super soft and everything came together really nice. The couch is massive.

We figure as the kids get older you could easily have a ton of kids hanging out watching a movie, having a sleep over. We went for maximal comfort and I can say with significant experience now that this is a great spot to watch a movie. The built-in for the TV came out great as well.

The drawers on the bottom hold fun stuff for the kids and the cabinets on the left are plenty big for any gear. The three speakers above are very discrete, as are the rear channels on the window.

See the subwoofer? There is actually a pretty awesome sub hidden in the wall underneath the window there. It fires directly into the couch which insures maximum impact for loud explosions. :-)

This is where we spend most of our time in this room and we are very pleased with it all. The other side of the family room has a small table with chairs that works well for a laptop or a relatively small project.

Hidden behind that door is the electric room which houses the digital nerves for the house. One of the project objectives I wanted to achieve was to have an older house but have modern infrastructure. I now have wiring infrastructure that will serve the entire house for the foreseeable future.

That entire cabinet swings out for easy maintenance. Check out the detail on the wiring.

All coaxial and network jacks home run into that one panel. It is a delight to maintain.

Here is the view going back toward the stairs. You can see here the distinct level of the new basement floor. This side was lowered 7" in the remodel and we are really happy that we did it. Half of the family room has a lower ceiling to accommodate ventilation and lowering the floor made a huge difference. The landing to the utility and fitness rooms is the shortest height in the room at about 6’ 3".

Turning left on the landing you head into the fitness room.

On this side we left the basement windows as they were with the glass block and the floor was not lowered. The exercise room ceiling was on the side of the basement that had no ventilation ducts so the room is still plenty tall, just short of 7’. We put a little extra lighting in this room because I like it to be bright when working out. The floor is cork and looks really nice.

Tammy did a great job (as always) getting the art right. We had a minor snafu with paint and ended up reverting back to a very neutral look which was my preference.

The view from the treadmill. The TV is mounted on the wall and there are in-wall speakers in here as well. An AppleTV provides the content and the amplifier is in the cabinet for the family room on the other side of the wall. It is all automatic, so you just turn on the TV and start playing something. That is important at 6:00 am when you are very much wishing you were in bed.

Our new fitness room has actually inspired me to get back on this spin bike and sweat a bit. It’s been really fun and there is a good vibe to the whole layout.

The basement extended out over our entryway upstairs so that little alcove was turned into very useful storage space.

It even has a fancy switch to turn the light on and off when you open the door.

I didn’t take any photos of the utility room because, well, it’s a utility room. Imagine a cramped room with a furnace, water heater, freezer, utility sink and more stuff than it should have in it. You get the idea.

Some things I didn’t cover above:

Since we were sealing off the basement we took the opportunity to put a doorbell in. The original, wired, doorbell had been removed some years ago and I really dislike the wireless ones. We now have a proper chime and lit doorbell buttons on the front and back doors.
We replaced the railings and surround on our front door and it looks really great. The old surround was rotting out, it was a bad choice of wood. It now matches the railing in the back.

We all really love the new space. I’m a little surprised how much the kids love going down there and tumbling around on the carpet. Since the rest of the house is hardwood it’s a nice option for them to goof around and tumble.

We also have nothing but good things to say about Quartersawn, the contractor we used. Jeff put together a great plan and design, exploring a lot of options with us. He worked with Tammy directly on the cabinetry and came up with things that we all loved. Mike was on the job nearly every day and stayed on top of everything with amazing detail. Weekly meetings kept things running smoothly and any changes in plans we knew about right away. I’ve heard horror stories of remodels but have none to share myself.

Looking back on the project we’ve wondered what we would change, if anything. There are a couple of things.

This would have been a great time for me to do some better lighting above my espresso area in the kitchen. The electrician could have easily put another can in and it would have been really helpful. Once I realized I wanted it, it was way too late.
Also in lighting, we don’t think we did enough lighting in the stairwell to the family room. We have really nice stair lighting that is discreet and looks very classy. But some nice lighting in the ceiling above would have made that space more interesting.

This got pretty long but I thought it would be fun to give a virtual tour of our new space. Tammy also wrote about the new space on Smaller Than a Redwood with her take on the new space.

All these photos were taken with my Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L ultra wide so there is a little skewing in the corners, even after Lightroom applying lens corrections. I wanted to capture as much of the space as I could.

Remodel Update Week 18

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

There are still a number of things on our punch list, but, the remodel is done! When we started the project it was expected to take 16 to 20 weeks, and we ended it right at 18. This week the flooring was installed, the electrical was finished, the network and other low voltage infrastructure got punched in and the security system was turned back up. The carpet was an amazing transformation. In one day the space went from a construction zone to a place you walk around in bare feet and goof around with the kids in.

We love everything about the new spaces we created. We wouldn’t change a thing. We’ve moved a bunch of our stuff back in and the rest of it will come together in the next couple of weeks. This will be the last set of weekly photos I post. I will do another final wrap up post when all the furniture is in place to show what it looks like when completely done.

I’m posting more photos than normal for the final recap. You can see there is still another day of painting to be done this coming week, and the AV guy will be out to install the in-wall speakers and put TV’s in place.

Remodel Update Week 17

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This was a big week for the project! The painting is mostly done now. The final colors are on all the walls, the tape is off, the trim is all painted. The railing is finished above the mudroom and I’m really excited about the space up there. I’m completely sold on putting a door in next year. The utility and electric rooms are complete enough that we were able to move a bunch of stuff back in. I was super excited to get the network and low voltage systems coming back together. Both built-ins were completed as well. The fence was installed around the egress window wells. One of the carpenters even came on Sunday and finished the railing on the front door and the new surround around the front door.

The coming week should be the last big week. The final electrical work is starting on Monday. The cork flooring is installed in the exercise room on Wednesday, and carpet is the next day. The theatre and network wiring should be all done as well. We’ve now taken down the plastic barrier in the kitchen so we can now get into the new space without going outside. Just a bit more now!

Remodel Update Week 16

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This week was the 16th week of the remodel. In the very first project plan we would be done now. Remodeling, like any other complex project has changes. We have about two more weeks in front of us and then I’m sure there will be small things after that.

This week the built-in cabinetry for the mudroom was installed. The earlier empty space is now as it will be going forward. The painters have been busy painting trim with some serious paint that seems stronger than typical latex paint, and smells it as well. Outside the carpenter got the deck built on top of the mudroom and the railing is ready to be put in this week. I got to go up there this weekend (through the window) and put a set of outdoor speakers up. I really like the space and if I weren’t done with project stuff for now I’d want to have the door put in up there.

Outside we also got our landscaping done this week. The rutted tracks from the excavation equipment are gone, and so is our entire lawn. I decided to have the entire yard re-graded and seeded with shade specific grass. All of our hardscaping is back now as well, so things are feeling really close and it’s nice to get fall in our backyard again.

This week the family room built-in is coming and the walls are getting painted. Electrical work will get back underway and the network will come back to life with a new telco rack and everything getting punched back down. We’ll actually move some stuff back into the utility room next weekend.

Remodel Update Week 15

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

More finish work continued this week. The exterior of the new mudroom got painted. The real door arrived and will be put in after painting. The bannister got installed in the family room as well as the hand railing and the utility and electrical rooms are being finished so we can start moving some stuff back in!

This week is more painting, finish work, cabinetry and landscaping is starting to restore the yard.

Remodel Update Week 14

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This week was all about finish carpentry. Happily the tile floor in the mudroom got installed and it does look really nice. The finish carpenters showed up and put the doors in, got trim up, installed the pocket doors and generally “finished” things. They are doing an excellent job and have one more day of work next week.

Next week the outdoor railing on top of the mudroom and the front entrance gets put on, and the painters arrive on Wednesday to do the final painting. It’s pretty straight forward stuff now through the finish of the project and only a few more decisions to make. Having the two built-in cabinets delivered and installed will probably be the biggest remaining changes to the space itself.

Remodel Update Week 13

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I think week 13 of the project will go down as the least exciting week for me. The only thing to get worked on was the mudroom tile floor. That was out of necessity, the mudroom is the access point to the basement and in the laborious process of putting in the tile floor access to the basement was cut off. The process takes days so it felt like a really slow week.

On the positive side, this marks the start of “finish work” to the project. The floor is really nice and on Friday the doors for the basement and all the finish materials were delivered. We’ve also received the exterior lights and on Tuesday (after Labor Day) the finish carpenters show up to start that work. The tile will also be finished this week. 😀

I was curious about the yellow box on the wall that said Loud Mouth on it. The electrician hooked that up to the in floor heat before the tile guy did his work. It monitors the integrity of the circuit, and if anything goes wrong during tiling it starts making noise immediately. Pretty smart to have.

Remodel Update Week 12

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We are entering the home stretch on the remodeling project. The work now is no longer about structure and wire. We are dealing with drywall mud, paint and finish work. This week all of the drywall got primer and the ceilings were all painted. The siding on the exterior of the house is being put back together, which is more complicated than it appears. The front of our house is pretty as we are replacing the trim. The trim was pine and was rotting out. Also the railing is being replaced to match the railing on the back. Lastly the temporary wall in our kitchen was removed. It was a bit shocking how large the kitchen felt now that we don’t have that plastic wall up anymore.

This week the tile is going to be installed in the mudroom and more finish work. We are still really excited about the project and can’t wait to start living in the new spaces!

Remodel Update Week 11

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This week the remodeling was all about drywall mudding and taping. Tape, mud, repeat. Repeat. Repeat some more. We were out of town which was a nice thing. It was fun to see the walls looking so nice and smooth when we got back. It feels like we are entering the home stretch now.

Remodel Update Week 10

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

I’m posting this weeks update a little early, the progress is so fun to see. The theme for this week is drywall! The framing is gone, and in it’s place is grey drywall everywhere you look. I was amazed that one guy did it all. The result of these huge 54" by 12 foot sheets of drywall and one guy over two days was impressive. The new space feels like it will when it’s done now. We continue to be really excited for the project!

Next there is buckets and buckets of joint compound.

Remodel Update Week 9

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The remodel continues to go well. This week carpentry was mostly outside. The new mudroom got the exterior finished. The roof needs to be finished and then they will put the railing on top. Not much more before the outside will look done, minus some paint and the real door.

The inside work was wires and pipes. The electrician finished nearly everything with just a couple small things left, including my precious doorbell. The electrical inspection is done. The low voltage guys drug a bunch of Category 5E cable for me and almost as much speaker cable. The radon system got installed as well. We tested our basement and the radon levels weren’t bad, but we went ahead with it to make the radon even less of an issue and to make the air in the basement feel fresher.

Insulation gets put in this week and the sheet rock starts going up as well!

Remodel Update Week 8

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The remodel is continuing along really well. This week all the framing was completed. There were some ceiling parts left from last week. We did the electrical walk through on Monday of this week and the electrician got right to it. The pre-wiring for more security system stuff was done. The ducts for the furnace also got put in. Another temporary wall was put up in the kitchen so that the door could be taken out and the wall cut out above the espresso bar. The window in the upstairs bathroom was removed. The deck was also put back together which helps the yard feel more normal.

The week ahead is mostly about wires and pipes. Electrical inspection will happen this week and hopefully the low voltage work will get completed as well. I’m dragging new Ethernet and coax to a bunch of spots. The outside will also be restored further with our fencing put back in place and possibly the beginning of the siding work.

Remodel Update Week 7

Sun, 24 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

The update last week felt really significant with the new floors in and all. This week felt like an even bigger advance! All of the walls in the basement are now framed in and the windows are in the mudroom and the family room. We can now see just how the light will be in the family room and get a sense for how the flow will be in the main level with the mudroom there. We also got most of our side lawn back this week. Tammy and I are both feeling really good about the layout.

The week the project also broke into the rest of the house. A temporary barrier is in place in the office to keep dust out and the exterior wall has already been taken out to make room for the new pocket doors.

This week we do the electrical walk-through as well as mapping out all the low voltage work. We are right around the half-way point now.

The pictures of all the framing are probably hard to make out without an idea of what direction things are.

Remodel Update Week 6

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

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).

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!

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

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

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

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 00:00:00 -0500

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

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

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

Sat, 18 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

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

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

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.

Remodel Project Starts

Tue, 07 Jun 2011 00:00:00 -0500

This week we started the remodeling project on our house. I plan on taking photos of the process. It’s a decent sized project. We are lowering the floor in the basement, putting in two egress windows, installing a new furnace and air conditioning unit and adding a mud room to the back of the house. It’ll be just a little under four months. They start demolishing the floor in the basement this week.

Here is what it looks like now.

Fri, 27 May 2011 00:00:00 -0500

We just hired Quartersawn as the general contractor to do a house project. Upon signing the agreement every friend of mine feels compelled to share every horror story they’ve ever heard about how horrible general contractors and home remodeling projects can be. Thanks! 😀