Boerum Brownstone Reno: June 2006

Stunning

We are stunned with how quickly things are moving. We love our contractor. Here is our kitchen fireplace being built. We believe we'll have a mantel installed over the brick -- one that was removed from the upstairs fireplace.

Metal Stud

What you see is the bedroom level, and framing for the bathroom...

It has been so hectic and we have had such little time to blog that I have not been able to provide much in the way of thought. Don't give up on us, we're just a little overwhelmed at the moment.

Kitchen

We're movin on the kitchen.

Other Stuff

Brick for firebox, and the old gas line for light.

Progress With Pipes

Oh The Beauty of Straight Stairs

A concern of ours no longer. They are not perfect, but we're happy.

Structural Steel Keeps the World Upright

...Or at least our house. View our new I-beams in the cellar which support the rest of the house. They hopefully will prevent any more sag in the floors above.

Roof Treatment

The skylight will be fantastic! (the light colored beams you see are more "sisters" to strengthen the roof joists).

Some Other Details

Many pieces at once. The room being prepared for bathroom installation. The other photo shows the staircase being prepared for levelling.

Chimney Progress Report

Flues installed, walls bricked back up. Now for the hearths and fireboxes. The mantel and facade from the upstairs fireplace has been removed. It has been planned that the mantel etc would be re-installed on the parlor floor in the rear. We're not sure, however, that the mantel and corresponding pieces will be in good enough repair to be useful. We'll see.

Santa Won't Fit Down That

Plumbing Developments

Like a Black Eye

We are sadly unable at this moment to build out the garden level (the second level in the back), and as per code, we must brick up the windows and doors for safety. We wish we didn't have to, as it might be about as ugly as anything we have ever seen.

The important fact for today, however, is that the pathetic extension which was less than safe, has been removed. The remainder to be removed in the next day or so.

Underneath the Old Hearth

Its not necessarily that fancy a bit of brickwork, but its always nice to see the foundations for things, such as the fireplace hearth. In this case however, we're not quite sure if there was a fireplace in the rear of the Garden level. If there were one, it would have been removed many years ago, and dismantled with some effort.

"Sisters"

You don't have to squint too hard to see the kind of deflection the floors have and why we need to "sister" the joists.

Base of the Stack

Bring on the Plumb

Now We Get Down

Business is booming in this Boerum renovation, with holes being dug in the cellar (will get better views tomorrow when can get better photo), footings for support piers being laid in cellar floor, and sistered joists under what will be the kitchen.

Yes, We've Got One.

Yes folks, you're not seeing things. She needed her own entry on the blog. Introducing: Our Very Own Port-O-John. Port-O-San. Port-O-Potty. Port-O-Pee. Port-O-..... Well, you get the point. So we don't think this is the source of that well regarded juvenile response, "Nanny, nanny, poo-poo," do we?