Seek and You May Just Find!

I had to share quickly about a great development that happened Thursday.  We had been seeking some seasoned hardwoods to finish out our floors.  Greg felt the dried wood would be a better match to our original flooring and we wanted to go with a sanded version over the more modern engineered products.
We hit the jackpot with a salvage find of over 500 square feet of hardwood flooring from a 1954 home on James Island.  We had been looking for several weeks are thankful this homeowner saw the value in selling it as recycled material.  Some of the fun is the hunt...it's exhilarating!

Remember the clean backyard from just a few days ago.....

Now filled again both on the saw horses and across the path, all that beautiful recycled product.  This weekend will be filled with removing the nails and preparing the boards for installation.  We are hoping to salvage most of it!

Hanging in There with Life Happening All Around!

It's been awhile since our last post.  We didn't get our July landfill run in until the last Saturday in July.  Our backyard had accumulated a host of items.  As you can see, it is ready for more work again!

 The intense heat of summer and our own need to see our family, rest and relax has interfered with the tasks that are ever before us.  We have enjoyed watching the Riverdogs on several occasions.  We have felt the need to runaway from this little Freedman's cottage that seems to each up our ability to rest.  And let our financial reserves build back up as we continually are pouring money into this cash cow!

 

The weekends in July and the beginning of August saw us out on Lake Murray with our family on more than one occasion.  Our home there has been for sale for these last several months.  We got an unexpected call that it had been leased and we had days to move our things into storage.  The race was on, but not only was it a task to get things stored, we had some items that had to be brought to our Freedman's though we were not nearly ready for them.  I had perishables that we had to find a place for and it was very discouraging.  I was told this past weekend, I was not publishing enough pictures of what things look like and perhaps some of that is to shelter you from seeing just how we are surviving.  Greg and I try to focus on the goal and the worthwhile diamond in the rough, but the length and depth has caused us to reflect.  As we brought in the ten boxes from our lake home, I couldn't even consider how we could incorporate these pantry and other items into our living here.  Above, you can see our sleek stainless appliances, the shelves filled with my pantry items and the plastic lined walls Greg constructed to keep the dust from falling!  If you look closely, our deep freeze has been moved into our center room.  We are concerned about having to move these things around as we attempt to move forward.  Below is a set of shelves we brought to help us store more of the items brought from our lake house

In the rear of the house, Greg is continuing to make progress.  He has installed the shower tile system and laid the floor portion of the shower.  

 

This step has required several days worth of work and the main portion of the shower will be done in the coming weeks.  Along with this installation our focus has been the half bath just off the main area of the house.  We are wanting these done to be able to dismantle the original bathroom which makes camp baths look upscale!  I have not shown those pictures for a reason....I wouldn't want to freak anyone out!  Be thankful!

Greg is constructing the door frame for the half bath and in the background is our vanity which has been upfit for our vessel sink.  A large piece of cultured marble has been fit for the top to avoid water damage from hurting the piece and to make it able to be cleaned.

If you'll notice, the floor has been stained a red oak and is drying getting ready for the several coats of polyurethane.  The walls have been painted a very light gray.  All these to make finishing easier after the fixtures are installed.  The door was a find from Restore as well as the new Kohler medicine cabinet.  We were excited to find it still in the box and a good fit and color for this space.  I had intended for a custom mirror, but a medicine cabinet provides needed storage in such a small space.  Greg had to redo the framing and make a space for the medicine cabinet to be supported which was a design change.  Below is the finished product and the faucet below.  This was found after much searching and is a modern vessel sink wall faucet, black with square knobs.

More pictures are coming after the bathroom fixtures are complete.  Greg was missing a washer on the faucet itself.  Our Freedman's Cottage while daunting at times as we fight the heat and the Charleston bugs and try to maintain our health and sanity is fun and exciting all at the same time.  Our son, Ethan joins us this weekend and we always seem to feed off our young adult children's exuberance when they show up to lend a hand!   We want to shout our a BIG thank you to Bob and Ruthie for their help during our recent move as well as Chuck, Danny, and Tom who gave up their Monday night gathering to get us safely stored and on our way!

The vanity has been modified from family Drexel cabinet and topped off with cultured marble.  The vessel sink reflects the color in the front of the vanity.  It's one tiny room in a small cottage.  

First Finishes

It was so exciting to see some of the first finished construction beginning to be installed in our half bath and the ceiling of our kitchen.

Greg began to install our hardwood after mudding the half bath.

This is the floor installed and ready for the sink and toilet set.  The sheetrock has been mudded and is ready for primer.

 The current plan is to open up the ceilings, expose the larger rafters, and finish the cathedral off with bead board.  The kitchen ceiling seen here will remain the original beadboard in both finish and height.  I have sanded it with a palm sander.  There was some fire damage on the ceiling from many years back.  Greg removed those boards and was able to repair with beadboard removed from the half bath.  We decided to leave some of the wear and tear providing depth and character.  We are considering painting the ceiling two shades of blue.  The kitchen ceiling SW6506 Vast Sky and a lighter shade for the bead board on the ceiling SW6505 Atmospheric.

Have a great celebration for July 4th!  The intense heat here in Charleston make work slower with the need for hydration and periods to cool down.

Water, Water Everywhere and Not a Drop to Drink!

In the weeks that have passed since our last post, Greg has been framing in our laundry area and our half bath.  Our open floor plan does not require many walls to be built.  Fortunately, the water has not been running freely inside of the house even after the water pipes were pressurized.

Half Bath and Sinks for future Jack and Jill Bathroom

Plumbing from left to right:  Washer, Shower, and Refrigerator Ice Maker

Greg has been busy installing the plumbing that will bring water into our half bath and our shower as well as our Jack and Jill sinks which backup to the half bath.  We are just about ready to call for a plumbing inspection.  The cold water has been tested with success. The hot water will be tested before the inspection happens. He is able to begin to hang sheet rock and mud as long as the plumbing is able to be inspected on the backside of the bath.

Inside of the Half Bath being mudded.  This is the sink location.

Along with moving to make this half bath and shower operational is decisions about design and style.  We decided to up fit a family piece that was used in our foyer previously for the half bath vanity.  It is a Drexel piece given to us by my mother several years ago after she downsized.  Greg plans on covering the top with a piece of white cultured marble to protect the cabinet from water damage.  Our vessel sink color matches the green highlighting around the insets of the door panels.

We also purchased our tile for the shower.  We went with a moderately priced porcelain tile for the walls of the shower accented with a smaller patterned tile for the floor and a decorative band around the center of the shower.  The smaller accented tile were a wonderful Restore find we picked up months ago. 

 We have enough of it to tie into the design we'll use in the Jack and Jill bath between the bedrooms.  We are always open to finding a bargain at the resale stores, but you have to know your needs and pertinent measurements when you are there.  We will be sharing more of our treasured finds in future posts.  I have slowed down our posts considerably because the work has become more tedious and due to the extreme heat of Charleston during "Dog Days" when indexes hit 100+, our ability to work in these conditions has been difficult.  Early mornings and late afternoons seem better.  The summer brings family events and time away and those times are too precious to skip!   Until next time, I wish you the best on your next project!

They Got Us Covered....Whew!!

The next morning after having the house open all night, Greg and our sons got busy constructing the ceiling of the room.  It is exciting to see the new wood intermingled with the antique framing.  This part of the house looks new and much more stable.  

This is the topside of the attic floor just before the roof rafters were put up.  The hole is the attic access.

We understood to secure the house and with the threat of rain approaching on Sunday, we were in a time crunch.  Calculations were crucial in getting the extension to line up closely with existing structure.  

The new section of rafters are set.

This picture below was taken from above showing the final roof line up.  Our plan is to replace both parts with a 5V crimp metal roof system.  Until then, Greg covered the new section with 30# felt paper to hold off the elements.  The next view is of the roof finished with black paper.  

 Our view from our back yard after completing the cable end framing.   The boards above are cantilevered for the new HVAC unit.  Greg later Monday evening put the finishing touches on the outside gable.  The next shed that is removed will not leave us a vulnerable because he will secure the side of the house from outside intrusion.  What kept us more secure was this back shed roof was not visible from the street keeping people from knowing our house was open all night.   Psychologically, it was still hard to rest.

This is how it is currently. The deck will be part of a trellis system planned for over the deck area on the back half of our rear garden.  I am grateful to have come so far with new construction happening daily.  Still much to come but until next time, Charleston Renovators signs off! 

"Moon Roof" takes on a Whole New Meaning!

Around the original house are several shed style roofs.  Our plans show these being removed and a new roof line installed.  The extension on the main house became the focus this past weekend.  Our ceiling heights needed to be adjusted and preventing leaks from damaging new installations were part of the decision to move ahead.  Our good friends, Rick and Donna from Fort Mill, gave us an afternoon to do demo.  Donna told us Rick loved to demo...and she was right.  In just a few hours the roof was removed and stacked on our pickup ready for the landfill.  If you look over the top, you can see our neighbor's roof.  The new wall is on the left side of the picture and our back door is in the middle right.

What did not occur to me was this room was going to have to remain unsecured and open for the night! The forecast showed no rain in the area.   From the street, you couldn't see the roof was missing, but a sturdy ladder and some strong legs, and you are up and over!  Our Simply Safe alarm system mattered little at this point!  We locked our dorm room from the inside and removed all pawn-worthy tools.  Knowing our vulnerabilities still worried me into the wee hours.  We came out to find the moon shining down!  It gave having a moon roof a whole new meaning!  It was only for one night and the process was sure to be worth it.

Our beautiful moon beams shining down inside our Freedman's cottage!

Lookout for our next post which will showcase our roof extension and how it provides protection and added attic space for our Rinnai hot water heater and HVAC gaspack in the future.

It's Saturday...and That Means Laundry Day Again!

 I am reflecting as I sit for several weeks now on Saturday at the College of Charleston laundry on the corner of Calhoun and Smith Street. It's been my Friday or Saturday haunt since I found it is the best deal per load and the cute little eatery has great coffee and Captain Crunch cookies.  I am held captive here for the next few hours and considered it prime opportunity to write again about our progress. 

I know it's perhaps borders on insanity to be so overjoyed my last time with you when I saw my husband's craftsmanship installing some of the first new floor joists, but I can honestly say we are truly above ground finally.  It's been such a long haul.  By investing in a quality foundation, we have prevented the need to dig again in the future when repairs are much more costly.  Greg is working on mechanicals today and laying some of the final sub-floor.  Here is a story in pictures of where we are headed.  I have included captions so you see them with some imagination and understanding.

Floor system in the kitchen area to come.  A few blogs back, you saw us having to remove all of it due to rot.

Insulating the floor system.  Greg has lined the crawl space with plastic and has put insulation board underneath the floor system for added protection.  Even the joints have been sealed up.

This has the appearance of new construction.  The first wall that is within our plan has been installed.  It separates the kitchen from the laundry/mudroom.  After my earlier post, I long for a new washer and dryer set to be workable in this part of the house.

This further shows the division of our kitchen from the rear of the house.  This was the existing hot water heater.  We plan on installing an inline system for efficiency. 

 Next week, we hope to move the back door over to the right.  Our floor plan changes the original plan to allow for a larger master bedroom.  Until next time, I hope you get to visit our beautiful Charleston.  Stop in at the Persimmon Cafe on the corner of Smith and Calhoun and ask about those Captain Crunch White Chocolate Cookies.  Yum Yum!