Progress - Week of July 27

If you read last week's post, you would know that we had a number of tasks we wanted completed over the course of the week. Here's the rundown on those tasks as well as the outcome:

(1) the garbage should be removed including the planter in the backyard - - COMPLETED
(2) the dirt pile we've been collecting should be sent offsite - - MOSTLY COMPLETED
(3) the decaying tree in the backyard will be coming down (weather permitting) - - COMPLETED
(4) waterproofing of the new roofs - - NOT COMPLETED
(5) laying out the pex in the master bedroom and master bathroom - - PARTIALLY COMPLETED
(6) possibly laying down the new master bathroom floor - - NOT EVEN STARTED
(7) tile preparations for the rental and 4th floor bathroom - - JUST THE 4TH FLOOR BATHROOM COMPLETED

So for those keeping score at home, I would say we went 3-2-2 for the week.

By far the most exciting event was the taking down of one of the large trees in the backyard. Most of the photos this week document the tree removal and provide some contrast from the 'before' and 'after'.

Here a few before shots...





Before - here is a shot from the alley behind our house and you can see three trees - two from our lot.



And After...only two trees...



A few after shots of the backyard...no more tree, no more planter, no more dirt pile





The real magic in the process was how a crew of 5 took down this tree in a matter of a few hours. There was one guy in the tree cutting down the branches and rigging branches in order to control the falling debris. Two guys on the ground holding the rigging for the falling tree and two other guys cutting the debris into smaller sections so it could be carted away and brought to the very noisy chipper parked in front of the house.

Our neighbors must be loving us. Besides the wood chipper which was double-parked on Henry Street, chainsaws were ablazing at 9:15AM Saturday. The tree guy tells me he heard a few f-bombs tossed their way from neighbors.

As a spectator, it was really amazing to watch these guys work in such small spaces. Bringing down a 60 foot tree in a backyard space of 23.5 feet wide by 33 feet deep is no easy accomplishment. Think about the canopy of these trees coupled with the fact that these historic homes - ours and our neighbors - are just a few feet away.

Anyway, here are a few action shots...



Most of the big branches had been removed at this point. Just two left...(as a reference point, I am standing on essentially the fourth floor, over 40 feet above the ground)





I was a little late with the camera to capture this one...I've shamed my parents with my photographic ineptitude.



I redeem myself with these sweet action shots...



The last branch in mid-fall...



Not that anybody has doubted our need to dispose of the tree, but as the trunk of the tree was being dismantled you could really see the rot in the middle. This tree was coming down at some point in time...glad we could take care of it in a controlled fashion before mother nature did it for us.



Turns out there was a huge beehive in the tree. So while we can be absolved of any wrongdoing associated with deforestation, I guess we are contributing to the declining bee population in the United States.



Now for some interior shots. Here's the rental primary bedroom with the temporary shoring removed.




The brickwork in the kitchen which was peeling away from the building was repacked and is now flush with the rest of the masonry.

Restoration work continues. The paint on the pocket doors has been stripped and the door was been sanded down.

A shot of the front. For those paying attention, what has changed?

On tap for next week...

(1) Structural engineer opining on the condition of the bay window structure

(2) Finish flooring in the reading room

(3) Installation of the pex in the bedroom followed by the installation of the wood floor

(4) Preparing the master bathroom for tiling

(5) Identification of the location of all fan coil units for the air conditioner

(6) Waterproofing of the new roofs

The waterproofing is a very big deal and is really dictating the pace of finish work at this point. The sooner this gets resolved, the sooner we can close walls in the kitchen and prepare that space for the millwork and floor installation.

I think we'll keep score on the major items to see how we did.