Here We Go Again (aka Week 1)

Well, the time has come. It's time to launch The Final Project.

This project represents the final things that need to be done to bring the house up to current standards.

There are two parts: 

1. Remove the 30 year old vinyl siding on the front and side, and replace two old windows
2. Bolting the front part of house to the foundation, to prevent the house from slipping off the foundation in a big earthquake

So simple! Should be so straightforward!

Readers of this blog know these are famous last words around here. We are prepared for the unexpected!

"I defy you."

Preparation

First things first, we spent a weekend moving everything in the garage away from the walls, so that Mr. Bunkport (yes, he's back!) and his workers can access the foundation.

Jumble #1

Jumble #2

Jumble #3

Here's a closer look at the current state of the foundation:

That crumbling is actually not scary -- it's the normal process of the salts in the concrete coming out. And there is a lot of salt. When the city was rebuilding after the 1906 earthquake, they didn't have enough fresh water for all the concrete needed for all the new foundations, so they started using water from the bay. 

Lots of salt.

So, this is a very common issue here, and believe it or not, no one gets too worked up about it. They just put new concrete over the top of it to hold it in place. 

What's going on here is less good:

The crack isn't a concern, but (skipping ahead in the story a little) it sounds like there is water damage under there, and that section will probably need to be replaced. 

SURPRISE!

Hopefully that will go well (and the scope of the damage will be very, very limited). 

We are also going to be raising the level of the foundation on the other side (the uphill side) to be 6 inches above the ground level, to avoid more moisture and insect damage to the walls.

Now, drum roll, please...

WHAT LIES BENEATH

Well, what lies beneath vinyl siding is styrofoam.

But what about under that?!

On the front of the house, it turns out to be bright yellow asbestos shingles. 

SURPRISE!

Choices, choices. We could either remove the shingles (and in so doing, double our costs with special permits and special mitigation measures and special disposal fees and and and...) or we could do like everyone else around here, and just seal them in under new siding.

Ok, decision made!

On the side of the house, we found the original redwood shingles. We expected this, because the other side of the house, where it's too narrow for siding to have gone in, also has redwood shingles.

The bottom half of the house is in great shape:

The top half, not so much:

Seems like we are going to have to strip those off and put something new up. This is an area that no one can see, so we're going to go cheap and cheerful.

If you looked closely at that photo, you have seen something more surprising than damaged shingles. 

Recall the Big Project in 2014, and how this house (like most houses around here) are, as Neighbor Jonny says, "boxes on boxes on boxes." Back in the day, if you wanted a porch, you would get your uncles and cousins to come over and build it. Then you would eventually close that in to make a room, and then, naturally, add on a new porch. And so on. Our kitchen is actually three porches that were closed in and made into separate rooms over time -- what we did in 2014 was open those up into one big room, add a, you know, foundation, and fix all kinds of structural damage from moisture and insects.

Part of the outside of the kitchen stayed under the vinyl siding. So, I shouldn't say it's surprising that it's...crazy under there. Here's that area from a different angle:

So, yeah, piece of plywood, and a couple of boards across the studs.

SURPRISE!

With the siding gone, we can feel the wind coming through the area around electrical socket. Happy for fair weather!

In the garage, the workers had to pull off two feet of that decorative lath (there was no plaster; seems like someone's art project) around the foundation to get ready for the bolting.

Good news -- it's not terrible in there!

The north side of the house is very tidy and orderly under its shingles.

The south side (which is the side that had the vinyl) is a little crazy. Shingles nailed into random boards across the studs:

But that's ok. We're leaving all that in place, so no problem.

There were a couple of big holes in places -- plenty of room for critters of all shapes and sizes to get in --  but really only a couple, and not hard to repair. Good news!

Additionally, the neighbors have been very accommodating and understanding of the noise and disruption. While talking to them about how the workers would access the space between the houses, which sits behind a three or four foot-high fence, they mentioned wanting to put in a gate someday so they can access the plants in that little space more easily. To thank them in advance for their patience (...and, frankly, also to prevent damage from three big guys hopping over the fence multiple times a day for two weeks), we worked with Mr. Bunkport to put in this little gate for them (and the three big dudes). 

Lastly, when the workers opened up the wall, they found these things inside: 

That's a license plate from 1921, and that little bottle with the orange label was advertised in the early 20s. I need to go find my notes, but I think the people who lived here in the 20s and 30s were an immigrant Portuguese family whose Americanized name was Velvet. Maybe the lath was their project.

I don't doubt that more surprises are on the way, but that's all (and plenty) for Week One. 

On to progress!

And that's where the week ended. Week Two should see the front finished, and the side done or close to done. And then on to the foundation!