Cutting through the Wall (part 2)

Cutting Through the Walls, a three part series featuring the Greensaw crew

This is just the teaser.

Do you see what I see?

When we looked at this house for the first time almost fifteen years ago, Ruby was just a baby. As we walked through the house I didn't see closets and windows and how many bathrooms. I remember looking in one of the bedrooms and seeing Ruby getting ready for her wedding. In the kitchen I saw Ruby's college friends home form school laughing at the kitchen table. We had one swing on the porch swing, where I saw Ruby's high school boyfriends sitting, and skipped to the car. I was sold.

After work my husband comes home and in the dining room he might see exposed bulbs dangling from wires. But I see a beautifully lit dining room table with kids playing board games and holiday dinners. In the kitchen a new window seat is being built. My husband sees how much it costs; but I see my kids sitting there, stopping in after school telling me about their day. I see Paul sitting there on a Friday night drinking a beer talking to me while I cook dinner.

Last week the Greensaw crew uncovered a heating duct leading to the third floor. It's in the way. Jim from C2 Architecture had a vision to open that up, but it was looking like we might have to abandon the plan. I said, "That's going to break Jim's heart because he really wanted to open that up." At he time, I admit, I didn't really see it. Like how my husband is still perplexed with why we need to make a big hole in the kitchen wall for a window seat. Jim and Joe came by and we talked with Caleb. Jim wasn't going to give up that vision so easily. We decided we could knock out the space in the wall on either side of the duct and take it all the way to the ceiling. That's what the guys did this week and it's amazing what it does to the space. YES, we can all see it now.

I remember when I used to like to cook. I don't know if it was the babies that stopped me or if it was my kitchen with one tiny piece of counter space to work. I see a kitchen that is set up like a studio with all the tools in the right place. Finally a place to put my potatoes. When Niko was here talking about the kitchen cabinets and where drawers and shelves will go. He said, " You can put your toaster here, next to the fridge, your kids can make their breakfast while you are over there making lunches." I didn't see it till he said it.

Do you see what I see? I see this home renovation transforming our lives; making things easier, bringing friends and family closer. I see friends laughing on a Friday night on the back porch and early morning kettle bell workouts on the roof deck.

After the first week of construction my kids and I were sitting in the dust filled dining area looking at the new holes in the walls leading to the kitchen and back room. The rooms were finally united. We were all sitting at the table when the kids said, "YEAH, this is going to be great!" Damn, those architects were right again.

Cutting Through the Wall

Cutting the boards to make the boxes for the cabinets

The Greensaw team back in the shop, Niko, Dan and Samir, work together to stay on schedule cutting the boards and making the boxes.

Making the boxes

Stay tuned for more images of Niko, Dan and Samir on site at Greensaw. Thye've been working on the cabinets for the last few weeks.

Meanwhile back at the shop...

While all of the demolition was happening here, Niko and Dan were in hot pursuit to find the right lumber to make the kitchen cabinets. They traveled to Pottstown to meet Al and he hooked them up with some beautiful cherry wood.

New Wiring/ End of week three

Dave the electrician was here this week. New wiring in the kitchen.

Had a very productive meeting with Caleb and Jim and Joe from C2 on Friday. Lots of ideas...

more second floor demo

All of these days...

C2 meets the crew

Framing the Window Seat

Highlight from Week 2

Phil's Last Day

A happy home.

Whenever my friends tried to tell me what construction would be like they basically said, " Expect a lot of dust." Thinking about construction before it actually began was like being pregnant, waiting desperately to meet your baby but knowing that you still had to somehow get through labor. Well, that's sort of what it was like waiting to get started on this project. I started packing the boxes last July and it was just about a year ago that we started talking to the architects about the ideas for the project. I have had lots of time to think about construction. Putting a hole in my dining room wall was scary and making a hole in my kitchen wall to the outside making way for a new bigger window was unthinkable a few months ago. Much to my surprise, I feel the same feelings about demolition that I felt about child birth. It's thrilling and exciting and not at all scary like I had imagined it to be.

Yes. There's dust. Lot's of it, but it feels like a comfort zone. I was an art major in college and I spent many happy dust filled days in the sub basement of Doherty Hall making sculptures and metal projects and installation pieces; working away in my jeans and sweatshirts completely surrounded and covered in dust. So having all of this dust in the house has been like seeing an old college friend. Creativity is our house guest for the next several months. And where ever there is dust creativity has a happy home.

Day Five

The final day of the first work week. I like having the Greensaw crew in the house. As soon as they arrived the energy in the house changed. I’m impressed with how hard they work and how much they have been able to do so far. Their energy is positive and productive. I sit on the other side of the zippered plastic curtain borrowing their force, riding the coattails of the energy they exude while I work away at my black belt project.

I wasn’t going to say anything about my kitchen. But Jim from C2Architecture had an idea. They said, “We have to change the kitchen, it’s the heart of the house.” I wouldn’t have dared to dream that big without their vision. I wouldn’t have thought it was possible to build without the confidence Greensaw brought to the table. And so here we are at week one. The skilled design team performing open house surgery on the heart of my house. We’ve uncovered some plumbing issues that need to be addressed and some ducts that need to be moved but the over all prognosis is good. Not only will the patient survive but the patient will thrive when everything is new.