Chapter Six
When we started this journey I imagined being finished and in the house by March 1. Needless to say that didn’t happen. However, we have made significant progress. Let’s begin with the basement:
Or let’s just cut to the chase and say four and a half months later the basement is a work of art–even though it killed me to have to pay for it. We have new beams, sills, lally columns (don’t get me started), and stairs. The leaky bilco door is gone and french drains were installed thanks to Mike Papa, mason extraordinaire, and a genius when it comes to stemming the tides that afflict aged foundations. They definitely need him in Venice.
While he was poodling around in the basement The wizards at Whizzer Construction LLC were shoring up the remaining floors. Literally. The kitchen floor was completely rotten, as was the floor in the bathroom upstairs.
Meanwhile the electricians were busy rewiring the entire house! And the HVAC (Heating Ventilation & Air Conditioning) team was on the job, while our intrepid plumber and his tireless helper (Keith) installed all new plumbing throughout the entire house.
Most people would have a GC or General Contractor on the payroll to oversee the machinations of all these sub-contractors, but not me. Maybe I could with a new house, because you would know where things are going to go right from the start. But with a renovation like this it is hard to foresee what will be required on any given day. And I want to make all those decisions myself. Which means I can change the layout of the upstairs laundry–and change it back again without it being such a big deal.
Of course there is a lot of eye rolling and it has been duly noted that Keith has the patience of a saint, but I think it has generally gone well. The carpenter and the plumber did join forces and gang up against me on my plan to use a tile floor in the downstairs shower. I’ve done it in other houses. You place a waterproof mat down, then tile over it, but my plumber was convinced it would leak eventually so he found another couple of inches so we could use a manufactured shower pan.
Anyway, I’ll keep this short because unless you are in the thick of it, this part isn’t the most interesting. In the upcoming weeks we will sheetrock the walls, and then tile, install the kitchen and then the real fun begins–decorating!
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Meanwhile the hero of this renovating saga needs to be fed so in honor of our beloved St. Patrick, I will share with you a delicious new twist on that annual culinary ritual, Corned Beef and Cabbage.
