Demolition

Demo day looks a lot more fun when Chip and Joanna do it on Fixer Upper!

We are coming to the end of demolition.  While the new house has good bones, it was not particularly well cared for.  There's lots of evidence of spills, leaks, and overflows that weren't cleaned up right away.  It was foreclosed and sat vacant for about a year before we bought it.  It needs a lot of work and we’re trying to do what we can, both to save some money and to get to know the house.  There’s nothing like tearing up flooring or ripping our drywall to give you a crash course in your new house’s quirks.

To help us get back to a blank slate, on June 16 we had a 20-yard dumpster delivered to our driveway (and after we filled that up, we finished up with a 6-yard dumpster).  Here’s what we removed from the top two floors (the basement is a project for another year):

• Everything the previous owner left in the cabinets

• All the hollow-core woodgrain 6-panel doors

• Casings (except for around the front door)

• Baseboards

• Window sills

• Closet shelving

• Blinds and window shades (all of them were broken)

• Carpet, pad, and tack strips

• Peel and stick vinyl tile on top of glued-down vinyl tile on top of luan.

• Kitchen cabinets (the appliances were new but not right for our needs, so we were able to sell them)

• Drywall from the kitchen, powder room, and coat closet (more to come on these projects)

The lighting needs to come out, too.  We’re trying to recycle what we can; I separate all the metal out for the scrappers who come every week before trash day.  I have someone who may want the salvageable kitchen and laundry cabinets for his garage (did I mention I have a whole other kitchen in the basement?).  If he doesn’t take them this week, I will see if Restore will come and take them.

Here’s my youngest getting started:

And now, bed.  I must meet plumbers first thing in the morning.