I have not posted too much about it but I am in the middle of a fairly major house project. Let me try the 'short- sheet' version of the story....

It all started in a 5,000 watt radio station in..... no, wait, wrong story.

It all started with an old house and an unusually heavy snowfall season back in 2014 / 2015.

The 'house' that I live in was built as a barn in 1905, typical post and beam construction that any Amish person would recognize instantly. In 1948, the barn was converted into a house of no particular type or style but is 24' X 30', two floors. But the second floor ceiling is sloped at the edges and the eve walls are only 46" tall (inside), this is along the 30' lengths. We have owned the house for a long time and have been working on it since day one, with the first floor about totally rebuilt. There was no inside entrance to the cellar (or basement), which is where the washer / dryer was, so doing laundry meant walking on the west wall, walking north and turning the corner, and entering the bulkhead on the north end of the house. I added an addition to the north end of the house, one floor only, that was 10' deep (off the 30' length of the house) and 14' wide to encompass the bulkhead opening; this provided access to the cellar from inside the house, and outside exit on the north end of the house (to the backyard) and at the same time, we moved the washer / dryer into that addition, making it effectively the laundry room.

There was never any access to the attic; it was platerboarded and plastered in when we bought the house.

Now there are some unusal aspects to this house; for example, the living room is the full width of the house, 24', and the first floor ceiling joists (which are the second floor floor, the 'bearers' of everything up there) run parallel with the peak. Huh? Now there is a hallway going into the kitchen connected to the living room, and the total distance to the first bearing wall is.... 19' but the ceiling joists are only 8" thick. Huh? Not sure what holds up the second floor- magic maybe. Now the first floor joists (the first floor floor) go the other way and cross the 24' width, which is the normal way.

Fast forward to 2015: we had record levels of snow that winter. In the spring, I was outside walking around, generally looking to see how the property fared after the winter and the snow having melted WHEN SUDDENLY, I notice that the surface of the roof looks like the ocean during a storm but not quite as smooth. Looking more closely, I can see that while the roof is significantly buckled in two directions, the really disconcerting part is along the slope of the roof; the rafters dip what looks to be about 6" in the middle..... not good.

Insert long, ugly story here involving insurance company, lawyers, structural engineers and me in the middle trying to reach a conclusion. Eventually, we reach an acceptable point.... they will cover part of the damage but not the whole thing. We are in an situation with no clear or obvious path forward but all the choices involve both pain and benefits. Because the house (barn modified by cutting out a bunch of the cross- posts) was basically 'miss- built' in the first place, putting a new roof on the existing walls was not possible. Putting up new walls and a roof would entail gutting the second floor and rebuilding. And it was not possible to save the second floor floor (the joists, the weight bearing part of the floor) because they were not adequately supported in the first place. So after a LOT of research, thinking and considering, we come to this conclusion: we are going to remove and rebuild the second floor of the house. This is extremely rare because it is not cost- effective, and this will hold true for us as well- we will never get the money put into the house back (speaking of 'real' money here, not theoretical value including imaginary or hoped- for profits). But the alternatives were worse and so ahead we forged.

But not so fast grasshopper, there are some problems here that are not so easy or obviously solved. We have to remove the roof, then the rest of the second floor, then install a new floor (the entire floor, both structural as well as the actual sub- floor), build walls and then install a roof. Two major problems: 1) We live in New England and there is absolutely no way this amount of work can be squeezed in- between rain or snowstorms, and it is not really practical to tent around an entire house two floor tall and 2) remember the post and beam construction? Well, it is not easy or obvious as to how to tie into that with modern building techniques and materials. Remember, this is all on the 'up and up', permits drawn and it must pass both inspections as well as have P.E. (Professional Engineer) structural stamps on the design. I can do the design work but I am not a structural engineer (wrong kind) and I could not stamp my own work anyway. Oh and by the way, the inside of the second floor is gutted at this point but the roof is still in place to make it weather tight and the proverbial clock is ticking regarding the next winter's snow and how heavy it will be..... enough to cave in the already- weakened roof? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I can do something to stiffen (Easy Boys! there was none of that kind of stiffening going on during this.... process) the existing structure to last one more winter? Now at this point, summer of 2015, the second floor has been gutted (3 30 yard dumpsters full of 'house' off to the landfill) and we have discovered the bats living in the attic, have removed them (driven off but not harmed, bats are protected believe it or not, and cannot be disturbed before a date set by the state, which I believe was 1 July of that year, to allow the young to be old enough to fly), found all the guano (yeah, look it up) and had that removed also. All out- of- pocket, none of this covered by insurance of course. And the roof line is slowly dropping while the outside (eve) walls are spreading..... We are still living in the house but have moved from the second floor to the first floor. But Brian you ask, was there enough room on the first floor for the first floor and the second floor? Of course not. Is there sleeping space on the first floor? Of course not. So the furniture on the second floor went into storage ($75/ month and automatic billing) and we are sleeping in the dining room of course.

August 2015, end of part 1 while I consider 839,578 ideas, paths, ways and means and reject all of them, and more. And for your viewing pleasure....

Brian

Edit: photos are too large to attach. Just imagine 'visions of sugar-plums dancing in your head' and remember, it does not look anything like that.

> Edit: photos are too large to attach.

Just resize them! Linux:

$ cd /home/whatever/photos/whatever
$ mkdir smallstuff
$ cp -a * smallstuff
$ cd smallstuff
$ mogrify -scale 1200x1200 -quality 92 *

done!

Or do it the harder way with gimp, shotwell, gqview, geeqie, ksnapshot, shotwell, or darktable

More of a Cerious software guy myself but it does not really matter; let your imagination run wild and it is 20% worse than that. 200% worse if you are not very imaginative in the first place.  and 

Brian

> Edit: photos are too large to attach.

Just resize them! Linux:

$ cd /home/whatever/photos/whatever
$ mkdir smallstuff
$ cp -a * smallstuff
$ cd smallstuff
$ mogrify -scale 1200x1200 -quality 92 *

done!

Or do it the harder way with gimp, shotwell, gqview, geeqie, ksnapshot, shotwell, or darktable

Just imagine 'visions of sugar-plums dancing in your head' and remember, it does not look anything like that.

     

WHEN SUDDENLY
 

I have been living "When Suddenly!" for two years now and there is not only no end in sight, I have no idea how far away the exit is.... assuming there is an exit at all. Well, other than the eternal, gigantic exit.... that one always awaits but I am speaking more about the house.

 

I will put together something regarding photos and post a link. Probably a couple of photos a day. The majority of the population is just not ready to see this all at once, in one take. It  needs to be spread out a little bit, and morphine in- between views would probably help.

I once heard the expression: There are two things you may really like but ABSOLUTELY do NOT want to watch being made.....1) Sausages and 2) Laws. I feel ready to add a third to this truly impressive level of intensity..... watching Brian's house project stumble along. This is hard to believe but I think even Kirby had to look away 'cause I found him facing the 'other' way and I know I did not leave him in that position. Shiver me timbers.

Brian

     

WHEN SUDDENLY

I have been living "When Suddenly!" for two years now and there is not only no end in sight, I have no idea how far away the exit is....

My ceiling in the great room had water damage and previous damage.  I had the two huge skylights replaced with 4 smaller ones when I had the roof done three years ago, leaving even more damage.  At this point, the entire ceiling (drywall/popcorn) must be torn out, rafters scissored, insulated, new lighting, drywall, paint and lots of other things I didn't mention.  I have done a lot to this house in the last 25 years, but I just don't have the energy to see this through.  The nightmare mess, what to do with the cats, how long it would take, how I would live during it, etc.

So here I sit.  As long as I don't look up, everything seems fine...

I notice that the surface of the roof looks like the ocean during a storm but not quite as smooth.

Sounds like something Douglas Adams would write. 

Never read anything the gentleman wrote. And I had to look up who he was before saying that.....

Brian

Sounds like something Douglas Adams would write. 

OK, new electrical service going in tomorrow. This is the main service to the house, nothing to do with the second floor other than providing the source of 100 amps on a feeder to the second floor. Still, moving forward and at least the neighbors can see a little something happening. All work since the winter has been inside so from outside, it looks like the project has stalled. Also, with the new service, the panel on the second floor can be powered, which will eliminate the two heavy extension cords feeding the second floor (lights, fans, power tools and cordless recharging stations).

Another step sideways: I am installing mini- splits in the house, three on each floor, with two compressors outside. Thought it was an R134 based system but no, it is R410a based and runs at much higher temps. as well as far higher pressures. Hmmmmm. The original plan was to install them myself up to the point where they needed purging and a small amount of refrigerant added but that is not looking good; looks like I will have to get into the A/C business also to finish off this job.

Brian

28 June: electrical service upgraded from 100 to 200 amps. 100 amps of new service tapped and now the new sub- panel on the second floor has power. I can tap into the panel as I please now and power anything needed upstairs. Up until now, all power on second floor was supplied from extension cords. Now in addition to a much cleaner source of power upstairs, 230 volts (both legs of residential power) are now available upstairs to supply A/C when that is installed, which will start this weekend hopefully.

Brian

Think of all the electrical goings on that could be happening upstairs now! Band saws! TIG welders! Bench grinders! And of course big screen TV's!

Wow, your upstairs is exciting! My upstairs, by comparison at least, is boring. Nothing going on up there other than there are Voltons (one of my favorite words, others being 'electronical' and 'ironical'; favored expressions are "We I'll be go to Hell" and so forth) present at the main breakers but no further. Bare, open box with nothing but bare wiring all over the place and nothing to hook up.

Brian

Think of all the electrical goings on that could be happening upstairs now! Band saws! TIG welders! Bench grinders! And of course big screen TV's!

Quick update while I bask downstairs in front of the A/C....

30 June:

New service installed and temp. wired hot. Was 100 amp, now 200 amp and the 100 amp tap going to second floor is now hot.

Local inspector approved outside / inside service install. Called in approval to power co. (National Grid is ours) and the National Grid engineer has been here, also approved new service and we have a service request number (SER) and are scheduled for them to install new taps next week. The original power lines to the house are actually too small to carry 200 amps and were probably installed in the 1950's and so much be changed back to the transformer but that is an SEP (someone else's problem), namely the power co. and it will be done without direct charge (small pun intended) to me.

1 July:

Installed two temporary, 20 amp taps in breaker panel on 2nd floor (just NM 12 to junction boxes and outlets, draped on framing) to provide power to second floor without extension cords from first floor, through 'hatch'. Installed combination AFI- GFI breakers on both circuits just to see if they would work with tools (electrical tools not THAT tool), fans, and especially, brush- type electric motors. All successful, I cannot find any tool or machine that will trip either breaker. So much for the horror stories about AFI's.....

Once I stop sweating, off to put in the runs for the mini- split (A/C) compressors and run the linesets for same.

Brian

.......it will be done without direct charge (small pun intended) to me.

You just can't control yourself, can you. (more of a statement than a question so I left off the question mark.) 

Am I the only one that can't see the pictures??...or aren't there any?
You know posting photos would be a wonderful excuse to stay in the A/C awhile longer.    <----emoticon pun intended.

Actually, you ARE getting the controlled version. What goes on in my head is sort of like a manic cross between Robin Williams and Archie Bunker both commenting on the same sights at the same time, maybe with a little Eddie Murphy (from RAW) in there. Trust me, the unfiltered version is just not fit for common consumption. But I will say that one time, after I told a particular gentleman (noting to do with this forum or motorcycles but in a professional environment) exactly why and in what way I did not like something, and he responded that he was insulted, I explained that that was not my intention..... because if I had wanted to insult him, I would have merely told him the truth.... the whole truth, about the subject. And besides, you know things are more interesting with me around than they usually are without me, right? Right?    <Marty has met me in the flesh so to speak>

No, no photos. And just like a train wreck, this..... event, cannot be appreciated without photos. Truly.

I tried to put together a small group of photos that would kinda' get the point across without getting out of hand but found it tedious (I have LOTS of pictures and you do NOT want to see all of them, trust me) and it looks like Photobucket went over to pay- per- view. So I am looking for a mechanism to bring these illustrations of horror to a wider audience.

Brian

You just can't control yourself, can you. (more of a statement than a question so I left off the question mark.) 

Am I the only one that can't see the pictures??...or aren't there any?
You know posting photos would be a wonderful excuse to stay in the A/C awhile longer.    <----emoticon pun intended.

4 July: installed 2nd floor A/C wiring (power to the compressors) from 2nd floor panel to outside at ground level and that went far better than expected. Now moving onto the 'linesets' (two copper tubes, one armored electrical cable and one condensate drain) from each mini- split (three total) to the same area outside, basically to ground level. That will not all happen today though, lots of cuts / flares to make on the tubing.

Brian

All three mini- splits started. power cables and condensate line lying on the bottom of the trusses where they will be corralled and anchored. Warm day, tempers flared, Andrea is going off on a business trip / vacation tagged onto the end. There was no vacation more needed by one party of a couple     Maybe she comes back, maybe she does not...... Kidding. :-) She is off to Las Vegas on business and will meet up with her brother (who lives one state over) and our sons, one in Las Vegas (just moved there from NC) and one from VA. Not sure but this is the first time the kids have been together with any  other family member (other than parents) in many years. It will prove interesting and hopefully fun for all.

I have to get some quotes on wall insulation and <perhaps> commissioning the mini- splits. Not sure about that one though, a couple of vendors have either refused or given me the 'I do not want to do that price'. So I may be in the market for some new tools I never expected to purchase; looks like one thousand dollars will do it and that is still a buy compared with having it done so no foul there. Plus I have the equipment and storage vessels to fully dischage the system shouit evey need attention, to be moved, etc.

Brian

My wife is on a business trip / vacation..... she is 'vacating' I guess. This triggered the idea that I, too, could take a vacation..... from my house! Got the idea from Bob Wiley: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDKiMYgdxSs

8 July: vacating.

9 July: sitting in stunned amazement. I have been waiting for the local elect. co. (National Grid) to stop by and run new taps from the street to my house. I have power but am using the old, 'too small' lines, and they still go to the electrical TeePee in the front yard. New service is in, town inspection is done, power co. engineer approved Service Request (and tried to torture me a bit) and so now waiting for the lineman and boom truck to appear, hopefully this next week. Knock on door this AM, yep, a Sunday, and there is Mr. Lineman in the flesh! Talk to the guy a bit and he is a great guy, strings the new taps and then, during the review of the previous convoluted journey to get to this point, he gives me his cell phone number and suggests to call him directly and maybe he can help me out when it is time to side the house and <maybe> adjust the service! Absolutely amazing. I had no idea that the power co. would do a routine service call such as this one on a weekend. Funny thing is that just after Brian (the lineman Brian, not the forum annoy-er Brian) cut the taps to my house, he got a call from down the road for a 'power out' service call. I said I was surprised that he did not stop working here and go to that call because it was more important, until he pointed out to me that I was now a 'power out' service call too so I had as much prioity as that other customer..... oh yeah, I did not think of it that way (house was w/out power for a couple of hours between removing the old taps and putting in the new one).

Still vacating but now doing so with lots' o' electrons at the ready, lots more there were available yesterday. It all kinda' makes me want to want to break off 20, or 30, or 150 amps and make sparks or something.

Brian

Stringing A/C lines (six sets second floor, six sets first floor), A/C power and control cables today, along with condensate discharge lines. I will try and snap a couple of photos once the lines are corralled a bit and close to 'in place'. It is going far better than my fondest hopes and much better than I actually expected. Lots of flares but they are coming out so nice I now have some conficende the systems will actually pressure- test positively. Going to pressure test wit compressed air after passing it through a desiccation line to dry the air. Nitrogen is recommended but I would have to buy a tank and gauges for that and I believe dry, compressed air will serve just as well. Especially since a LOT of A/C installers apparently skip the pressure test, go right to a vacuum test (which is less than 15 PSI) and find leaks the old- fashioned way.... but tracing leaking refrigerant :-(  The project is coming our far neater and cleaner regarding install than I had expected also.

Brian

23 July 2017: 1:30 PM Just finished running A/C lines from second floor to outside. What a gigantic pain in my butt. I had to use some of my very best obscene and creative combinations (singular words have long since failed, now it is a matter of seeking just the right person and describing what they may be doing to / with a close relative, or perhaps a barnyard animal) while doing this little gem. The lines are in place but not yet in place and capped for a pressure test; that is going to have to wait a few days to get some small pieces of drywall up to have a place for the A/C lines to terminate.... but the actual plumbing is done..... OK, it still needs the occasional anchor and final insulation around all joints but hey, that has to wait for the pressure test.

Got a price on insulation: $1,350 for the walls, same for the ceiling (attic), both are blown- in cellulose. The walls get a 'netting' material put over them and the insulation is blown in the pockets, not unlike filling, oh, say, pantyhose with cellulose under modest pressure. The attic just gets the stuff blown in and it rests on the ceiling drywall but there is more of it (12" ceiling, just under 6" in the walls) than in the walls. Still waiting for other quotes and I would kinda' like to try out that spray in (on?) cellulose that sticks to the bays and then they abrade off the surface down to the studs.

And so it goes.....

Brian