One apartment done, five to go. We have tenants moving into the next apartment on November 1, and Kevin is working hard to get everything done in time. This apartment is on the top floor on the side of the building where the roof had collapsed, and very little of the original details could be salvaged. Instead, Kevin found floors that matched the original pine floors and trim with the same profile as the original trim. This photo shows the living room (and the original trim) as it looked when we bought the building.
How it looked before...
This photo shows what the bedroom in the previous blog post looked like before renovation.
Loft space
We took out all of the ceilings in the front space and it opens up the upper windows. Not sure why they had natural light into the crawl space originally. We plan to keep the front part open and expose the beams and then put in a loft space towards the back.
Only the tub remains
We love the old claw foot tub, so we think we've figured out a way to keep it and have a shower. We're also now planning to use the old sink as well.
Third Floor Demo Progress
Same view from top floor as walls and plaster are removed. The majority of all demolition work has now been completed.
Rotten floors
We have a significant amount of water damage from leaks in the roof. That has caused some damage all the way through the three floors. Fortunately, the damage on the first (retail) floors is minimal. But to work on the upper floors, I had to take up the rotten floors--didn't feel like plunging 30 ft. through the beams.
Like a lot of this project, there's a whole series of short-term steps, e.g. building stairs, fixing the floor, etc. that are needed to actually do the major work.
Rotten floor
Cutting out the bad wood
Looking up through the cleared out floor
Looking down at the rubble below
Tearing out plaster walls
The walls are all original wood and plaster. It took a master craftsman a lot of time to put in these walls and ceilings. I feel a little bad about just ripping them out in a few hours. Some are in good condition and we may leave a few. Others have so much damage or we have to remove the walls to put in insulation, modern plumbing, electricity, etc.
The biggest problem is the mess from the plaster and all the centuries old dust, mold, rot and other nasty contaminants. As you can see in the last photo, I'm wearing full-body protection, especially a high quality air filter.
Before...
After