Back Deck Footings Are Poured

The back deck footings are now poured...and the backyard is hurting bad...looks like we will need some major sod.

Front Porch is Framed

The front porch is framed and the brick piers on the foundation are created to match the existing ones. They are exactly the same as the old piers...however, they no longer hold up the house (the steel beam does). The waste pipe and water pipes are also installed through the foundation. French drain pipes are also run along the foundation.

Stairs to the Basement

The stairs to the basement are roughed in. There is only a ladder for now, the stairs will arrive soon. The stairs will now make the old master bedroom ~3' smaller.

New Front Foundation

The new porch and side foundation is completed. It is then skim coated and waterproofed.

The stump which caused all the foundation damage is now on its way to its final resting grounds via the dumpster...

The Wall Comes Down

I wasn't there so I can't say for sure if it fell or if someone pushed it...but either way, it's down.

Steel Beam and Center Beam Installed

The steal beam which will support the house when the foundation is removed was installed today. It is in a temporary position until the foundation work is complete. A large engineered lumber beam was also installed to support the middle of the house due to the new weight of the second story.

Footings Poured and Front Porch Removed

The footings to support the front of the house have been poured and the front porch has been removed. There is a scaffold "bridge" providing access to the front door.

The Man Cave, the Wall, and the Tree

They didn't feature our "Man Cave" on CNN for nothing. It takes courage to hang out down there. For those of you unfamiliar with the infamous wall, here is a picture of it and the old tree stump responsible for the damage. This is one of the main drivers of the basement renovation (in addition to the rubble wall "supporting" the front porch).

Digging the Front Footings

The footings for the posts which will support the front of the house were excavated today. It was a 100% manual job. There were 3 original wood posts supporting the house...most with rot and old termite damage.

No More Columns

Work is officially underway. The front porch ceiling was temped today and the columns were removed and stored on the side of the house. The bobcat is in the backyard and ready to tear the front porch up next week. We are waiting on the gas, sewer, and water lines to be disconnected and the steel beam in the basement to be installed which should happen next Wednesday.

The side fence has been temporarily removed but will be rebuilt at the completion of the construction. The palm trees and magnolia have been temporarily transplanted to the backyard...we plan to replant the palm trees in the front yard.

We will be taking the porch shutters down to Griffin to be refurbished and rehung on the porch at the completion of the project. The Reinkings are the proud new owners of the boxwood hedges that were in front of the porch and the taller bushes on the side of the house.

The interior of the house has also been protected...although I can't say the same for my back yard lawn :(