1326 Cunningham Rd…

1326 Cunningham Rd….On to the Basement

Doll house could not be saved.Termites had taken over the dollhouse. It was demolished and the ground treated to prevent them from attacking the new handy barn pictured here. Not a kit it was built from scratch. It is 25 feet closer to the house than the doll house was.

A Close-up viewThe tractor and mower are actually being stored at my office for the winter.

New Steps The first thought was to pour new steps. Purchasing pre-cast was half the cost. And of course railings are extra.

Different ViewThe house number is attached to the back of a license plate and hanging on a wire coat hanger will be replaced in due time. I plan on sending the plate down to dad to hang on a wall.

Last “step” pictureBecause the stone was not a smooth surface to butt up to we poured a concrete wall for the steps so there should not be water seeping into the foundation.

Living room fireplace remodel This was done after dad returned last April. First thought was to just clean and paint it. It did not clean well and the result was plan “B”. A frame was built around the existing fireplace and drywall and paint to match the rest of the room.

Another look

A bit more perspective Taken from the kitchen.

Basement demo has begunI finally remembered to take a camera about a week into the basement demo. Just like the first floor this is a full remove and replace. The stone foundation wall were actually in good shape. This view is towards the south west wall . (front of the house under the master bedroom)

West wall viewWith the wall removed the small side windows were exposed. Decided to remove them instead of having custom sized windows built. Some duct work repair was needed due to a water leak in the bathroom that rusted out the metal.

Looking towards the furnace roomThe two pipes hanging down were from the fuel oil tank that was hidden behind the paneling. The tank was 250 gallons and still contained a mixture of several gallons of oil and water. It was a beast of a job to get out. You can see an oval outline on the wall where it stood.

A view eastSeveral decisions were made from this picture. The counter has been removed. The entrance door by the steps was removed. The brick bar was removed as was the closet and shelves.

The fireplace roomInteresting mural on the wall. And yes its not an optical illusion, the wall was slanted. On purpose no less. While the stone looked ok everything around it has to go.

The mural take 2Ceiling is a bit rough looking. Some of the heat vents hang low. That’s why the ceiling height was so low. We raised it the best we could.

Last take

Notice the framing messAll of the wall framing was done using scrap lumber. 26 inches apart. We reframed it all.

The bar The bar was kind of cool. I looked to see if the base was solid and it was ok. The brick was ok. But it just didn’t add anything to the room and made it seem much smaller. It didn’t make the cut.

The electrical ….The panel was newer. Everything else in the basement was marginal to dangerous just because of the age. The electrical in the basement has been gutted. All new lights, switches, outlets and even a new 2nd breaker panel in the furnace room to handle some of the load.

The Entrance DoorThis door is only 67 inches tall. It is however taller than the other one that was 62 inches tall. Again the current door was a standard door like the one on the porch that had the bottom sawed off. The only available replacement was a flush door custom made to size. Its how a 100.00 door ends up costing 375.00.

The WindowsThe windows are being replace by 2 sliders similar to the ones by the front door. Same Pella replacement windows as on the first floor.

The bar and walls are gone

The remodel is underwayWell as you might expect there was no insulation found in any of the exterior walls. The new walls have a plastic vapor barrier which should help keep moisture out.

Furnace room This view is showing the furnace room from the back of the furnace. The door is on the right.

Framing in closet Creating a large closet in about the same place that the fuel tank was located. The water meter and water shutoff are in this closet. It will have bi-fold doors added. The stone wall has been painted using “DryLock” water proof paint.

Lights We are using recessed “can” lights in the basement. There will be 14 lights controlled by multiple switches per code. There will also be an outside light by the new entrance door.

Walls going upThe wall studs were up and the electrician was finishing up the phase one wiring. He will be back once the drywall is up to install the switches and outlets.

The old furnaceAll was well. The furnace installed by Montgomery Wards while old was functional. At least until it failed to start. The pilot went out and was re-lit. It went out 2 more times and I called a repair guy. The furnace was failing and the heat exchanger was showing signs of rust out. By code it should be red tagged. (condemned - replaced)

New windows are inThe windows were installed in the fireplace room.

Still looking like a work in progress…Walls are all now insulated. All of the tile is off the floor. We are almost ready for some drywall.

Drywall here we goThe fireplace room is the first to get dry walled. The fireplace will be done much like the one upstairs. However this one will have a recessed mantle.

Fireplace room This drywall encloses the back side of the stairway. To the right is a very narrow closet. There is also another closet on the other side of the room entrance.

Narrow closetThis is where the removed door used to be. Seemed a better use of the space instead of just blocking it off. Suite case storage etc.

Drywall going up main roomThe heat ducts really make dry walling a ceiling tricky.

New windows main roomThe plan is to reuse the storage space under the window.

The old entrance doorBlocked off the old door has been removed Plywood was used on the outside to encase the old entrance. Every attempt has been made to raise the headroom coming down the steps. It is still tight but we were able to get 6 inches more headroom as you come down the stairs.

New furnaceThe decision was to replace the furnace. The new furnace is an 85 % efficient model. It is much smaller than the old furnace which I was told was too big for the house to begin with. Required installing a pipe in the chimney for exhaust. Total cost parts and labor $1,100.00. Setup for central air if the next owner wants it. Other quote was 2,800.00. Much smaller exhaust pipe so less going up the chimney. Water heater was replaced when the house was re-plumbed.

A work in progress

A look from the back yard.

Door is installedMy preference would have been a window in the door but it was not an option. It is tight and it does have a deadbolt so it’s a vast improvement to the one that was there. Just don’t forget to duck. The concrete was removed and new concrete poured for the threshold.

Looking betterThe drywall is now at the tape and mud stage. Boxing in the posts was a lot of work. They will look good when they are finished. 25 gallons of mud to get the first coat on the walls.

Looking towards the furnace roomYou can see that to the right of the first post is the new laundry area. This area will have all the necessary hookups for a washer, dryer and laundry tub.

Looking into the fireplace room

Another lookCode now calls for wired smoke alarms with battery backup. Putting them in the basement and will add them upstairs if it becomes an issue when its time to sell.

Finished window lookFireplace room windows after drywall.

FireplaceBeginning to look like a room again.

Look from the bottom of the stairs

Last look for nowThe paint scheme for the basement will again be neutral. The rooms will be carpeted.

That’s it for now

• Still to come….• Trim, paint and carpet in the downstairs. I hate

to call it a basement when its finished.• Soffit and fascia on outside.• Repair or replace windows on porch. They are

leaking on the new drywall.• A bit of landscaping on the grounds.• The end is in sight…… Let’s hope