Kitchen demolition and floor reconstuction:

Of course the kitchen has taken first priority here, even over updating the web site.   You would understand if you've ever seen that look in your wife's eyes of panic when she looks at her kitchen, and see stuff (dirt) that should reside out side of the house, in the middle of the floor.  This really translates to unwanted critters with/or without legs could get in the house.  So now you understand the haste needed on this project. 

 Well enough of my worries here is the picture progress so far.  Last you saw I had taken a peak at the damage. Just removed one cabinet and part of the floor to revile the source.  The drain pipe has had a small leak for a long time.  It must have increased in the last few months to show there was a problem.  I pealed back the floor and some more cabinets to see the extent of the damage.   

In the image below you can see the extent of the water damage.  This should be a lesson that at the first sign of a water leak it should be found and stopped. Of course in as my case that is usually too late.

 I did find some neat items while removing stuff.  There was a marble, a pencil from the 80's, wall paper from who knows when, and newspapers from 1915.  The newspapers show (from archeological deduction by layers) that the wood (sub) floor was prior to 1915. I keep saying "(sub)" because this was obviously the original floor, since the house was built in 1907. The following newspaper image show an add for a Radiola. I'll put up some of the other newspaper images later.  The Wall paper seems to be just above some paint. So I think this is a second layer but none the less it's an interesting pattern.    

 I removed the second layer of floor and wall also the upper cabinets.  Here it shows the mess.  Now it is time to figure out how to repair the damage.

The next pic shows the final rip out.  All the bad soaked wood cut out.  At some point this has to get better right? Ok it does. you can see the new joists in the corner.

 I just replaced what was soaked and put down visqueen only where the new wood was going in. The old stuff was still as solid as a rock. Just goes to show that if not for the water this would have last another 100 years. This shows that our new complicated ways aren't better than the older simpler ways.  To bad we forgot how to make it work. OK it may be that we don't have access to the same materials.  Any way I have no intent to replace more than needed.  Some may think that it would be better to replace all the old stuff but I rather leave as much as possible.  It's too bad I had to replace as much as much as I did. 

This brings us up to the current state. I have plywood sub floor in place. Its not fastened yet but will be soon.  Next is to rerun the rest of the electrical.  I've run some but the final runs need to be placed prior to the dry wall going up.

Stay tuned for the next update.  There is tones to come. Just remember what you see here is just the constuction, not all the hours that goes in to deciding and ordering the pieces.  Then there is hauling all the materials and appliences an hour to the house from the big city.