Changing the front door was a priority for the Cuthberts.  Beyond the aesthetic appeal of the door, there was an issue of functionality.  The previous door (above left) was a bit narrow and likely would have caused problems for moving furniture.  The new door(above right), which the Clients picked themselves, is wider and contributes well to the curb appeal of the home.  This improvement, combined with changes made to the interior stairwell, will be much appreciated come move in day!

After opening the front wall to remove the existing entrance door, Gary uncovered some interesting framing.  The “jack stud” in Gary’s hand is actually a composite of original 2×4 pieces, foam, and wood furring strips.  Not exactly standard issue for a structural member of the door frame.  Amusing though.  Blocking at the door’s threshold was also found to be deficient, so replacing the front door turned out to be a really good idea. 

From the interior, we can appreciate the improvements made to the structure.  The door opening was widened for the new door, and properly framed with an adequately sized header above the door to distribute the load of the exterior wall above. 

In the past few days, most of the house was primed and painted.  And with that, floor installation got underway yesterday.  In the newly expanded master bedroom, the brazilian cherry floor is nearly complete.  There’s a lot more flooring to go, but we can already begin to appreciate the dramatic new look the floors will bring to this home. 

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Over the weekend, color selections were finalized.  Judging by the visual evidence, careful consideration was given to shading in each room.  Now that the painter has his palette, he can get started as early as tomorrow. 

In the upstairs hallway, new pull-down stairs were installed.  The old stairs were eliminated due to changes in the configuration of the hall. 

Sample flooring and a stair tread are moved out of the way for now.  The Cuthberts chose a Brazilian Cherry finish that should look beautiful throughout the house.  The existing wood floor is the home’s original sub-floor.  Upstairs, the well worn wood had been obscured by wall-to-wall carpeting.  The new floor can be installed as soon as the painter is finished, likely by the end of the week.

Checking in on Friday morning, we can see that the siding installer has come and gone.  He did a really nice job wrapping the windows to match the existing building.  Apart from the stickers in the windows, you can’t detect any disturbance.

Window casings, sills and baseboard are in place in the new dining room.

Upstairs in the new master bedroom, closet doors are installed.  Installed true to the level, the gap at the bottom reveals a bit of slope in the exising subfloor.  Gary will have to make some careful modifications to the door to ensure it will open properly when the new floor is installed. 

Elsewhere in the house, new pull down steps for the attic are ready to be installed.  The Cuthberts are busy making final color selections for each room, and the painter should be ready to start early next week.  ?

Thanks to the miracle of his iphone, Gary is able to supply us with a progress shot as he works;

Vinyl siding has been removed to allow for installation of the new windows.  Building paper is applied to the exterior sheathing to act as a vapor barrier behind the siding.  Additional flashing is applied around the window opening to prevent leakage.  Later the same day, I checked in to see the progress for myself.

By the end of the day, all new windows are installed.  The original siding was preserved towards the peak of the roof.  Upon closer inspection, we can see that building paper was not installed under the siding.  As a result, it will be removed, papered, and reinstalled from the bottom up.  The siding contractor is scheduled for the beginning of next week, so the remaining siding will stay in place for now to protect the wood sheathing below. 

Inside, we can see that the drywall subcontractor has been busy taping and spackling.  The new windows offer a nice view of the street and really open up what once felt like a small room.    

Elsewhere in the house, sheetrocking continues.  Trim is scheduled to arrive on Monday, so Gary will have another busy week installing trim in anticipation of the painting to follow.

The Cuthberts join Craig and Gary to discuss the job’s progress and go over the schedule for the upcoming week or two.  Floor selections have been made, and a sample layout will arrive next week for final approval.  The insulator is setting up for installation as they speak, with drywall to follow immediately.  Window delivery is expected early next week, so everything is pretty much in order.

Gary looks on as the group compliments his work on the wall pictured above.  Skilled saw work and attention to detail was required to taper the studs used to make the wall plumb (vertical).  Although the work will soon be covered, the extra effort will insure a uniform finish when drywall is installed.  

As the meeting concludes, the insulator is off and running (as well as one can run on stilts i guess).  Decking will be installed in this area for attic storage. ?