The Snail Has Sprouted Wings

 Yes, our little project is finally taking off. We ran into a snag because the soil where the kitchen is being rebuilt did not pass the first two compaction tests for the footings.  So Ed (our GC) did some excavating, added different fill and the test was successful.

The footings were quickly readied for pouring. This passed on the first inspection and today the concrete was poured! Each step is so exciting. This weekend more masonry will begin. Pete is keeping me updated with pictures and video footage while I am in Minnesota

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All of the old windows have been removed.

Today marks our eight month wedding anniversary and sadly we are separated but it’s all for a good cause as I will be working on the South Dakota Women’s Tres Dias Weekend #2. Then Pete will join me for a week of Crosslake fun. He doesn’t want to be away from the project for long. I’ll be so excited when I see the progress upon my return.

At a Snail's Pace

 It looks like the snail is about to take off.  Footings for the kitchen are starting this week.  If things go according to our contractor's schedule we'll be in the house at the end of October.  That means we will need to extend our lease one month at our apartment or find other accommodations.  If things don't go according to the schedule ... oh, we'll figure that out later.

In the meantime we have been shopping and researching.  So many things to pick out... My decor theme is Wood, White and Blue.... unless I change my mind

I played with a 3D app and got a pretty good idea of the floor plan with our furniture.  It's a quirky and compact home.  Many decisions are being made to maximize storage.  

Mostly we are excited that the construction has a schedule and things are beginning to happen.

Shopping

 Of course one of the things that we are doing in this process is picking out things for the house. I call this nesting and it’s one of my favorite things to do. I use Pinterest and my photo albums to keep track of the things we like. We are good at finding things we both like though sometimes it takes a little while. I would say that we meet in the middle on most things. The flooring choice has been the most challenging. Pete is pretty much getting what he wants there and I am conceding with input into the actual coloring of the type of flooring Pete wants. I think he’s letting me take the lead on the kitchen cabinets. Here are a few pictures of the process. The photos are not necessarily what we have chosen...

More Demo

 Demo continues as the roof comes off of the Florida room and the storage closet illegally built onto the side of the house is removed.

The Demo Permit Is Approved

 Nobody likes waiting but unfortunately that’s part of the process. The Demo Permit was approved in Mid March. It is so great to see things moving ahead, right now we’re in the “it’s going to get worse before it gets better”phase. When we saw the house with the Florida room (future kitchen) removed we did ask ourselves if we should have just started from scratch - but only for a moment. We’re committed to rebuilding this mid-century modern home.

Perfecting The Plan

Pete and I (mostly Pete) had done just about everything that could be done on the original interior demo permit long ago.

We  found architect Robin Dedon through a sales rep for a window company. It was a lengthy process developing the plan, revising the plan and approving  the final plan for submitting to the Fort Lauderdale building department.We are excited to get going.....

And there is always Yard work ...

 When we need something to do to keep us busy while we are waiting for permits ...there is always some yard work...

Plants grow quickly here.  Once a month we have bulk garbage pickup. Our first pile of yard waste followed the guidelines - the pile can’t be larger than a small car - it was definitely that big.

We also like to go to nurseries to look at different plants for future landscaping.  It turns out to be a pretty safe activity during the pandemic and it’s a delight for the senses.

Floor Demo - December 5/6

 For some reason there was a two inch layer of concrete over the living room, laundry room, and hallway areas. We decided to remove it ourselves. We wondered if we might be able to save the existing terrazzo floors. Unfortunately they aren’t salvageable (Pete didn’t really like the “baby poo gold”color anyway.  We had fun breaking up the concrete and tossing the chunks. It was very satisfying work.

Soil Test

 Soil Test

One of the big things to arrange before the building permit could be submitted was the soil test.  This test involved two borings. One was done in the front yard and one went right through the floor where our new kitchen will go.  On December second the company arrived with their equipment and began drilling. The drill in the kitchen area pulled up a treasure. Surprisingly intact was a small glass bottle. After the mud was cleaned off we could read the words Bayer Company. Yes, it was a small aspirin bottle. I guess the previous builders had their headaches as well.