Day Two

Remember how I like to have a plan?

Today, we have a monkey-wrench.  Not the actual tool, though I'm sure the contractors have those.  A hiccup in the plan, as it were.

I have adapted for such moments like these.  There are times during my day that I must be flexible; it's necessary for my profession.  I anticipate any possible issues and run the possible scenarios through my head, and make a quick little plan for each.  This way, I feel prepared for anything and everything.

So I was ready for this monkey-wrench.

There is a chimney that runs the outer wall, up from the basement, through the first and second floors, into the attic, and out the roof.  This chimney is as old as the house (1920's-ish), and completely useless.  It doesn't have a fireplace; it isn't being used to vent anything.  For a fraction of time, I had thought to open up the wall, reface the chimney, and use it as a cool feature in the kitchen.  But it is eating up valuable, where-my-stove-is-supposed-to-go space.  It needs to go--one way or another.  Therein lies the problem.

I mentioned research in the first post.  I did quite a bit of it.  We originally started looking for contractors in 2013.  We didn't get too far with it the first year because there was a wedding to plan.  So once that was over, I took up the kitchen project again.  (Long story short:  2013 gave us people who wanted to build an addition ($$$), and that was the only way they would be able to make my "dream" of a non-tic-tac-sized kitchen work).

We went to a home show, met a few people, and booked some consultations.  One company came, scoped it all out, and agreed--the chimney is a problem.  We had been told by other contractors that the chimney would have to come out, the roof /floor/ceiling/all the things would need to be patched; this would blow a chunk of the budget.  This crew can put it in a cradle, keep the cost down.  Effectively, I think they were just taking the chimney out of the first floor, and supporting the 2+ levels of chimney with something.  Maybe magic?

We told this to the second contractor.  He too could make this work. Better, he didn't need to blow out the back wall of the house to build an expensive, budget-killing addition. He could make the kitchen work in the footprint of the house.  We signed with him.  Then promptly forgot about the chimney.

This brings me to my second tip for any renovation.

Tip #2:  Expect the unexpected.  Be ready for an unforeseen event/expense.  Hiccups happen.  

So, the chimney wasn't forgotten by me.  My "expect-the-worse" personality has been agonizing on this potentially problematic piece of the puzzle that is my renovation.  It can only go one of two ways:  1) the chimney can be supported by the second floor, by providing something to support it, and then removing the portion that is in the way, or 2) the chimney needs to come out.

Our contractor called a number of people that he knows could give advice on this problem; they all agree:  the chimney is coming out.  This is an unexpected expense.  Budgets are hard to stick to, and any wiggle room that I had has been eaten by my expensive taste in tile (and the necessity of a new sub floor to support my expensive tile). But that chimney is coming out--and I've survived a snag in the plan.  I'm freaking out, but I'm surviving.

Why am I freaking out?  I had visualized the problem, but not the repercussions.  This makes an already huge project into a ginormous one.  Allow me to explain.  The half of the first floor is a wreak.  I was totally prepared for that.  Have you seen my kitchen station?  I was ready.  What I wasn't ready for was the second and third floor to join in the demo party.  The chimney runs along the side of my master bedroom.  So I've had tidy that up and move all of the furniture tomorrow.  The chimney also runs up through the attic and out the roof.  The access is a stairway that also serves as our closet.  All of my clothes and the husband's clothes are hanging there.  Yup.  Lots to do.  Tonight.

So I now also have a bedroom project going on, as well as the roof...all in addition to the kitchen.  And right before school starts!  Cue the stress.

Other than the chimney complication, work is going well.  Check out the photos from today:

The ceiling in the kitchen is totally gone...the white is some plumbing that is going to be moved--this is good because it's leaking.  

The now "gutted" bathroom.  The toilet is still in there.  I'm sure that'll be gone tomorrow.  The wallpaper is on its way out--as it doesn't match the idea.  Also, make a note; dark wallpaper in a tiny room makes it look even smaller.  

Here's the view from the pantry door into the dining room.  The floor is down to the last level.  It's pretty sturdy for almost 90 or so years old.  

This is the pantry.

Here is a pile of the flooring that was in the bath and kitchen.  In my driveway.  At the bottom of the picture is our walkway.  We did that ourselves.  Nice, eh?

The cabinets from my, now empty, kitchen.  Everything, AND the kitchen sink.