Downstairs demolition 2: Trim hides all sins

There is something wonderfully liberating about tossing one’s accumulated detritus into a dumpster. Since there was room left in the waste receptacle, the real fun could begin!

On March 16, we started demolition on the walk-out basement, which will retain its current footprint when we renovate. The two of us had enthusiasm, two crowbars, a power drill/driver, gloves and safety glasses, and set to work.

The process was not unlike peeling an onion: we had to remove one layer at a time.

I’d often wondered why the previous owners installed such an elaborate baseboard around the room. The trim was green, about a foot high and held in place by an absurd number of screws and nails.

When we pulled off the baseboards in the corner near the stairs, the room filled with the smell of a damp meadow. Lovely when you are actually in a meadow after a spring rain. Pretty disconcerting when you are inside your home.

You know that ching-ching-ching sound you hear upon entering a casino? I was hearing that sound inside my head—backwards—as I sensed the cost of our remodel project going up.

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