Structural repairs begin

Steve Wasko and his two-man crew arrived this morning and set right to work.

They were 90 minutes earlier than we expected, and caught us making last-minute adjustments in the utility room. After removing a stunning amount of stuff, we tore down shoddy shelving that had served as a barrier between that level and the walk-out basement. Our goal was providing the team with maximum access to the suspect structure.

To reduce the noise, dust and disruption we’d experience in our living quarters, the team sealed off the stairs with a sheet of plywood. As a result, they cut themselves off from the only switch to the track lights in the utility room; our dirty clothes will now need to travel outdoors before arriving in the laundry area. We’ll all adjust.

The barrier proved invaluable as they cut through the concrete, yet fumes from the equipment still set off the fire alarm.

As I requested, the team saved the pine tree that had helped hold up the house—it had been set directly in the dirt and surrounded by concrete. Matt calls the reclaimed lumber “@#$#%&* firewood.” He is not the only one swearing: I pledge to somehow use this pole in the renovation! (Hmmm… I wonder how…)