A sign of support

“It is like getting a new house from the inside out,” Matt said on Monday after we inspected the crew’s progress.

We never expected to be the kind of people who would allow a firm to advertise in front of our home, but the Wasko crew has proven themselves worthy. We’re proud to let our neighbors know what an awesome team we’ve hired.

Steve Wasko noted on Thursday that he, foreman Miguel and the rest of the crew are getting close to completing the major repairs identified by Harry’s structural engineering report, needing another week or so in the walkout basement before moving on to the bathroom area under our bedroom.

The team made more holes, this time in the utility room, and put in more lally columns—saving for me the tree trunk beams they had removed. They also pulled out the cheap PVC windows, shored up the structure and then put them back in. In addition, the team continued “sistering” the joists holding up the floor above, adding new framing to the existing crazy quilt.

New windows are on the way. On August 14 we met with Alex, Steve’s partner, to go over the project and write a big check so he could order supplies. We learned that his firm, Adriatic (which works with his father’s firm, Schiavone & Sons), also does commercial work, including Southern Hospitality, a restaurant for Justin Timberlake (American pop singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, actor and participant in a notorious “wardrobe malfunction”) that opened last summer.

I know it is too early to say (and I call feel all of you who have been through a renovation are thinking: Just wait for the inevitable horrors ahead), but it feels to me like we’ve hired a construction Dream Team. They listen, care, show up, make progress and maintain an orderly work site.