Sorry for the long delay. We've been working like dogs and every muscle in my body hurts. When last we left the remodel it was week one. It's now week four and I've been shitting in a porta potty for way too long; the novelty has worn off. Otherwise, construction is moving along at a hefty pace.
While tearing out walls we discovered three important facts about the house:
1. The original section of the house, built in the late 1800s, was a barn
2. The barn was built on the dirt - without a foundation
3. The wall behind the old tub/shower is completely rotted
I should have known something was wrong when during demolition the tile and Sheetrock (yes, Sheetrock around a shower) literally fell off of the wall. Underneath were randomly spaced 2x4s that, in most cases, were completely rotted. How this load-bearing exterior wall has held up the second floor all these years is mind-boggling. There was also rotted framing for what at one time could only have been a barn door (what us modern folk call a "garage door" today). The foundation, such as it was, consisted of 4x6s laid on the dirt. Surprisingly, they weren't rotting. Not so surprising, there is no way we can pass inspection with things the way they are.
Hello Lou The Foundation Guy. Goodbye $8000.00.
Although this project is still within budget, 23ft of new foundation was a big hit to my "reserves". On the bright side, we'll have a sturdy room to run to when the big one hits, assuming the house doesn't fall down before we get the new foundation and wall built.
Naturally, this was all discovered at the same time a week-long rain storm hit the bay area, bringing progress to a halt.
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