The progress is slow since we are doing a lot of sub-structure renovations such as electrical wiring, plumbing, insulation, etc..and it’s easy to feel bogged down in the project. According to a friend who has recently renovated a lane home, this means that you are about to turn a corner. When you feel like it’s never going to end, then it’s time to start laying tiles and choosing color schemes. The contractor still feels we are on track to meet a June 30 completion deadline, but the progress for April has felt slow.

Repairing Rotten Stairs- April 28

Finally the treacherous stairs are repaired. No longer do we need to fear our feet falling through the rickety bottom stairs if we step a tad too heavily. This was the only place in the house that had mystery moisture damage. We still don't know what caused the wood to mold and rot, but the contractors sealed it before rebuilding in hopes of patching any unseen leaks.

Pipe Placement- April 19

Third floor Master Bathroom April 17- One day soon there will be a cast iron claw foot tub that sits here. We are making frequent trips to the markets on Yishan Lu to choose bathroom/kitchen fixtures and faucets. It's a lot tougher than it sounds to pick out a basic faucet...

Loft Stairs in Progress-

Loft Stairs Progress- April 17

(Photo)

Loft Stairs Progress- April 25

The staircase to the 4th floor loft is almost done. We have debated the placement, style, and function of these stairs endlessly over the past several months. Now that they are almost finished, we are pleased with the outcome. They will have a wood railing that matches the other two staircases in the house. There is a guy who specializes in carving banisters who will make it match the other ones. I have seen his work in other homes and quite skilled in making the slow elegant curves from solid wood. We have decided to slightly reshape the existing banisters since they are a bit out of proportion.

Bamboo Scaffolding- April 22, 2007

Bamboo scaffolding and green mesh now frame the whole exterior of the house. We are still debating about how to renovate the exterior. In addition to a few coats of new paint, we had hoped to strip the peeling paint from the old bricks and leave them their natural color; however, about a decade ago a previous owner had painted them a dull red color using a water-based paint. As a result, we cannot chemically strip the paint and would have to sand it off. The problem with sanding old bricks is that it will create an unnaturally uniform look and a smooth texture that looks odd for a seventy year old house. We are still debating about how to solve this problem.

First Floor Bathroom- April 19

The first floor bathroom is being reconstructed in its new incarnation. We have moved it under the stairs to open up the foyer, though it's a very small space and I'm nervous that the finished product will feel like an airline toilet.

First Floor Bathroom- April 28

We had a few surprises like the 3rd floor bathroom floor had to be completely pulled apart and reassembled since it was about 3cm taller than the hall floor. It had been artfully concealed in a previous renovation, but it needed to be repaired to prevent water from the bathroom floor seeping onto the restored wood floors in the hall. A bit of a headache, but the contracting team were able to resolve it

The progress of the whole house seems slow, but our fingers are crossed that things will speed up for May now that the structural and infrastructure renovations are almost complete…

Melanie

Wisteria Lane- April 19, 2007