Sunday, July 18, 2010

Work.

Yeah, lots of work.



New siding is definitely in our future plans along with a new roof. What kind of person would put that '70s Tahoe style wood paneling up and top it with Spanish missionary roofing tile. Not exactly the best look. We know we want standing seam metal roofing for sure. Looks great and lasts forever. Plus, I really think the long lines of the roofing will really compliment the structure of the house. And it will go with almost any siding we decide on. Researching those options now. Maybe stucco, maybe Hardy Board, maybe Ipe. We want something that looks great, has long durability and if it can add some R-factor we'd have everything.



I don't know if the people that lived here before us were swingers, terrorists or pot growers but they were sure concerned with privacy. Bushes and trees everywhere! The worst part is that everything was planted completely happenstance. Trees under trees with a bush in between. No rhyme or reason. We plan on keeping some of the older trees after a good trimming but most stuff is coming out and going into the wood chipper for mulch to improve the soil. The worst is the spider bushes out front. Those are going for sure.



More work inside the house. Nasty old carpet needs to come out!



When I got to pulling the hallway carpet I discovered lino and particle board underlayment underneath. Great. About killed myself yesterday getting that stuff up. I found cutting the lino with an exacto in 2 or 3 square foot sections and using a big ass pry bar was the only way to get it up. That's sweat equity right there.



So there's a small sample of what we got ourselves into. Lots more to come. Drywall work, finish work, windows, doors, floors and more. Sounds daunting doesn't it? But you know what? At the end of the day there is a real sense of satisfaction. Standing back and looking at what got accomplished in just a few hours is a really gratifying feeling. Now back to work!

Saturday, July 17, 2010

The Beginning...............



So, Christa and I bought a house. But not just any house. We bought The Ladder House.


It's big and it's crazy but we love it. And we definitely have some work ahead of us. Lots of work. But the neighborhood is great and we got it for a steal. The first time we saw it we knew it would be perfect for us. The Ladder House is one of those houses that isn't right for 90% of the people out there but is just the right fit for a select few. Here's hoping we are in that select few and I don't turn into Tom Hanks in the Money Pit. That would be bad.

So stay tuned here and see how it all turns out. We have some great ideas in mind. We want to be eco friendly when possible but aren't going to live and die by carbon footprints. A little modern, a little hip, a little cozy and entertainment friendly and I think we'll be happy. The Great Ladder House Project is underway!