Electric Start

The electrical installation started on Saturday. All the boxes were installed and Brent reviewed all the details with the contractor. Work continued today but we will not be able to review the work until the weekend.

As most of the family and our friends know, Zelda has turned into flip, because Brent accepted a new position in Chattanooga, Tennessee. In the long term, we are very excited to move back to Tennessee and we will only be about one hour from the girls when they attend UT in the fall. We both wish we could take the house with us and both of us are dissapointed we will not be able to live in Zelda. Brent is expecting to travel to Kings Mountain every three (3) weekends out of the month.

The past weekend was devoted to moving out of Wanza (the rent house received a name) which was accomplished over a two (2) day period. I can not believe how much stuff was aquired over a seven (7) month period. The name Wanza came from Brent's childhood memory of having to go with his mom to the beauty parlor, where the beautician's name was Wanza. How does that relate you ask? The rent house was a beauty parlor in the recent past, such it was dubbed Wanza.

Past the Six Month Milestone Post

We have now passed the sixth (6th) month milestone and still no kitchen cabinets installed. We purchased these back in August on sale, and I keep having to move back the delivery date and now it has moved back to the end of March 2008.

Brent has taken a work break such that he is having to work on his real job all week and is now limited only to working at Zelda on the weekends. Not to fear as he has the majority of all the prep work finished for the electrican. The electrical work did start this week with an anticpated finish time of two (2) weeks. We expect that time period to double if not triple. Once finished, we can then have the sheetrock installed and then the kitchen cabinets.

Brent has installed all the headers over the doorways on the first floor including the header dividing the kitchen and keeping room. He had to have Ray and his father to install the LVL header as is was too heavy to install alone. The open space downstairs looks great.

Upstairs Demolished

The electrial contract has been awarded and work should begin next week. The entire upstairs has been demolished and all the rubble has been removed. The amount of dust was unbelieveable. Brent still has to frame a few walls and finish blocking the ceiling in the Murphy room.

We did receive some good news. All the original wood floors on the second floor are in good shape and will be refinished.

Upstairs Demo to Begin Today

The dumpster has been emptied and moved to the front of the house as demolition of all the interior walls and ceiling on the second floor will begin today. It will be similar to the downstairs demo as all the interior and exterior walls will be down to the studs. Sheetrock will be used to replace the heavy plaster. Brent has hired this work out as he as decided to complete the entire electrical work for the entire house instead of working in two (2) phases. The siding on the new portion of the house has been completed and looks great.

Brent needs to finishing stiffening the underside of two (2) upstair room floors as the electrical work could begin next week.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone from Zelda. 2008 brings the promise of actual life taking place in this home this year. Our original time frame of one (1) year for the remodel is ahead of schedule with the hope of full time occupancy by May 1, 2008.

As you can see by the photo, the new siding is nearly complete and the transformation looks fantastic. Once we get the new paint on the siding, the house will look even better.

Next on the list is to have the upstairs walls and ceilingd demolished. Brent has decided to have the entire electircal system done at one time instead of two (2) phases. This will gain us more time in the schedule. The weather has turned very cold for the first few days of the year and work at night has been haulted. Brent was able to install the last of the major pieces of subflooring in the Murphy room before the bitter cold, but not the last few short pieces against the wall, because he claims it is too cold for the liquid nails.

We are still on the lookout for our HVAC contractor. Not sure if he made it back from vacation to the Bermuda Triangle, because we can talk to him on the phone and he says he is on the way but never makes it to Zelda. Believe it or not.