More from the ceilings

This photo came from a bedroom ceiling.

And this souvenir world's fair coin dated December 1, 1891. Probably for the Chicago World's Fair that was in 1892-1893. (No, it is not a silver coin).

Little treasures???

Lester found these bottles in the joists when he started to take down the bricks. I wonder???

This was a picture that was found in the ceiling of one of the bedrooms.

We don't know what this is. It looks like a back brace. It also came from a ceiling in a bedroom...

as well as the belts...

and box of letters...

Help, I need someone, not just anyone, Heeelllp!

We hired David to do some of the work that needs to be done. The first day he came with his kids to see what work we might have for him to do. He did not work that day.

The next day he took down the ceilings in three rooms. That was quited a job. He filled the dumpster with the lathe.

The following day he repaired the basement stairs, and

as for the steel beams, he removed the rust and started to prime and paint the beams to keep them from rusting.

Back to the west wall

While Lester and Joseph worked on the chimney, I worked on the west wall. We decided to frame out the wall to save some money. Lester and Joseph took down and put the chimney back up in two days. It took me three days to frame out only a portion of the lower wall. However, I did have to compensate for the outer layer of bricks that are nonexistent at this time.

Every wonder what ten tons of washed mason's sand looks like? Here it is.

Guess who will be helping to clean the bricks? Chris would be a good guess. Although the rest of us helped, including Mark our neighbor.

Before you say anything about the framing, the gaps are there to allow for bricks that need to be replaced and the window that is in need of major help.

This is a view of the inside of the wall. I needed to frame a wall that can support the weight of the window, two lintels, upper floor joists and who know what else. (I may have done overkill though).

The first chimney is repaired

The take down took one day. Joseph left a hole so he and Lester covered it with a couple of boards to keep the critters out...however it rained that night and the boards did not keep the rain out. The next day they put the chimney back up.

Charlotte's Web

This web was outside of our backdoor. It looked like a cd or record.

As for those family reunion campouts!

For those of you who think that family reunions should include camping, I invite you to come and camp with us. We have been living in the servant's chamber while working on the tower chamber. The servant's chamber was in the best condition. Our clothes are in the sitting room off of the tower chamber so we have to walk down the hall to get them. We stay up late with the light on...(if you are one of those persons who is afraid of the dark there's a good reason for that) nothing is worse than to be sleeping and have a bat drop out of the ceiling and start flying or dive bombing over your head. (I have received many suggestions on how to deal with them, but it is illegal in most states to kill them because "they are our friends". I have a few friends I could send your way.) So....bottom line, I will probably not be attending any family reunions that involving sleeping in the wild, I have had plenty of that here.

Continued progress

New mortar, and then some payoff, drywall is mostly complete and mud and tape is in progress.
(This is just one room .)

 

Progress

Floor repaired, walls framed and the pink stuff installed.