As you can see, the roof has shingles and gutters! and is nearly completed on the back building.

The structural beams were rotten and failing under the old roof, so salvaged lumber from the demolition was used to reinforce and strengthen those beams.

We found the perfect-sized window for the dormer at Building Reuse Center on Gilbert Ave. The carpenter will install it next week! THen we'll be weather tight and ready for winter.

The roofers have really done an awesome job laying the framework for the roof on the back building. When they first climbed up on the roof, they noticed it was not as sturdy as it should be due to several rotted support beams. In order to maintain the historic character of the inside space, the roofers replaced all of the rotted beams with the salvaged wood we saved from the demolition. (they're awesome!)
They also rebuilt the original roofline that was ripped off during demolition.
Soon there will be a beautiful, new, gray shingle roof that will actually keep water out. Then the roofers can start on the front building.

Reid, my dad, and I started the construction of what will become the new roof - under the roofdeck. It's a complicated job, but after 2 carpenters cheesed out on us, we decided to move forward and attempt the job ourselves. Thank goodness my dad has so much experience as it's very important we get the pitch right to prevent puddling under the new deck.

And now for the Roof

This might be the most exciting thing we've done so far to 1700 Vine Street...
we're getting a roof!!!
A reputable roofer has returned our calls and given us an estimate for the work (we've found this kind of response to be a rarity). Hinson roofing will rebuild the historic cornice work across the Vine Street facade, replace the rubber membrane roof on the front building, and re-shingle the roof on the back building!
And he started replacing rotten roof beams the day after we hired him! Prompt, quality work!!! It's very exciting.

The New Marvin!

This week Reid and I fit the salvaged double hung, wood Marvin window into its new home in the 3rd floor bedroom. This window was originally intended for a building in New Orleans, but something happened - maybe it wasn't the right size or the building specs changed (who knows!) - and it ended up in the Convington Reuse Center.

Perfect timing since it rained the day after we put it in place.
We still have to secure it properly and insulate with spray foam, but it's keeping the water out for now!

Let there be light

Yesterday, Reid and I ripped the plywood off of the 6' x 4'6" skylight that is the most amazing feature of the property. This skylight is original to the construction of the house, a true old-fashioned way of daylighting a structure built prior to electricity. It's interesting that now, as society is shifting toward greener energy, the 1870's design of this skylight is exactly what we're looking for: a way to light a home without having to turn on the lights. Brilliant.

Unfortunately, the glass has been long since broken out of the frame and the frame itself it rotted. Having it open to the sun for 10 minutes yesterday was so exciting though. It gave us a glimpse of the grandness of the 2-story tall entry & hallway, lit by the skylight.

Demolition is complete!

The debris was cleared a couple of weeks ago. Now we have to install windows to keep the weather out of the new openings created by the demolition of the 3-story addition.

North Wall Elevation Blueprint

This is what the final product will look like. The vacant lot will eventually become home to a garage, greenspace and outdoor seating for the storefront. The structure we just tore down (yes, the rest of it came down today!) will be rebuilt to one-story high with a deck on top of it. We have a long way to go...

Two Floors Down, One To Go

Thanks so much for all of your help today! Together, we were able to fill 5 palettes of bricks and salvage all of the old wooden beams! The bricks will be used to re-face the new structures so that they remain historic in appearance.
Bringing the middle section of the property down to only one floor is especially exciting since the property is starting to look like what it will one day become. The final plans include a one-story tall structure connecting the front & back building. On top of this one-story structure will be a deck, which - from the inside - will connect to the kitchen.

DIY

As Reid and I were stacking bricks on palettes for hours this evening, I kept reminding myself of how much $$ we're saving by doing it ourselves...
We filled a second palette of bricks (approx 250 bricks on a palette) despite me having stepped on a rusty nail and splitting open the rear of my pants!

Thanks Eileen and Jonathon for helping us with the first skid on Sunday!

New Electrical Wires

Reid feels especially proud that the old electrical wires are gone! You can see in the first picture that the wires previously attached to the building through the storefront - not a very attractive option. Now, they attach to the side of the building and Reid removed the old connections to the storefront for a much cleaner look...

Sweet Deal

Since the demolition brought down the 3rd story of the addition, we had to turn an old doorway into a window. Reid bricked up the old doorway and recently found 2 brand new, double hung, Marvin windows at the Covington reuse store that will fit perfectly into both the existing window and the new window opening!!! And, at $100 each, we've just saved ourselves approx $1800 in windows.


I love a bargain and I love supporting my neighborhood building reuse stores!
We'll install the new windows after the demolition is complete.

The View from the New Window

The mason cut out a new window on the 4th floor of the building. The new window adds so much extra light and will really make the attic space feel like a bedroom when it's complete.

The new window cutout is on the right on the interior picture.

The building under construction in the far right picture was historically part of the Kauffman Brewery. It was built to house brewery workers in the late 1800s. In recent years, it has suffered from fires and was condemned and slated for demolition. Fortunately, community activists and city council collaborated to save the structure. It is definitely a large and important contribution to Vine Street's facade and history.

one floor down, two to go

Demolition has begun

We showed up at the site today to find that demolition has started and most of the top floor of the addition has been removed. Now we have to sort through the rubble, stack bricks on skids and find reusable lumber.

The mason has started work. As they were attempting to tuckpoint/rebuild a chimney on the back building, the whole thing fell down - along with about 8 feet of the north wall. As we expected, there is a lot of rebuilding to do. I'm so glad we've finally started the work.

we're trying more paint colors...reid doesn't care for this one but i don't think it's that bad:) But we both like the dark brown for the storefront, and the stone color for the coins along the edge of the building. And we've decided on red windows. It's just a matter of what to paint the building...

The concrete wall in the very back of the vacant lot is coming down! All it has been doing is collecting trash anyway...

It's coming down!

The recent rains (paired with neglect over time) have brought ALL the wooden exterior steps down! It's starting to REALLY look unsafe.



The 1890s addition is peeling away from the main structure in a big way. Time to take it down...

Making room for construction

This past weekend we replaced the pedestrian gate with an 11 foot gate that can accomodate construction vehicles in the vacant lot. We got a load of gravel to build up the lot to the edge of the sidewalk and we're ready for work to begin! Thanks Dad for all your help!

Restoring the Original Transom Window

This past weekend we installed the original stained glass transom window above the front door!
The window was hidden behind plywood and several of the stained glass panes had been broken out. But Classical Glass on Main St was able to match the original glass shards and Reid reglazed, scraped and repainted the window! It's absolutely beautiful from the inside and now lets in so much natural light! We did cover it on both sides with plexiglass to prevent accidents during construction.