Home Build Progress
We are now in the full swing of the house building project. Over the past few weeks much of the interior and exterior of our little cape has been gutted and the first steps towards reconstructing it are under way.
Our first major success of this project was in the well drilling. We were expecting a deep and expensive well, but they were able to get us nearly 50 gallons a minute of water and drilling process that came in 2/3 under budget.
We've pulled out various walls, floorboards, plaster and wallpaper. The task of deconstructing we've heard repeatedly is the easy part, and it has gone fairly smoothly. It is fascinating to see how the house was put together originally, and to realize things like just how little was between us and the elements the past two winters.
We have also been busily selecting materials and favorite designs for the future of the house. I'm confident the space will be perfect for us, while a small home by some standards. Selecting appliances has been interesting for me, after two and a half years of outdoor showers and a bucket toilet even the simplest of appliances seems very fancy to me. I feel a bit like I am stepping forward in time, expressing surprise at basic functions like refrigerators with ice makers in the doors.
One bit of intrigue we discovered while deconstructing was walls and ceiling spaces completely full of corncobs. At first we thought that the raccoons or other varmints had a field day once the house was abandoned, but neighbors confirmed that corncobs were a common form of cheap insulation back when the house would have been built. It makes sense, as the quantity was beyond what we could imagine an animal bringing in (especially since we have seen no other evidence of animals in the house), and corn would have filled the fields and the cobs been readily available back in the day.
Windows and doors are on the way to begin the new build part of this project. Since our house is and will be quite small, we hope it will go back together relatively quickly and we plan to be back inside and enjoying indoor plumbing for the first time in three years before the first frost.
Linked to the Homestead Blog Hop and Dishing It & Digging It Blog Hop.