Not even mud season yet

Renovation in Maine in the winter brings some very unique challenges and this is the first "real" Maine winter we have had in a long time.

Keep in mind that every time it snows, Martin can't remove tarps from the roof to do any work on the roof, rafters, or the top wall plates.

Also keep in mind that every time it snows, we have two driveways to shovel, an tigin to roof rake (the roof is not sturdy enough to hold any weight and we don't want any leaks), and the path around an tigin to shovel.

Not only that, but cold temperatures slow progress as much as they slow the flow of molasses.

Another issue that has come up, the property is lower than the road. So the few (two) days that have been above freezing have caused snow and ice melt. The resulting water has settled into the driveway. With the ground frozen and snow banks on both sides, it has no where else to go.  Since it has become several inches deep, Martin decided to take a day and deal with it as best as he can.

He dug a channel from the driveway to the downhill side lawn to allow water to run off.

The he dug small trenches to direct the water toward his channel.

The we headed right back into winter with below freezing (0 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures, but March is right around the corner.  Hopefully we will start having more days that hit the above freezing mark.

What is Cornish really like?

My brother mentioned to me that it looked like an tigin was in the middle of no where. In some ways that is very true and in others not so much.  Cornish, ME is a small rural town and is about an hour's drive (haven't tried it myself yet) to Portland, ME, the largest city in ME.

However, Cornish is a tiny, quaint, artsy town that is filled with antique shops, restaurants, and other boutiques.  It only took one drive through Cornish for Martin and I to decide that the location of an tigin was the selling factor, since the house certainly was screaming that it would require a lot of work and tender loving care to get it livable again.

So for those interested in checking out Cornish, ME, I am including a link to the town's official website.

Cornish, ME

small bits of progress

Martin and I have done a couple of small jobs at an tigin, but without before and after pictures, you wouldn't be able to see the difference. Unfortunately we don't have any pictures.

The south (front) wall was out of plumb. Martin pulled it back to it is now plumb. Also the header for the bay window was 3/4 of an inch out of alignment. That also has been corrected.

Just a couple of days ago, Martin and I spent a chunk of time roof raking the barn. Then shoveling the snow that came off of the east roof of the barn out of the path that is behind the house. We need to keep the north side of the house accessible so we can put up the north wall.

After roof raking and shoveling, Martin wanted to fix the roof protection over the bay window. We pulled off tarps and house wrap. Martin then removed rotten roof boards and replaced it with pieces of plywood. He re-built the plywood and support over the bay window. Then we had the pleasure of refastening the house wrap on the roof and putting on a new tarp where the house wrap didn't cover.  It was a windy day and it seemed like I was going to fly away with the tarp while I was trying to hold it down.  Martin worked miracles and got it fastened and secure without loosing the tarp or me.

Pictures soon, I hope.

East wall is framed in, well at least the first floor

Martin had the last 8 feet of the first floor east wall built, but not installed.

Since I have this week off from school, I was volunteered to help erect this last portion of wall.

We had to roof rake again because we had a bit of snow since the last big storm. Then we had to free the bottoms of the tarps from ice so that we could remove them.

The wall then fairly easily went into place.  We sheathed it with plywood and then covered it with house wrap. Once all of that was done, the tarps needed to go back into place.

About another foot

The last storm we had decided to dump about a foot of heavy wet snow on us.  At some point during the night, the precipitation switched from snow to sleet and freezing rain, but by morning, it had switched back to snow.

Martin wisely braced the board that are supporting the tarp over the additional 11 feet on the north side of the house (the part that isn't protected by the roof)

After we shoveled ourselves out of the house in New Gloucester, we shoveled our way into an tigin.

When we arrived, we had a pleasant surprise. Someone had stopped by and cleared the driveway. That meant that we only needed to shovel a path around the outside of the house, roof rake, and then move the snow that had come off the roof.

It definitely is a winter wonderland.  Thankfully it was a fairly warm day.

custom made bay window

Martin has the custom bay window roughed in.

He made insulated headers for above the windows and for the header for the bulkhead stairs that pass under the bay window.

 The floor of the bay window area is in.  Eventually a window seat will be added with a built in bookshelf underneath.

 The current windows are recycled from the original house and are temporary.  We will be buying new, double hung, triple paned windows.

two steps forward, one step back

So the old bulkhead stairs didn't have enough headroom.  Martin took the old stairs out and rebuilt them to meet code.

 Martin also decided it would be a good idea to protect the stringers with some vapor barrier.  Fewer problems later!

stairs to nowhere, yet

The stairs to the currently non existent upstairs are done, for now.  Martin will put finish treads and risers on the stairs eventually.

computer room/extra bedroom

We decided to have a small room downstairs that will be the computer room/office most of the time.  Occasionally, when we have a full house, it can be used as a guest bedroom.

 Martin has it framed in.

nail pail take 3

Another load of nails to be recycled.

more stair work

Martin made a bit more progress on the stairs.