There were moments when we wondered about leaving all of that space open – just one big room. Maybe something like an artsy loft apartment. But then we returned to our projected needs and the plan at hand.
As the framing and wiring and flooring moved along, as well as the drywall itself, our hopes of painting the interior in the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas got pushed back till after New Year’s. Still, we were able to sleep some of our visiting family up there in primitive conditions as the drywall taping and mudding dried, thanks to a flurry of action just before Christmas.
The two front bedrooms are nearly twice as large as ones in the back. No surprise there, since the back half also has a small hallway and the bathroom and the laundry room.
Altogether, we have twice as many electrical outlets up there than we do on the first floor. And twice as much natural light.
As for the views? Sometimes breathtaking.
The good news is that the upper level, which prompted all of this work and expense to date, is largely complete.
Yay! Yes, Phase One is in place. The part that demanded we do something, or at least have it done.
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Not surprisingly, this first phase cost about three times what we budgeted and took at least three times as long as we planned. Sadly, it is a rule of thumb in these undertakings. We have arranged refinancing to assure the work will be finished in the months ahead while we have our beloved contractor, rather than trying to reschedule later, but other projects we intended were reconsidered.
Working solo, as many of the carpenters do around here, meant our contractor was moving along at a slower pace. The good news came in the appearance of an enthusiastic apprentice two or three days a week, along with a helper as needed.
Immediately ahead of us was painting the ceiling, walls, and floors and then moving our stuff out of storage and up from downstairs.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be looking at specific areas of the work inside.
At this point, we did take time to review our budget and resources, and consider modifying our direction as needed. Just getting the upstairs under control was a huge relief and accomplishment, one much larger than I had anticipated.
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The most maddening item involved moving the wood-burning stove from one corner of the front parlor (aka living room) to another. It made sense for several reasons, safety for one, but also straightening out the stainless-steel chimney pipe to allow for more room in the kitchen and bedrooms above. Getting a subcontractor back to finish the job was another matter, one not uncommon problem around here, as we’re finding.
That stove is an important factor for us when it comes to the frequent electrical outages in Maine, at least in all but the summer months. And it is a major improvement in heating the house through our cold winters.
Maybe if we had decided on the emergency generator back when?
There are tradeoffs, after all.
As for the placement of electrical light switches or which way the doors opened?
Right-handed or left? Have you ever considered that? You just reach and hope, right?
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We were far from finished, of course. The kitchen remained a priority, along with the adjoining mudroom. And the downstairs windows, with all of their rotting, did need to be replaced. The small downstairs bathroom and tweaks to the other rooms could, if necessary, be put on hold. Not that we’d prefer.
In the bigger picture, we’re hoping the extensive renovation of our old house assures its continuance for another 200 years or more.
This is the Louis R. French at its berth in Camden, Maine. Cruises begin the night before departure as passengers arrive to settle in for their first night aboard.
Jnana's Red Barn 