The Epic Saga: Basement Project

So when we bought our house in Pullman, we knew we were purchasing a "fixer-upper".  It is a cute house that is ~100 years old.  Over the decades, there have been additions to the original house...like updated electrical wiring.  Oh yes.  But it is a cute house and has lots of potential.  So we were happy to move into it, after we had to thoroughly clean it from the previous owners (one word: ick).  Little did we know how much we were in for.  The basement was unfinished and a blank slate.  What we didn't realize was how much that meant.  So here is the short version of what has been accomplished (mostly by Keith since vet school sucks out all my time).

First we had an old heater.  Like seriously old.  Like probably original to the house.  It was an honest-to-God coal furnace.  That was updated to be come a gas heater some time in the '60s.  So half of the basement was taken up by the updated coal furnace.  It was quite impressive.  So we had it removed (aka we took it out).  And we had to get these awesome 1950's gas masks to protect us from the asbestos that was used to tape together this piece of fancy technology.  Now we have a beautiful modern-day heat pump.  That alone brought our house into the current decade.

 Keith and the coal furnace.  You can't tell but it was 8 feet in diameter.

 The hole in the foundation where the coal chute used to be.  
That's right.  Our house has a coal chute.

When we were taking out the furnace, we found out that the wooden floor was not really a floor.  Instead it was a wooden platform...sitting on dirt.   Let me say it again: There was just dirt.  We had a house that had a dirt floor.  Ahhh!!  So the wooden "floor" had to be removed and the dirt dug down so concrete could be put in for a base.  That was when we found...the coal.  Seriously.  There was still coal underneath the wood.  And not just a little bit, but huge chunks in a large pile.  Which means this coal is probably as old as the house, or close enough.  Crazy*.

 The first piece of coal we found.  Little did we know there was more hiding.

After the removal of the dirt and coal, the process of pouring the new floor was started.  This was done in conjuction with adding some new supports to help level the main floor.

 Keith and Doug working on the pouring the new floor.

Our backyard during the project.  Think this is messy?  This is actually neater than it is now.

Next was the stuff originally thought we had to do to finish the basement: building walls, putting in new wiring, redoing the bathroom.  At this point the glamour of finishing the basement had lost all its shine and appeal. 

Our wonderful sister-in-law Teresa came over from Eugene to help Keith put up all the dry wall.  It was amazing to see the projected planned rooms really begin to feel and look like rooms.  It was definitely a great reminder of how great the space would be once it was finished.  As every piece of drywall went up, hope was being restored and memories of the dirt and coal became fainter.

This past weekend Keith's parents, Doug and Beth, came out to help us continue the work on the basement.  That means a three-day weekend full of plastering/mudding, putting up more sheetrock, priming/painting, and putting in a new corner shower (replacing the old one...that looked like they stole from an old, nasty RV.  one word: ick).

Doug hiding behind the the shower installation instructions.

Today we finished the remainder of priming the walls.  Tomorrow, hopefully we will finish the painting.  Then, onto hooking up the bathroom.  Exciting!  Maybe we'll have two bathrooms!?!  I know, I know...crazy talk.  But cross your fingers, it may happen.  And hopefully before Keith has his shoulder surgery.  We don't know when that will be, but we do know that he will need to be resting afterward. 

Keith looking happy that the basement project is coming together!

*Speaking of crazy - time for a random aside.  Crazy fact #1: We also found some children's toys under the floor too.  We had heard that before the previous owners there was a woman and her five children living in our 3 bedroom house.  So that means that was probably someone's bedroom.  You know...wooden platform floor on dirt.  Crazy fact #2: Also before the person we bought the house from - a couple lived here and had a huge fight (or something).  So the husband moved out...to the one-car garage.  He converted it to a room: took out the garage door, put in a wall with insulation, placed a little corner woodstove.  I am not sure what he did for a bathroom.  Apparently they got back together, but he lived there for a while.  Crazy.  What I don't understand is that there is a switch in our living room that can turn off the power to the garage.  So I wonder how often he actually had electricity out there.  Think about it.  Something bad enough where is living in a garage, clearly during winter (needed a woodstove)...and she still controls the power?  Crazy.