progress

With the temperatures dipping, we're pretty happy to have the basement closed in again. Little did I know that cinder blocks and concrete would be so exciting! Up until last week the new room under the porch was still roof-less, meaning we were living with a big gaping hole that let cold air in. This room is also where the new boiler will be housed so obviously we've been without a heating system and it's still not up and running yet. We are keeping somewhat warm with space heaters, but we're waking up to morning house temperatures of 12 degrees (55 degrees F). Brrr.

Now, I'm sure these two photos are incredibly boring but I can't help it. That concrete floor is almost 3 feet lower than our old basement! We can see where the walls will be! I want to sneak down there all the time just to stand and imagine the final space (and sneaking is hard, it involves climbing down ladders through windows and getting very dirty in the process). The two photos are from either end of the space but they show the one compromise we had to make: raising the floor of the bathroom and laundry room to deal with our problematic sewer connection. We were connected through the back of our house - very unusual - so the plumbing itself wouldn't allow for an 8' ceiling. These two rooms, and the landing outside, will have a 7'2 ceiling. But I kind of like the look of the raised step even in this rough state.

We're still weeks and weeks away from a finished space, but it's so satisfying to see it coming along. And of course we're breathing the biggest sigh of relief knowing that the underpinning is over and the house never fell down.

Phew.