Weekend Warriors: Demolition Duo

This past weekend, we had a big family work weekend in Pendleton, Oregon at my brother's house. He's been remodeling his house, but now with wife and new baby, it was time to jump him forward a few notches (i.e. past the demolition, dust, noise, toxic mold, and other joys created and/or discovered in a remodel). With 8 people and approximately 140 man-hours over the course of a weekend, to say it simply, we GOT A LOT DONE.

Phil and I demo'ed what will be the bathroom on the main floor, and tore out all the tile on the walls, the wall board and the shiplap (like lathe and plaster). It only took 6 or 7 massive bins to haul out the debris from that room. Phil was a trooper and has scratched up hands, a black lung, and goopy eyes to prove it. That was really the worst of it for Phil and I, about three hours of breathing dust and choking on the absence of air in that room. Once we got it cleaned up, the breathing of everyone throughout the house improved. But Phil gets the demolition award for the weekend.

The other main things accomplished by everyone over the course of the weekend: ceiling board in the kitchen installed, walls and ceiling in kitchen and dining room primed, massive leaky dining room window caulked with about 10 lbs of caulk, remainder of the countertops tore off and replaced, new granite tile countertops installed, tin ceiling tiles installed in part in the kitchen, trim installed in upstairs master bath and bedroom, tub surround finished, tile countertops and top of tub surround grouted, tile backsplash installed, slate tile installed on fireplace and wood trim installed and finished, ending with a massive clean-up effort throughout the whole house. Aside from several tons of debris deposited at the dump, thousands of pounds of materials and fixtures were either installed or moved out of the house and put in the garage or in the basement for the remainder of the project. When we left, the house was actually LIVEABLE and clean. Hurray!

Now, from a distance again, we are just sending Justin all the mojo he may need for finishing up some of these projects over the course of the next week before wife and baby return to the house! Merry Christmas, Kristen and Gracelynne! Hopefully it feels a little more like home when you return!

From this (above), with all the supplies spilling out everywhere in the living room throughout the house ....

... to this, supplies either used or cleaned up!

Hailey and Dad working on the fireplace in the master bed and bathroom ...

Justin, plumbing the tub in the master bath ...

Phil, helping Drew install the ceiling board, which will later be covered in tin ceiling tiles ...

The room that Phil and I demo'ed ... this is actually massively clean compared to the 'before' or 'during' stages!

Dustin, showing us that his hands are still alive despite cutting tile outside on the tile saw during freezing weather!!

Drew's Ashley, taking a break from priming the kitchen ...

Hailey and Dustin, wrapping up the tiling on the fireplace ...

Dad & Justin, figuring out all the plumbing parts ... (glad this was not my job).

Pushing through all the various bits of wrapping up the master bathroom and bedroom area ...

We need YOU!

Fireplace done! Grouting done! Trim work (mostly) done! Tub Surround done!

Justin charging through the granite countertops in the kitchen! (Woohoo!)

Starting to look like a real kitchen!!

Saying good-bye's on Sunday after a long day!

Did I already say that I LOVE MY FAMILY?!