Clearing the Print Shop

The smaller addition to the main office space, we lovingly call the "print shop".  In the past, this space was used as a small mom and pop printing shop for the neighborhood.  We will use it as the kitchen and an education space.

We knew there was a lot of damage in this area, the leak in the ceiling was pretty obvious when we first looked at the property.

As we first started the demolition in this area, we found some nasty surprises.  Termites and mold.  Lucky us.

The termite damage looked to be fairly old and we found very few live ones in the wreckage. 

In at least once section, the damage had been confined to the multiple layers of wooden paneling on the walls.  The termites had eaten all of the organic substance from it all, leaving only the plastic layer on the surface.  Extremely creepy.

Our new open air bathroom.  TP will be stored on top of the ladder

Water and termite damage aside, we found little that disturbed us as we went.  We pulled the ceilings down and took apart the one and only remaining bathroom in the place.  Another dumpster full, we began to plan our rebuild strategy.

Breaking into AJs Office

Dan and the guys came back a few days after the bobcat rampage to break through the wall into the new office space for AJs office.

I removed the steel and glass window and the guys cranked up the saw and cut through the double thick brick wall.

He really is in there... somewhere.

After getting the door cut, they attacked the floor in AJs office so we can lay in plumbing to the 3rd ADA bathroom and the heated floor tubing





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Bobcat Rampage!

While waiting for our permits and plans to be completed, we interviewed several concrete contractors, plumbers and radiant heat flooring installers.

After weeks of conversations, one thing became clear.  The old, lumpy, oil stained floor had to go!

Between the new plumbing, the radiant hear floor system and other mechanical issues replacing the floor allows us a clean slate to build on.  Did I mention the radiant heat floor?  It is a hot water system(someday upgraded to solar assist) that will heat the entire concrete slab of the building, effectively turning it into a large radiator, evenly heating the space and everything touching it.

A very, very nifty piece of technology supplied and installed by ECS Geothermal.

We decided to use Dan Wilson Concrete and Construction for our concrete work.  After interviewing several, Dan came in and made some great suggestions and seemed to really understand what we are trying to do with the project.  Contract signed, he and his crew got to work tearing out the floors and a wall section.

On to the demolition!

First Nibbles

This turned out to be a very thick slab.  Over 9" in some places.

One little surprise we found was the old pneumatic car lift.  Dan was able to lift it out with the snoot of the jackhammer.  Good thing too, it was tremendously heavy and locked into the clay bed.  It would have taken us a week to dig it out my hand.

 90% broken out and removed, the office space feels more like a war zone than a construction site.

Next:  Removing the window to AJ's office and getting the print shop finally gutted.