She’s a beaut….30 yards in all her behemoth glory, dominating our driveway and waiting to be filled. With a holiday weekend upon us, and with the kid staying at Grandma’s for a few days, I figured that today was the best time to have the garbage bin delivered, so I could spend the weekend gutting the basement and the ensuite bathroom without other distractions. Thirty yards is huge….about 8 feet wide by 20 feet long and about 6 feet high, and I am pretty sure that it will be full by the time I call to have them haul it away.
Last year’s debris and then some….
Last year was the first year since we moved into this house that we did not rent a bin. The debris from the deck, strapping from the workroom, the bathroom fixtures from the ensuite, and the lumber that was used to support the “sunken” tub have all been piled up around the side of the house for much too long. No doubt that our neighbours considered our house to be an eyesore. Certainly, they must be thrilled that we are finally doing something about the mess.
Order of business
Give me a sawzall and a sledge hammer and I’m a happy guy. I’ve got some boxes to move around in the basement, but the drywall and strapping will be coming down this weekend. In the ensuite, the walls will be gutted to the studs, and the floor will be stripped of the tile and hardwood flooring down to the tongue in groove floorboards. And the existing piles of garbage outside will disappear. The next week or so should be fun!
A decent start
One existing pile of rubbish has been transferred to the bin already. It took me about 2 hours to accomplish this task, which is some indication how much garbage was there to begin with. I still have 2 other piles of scrap lumber to take care of. I figure that cleaning up the piles outside will be a nice diversion when I need a break from whatever I’m doing inside.
My friend will be disappointed
No doubt my friend, who is still on his honeymoon, will be disappointed that I am starting the demolition without him. I think he was looking forward to helping me out. Breaking things is fun!
After the demolition
Once the basement is gutted, I will be able to call the plumbing contractor and get going on the hydronic heating update. The plan is to have the first phase of that completed by the time the cold weather hits us. Our system should be much more efficient by the winter, and we should be able to reap some immediate benefits on our gas bill.