Farmhouse Renovation: Month 6 Update
It’s a new month, and that brings a new farmhouse update!
This will be the last update before the finished project reveal, which will be sometime in June. Originally we had planned on this project only taking 6 months, but as we know a pandemic had other plans. We have tried to remain as flexible as possible and just log some extra hours when we can (between essential jobs).
My favorite part of this month’s update is the vertical siding on the front of the home, which is something we have never done prior to this project. The cost of this type of siding is significantly greater than traditional horizontal siding, and I am not sure why other than increased demand due to current trends. Anyway, it looks great! Here’s a close up…
Another addition to the front porch is the tin ceiling, which will naturally rust over time and look older/more original. We also are in the process of installing a deck over the existing porch cement slab, which will level it up and overall just look nicer. Here are a couple photos of the front exterior.
Note: Final door and frame are not installed yet!
Another exciting install this month was central air conditioning, which was never previously installed in the home. I’m not sure how anyone survived for the last 120 years of sweltering Iowa summers without central air, but we have officially solved that problem!
A/C for the win!
Equally exciting is the addition of attic access and blow in insulation. Iowa is an extreme weather state (extremely hot and extremley cold) so proper insulation is key to managable utility costs. Anyone else get excited about insulation? Just me? Ok…
Attic access in the hallway!
That’s all the photos I can share for now, as I need to save some for the final reveal. I’m really looking forward to these next few weeks of finishing touches, and I will probably have a few sneak peek’s over on Instagram.
I hope wherever you are reading this that you are able to stay safe and healthy during this unprecidented time. I am looking forward to finishing this project, for the simple fact of having one less iron in the fire during all of this uncertainty. As always, thank you for stopping by the blog today, it really does mean a lot!
Unitl next time,
Rachael
Farmhouse Renovation: Month 4 Update
If you are new here, we bought a c.1900 Iowa farmhouse roughly 4 months ago and promptly took a bulldozer to a large portion of it. Over the last couple of months we have completely updated what remained of the original structure, and added on a large addition (for some much needed square footage).
I have posted several updates thus far, but this is the one I have been waiting for!
This is the first update where the layout of the house is easy to understand, since the walls are complete with drywall. Not everyone can look at a room full of stick walls and picture the final product, and I have tried to take that into account when posting in the past, but now everything will be quite easy to picture!
Ok lets start in the kitchen….
Here’s a throwback photo of the previous kitchen. Adam is 6 foot 4 in tall and he could barely walk underneath the pendant light fixture in the middle of the room without hitting his head. This was due to a significant bow in the trusses, as they could not support the proper amount of weight. Also, check out how close the top of the door frame to the bathroom is…just an inch or two!
Below is a picture of the new kitchen, with a properly installed 8 foot ceiling! The opening on the far left is the same door to the bathroom pictured above, however this time around it has over a foot of clearance between the top of the door frame and the ceiling.
Moving on to the stairs….
You will notice that new the steps are no longer steep, and are also a normal size. In addition, we have a large window at the top of the stairs now, that provides a source of natural light but also serves as an added safety function, should someone need to evacuate out of the second floor for any reason.
I recently caught a photo of our mini inspector checking out the window at the top of the stairs…
The last photo I have for you is of the new master bathroom. The original structure had no master suite, so I have no before photo to share! And while this bathroom is not extravagant by any means, it adds value and much needed space.
Alright, that’s all I have for you today! I am excited to see what the next update brings, as we can start putting our personal touch on the project with paint and flooring, etc. Since we work on the farmhouse in our spare time, and both have other full time jobs and 2 year old child, sometimes things take longer to finish than we would prefer. It’s all about balance, and we are still figuring that out as we go.
Thank you for stopping by the blog today, and we look forward to catching up with you again soon! In the mean time, feel free to follow us on Instagram or Facebook :)
Until next time,
Rachael
Farmhouse Renovation: Month 3 Update
It’s time for another update on the farmhouse renovation project!
For anyone new here, we purchased a c.1900 Iowa farmhouse 3 months ago and promptly tore down a large (sagging) section and have been putting it back together ever since. This has definitely been an interesting project, mainly due to there not really being any building codes or rules to follow 120 years ago, so we have had to allow for extra time (and money) to accommodate unforeseen things along the way….(hello super scary/non supported second floor…i’m looking at you!)
Enough on the recap, let’s get on to the accomplishments for the month….
New this month:
-All Plumbing
-Furnace and all duct work
-Interior walls framed up
-All windows replaced
-Almost all the siding torn off original structure, and new OSB and tyvek paper
-All electrical wired up and ready
-A functioning set of stairs
Here are a couple photos showing the updates…
This photo is from the front porch, looking at the front door
The porch view after new walls and windows!
The above photos show just how extensive this renovation has become. Was it in the original plan to tear everything out to the studs? No. However, we needed to replace the improperly installed windows and that meant tearing off all the siding out front. The insulation and sheeting weren’t up to par and not really functioning, so they all had to go too.
Now, this means more work and increased cost, but we would rather spend a few more dollars up front and not have to worry about issues down the road. Plus, this is Iowa so we can’t have poor insulation and improperly installed windows or utility bills will be very high.
We have repeated this same process, section by section, for the entire house. Only one small part remains, and that will be done shortly. It’s particularly time consuming to do this all in January, but that’s what we have to work with at the moment. I mean, icy scaffolding just makes things more interesting…right?
Next up, we have a fully functional and standard size flight of stairs to the second floor. Gone are the days of ducking your head and climbing super small and steep steps with no railing.
Speaking of the second level, we haven’t been up there for several weeks while there were no stairs, and I lost track of how much we have to do up there as well. Obviously the windows will have to be replaced (might as well do them all, right?) but the flooring and fixtures will need work too.
The first photo is of the (likely lead) painted original flooring, and we simply cannot sand that down and use it, for obvious reasons.
The next photo is a view from the stairs, and while things might not look too bad up here there is still a bunch of work to do. For example, the door to the second bedroom no longer closes due to the bracing and raising of the floor that was required in order to ensure it would not come down. We also need proper safety mechanisms such as smoke detectors, railings, and windows that are the required size, in case of emergency evacuation. These things can all be done now, since we can now access this part of the house!
As always, our daughter (who we call ‘the inspector’) is as involved as a two year old can be, and she loves to ‘help’. The weather in January has made this somewhat difficult but we work with it the best we can.
Helping dad with the front door
Giving her approval of the new stairs
That’s all I have for this update! I will leave you with a fun little before and after of the outside. As always, thank you for visiting the blog today, we really appreciate all of your support!
Cheers!
-Rachael
Farmhouse Renovation: Weeks 3 & 4
Well we have officially owned the farmhouse project for 4 weeks now, and I am impressed with how much we have been able to accomplish despite the colder than normal temperatures. Almost everything that is temperature dependent is finished, and once we get the new structure framed and closed in, it wont matter if the weather turns cold again.
For those of you who are interested in the details…
With temperatures in single digits and low teens during week 3, concrete was not able to be poured so we used this time to frame up the footings and line up the appropriate inspections.
Things finally warmed up for week 4! We are obviously starting from scratch here, with 16 in wide and 8 in deep concrete footings. Adam does all his own concrete work, but I think even he was ‘over it’ by the time this foundation was poured.
Next up, we have the 4 ft concrete walls that will serve as the foundation for the structure we will eventually be adding to the home. As you can see from the photos, we are adding quite a bit of square footage to this home! I think even the city is impressed (ha!).
It’s definitely been nice that Iowa has given us a break with the cold weather so we could finish some of the temperature dependent parts of this project, and hopefully the weather will hold out one more week so we can get the floor poured. Thanks for stopping by the blog today and joining us for this crazy journey!
Cheers!
-Rachael
Farmhouse Renovation: Week One
Well it’s been quite the week over at the farmhouse renovation project, but we have accomplished a lot despite the Iowa weather skipping fall and turning full winter on us. The short version of the long story is the house is officially prepped to have it’s 3 additions torn off, and with any luck that will happen next week. I have had several questions on which rooms are staying and which are being torn down, so here is a breakdown:
Staying
Living Room
Upstairs Bedroom & Bonus Room
Front Porch
1 Car Garage
Going
Kitchen
Bathroom/Laundry Room
Creepy Basement
Sunroom
Deck
Most of the Fencing
Lean-to Driveway Covering
We made some exciting discoveries this week while de-constructing the home, it is so interesting to me to think of the history within those 119 year old walls!
I have no idea who John or Amy are, or how old this touching tribute is! HA!
SUPER SCARY BASEMENT——No thanks!
But the most impressive discovery of the week was by far these original wood floors (covered in wood-look vinyl tile). These floors are in surprisingly good shape and just need some TLC.
These floors are in the portion of the home that is staying intact, so we will come back to them later on. For now, this section of the home is being boarded up to protect it from the elements while we tear off the rest of the house.
This past week we:
-removed all appliances and fixtures from the tear down portion
-took down the lean-to structure attached to the garage
-took out fencing and other obstacles to make room for heavy machinery
-acquired the necessary permits for demolition
-had utilities disconnected
We had two random snow events this past week, and some unseasonably cold temps for October in Iowa, so that made outdoor work kind of difficult. Despite all of that, we have the property ready for the heavy machinery to come in next week and get to work. Adam is out of town for work all week, so that leaves me to manage whatever issues arise (yikes).
Hopefully the tear down goes as planned and we can start digging for the new foundation next week, as we really need to get that concrete poured before it’s too much colder here. Although, knowing Iowa, it will be 60 degrees in December so maybe we can take advantage of that! All we have to do is get it closed in before the frigid air arrives and then we can work with heaters and etc. It’s not ideal, but it’s where we are at this point.
I have some videos saved under ‘highlights’ on Instagram, if you are interested in seeing some of the excitement over the last week. Also, I will try to record as much of the demolition as possible next week (when I’m not running 1800 errands or handling whatever snags arise).
With that being said, I had better get back to making my list for next week! Thanks for stopping by the blog today, it’s definitely an exciting time in our lives!
Until next time-
-Rachael
We Bought A 1900's Farmhouse!
You read that correctly! Today we just dove right into the deep end and bought an authentic Iowa farmhouse built in 1900. This will be our biggest project to date, and either the best or worst idea we have ever had.
Your first question might be “WHY?!”, and to be honest I have asked myself this daily for the past month while this deal was in the works., including this morning.
The answer is complicated…but in the end it just felt right. The land value will only increase with time, and the home needs major repair but it’s not outside the scope of our abilities. We have always gone with our gut feeling on these types of things, and so far they have turned out ok, but that doesn’t make this huge purchase any easier on the mind! We have other properties that we own, but people live in those and thus pay for them. This home will not have anyone living in it, as it needs a major overhaul, so that’s where the added “yikes” factor comes from!
OK, here it is!
The home is made up of the original structure from 1900, and three separate additions that were added over time. Our plan is to take down those three additions, and then add one larger one, with a single all-encompassing roof structure. The existing additions were either done improperly or they have deteriorated over time, and some of the resulting issues are so major it just needs torn down and replaced (ex: ceiling sags very low in the kitchen).
The good news is, the original structure is in good shape and just needs cosmetic work. There are also several features intact that show the home’s character and age. Here are a few snapshots from just today where you can see the original door, built-in cabinet, and (my favorite) the 8 inch trim.
I will get a full set of ‘before’ photos prior to doing any work, but the living room and upstairs bedroom are all that are staying in their original condition, and everything else is being torn down.
Speaking of work, I had better get back to this demolition permit, stay tuned for updates…..it still remains to be seen if this is our best or worst decision to date!
Thank you for stopping by the blog today! Check back with us soon!
-Rachael
The Friendship Fireplace Project!
Hey all, one week until Christmas Eve! Are you ready? (It’s OK, I’m not either!) I’m not too stressed about it either, there’s plenty of time left for that! All of that aside, I am excited to share with you a client project we recently finished up called ‘The Friendship Fireplace’. The street address for this home contains the word ‘Friendship’, thus that is how the project name was developed. We do a number of fireplace/mantel projects and have to keep them straight with unique titles!
The fireplace is often the focal point of the living room as well as the backdrop for family photos, and this homeowner wanted a total remodel of this space to bring it out of the 1970’s. To do that, we first had to start with a clean slate!
Aside from the fireplace itself, there was not any part of the original design that was worth keeping…it all had to go.
And as you can see we made a huge mess, but it was worth it!
Progress photos after some new framing, insulation, and cement wall board.
We needed to redefine this space, and the easiest way to accomplish that was to add a new texture or wall surface. The homeowner chose rough sawn weathered shiplap, which is pictured below. It’s a gorgeous light grey, and really makes this space ‘pop’!
These barn beam mantels are always my personal favorite. Every single one is unique, bringing a different century-old story into each home. This one was mounted with simple gas pipe wall plates and fittings.
And here’s a full length view, complete with fresh tile at the base of the new wall. This family will have a fresh new space to take all of their family photos and the mantel will surely be a talking point with guests for years to come!
We really appreciate the homeowner choosing our business to complete her fireplace remodel!
The fireplace insert remains in original condition, as the homeowner has plans to resurface that herself
And some bonus mantel pictures, because I can’t help myself!
The 'Great Outdoors' Project
Winter has arrived in full force here in the Midwest, and that means all outdoor projects have to be wrapped up. If Iowa wasn’t such an extreme weather state maybe we could work outside into December, but once the air hoses and tools start to freeze/not function properly, we call it quits for the (outdoor) season.
We did get to finish up one last project for the year, one which completes a series of outdoor renovations at a particular client’s home. This home is situated next to a golf course and has stunning views of the surrounding landscape, however the grading of the back yard and limited outdoor space made enjoying this little slice of heaven challenging.
The projects at this location included a new and expanded deck, new retaining wall and extensive dirt work/grading, as well as a complete overhaul of an existing screened in area to make it weather proof and fully functional addition to their home. All of these renovations were completed by adam and aps construction.
The Raised Deck
Original Deck Photos
As you can see, this deck was functional but small, and showed wear from the elements over the years. In the last picture, you can see the screened in area in its ‘before’ state as well.
New deck photos
This project was completed with cedar boards and aluminum spindles, check out that view!
Retaining Wall and Yard Grading
This part of the project was very important, as it produced level yard space that could then be used for additional structures, fire pit, you name it! Here are a few before/after shots.
As you can see, not much of this part of the yard was usable due to the terrain, but that is no longer a problem!
Screened in porch overhaul
original photos
The final leg of this outdoor project was to update the existing screened in porch/patio area underneath the raised deck. this room was not being used to its full potential, since it was at the mercy of the harsh Iowa weather.
New and improved four seasons room
With new framing, insulation, windows, doors, and stacked stone vinyl siding, this room is now ready for the elements and can be used to enjoy the golf course views and Iowa sunsets year round.
