We harvested the 100+-year-old heart pine from the original Cannon House structure and it's now flooring in the new den. Below picture, top left: heart pine planks before they were removed from the house exterior. top right: view of the new staggered-width flooring through to the pantry. bottom: close-up view (before finishing).
The Truth About Construction Mariachi
Amidst ‘Noise and Haste,’ Searching for Healing
( ⌚︎ this post has been updated) "Go placidly amid the noise in haste." That's a verse from the Desiderata, one of my favorite poems of all time. Right now there's a lot of both going on at Cannon House, as the place is shaking with every swing of the hammer. Literally. As I type. But that … Continue reading Amidst ‘Noise and Haste,’ Searching for Healing
Photo Update: Making Good Progress
Prior to leaving for a trip to Charlottesville, you can see the exposed heart pine (which we will reclaim) along with trenches and framing that went up. In addition to roughing out the plumbing, they were also able to go a bit further on pouring footers and installing the vapor barrier: While away, they … Continue reading Photo Update: Making Good Progress
Digging the Dirt… And The Trenches
This past week has seen a flurry of activity, with approvals from the city for the new retaining wall... and digging the trenches for the new wall structure. Much like the houses of its time, Cannon House will have angular zigs and zags in this new addition. Today also saw the removal of the house's … Continue reading Digging the Dirt… And The Trenches
Big Decision No. 1: Pac Man Edition
There are points in every reno where you have to make a tough decision that has no good answer. Today was one of those days. Due to a measuring error, we either had to scale back and modify a critical part of the new kitchen and mud room, or modify the brick-serpentine wall. After some … Continue reading Big Decision No. 1: Pac Man Edition
#EcoBuild Tip No. 1: To Chip or Not to Chip?
Brick, brick pieces and mortar refuse is a common occurrence in renovation and building. In our case, we only had a small amount of unusable brick after the initial demo. When Cannon House was renovated in 2008, we brought in a brick chipper and put the remnants under the new porch to help with drainage. … Continue reading #EcoBuild Tip No. 1: To Chip or Not to Chip?
Bricks Started Coming Off Yesterday
Piece by piece, the bricks were removed—exposing beautiful heart pine that's about 100 years old. We're going to reclaim both the brick and the wood for uses later on in the reno. We also had an EarthCraft meeting where I learned a great deal about sensible construction practices that can make a huge difference … Continue reading Bricks Started Coming Off Yesterday
And it begins…
the first bricks have been moved!
‘She Spoke to Me’: An Unfinished CH Essay
Just after the renovation in 2008, I wrote part of an essay that talked about what owning/restoring/improving Cannon House has meant to me. I expect to finish it some day, but for now, here's an excerpt: She spoke to me. Not in words, not in ordinary language. But in smells, in creaks and uneven … Continue reading ‘She Spoke to Me’: An Unfinished CH Essay
Work starts tomorrow!
After more than 12 months of planning, drawings, nail-biting and other jostling, the next-phase renovation begins tomorrow. I'll be posting pictures, video and other tidbits that catalog all points in the process, from beginning to end. Please follow the blog here and on Facebook to trace the progress. More soon! Make sure to follow my … Continue reading Work starts tomorrow!
Cannon House 