Demolition

So it has begun!!!  This past week, we went down to the Rockhouse.  Tina and Ayla went for a girls weekend to her Mamaw’s and I went to work!  I had decided to do the demolition work myself to save money and get an idea of how fast it could be completed and have a basis of whether or not I was being unrealistic in my entertainment of the idea of performing the construction myself.  I had three days in which to complete my task.  It was 101 degrees with the heat index and I knew I was going to be in the attic of an abandoned house, removing batts of insulation, ductwork, and wiring and in the main space, the drywall ceilings, stud walls, wood paneling, and pergo flooring.  About 20hrs of hard labor later, one tyvek suit, some ruined clothes, two saturated respirators, mounds of trash, piles of pergo and paneling to be reused, and one haggard body; I’d accomplished my goal.  Through this very hard, but manageable work, I gained even more confidence that with the help of our friends, we are going to be able to complete this remodel ourselves.  I took some pictures along the way to give some visual to the adventure.  I hope this helps to stir some excitement in you all about a new addition to the Red River Gorge area and community, as it certainly has in me. Enjoy.  -Aaron

A view from the outside

Tearing up the flooring and stacking it so it can be reused.

Removing the paneling from an interior wall; it too will be reused.

After carefully removing the old stained glass panes so they can be reused in the remodel.

Some artwork from a previous builder.  It was on a 2×6 in an interior wall. “Dragon Claw 99′ ” is what it is signed/titled.

In the thick of it:  ceiling and walls in the main dining area removed.

Similar time, opposite direction of view in the main dining area.

Said Tyvek Suit.  Note:  Immensely helpful at keeping fiberglass at bay when knee deep in really old insulation, but also a personal steam room.

The carry out section of the restaurant mid ceiling removal.  I used solid oak doors to protect the pool table, which has yet to be removed.

Approximately 20 hours of work later and it’s all cleaned up and swept and ready for the next step.  Stay tuned or better yet, click the RSS feed and be notified of new posts.