We have currently been working on getting a little heat in the building as it is a tad cold in NYC…

Working in an unheated space and having to touch cold pipes all day can slow the progress of the renovation considerably.  So it is important to get the heat on as quickly as possible. Unfortunately a lot of the existing fin tube radiant heating system was damaged in the demolition process or was removed to strip the wood behind it… We are currently using PEX and some of the old cast iron radiators to get some warmth in the building.

As you can see, our first joist sister was installed today. Sistering refers to attaching an additional framing member, laminated veneer lumber (LVL) in our case alongside an existing member to strengthen it.  It is a delicate procedure and needs to be done with care.  Much of our joists were rotted out from water or turned into swiss cheese by overly eager plumbers.  Termites are often a problem in old buildings. Fixing that leaky pipe or calling the exterminator is a must before starting this work. You can see the sister, which is the long yellow piece of lumber they are installing next to the rotted joist.

Care must also be taken to shim and level the other existing joists to match the new joist. Construction adhesive can also be used to prevents the two boards from squeaking as they move when you are walking above them.

Today was a good day.  Our first shipment of materials arrived at the job site.  We are no longer doing demolition, removing wires or stripping lacquer.  It is no longer a subtractive process but an additive process.

Our engineer, a wise and trusty friend with whom I have worked for many years specified Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) with a minimum force of bending (Fb) of 2,900 psi and a Modulus of Elasticity (E) of 2,000,000 psi.  This lumber has been designed and is going to be used to repair all the damaged joists in the floors beneath the roof, the existing bathrooms and kitchens.  Most of these joists have either rotted from moisture over the years or have been turned into swiss cheese by overly eager plumbers.

Unfortunately after we accepted the load, the forklift dropped off the lumber and the delivery truck had left, did we realize they had sent the wrong the lumber…

The lumber that was delivered has a Modulus of Elasticity of 1,800,000 and not the designed 2,000,000 psi that we had ordered.  This means that the lumber we received is 10% weaker than what we need over the long spans.  This is not sufficient and our engineer is working overtime to find alternative solutions.  Let’s just say we are currently not big fans of Tri State Lumber.  Once we signed and accepted the load it has been a bit of a pain dealing with them as we currently have chain of custody.  Tri State Lumber keeps putting both me and the contractor on hold as they do not want to come to the job site to pick up the lumber.  Fortunately we only ordered a small amount of the lumber we need and the contractor seems determined to rectify the situation. Let’s see how this one plays out…

This photo was taken around September. It was just after we had performed a little demo and knocked down an old dividing wall in what was formally the parlor. It was the first time we had seen the space opened up in its entirety as it was originally designed and we were quite taken with the room as it was filled with natural sunlight.

My, it seems so long ago…

We recently stripped this guy and we think it turned out fabulous…

We couldn’t even see the intricate detail work as it was covered with stain and gummed up with varnish. Check the detail…

Pretty cool…