Monday, December 7, 2009

The Demolition

The only thing left to do was grin and bear it, and take our aggressions out on the house. We tore out the walls, we tore out the ceiling, we tore out the floors. We shoveled the pulp insulation, we cut the water pipes, and we filled the dumpster, and again and again. Everything was scrapped, the electrical, the fixtures, the toilet, everything but the kitchen sink. That was still okay. We ripped off the siding, we tossed all the windows, and threw away the door. (This is starting to sound like a Dr Seuss Book) As I stood on the dirt floor looking at an empty shell, I began to realize that the house would have to be completely rebuilt from the inside out. Tearing it down and rebuilding would have been much easier. Then we dug. We dug around the railroad ties, and under them. We dug for days around the perimeter of the house to create an interior footing for a foundation. We then laid down re-bar at the base of the footing, getting ready for the forms.

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