October 2, 2007
A sub set the forms for the basement walls and will pour the walls tomorrow.

October 3, 2007
One sparkling new Pella (www.pella.com) window was installed today. The grid lines are the same as the old windows, but they look obviously different – true divided lights with modern features such as maintenance-free cladding. The neighbors are talking.

October 8-15, 2007
Rain, rain, go away! We’re trying to finish the crawl space so that framing can begin and it looks more like a swimming pool than anything at this point. Regardless, Kevin begins to put in the materials for the crawl space, including pea gravel, foam, and super-thick plastic to help with drainage. After they cut into the existing basement, they’ll bring in an industrial dehumidifier to remove any moisture. They promise that this is the best way to handle it, but I’m concerned with trapped moisture becoming a mold problem. My husband wants to get something in writing, protecting us in case their approach doesn’t work out and mold later develops. Despite all the weather, they continue to install new windows.

October 22, 2007
Framing begins. Kevin provided me with a new schedule that says, should nothing else go wrong or be delayed, we’ll finish the project in late January. Just in time to bring our baby home from the hospital.

October 23, 2007
Brick from the back of the original house has been removed and a blue tarp hangs to protect the inner membranes of the house from weather.

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October 25, 2007
The framers are on a mission. Kevin says we have about one week before we need to move out, something we chose to do to keep Donovan, our 2-year-old son who suffers from allergies and reactive airway, safe. We surely could have survived it, but he couldn’t. The bonus to moving will mean that we take our things with us (no storage expenses!) and that we’ll be able to eat at home rather than depending on take out and junk foods. The combined savings on take-out and storage makes this a more reasonable financial decision than one might think. Then reality settles in. We have one week to find a rental, to pack, to get a moving truck, to line up helpful friends and family…how very stressful. Our friends next door have offered to hold a lot of our belongings in their basement and attic, which is a true godsend. (Thank you, Dave and Kathryn!) Our friends across the street loan us a truck and help us pack and move. (Thank you, Doyle and Tamara!) My husband’s aunt and her husband live in the house behind us and get saddled with storage totes full of toys. (Thank you, Mike and Amy!)

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October 27, 2007
The tiny backyard looks more like a lumberyard these days as the framing continues at a frenzied pace. Grass is covered with sawdust.

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October 30, 2007
The new roof goes on the front of the house today, and wow, what a difference it makes. We chose a new Owens-Corning (www.owenscorning.com) product called Duration Premium with SureNail Technology in estate gray. The product goes up more quickly than traditional asphalt shingles. The profile of the shingles looks amazing, and the color – softer than the faded black shingle that we tore off – instantly updates the entire façade. (See the November 14 diary entry for a photo of the completed roofing on the back side of the house.) As the roofers finish for the night, our kids change into their trick-or-treating costumes. (From left to right: Neighborhood pirate pal Maddie dares to run her toy sword through my son Donovan’s skull. Friend Anna and my daughter Lele celebrate a fall rivalry here in Iowa: Who will win? Iowa or Iowa State?)

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