Demolition

On June 9, 2020, we made the extremely painful decision to demolish my house. We had spent weeks attempting to save the structure, but it was an endless uphill battle. The last straw came when we pulled off the sheathing and found that the floors and walls had not been connected correctly and could not properly transfer loads. An independent engineer’s report described these defects as “fatal” and recommended demolition. After reviewing the house for hours, the building designer recommended tearing down it down and rebuilding with “a reputable framing contractor that will frame your house according to the drawings.”

We had fought so hard to make things right but at this point it was clear that additional efforts would be wasted. Harry, my new framer, insisted that we add extensive bracing through the structure before letting his crew back in. That afternoon, we started pulling off the roof.

Photo taken June 9, 2020. Posted June 18, 2020.