Our first work day of 2011

One of the interesting tidbits about such a long term restoration project is the change in the operating conditions as work progresses. A few of the volunteers used their memories of the hot hot hot conditions back in the summer as warming thoughts to get through the fact that the outside temperature was in the teens and the house was in the 40s at best. We had a propane tank heater to keep us all from freezing but it was a struggle to keep warm.

At least our task of installing insulation around the house required us to wear long sleeves and pants, as well as face masks and gloves to keep the fiber glass fibers from irritating our skin. Something that is easier said than done since the fibers seem to get everywhere. Still the dedicated crew made great progress. We installed R-13 insulation in all walls shared with the next door row homes. R-19, which is just a thicker roll compared to the R-13 roll, was installed in exterior walls in the front and back of the house, and R-38 was installed in the ceiling of the third floor to insulate the living space from the attick crawl space and roof.

Here Tonya the future homeowner gets ready to install another roll of insulation between the studs on the first floor.


Here Suzanne works on installing the thick ceiling insulation.


Finally here is a picture of the crew after the days work.