Feature Article September 25, 2002
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How to build an addition on a weekend (with apologies to Stephen Leacock)by Jack BlackthumbIt was time to renovate. The key to the success of our project lay in the planning process. We didn't simply wake up on a Saturday morning and begin building; that would be foolish. We spent the entire evening on Friday developing and redeveloping our plan and putting together a list of equipment and materials. Around midnight we phoned a neighbour to make sure his backhoe was available early in the morning. The neighbour, a normally friendly chap, seemed a bit out of sorts, but after a few minutes agreed to arrive by 7:30 a.m. with a backhoe. By 7:00 a.m. I had picked up most of the equipment at the Rent-All. By the time I arrived home with the equipment, the neighbour was half through digging out the foundation. It was time to run off to the dump and the lumber yard. I got most of what I needed at the dump, but still a trip to the lumber yard was necessary. Again, the normally friendly people at the lumber yard were a bit cranky when I insisted on immediate delivery of the 2x4's, 6's, 8's and 10's, the plywood, roof trusses, house wrap, etc. But it was a large order, and with a little coaxing, they agreed to bring in a driver to make the delivery. Timing was everything, I told them; I needed delivery by 10 a.m. sharp. By this time it was almost 9:00 a.m. and friends began to arrive. There was a bit of confusion; they were all dressed in leisure clothes for the community croquet tournament we had told them we were holding, so they all had to go home to change into working clothes. Some didn't return, but those that did made up a serviceable crew. By ten the materials and the labourers arrived and we began putting in forms and pouring concrete. Another group moved furniture away from the section of the house that is near the wall that was being demolished in order to fit the house and the addition together. Someone mentioned load-bearing walls, building inspectors and building permits, but I pointed out that bringing in the building inspector would mean adhering to a bunch of rules that could cost more money and time, and I had a limited budget. This was why we were getting the whole job done on a single weekend, while the inspector was off duty. The frame of the addition went up quickly, and at four o'clock, with the new roof trusses in place, we snapped the house and the addition together, hinging it at several key junctures. On Sunday, a new crew arrived, lured by the promise of an early brunch. Fortunately one of them was familiar with plumbing and had seen an electrical panel put in once, so she took care of the bathroom installations and the electrical outlets. After a hard day's work, the addition was completed, although I will admit it took several days to clean up, and there are a few funky lines in our new house. And there you have it! The total cost of a two-storey 20' x 14' extension, including tin roof and tyvek siding, was $4,567. I will admit however, that it has strained many of our relationships with the outside community, but I'm hoping those wounds will heal over time.
