This weekend we began the careful removal of parts of the home we want to reuse. The 1905 portion of the home had some trim that is still beautiful and some that was less comely. With the help of visiting relatives, we pried and pulled the boards from the wall, leaving the nails in the trim. Then we pulled the nails out from the back side, to minimize splitting.

For the most part, our efforts were successful. Most of the trim came off without cracking, but we did suffer a few casualties. Next we’ll strip the trim and verify how much will be reusable. The idea is to use it in the master bedroom, if possible.

The screen porch had barn siding on the walls, which added a lot of character, so we saved that too. Our arms and backs are aching this morning, but we are satisfied that we are reusing what we can. Yet to be salvaged are items we would like to keep in place until the last minute: sink, toilet, light fixtures and doors.

Our power, telephone and cable wires will be buried underground as part of the project, so we have also been removing the concrete edging that separates the rock mulch from the lawn to allow a clear trench. We intend to remove all the rock, which is backbreaking work, so we can insulate the basement wall exterior. I suppose we are about 25% done now.