Deconstruction (and Ants)

Permit for destruction in hand Pete set out to destroy the backyard shed thing. The main part of the structure is cinder block but there is also an addition of a wood lean-to. While we ponder the best/fastest way to get rid of the cinder block, the lean-to can get torn the flip down by using our own sheer muscle.


The scene that greeted up as we pulled into the driveway. I've cropped just the lean-to addition into the picture, so you can see how flimsy it looks. But them look closer to the larger area highlighted by the pink circle. You'll see a giant tree limb that Pete purposely landed right on top of the roof, hoping that it would cause the roof to weaken and maybe even collapse. No such luck. The roof held as the limb fell and I could swear it even yawned when everything can crashing down. As if to say "Is that the best you can do?"

The other pink highlighted circle is our neighbors wood chipper. They dropped it off in case we wanted to use it! How nice is that? They've even been chipping up the smaller branches during their down time during the week.

While Pete started with the tree removal and lean-to destruction I got busy with some ick removal on the inside of the house. I'm planning on doing a complete "Before" tour of the Wee house sometime soon, but until then you'll have to bear with just snippets of the entire house.

Here is what was once the laundry room ( see if you can find the bleach stain) and our eventual planned dining room. We had some of our overflow construction essentials in the room. I started with bringing all the tools/extra supplies into the bathroom that is just out of the frame on the left. Bigger items got pushed up against the wall.

Once empty(ish) I started with the removal of all curtains, mini-blinds and window covering plastic. I really wanted to open the windows and get some air flow circulating inside the house, but alas, all the windows are nailed shut. At least sunlight is an improvement.

Then I busted out the utility knife and started attacking the carpet in a neat orderly manner. Hacking up carpets is hard work! The plastic backing carpets have is surprisingly tough. It took at least three cuts for me to get through the plush shag and cut all the way through.

I was at the last two feet of carpet rolling up when I realized that there was poop. sitting. on the carpet. an old big poop. I might have started gagging. ( actually I'm gagging just thinking about it now) and I might have gagged so much that I eventually threw up in my mouth.

I unfortunately now have literal first hand experience with the very popular phrase "I just threw up in my mouth a little" Except it wasn't a little and I had to run outside to heave some more. Friggen dis.gusting.

After Gatorade and some bad jokes about how I just don't have the stomach for house renovations, I grabbed a mask and headed back in to de-poop the house. Blech. Finish rolling up the carpet and start on the wood paneling.


After removing as much of the paneling as possible without a sawsall (which was being used on the outside destruction project) I glanced upwards and decided that the ceiling was ready to come down. Since I'm accident prone I decided that it would be prudent to utilize my hard hat for this part.



The whole thing came down with one massive pull. You like the one teeny tiny bit of insulation that was placed above the ceiling? One would think that in a house full of plastic lining, drop ceilings and nailed shut windows all in the name of preventing heat loss that they would have sprung for an entire roll of insulation... but no. It's less for me to destroy and clean up though, so I'm fine with it.

After the ceiling was pulled down I went outside to see how far Pete had gotten on the shed deconstruction. Now the lean-to certainly looks like a fun clean up. I can see me throwing it away at the dump already.


While cleaning up I dunked my hand far into the chip bag, popped one in my mouth and then looked inside to see how many were left. And I saw this instead. An entire colony of ants swarming about, ecstatic to have found such a mother load of food. You better believe I spat my chip out with the quickness.
yum.