2023 is drawing to a close, but Airy Acres Tasting Room construction continues, aiming for May opening!
Here’s a series of pictures of the 2023 journey for the house. – https://link.shutterfly.com/1KQdZcJBXFb
And here’s a list of the major work done:
- In January, starting with a ~3500 sq. ft. house full 3 or 4 generations of family ‘stuff’, completely emptied so all the lath & plaster (and 2 chimneys) and some walls could be removed
- In February, with the house empty, the contractor removed all the lath and plaster on the walls, and most of the electric and plumbing in the walls
- Then 3 smaller additions (done sometime after main house built) were torn off – single story kitchen area, an enclosed porch and a screened in porch
- Here’s a video tour in July, after most of the demolition work done.
- After a few months finding the right contractors, the south half of the house, which had only a very shallow dirt crawl space, was set on I-beams so the dirt could be dug out and a new foundation wall built under that part of the house to create more basement space, mainly for storing cased wine
- After necessary supports installed, the old field stone foundation wall separating the old and new basements was removed
- A new concrete floor was poured in whole basement – the combined existing basement space and the new space. Here’s a video of it.
- In October new electric power lines were run underground from the main feed at the vineyard barn
- Then in November our main contractor returned, and finished removing all the old siding and installed new exterior sheathing (with 1″ insulation) over the entire structure – getting the building ‘weather tight’ for the winter
- Then the interior wall renovations began – removing existing walls and adding new ones to create the new floor/room layout. Here’s a video tour, and another video tour.
- About that time a new well was drilled to supply water for the tasting room building (across the road, so horizontal driller hired to install two 1″ polypro lines under Footes Corners Road – one for water from well to house, and one for the power line from house to the pump)
- After that, in early December, the new rough electric was installed throughout the building, and the new fire alarm wiring
- Also in early December a mini-split was installed in the basement to keep it warm enough to store cased wine
- In mid-December, 3″ of spray foam installed on all the walls and roof
- And just this week (Dec. 28) rough plumbing started, Thursday. Most of the drainage mains are done. Next week finish that up and also the hot/cold water lines
Coming next will be:
- Plumbing rough-in that started this week will get done.
- Drywall installation will start the week of Jan. 8, maybe sooner.
- The new windows are on order, should arrive late January, and installed soon after.
- New floors in Feb. or March.
- Come April new siding and deck on the back.