If you live in southeast Michigan you are probably thinking that I'm getting a bit cold these days as we are now operating below freezing for the high. But my good friend Andreas came through again with a furnace! He acquired this unit from our friend frank for his workshop, and he was nice enough to let me use it through the winter.
I temporarily turned my gas on to figure the unit out. After I got it working, I shut the gas of and I called up DTE to "have my gas turned on". This is how the conversation went.
Me: "I'd like to get my gas turned on"
DTE: "Okay. Let me just check, it appears it is already on"
Me: "Really? No seriously, it's off"
DTE: "Our records indicate your gas was turned on at the same time as the electrical"
Me: "Oh, you're right" (then I proceeded to hang up, get my wrench and turn the gas back on.)
Weird. I wonder if I will get a bill.
Anyhow the final phase of demolition has started. The house is essentially "3 additions" it seems. The original building consisted only of the first 20ft (1860?). Then the rest was added on at least by 1884, where a sanborn insurance map shows the house in it's entirety. At a later point the rear 1/3rd experienced a fire and was rebuilt. A neighbor tells me when they were a child, they remember the back half being caved in. So apparently the rear was "fixed" during the 80's. Now if you know anything about framing/construction this next picture will make you cry.
Even though it appeared "new" a quick look underneath and it was obvious that it all had to be rebuilt. The joist are overspan and shimmed with random materials from around the house. When I get through with it, it will be a tank.
Here is my rendition of what a 5 year olds rendition of the final product will look like! Enjoy!
