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Sep 26, 2010

The befores.......

This is the front porch.  This was actually the cleanest room in the house when we got here.  There were a few odds and ends left but nothing to outrageous.  The corners were covered in sipiderwebs and dust but that probably had a lot to do with the open window.

 This is the front room.  I guess I didn't have the camera with me when we first walked in so I cant share the horror with you.  This is after we cleared out all the room, bleached the floors for the first time and had swept.  We had started peeling off the cracked plaster on the walls and ceiling to fix it (the pile under the window is the begining of said work).
 Front bedroom:  This room was covered in dog hair.  It was about 4 inches thick in the floor vent and coated all the corners a good 2 inches.  It stunk.  Really no way around that, it just reeked!  The window under the towel had a large gap in the frame.  We replaced the window, painted a less glaring shade of yellow, bleach mopped, and this room cleaned up pretty good.

 Middle bedroom:  This room was oh so beautiful.  Graffitti style art work (as seen in the photo) covered the walls and floor (He loved Katrina in case you are wondering).  It wasnt too bad for dirt but still stunk.  The window is broken (still waiting for replacements) and there were dirty stinky clothes left every where in the room.
 Middle bedroom floor:  This floor was apperently a favorite for artwork.  It was covered in random designs, graffitti, and other odds and ends. 


 Back Porch:  This room was the most foul smelling room I have ever ever ever had the displeasure of smelling.  It was horrible.  There is nothing to even compare it too!  It was covered in dirt, dog hair, cat pee/feces, and to top it off, thousands of pigeion feathers.  Millions of flies covered every surface and you could hear them humming as you walked through.  Even typing this makes my stomach turn, that is how bad it smelled.  Oh and graffitti boy got his hands on the back door also. 

A plant that apprerently was as cared for as the rest of the house.  Great view of the mountains out that window though.  Can not complain about that!
 Kitchen cabinets:  The kitchen was coated in a dirt/grease/filth mix so heavy that TSP, bleach and a putty knife were the only ways to get rid of it.  Every single nook and cranny was covered in this thick paste of smelly smelly stuff.  Dog hair was stuck everywhere, the walls were splattered with wet dog, mice droppings covered all the abandoned can goods in the cupboards.  It. was. disgusting.  No other way around it.

 The broken kitchen window was taped in some spots until something happened and the whole window came out (except this small corner) so the tenents put a sheet of duct taped plexi glass in the hole.  It was too small and this is the point of entry for the million flies.  Because of this window, water entered the house and the countertops were rotted and molded.

 The bathroom:  This room has been the most insanity inducing rooms in the house.  We had to tear out the floor, replace the bathtub plumbing, replace the toilet and the sink and lighting.  This picture shows you the beautiful mosaic of mold that was under all the tile.  The tile could no longer stay  down because of the amount of warping and mold on the subfloor.

 This was the fresh water damage we found under the tub.  When I stuck the screw driver in the sub floor it sunk about .5 inch.  The floor was saturated and leaking downstairs.

 Tearing out the floor went pretty quick.  We had to cut out the floor boards around the toilet because of the rot damage.
 Front of the house:  After spending so much time on the inside, the sad and neglected outside looks welcoming!  We switched out the front door with the old original door (original door in photos) because the other door leaked air like mad!  Plus as with everything else, it stunk!!  The house had a tree growing right at the foundation and was starting to cause some damage.  Dean took a few minutes one day and cut it down.

 No more tree.  The two windows on the front will be replaced.  One is currently duct taped so it will be replaced here within the next week or two.  The outside of the house needs some love but the inside is our priority right now.  Hopefully by next summer I can put my grand plans for the exterior into action.

Well there are the few before pictures I took.  I wish I  had taken more but we sprang to action so quick that I didnt even think about it.  I do have a pic of the dumpster that took the toxic waste away.  I'll have to share that one next time along with the after pictures of each room.

2 comments:

Nicole said...

Wow! You guys need to be hired at extreme home makeover! You're amazing for tackling such a big job. Can't wait for the after pictures.

The Rice's said...

HOLY CRAP!!! I seriously cannot believe this place even looked like a palace in the making to you guys. I would have seen it and ran a million miles an hour in the other direction. I hope you got that place for a steal with all the work you will have to do. Wow... still amazed! Can't see what you do with this place :)