House Build
2010-2011
This row home in Baltimore had been gutted to three walls. I joined a Habitat for Humanity volunteer crew to help rebuild it for the family who would call it home. For the next year, I worked on it one day a month — through a 107° heat wave, a January cold snap, and everything in between. By the end, a crew of volunteers had put in thousands of hours turning a dirt-floor shell into a beautiful home.
Before/After
View from the rear of the house.
Timeline
- April 2010 — Kickoff. Digging a drainage ditch around the foundation, hauling out old concrete, framing the basement walls, first floor beams.
- May 2010 — First floor subfloor, framing the first-floor bathroom and stairwell, second-floor I-joists, fencing installed.
- June–July 2010 — Second and third floor exterior walls framed, third-floor subfloor laid, stairwell framed in.
- August 2010 — Stairs installed, roof rafters and wedges going up, roofing plywood laid.
- November–December 2010 — Roof finished, interior framing complete, deck construction, tubs installed, spray insulation.
- January 2011 — Fiberglass insulation installed throughout.
- February–March 2011 — Drywall, baseboard, doors, cabinets, window sills, staining, exposed brick finishing, final push before dedication.
- March 26, 2011 — Dedication day. The home was handed to a wonderful family.