Not What I Was Hoping For

I messed around a little bit more on the never ending demo. Do you watch those shows on HGTV where they come in and just obliterate everything and then simply build it all back? That is either some fancy editing or they just add a huge contingency in the budget for redoing things they could have left in place. I say this because I spend half my time standing there scratching my head trying to decide what to take out and what to leave. Part of this, of course, is my own limited knowledge...or maybe my expansive knowledge of my own limitations. I try not to get too far down a road I can't return from. Anyway, that is just me ranting about how long this is taking.

Last night I was going to start tearing out the ceiling. That is, the wood ceiling over the area that will be the office. As I only really have a weekend and a half to get this done before "writing season" I am already starting to consider what I'm going to be left with at midnight November 1st. And it isn't pretty. GF, sensing the same thing asked if I really wanted to be trying to write with itchy particals of fiberglass wafting down on me the whole time, which, not surprisingly, gave pause to that enterprise.

Note, the ceiling has to come out so that when I put the new gyp in, it is at the same level as that on the other side of the wall and they match up. Otherwise, I'd probably just make holes where I need to to run wires and then gyp over it. Also note that I'm not yet locked into gyp. bd. I've been thinking about using sanded plywood on the ceiling. As it is looking like I'm going to have another month to think about it I will not make the decision today that I can so comfortably put off.

So, as I was pondering what to do with the ceiling I pulled a couple of peices of paneling down to see what is above it. (Not over my desk, thank you.) And what I found did not please me one little bit. That's not entirely true...the ceiling is insulated for which I am very thankful. But, the wall I am taking out...have halfway taken out...appears to be bearing. Or has aspects of a wall that could possibly be bearing. I was really hoping that was just a demising wall and I could ditch it completely.



See...the rafter is notched around the double top plate on the wall. You might say "duh" but check out the image below...there is no direct structural path through or around the clerestory windows and there is no header above them. Theoretically, if the roof sagged at all, it would crack the glass...but never has.



So...now I don't know what to do...besides stand there scratch my head and look at it some more. I'm posting this on lunch so I don't have time right now but I'll make a little diagram of the options (and why I don't like them) and post them later.

The thing I keep buoying myself up with is that this is an old house and some of the existing bones are going to show through...and that is ok.