Our contactor has pulled out the plaster on the second floor as part of demolition. In just a few days the existing second floor has gone from what you see above to this:
The contractor says demolition is usually the most fun part of a project – when you’re wrecking stuff you don’t have to be as precise as when you’re building it, so mostly you just pound away! Actually, there’s quite a bit of precision even in demolition – the way current regulations are written, you have to presume that there’s lead dust in an older house. So the contractor had to put up plastic to contain things, and he has to wear a special suit and boots when he goes upstairs now.
It’s extra work and extra cost, yes, but what it really means is that we’re actually underway with this project, and that’s very exciting.