Drips, demolition, and framing

The west wall of the house has tiny eves. This reduces cold air flow, making it easier for ice dams to form on that side of the house. Electric heat tape had been installed to compensate. I also rake the roof regularly.

Icicles form beneath a snowy gutter that is forming ice dams.
A light switch has a yellow label that says: CAUTION. Electric roof & gutter de-icing cable installed on this circuit.

The circuit works fine, but the heat tape turns out to be faulty. Ice dams form and water begins leaking through the bedroom ceiling. It’s clear that the interior soffit has been drywalled recently, and I begin to suspect that the flipper intentionally hid additional problems.

A bucket is held up to a small hole in a ceiling that is leaking water from ice dams.

I place a box fan in the attic to blow away the warm air and re-freeze the ice dams. In this photo you can also see that someone had previously used yellow spray foam insulation to try to plug up ice dam leaks.

A box fan in an attic keeps ice dams frozen until the damage can be repaired in warmer weather.

While in the attic, I discover more raccoon feces. I’m unable to tell if this is new or simply overlooked from before. However, I spot tracks from my house to a tree in the back yard, raising my suspicion that the raccoons have returned.

Animal tracks in a snowy back yard lead to a series of large trees.

Meanwhile, Walter Sullivan, Harry Sullivan, and Frosty demolish the rest of the master bedroom ceiling.

Three people using prybars to demolish drywall from a bedroom ceiling.

They discover unsecured electrical wires, rickety framing, and find that the main air conditioner line is dripping condensation above the ceiling. The backside of the drywall is covered in mold.

Ceiling drywall removed from a bedroom soffit reveals a heating duct with a flap hole cut in it.
Insulated air conditioner line runs across a basement ceiling and through a foundation wall.

My general contractor works to re-frame areas that were demolished ($211.27). He discovers that the bathroom is out of square, so some very creative framing will have to be done to correct the problem. This also means that the corrected framing will be 2″ too close to the toilet drain, so I’ll have to buy a new toilet with a matching rough-in spec.

Carpenters use ladders and scaffolding while erecting new basement framing.

The laundry room is re-framed.

Framing in a basement over drain pipes.

The new dryer vent is installed ($87.41).

Framing in a basement over drain pies and a dryer vent.

The mechanical room wall is re-framed for bi-fold closet doors.

Framing in a basement around the water heater and furnace.

The bathroom wall is re-framed around the new drain pipes.

Framing for a door in a basement stud wall.