Proving the can-of-worms theory to be true, last fall a contractor was looking at the back of our house to get a feeling for where the fireplace addition would go. He stared at our 100-year-old barn then turned to me and said, “It’s none of my business, but do you know your barn has serious structural issues?” Indeed, the steep roof was spooning and the eaves were bowing out. Before we started the fireplace project, we had an internal skeleton structure built in the barn loft, but with the help of a contractor, that only took a week. It should be good for another 100 years, and now we have formally started the fireplace addition.
On April 3rd, the second day of excavation, the foundation crumbled under a corner of the house where it shouldn't have. A big post is supporting the corner so the roof doesn't collapse. The floors are on some other support system. Apparently the use of mortar wasn't deemed necessary in 1880 when the house was built. One rock was removed by hand from the foundation and the stones simple rolled away. Kind of like the end of the game Jenga.
There should be a new corner wall of support tomorrow. Meanwhile, the digger continued excavating our new basement, which will be under the fireplace addition. And, as I write this, the boys are sleeping in our room on the futon, away from the corner supported by the wooden post.