NOLA: Week Two, Day Three

This is Eagle Street, Miss Thelma's house. Some three generations live here, but we are only working on the "new addition" on the left, where we are trying to correct a problem with the floor joists and supporting girders. Tomorrow we will pour cement into four new pads which will support the new piers. These in turn will bring everything into a level plane -- we hope. Also, we have wrapped the exterior walls with Tyvek to create a vapor barrier, so that new siding can later be installed.

Gordon Street was finished today at three o'clock! A local TV affiliate showed up to talk with the owner and some of our NYS-fits+ thought they may have been pictured in the background. This is the second home that we have been able to see to completion, which gives a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. We realize that it takes the efforts of many, many groups to do all the work, but it is a wonderful high when you see that everything, literally everything, is finished!

Sadly, tomorrow Jim leaves. Another of us will go on Friday and then the rest on Saturday. The days have flown past us. We give thanks to God for the safety we have known and the spirit of cooperation and joy that has infused our team.

NOLA: Week Two

Time has been flying. It's already Tuesday of week two!

Good progress continues to be made on Gordon. Today some 25 bags of cement were mixed and poured into the reinforced forms for the bases of the two stairs. Inside, caulking, painting, hot water heater connections and other "punch-list" items were completed. Wesley again worked side-by-side with our intrepid volunteers.

On Eagle Street, Seth and Ted worked once more with Dan to level the joists in the middle room. Each of the lines in the photo are levels against which they are attempting to move the joists, so that the new floor will be level. A larger jack, capable of lifting 30 tons, is coming tomorrow to raise the center joist. Following that the news pads will be poured for the piers. Outside, the sheathing was wrapped around 3/4 of the house and set in place with staples and felt nails. When the sheathing is completed and the floor leveled, the windows will be re-installed.