(2)

REMOVING OLD CLAPBOARDS, PLYWOOD, AND INSULATION

REPLACING OLD PLYWOOD WITH ZIP BOARDS

A surprising amount of the plywood (much of it over 50 years old)
was in "not so bad" condition.  But since many sheets had deteriorated,
we decided to take it all down and replace it with a plywood
substitute, the ZIP system of "engineered wood" and acrylic tape.

Below:  "zipping" the living room wall

Because the old clapboards were removed in late fall, the house
was wrapped in protective paper (well, faux paper - Tyvek)
until the new clapboards could be installed.  (More about this below)

The original framing was in good shape, not withstanding its age

WRAPPING THE HOUSE IN PAPER

Hospital corners?

"The great thing about wrapping your home in Tyvek is that if you get fed up with
New England winters, your house is already stuffed in a mailing envelope and you can
easily priority-mail it down to Florida. ... Of course, you yourself will have to go by plane."

GARAGE WORK

Project's first foreman, Andrew, rebuilding the front corner of the garage

Some weeks later ...

FORCE-FEEDING THE HOUSE WITH NEW INSULATION

Cellulose (that is, [treated] paper) is pumped from a delivery truck

When stuffed with insulation, each hole is covered with black ZIP tape

Another watcher from the woods ...

The Thayer Street guys have seen a couple of hawk-kills during their work
outside the house (including a woodpecker).  The young Coopers Hawk, above,
visited me late one afternoon.  But I have yet to see any predator birds
successfully attacking their food.