“When the call comes, we have to go.”
About a year ago, I got a call to meet a developer at this house that was coming down. I had a delivery to make in the area so agreed to meet that afternoon before I dropped off my pieces. The fellow was affable and after looking around, we worked out what I would take and how much I would pay and then I said I would be back on Friday with a crew.
He said “well no, it’s coming down this afternoon – the equipment is here”.
No crew, no time and a full truck – I had my work cut out for me. But the worst of it was a massive built-in cupboard I would have no way in the world to get out by myself.
The house was modest but early – around 170 years old – and, though it killed me, I had no choice but to get what I could out of the house and leave behind this fabulous cupboard with its 14″ beaded back boards and Chinoiserie glazed uppers. With the help of my friend Phil Freire who came by on short notice, I took the mantel, several doors and some trim and headed off to finish my day.
A few days later, I reached out to my contact at the Town of Caledon to thank them for lead and to let them know that, had I more lead time, I would have taken much more. Well, didn’t they get in their car, drive to the site and discover that the house was still standing?!?! All was not lost.
I returned with a crew and we got to work. The cupboard was built into the space between a chimney breast and the outer wall which meant that the only way to remove it was to knock out a clearing of brick around it. A sledge hammer, chisels, pry bar and slow removal of the brick eventually freed the piece but, as the cupboard was fit in tightly, we would have to alter the joists to get it out.
Finally! Now that it was out of its cubby, we had to get it out of the house – no small feat as it was six feet wide and ten feet tall and there were only three of us. We got it onto its side and, while I rode a two wheel dolly for counter balance at the front, Steve and Bruce used a strap to lift the back end. Even so, it just barely fit out the doorways.
Next came the easy part – just get it up on top of the truck. No, seriously.
We did it. Now it stands in the showroom in all of its eclectic grandeur. There s a bit of broken glass and some of the hardware has been changed but those are easy fixes considering it might have disappeared for ever!
A great thanks to Bruce Chambers who volunteered his time before he knew what he was doing and to Steve who had to do what I asked him to do.
