" First, let's take a look at how work is progressing at the mansion. If you remember, last week we poured a new concrete slab in the basement. Now, the concrete is cured and constructions in full swing. The carpenters are getting to work on the framing for the office and utility spaces that will be located in the basement. The masons are busy building a shaft that will house the new dumbwaiter for the kitchen. Meanwhile in the attic, work is underway on the docks for the new HVAC system. Updating the mechanical systems is a big part of the mansion renovation. On the second floor, demolition crews have uncovered remnants of wallpaper from decades past. It'll still be a while before the second floor framing gets underway, but now, let's check in on the restoration of the guest cottage. Alright. Now, the carriage house, which is behind me, is early 1800s and this is known as the cottage in the formal garden. Let's say hi to Lewis Knuckles. You're the project superintendent, right?"

" Yes."

" And of course Mike Wescott------"

" Hello."

" who's the project manager."

" Yes."

" How are you guys doing today?"

" Doing fine. Thank you."

" So, this cottage and this is the elevation that we're looking at from here, right?"

" Right."

" This cottage is like no other cottage I've ever looked at, it's like a fine home."

" Yes it is. It really, it really is and it's been handling, pretty much these, primarily for the guest of the mansion."

" Yes."

" But during past administrations, it's taken care of the overflow with families and, and, the large families------"

" Sure."

" of the different administrations in the past."

" I imagine in nearly two centuries, there have been a few -----"

" There've been quite a few."

" in Virginia that had quite a few kids, right?"

" That's correct."

" Yes. Can we look at the floor plan?"

" Yes sure."

" Have it closer."

" Okay, This is your first floor and we are standing out in the east terrace."

" Right."

" What's some of the work that's been done on the interior?"

" Well, it's pretty, pretty much being cosmetic, Bob. We've updated the electrical-mechanical systems of course, but------"

" Yes."

" we've gotten drywall on the ceiling, we've taken down some bad plaster, we've repaired some of the water damage from the water wreaking through the brick over the years------"

" Yes."

" and I have tried to salvage as much of the trim as we could. There's now a handicapped bathroom upstairs, meet ADA requirements."

" What about the floors?"

" The floors have a combination wood and brick and we, we're, we're keeping those the way they are."

" So they're the original antique floors?"

" Yes."

" That's correct. Yes."

" And Lewis, what have you guys been working on, on the outside? Why was this trench put in here?"

" This trench was put in because of the moisture getting into the old brick------"

" Yes."

" seeping in through the walls and deteriorating walls over the years."

" So is that the, the, is that for moisture control that's like a stopper."

" Yes, yes. This is new waterproofing system, it's called a Bentonite system. This will keep the moisture that would get in the ditch from going in through the wall and it would carry the [unk] water to build up"

" Yes."

" outside through a manhole outside the building."

" And then of course, you coupled that with a lot of crushed stone."

" Right and we've also used this trench to put a lot of electrical pipe in."

" Okay, so that you got------"

" From one building to the other."

" Yes, cause this is all part a complex that's------"

" Right."

" connected tight in together."

" Right."

" And what will happen over here Lewis?"

" Here, we will install a new footing, across here. New masonry wall with this nice mahogany doors jam born in------"

" So, these will all be buried in the masonry, the brick wall here."

" Yes, they'd be buried in a brick wall. "

" My, my that is a nice door surround. Did you get this milled down here?"

" It was milled in Virginia."

" Is that right?"

" Virginia Beach."

" But it's mahogany, right?"

" Yes."

" Are you gonna have fun restoring this one?"

" Oh Yes."

" Now Mike, I understand that there's a lot of work being done on the facades out here."

" What was the condition of the garden loss?"

" Well Bob, as you can imagine over the years, there's been a build up and who knows how many layers we found on here and it necessitated doing a lot of scraping as this gentleman is doing."

" Yes. Lot stuff coming right off? What's interesting is underneath it is the old white wash------"

" That------"

" It's lime-based whitewash."

" That's exactly right and as you notice, we have a piece of canvass down here which we're collecting."

" Right."

" The pieces of the paint and that'll be sealed and haul the way in drums as a late abatement process."

" That's part of the abatement process."

" Yes right."

" You don't wanna leave anything to leech into the soil and this all has to be documented."

" That's right. That's right."

" Yes."

" It's very well documented and this is the first process of it and this is Wayne. And you can see that he's putting on a------"

" Hi."

" How are you doing?"

" Fine."

" rubber coat right now. Wayne might want to explain what he's doing?"

" What is this material that you're putting on?"

" This is a conditioner right here. Charlie's taking the loose paint off that wall."

" Right. Right."

" And, I'm applying the conditioner to it after he has knocked all of this debris off the wall and this [unk] seals this, this brick."

" So that the conditioner will actually stabilize what stays behind there I imagine."

" Yes sir."

" And it is clear, isn't it?"

" Yes."

" A little bit of whiteness to it."

" Wayne, how long does it have to dry before you can go to the next tough stage?"

" We let it go around for 24 hours."

" Okay. And Mike is there then a priming stage that's going on?"

" Yes there is Bob. You can see over here that we're applying the primer directly behind this------"

" Yes."

" We've applied that primer coat coz we have a finish coat which we'll apply at the end of the project."

" Okay, so now you get as far as the primer coat and, and, and then when the job is almost completed, you'll put the finish coat?"

" We'll put the finish coat. That, that, that's right."

" Terrific."

" [unk]"