Looking Hot

One more major purchase under our belt.

We finally picked the wood fireplace for the house. I learned so much about fireplaces. If any of you have a obscure question, I probably know the answer.

For a week I have foregone my normal evenings to scour the internet and check out installation instructions to find the stove that is just right.


We are soon to be proud owners of a RSF Opel3 Fireplace. Up to 70,000 BTUs will be pumping through the house just in time for summer. Meanwhile Galen the taper is finishing the sheetrock with a couple electric portable heaters in 20 degree weather.

I am certain some more pictures will be posted. We really haven't made much visible progress but with the sheet rock almost done, we should have something to show you soon.

A Price too High to be Paid

There are only a few things that can be appreciated as much as many friends. On Saturday, eight of these Good Examples showed up to help move 190 sheets of 12' sheet rock.

No time for a group photo. It was all in the house in an hour and twenty minutes!

They each, literally, helped a ton!

An Unfiltered Perspective

The pink insulation stays pink even when you cough or sneeze it up. They should change the color so it isn't so obvious where in the body this stuff ends up!

Sometimes it is Nice

Another quick post with some photos of the outside. Still working on the front where the stone goes. That may be another month.


This week is insulation week. Still trying to find a 6ft 4in Oines to help.....


Dad helped with the last loose ends and we should be ready for inspection by Tuesday.



Next big step is moving the sheet rock in. How a two hour job can weigh so heavy on my mind....


Looking forward to the hangers and tapers taking over for a month. It will give me some time for me to rest and the boys a father again.

Siding Finally

Here are a few pictures of the siding details.

We're using 8" hardie plank with hardie panel above.

We are pretty excited about the look and we'll be posting some more photos soon. Please let us know what you think.

A winner.... Finally!

Only uncle Kurt will understand this post. My quest to buy a range hood on Ebay for a bargain has ended sucessfully.

We went out on a limb style wise with this purchase. Now we have a sleek modern range hood, nice cherry cabinets, cultured stone, prefinished siding and an increasingly blurry picture of how it will all look together.

All were bargain deals of course...

Not Enough Time

A quick update.

Since the last post, our immensely talented electrician has finished the rough in and also solved all possible variations of problems that could occur while plugging in any appliance (including a welder) or turning on the lights.

We took a break and went to NY to visit Naomi's parents and family so we have had a couple weeks off from the project and the materials we had on order have piled up while we were gone.

The next big push will be siding which the bulk gets delivered tomorrow. I look forward to getting some up and then updating the photos to get some feedback. We'll be doing something different with hardi panel and am nervous that it may flop. I also am pretty nervous about the stone veneer. It looks simple enough but it will be a big job.

We also need to coax our plumber back on the job. His fishing season sounded really busy and he is wanting a bit of a break before starting his off season work. This fits OK with our schedule. It has been a new experience to not push through a project but actually hold back and slow down. Naomi has me on a TWTh night and a S and 1/2Su day schedule for the duration. This has something to do with the high demand for my parenting and husbandry (can be interpreted both ways) skills.

Photos are coming. Hang in there.

Portland Frenzy

Thanks to Cliff Skillings at AML for making our vacation a frantic buying spree. His help setting up a good price for a 20' container lured us in to fulfilling our hope to check off some major purchases while visiting Faith, Aaron, Jack and little Zoey.

We easily found our cultured stone veneer for the exterior with great service from the folks at Rock-On. The pricing and service was exceptional. We ended up purchasing the Coal Canyon Weathered Edge Ledgestone. It should blend well with the roof and both siding colors.

The excitment of visiting the cabinet store kept me up the first night when we arrived. Waking early, we made it in time for the store opening Saturday morning and quickly assessed the available cabinet sets. With only a few that fit our kitchen configurartion, We settled on a Diamond Cabinet in the Cherry Bayport door style. What sold us on this set was the incredible options. It has two super cabinets and a deep dish lazy susan corner. The all plywood construction tipped the scales.

We also picked up the butcher block counter top from IKEA along with some nice hardware pieces and two more of the Klud glass noteboards which we have been using as backsplashes for our kitchen stoves. Tempered, obscured and totally cleanable. A great adaptive product.

The most exciting purchase was Naomi's new Yamaha motor scooter. 115 miles to the gallon!

Garage Door

I have spent too much time and finally chose the garage door I would like. It is extruded aluminum with obscured, tempered, and insulated glass.

Naomi has her concerns. Two of them actually... Nathan and Tyler.

We may have to pave our driveway just to limit the supply of rocks that fit small hands.

The way I see it, it will be easier to fix glass than pull dents out of an aluminum door.

Let us know what you think!

Two months more

Sorry about the delay in updating.

It wasn't until last week that much changed on the project. We tried to enjoy the first part of the summer knowing that once the framers started their work in early August we would be hitting the ground running.

We flew Matt's cousin and two of his construction crew up for a 10 day house framing adventure. Unfortunately, the adventure part never quite happened. While we were blessed with dry, decent weather while they

worked, their day off brought wind and rain so they opted for a quieter town day rather than searching for some waves to surf like they had hoped to.

So, now two weeks later we have a fully framed home with a shingled roof. Good job guys!!!!

It has been a Month

We finally poured the slab foundation over Memorial Day weekend. For three weeks we waited for the weather window to open. When it finally did, the pendulum swung to the far opposite with hot, dry and breezy conditions. Pouring in this weather meant we had to work fast to finish the slab. It turned out pretty good with lots of labor and help from a couple pros.

In the meantime I have been trying to get quotes for the first round of materials and planning trips up for our star crews of framers and the electrician. We also had the chance to take the family out to the birdnest cabin for Memorial Day and Baranof this last weekend. Both trips were great and the boys were wonderful!

It has been a tough decision with the materials. Having provided a detailed spreadsheet with all the material quantities listed, I am still waiting (week 4) for the local lumber yard to give me a price. Despite the empty promises of performance and the assurance of a competitive number, Naomi and I talked about it (too much) and have decided we need to honor the only person that was responsive to our request. The only drawbacks are that the company is not local and they do not take credit cards. No AK Air miles for a trip to celebrate the completion of the project!

As far as the crews, cousin Dave will be up the first week of August to help with the framing. Uncle Kurt is still negotiating his trip for the end of August. Hopefully everyone will be able to make it and our schedule remains intact.

The next step is the garage slab and the short foundation wall. We'll keep you updated.

Safety

I knew one of the qualities Matt married me for was my ability and willingness to pick up a shovel and do the dirty work a well manicured woman would not even consider. I am regretting that quality now as my hands are red and callused and my back sore from my labors.

I am sure the neighbors in the subdivision got quite a laugh out of watching Matt and I work last night. Matt tweeked his back hauling Costco goods around for me so he was stuck on “light duty” while I shoveled, wheelbarrowed, and raked gravel in preparation for the slab. I nearly snapped my lower leg in two as I tried to push an overfilled wheelbarrow across a “ditch” where the footer would be. I got stuck trying to push it up the loose slope and it twisted and dumped on me. My leg was caught under the handle as I quickly lost control of the heavy laden wheelbarrow. I slipped it out just in time with a quickened heart beat recognizing how close a call that was. It was a good eye opener to remember that building a home can be dangerous – something I need to keep in mind as we bring our two boys up there to play while we work.

Design

Just to give everyone some reference, here are the floor plans and elevations for the house. As we get further in the final design, we'll update the material choices and colors. I am sure there will be some discussion on the later. (Click picture for larger image)

Vital Specs: 1700 sf
3-4 bedroom,
2.25 baths
One-car garage

on solid ground

Our plans are now set in stone…well concrete. The footer was poured yesterday and is now a lovely shade of “green”. We were blessed with a cloudless sky, warm temperatures and a perfect combination of friends and family to get this first pour completed.

I found it amusing that the six of us ‘workers’ waited patiently for the concrete truck to arrive only to realize that we had forgotten the simple tasks that need to be completed before the pouring begins. Extension cords for the stinger, wheelbarrow routes, assigning tasks, ect.

Even still, the pour went very smoothly and with smiling faces and good conversations. Dad only sprayed me once in the face with concrete from the vibrator. I am, however, beginning to really notice the years weighing upon me as I literally could not stand up straight after bending over finishing the surface for an hour or so.

After a hard day of concrete work we met with the plumber to discuss what we needed to keep him moving in the process. He is “squeezing us in” between other projects to complete the underground work so we can prep for the slab on grade foundation. So, rather than kicking back and watching a lovely Sitka sunset, we coerced Grandpa into babysitting and spent the hours of our evening shoveling D-1 gravel into place so the plumber could begin this morning…. The calluses are already beginning to form. Two more pours to go.

Permitting

Spring finally showed her stuff today. Sunny and 28-43 degrees. The waters along the shore are green with herring spawn. All the birds are back, sea lions and whales are close to town.

And now is the time we picked to start our next home project.

The 'Foundation Only' permit was approved earlier this week. Despite the three week Planning and Zoning variance process, the development of the design drawings, and the expense, the permit is still waiting to be picked up. If it sits too much longer, I may never see it until it is obsolete. We are scheduled for the reinforcing inspection first thing in the morning, Monday. The cement truck will be idling in the driveway by the time it should be done.

A few photos of the foundation forms should be posted later. Hopefully none will be of me digging shot rock with my bare hands.... Pays to pay to make sure the lot is perfectly level!