Joel should beome a Landscape Arctitect!

This gorgeous autumn weather has inspired Joel to beautify our outdoor living space before the snow flies.  After Rusty and the crew finished the walkways and patio, Joel got several loads of medium size creek bed stones and created rock gardens on both sides of the house.  We may or may not put in small trees or bulbs in the coming weeks.  Another option is to place pots with annuals on the stones in the spring.  He also got a load of dirt which he used to back-fill up to the new concrete and then he planted grass.  He had to chase the dogs off of the mound when it was time to spread, though!  Two decorative trees now adorn either side of the lakefront sliding glass door.

A lot is going to be happening up at the house this week.  The spray foam insulation guys will be there today and Matt, our sheet rock specialist, has been up several times to measure for his job.  He and his team plan to get started on Saturday!!  In preparation for these 2 somewhat messy jobs, Steve rented a van to sit in the yard for a month or so and had Larry and Brian load it up with all of our bathroom fixtures and any superfluous "stuff" that was lying around.  This way we protect our valuables and create a clear path for the next phase.

In the meantime, the trusses and posts have been delivered for the garage which Steve staked out a few days ago.  SO EXCITING!

More of the Pour

This has been the perfect week for Rusty and the guys to work on our concrete job.  The weather has cooperated fully, and luckily Rusty has been able to keep the cement mixers coming as there is a reported shortage of concrete due to the rainy summer.  In any event, phase 2 of the project was completed yesterday and the team arrived early today to complete the 3rd and final run which spans the front of the house and halfway down the west side.  By the end of the day the guys will have clocked in a 50 hour week (not all our job, though, as they had to work somewhere else on Wednesday.)  Here are some photos of yesterday and today's progress.

Pictures from Yesterday's Pour

All went well with phase 1 of the concrete pour yesterday!  The cement truck arrived right on time, and the guys got to work.  I was fascinated to learn that the way they get the "stamp" into the wet cement is by laying down sheets of a faux stone mosaic them tamping and stomping on it to create the pattern.  Later today and for the rest of the week the remaining areas will be done.  Luckily the weather report looks good!

Stocking the Pantry...well, at least getting a start on it!

So, over the weekend I continued to stain those tongue and groove boards and Joel, with Larry's help, installed them in the pantry.  They couldn't complete all 4 walls because the spray foam insulation guys need to be able to get to all the exterior walls, but the effect so far is impressive!  We had enough boards to wall up the inside of our upstairs closet, so that got done as well.

Towards the end of last week Rusty and his crew prepared the side walkway and back patio for todays concrete pour.  Here are the "before" pictures.  Hopefully by day's end I will have some nice "after" photos to share!

Mark, our electrician, has been putting in mega hours to complete all the wiring before the insulation guys come next week.  He and I have made countless decisions on the placement of all outlets, switches, and lighting fixtures, and I so appreciate his knowledge of his craft and the patience he has with me and my "definiteness."

Off to the house I go for another exciting day of forward progress!

Paving the Road to Success

Rusty and his crew have finally arrived at the jobsite!  After an up and down summer of bad weather which put him way behind schedule, he can now devote the 2 weeks needed to grade the land, build the forms, then pour, dye, and stamp the concrete for our walkways and patios.
We are so excited to take this next step towards creating a very "finished" looking home.

Joel and I spent the better part of last week in North Carolina, but upon our return we both got busy with various projects...he, of course, more so than me!  Ever since Paige and Tanya completed the beautiful road down to the lake, Joel has been wanting to finish the way to the water's edge.  Remember how he and Larry shored up the deck on stilts a couple of weeks ago?  Well now the job at hand is to turn the stairs into a ramp complete with handrails and create a walkway from there to the rocky beach over the mud and tree branches.  Here is the almost finished product and a photo of Joel in full concentration.

My job was much easier.  I stained lots (and I mean LOTS!) of tongue and groove boards a lovely shade of gray.  Ultimately they will be the walls of the pantry and our upstairs closet.  The wood came from Joel's dad's stash of goodies in his garage.  Over the years and throughout each of our renovation projects he has always donated some molding or doors or flooring to the cause.

Interior work continues in the form of the furring out of walls so that Mark, our electrician, can install outlets and plugs; the plumbers finished up a few lose ends yesterday and hauled away many of their tools and supplies; and Steve and Dennis and Larry are working on closing the gap in the Yoga room roof.

Our Appliances Have Arrived!

Lowes delivered all 7 of our major kitchen and laundry appliances to our Turin Road home this week.  We held off as long as possible hoping to get them right to the 1834 house, but alas they must sit in our garage for a month or so until we are ready for them.  I am meeting with the Lowes kitchen designer today to order the cabinets which will take a few weeks to come in.

Joel borrowed Larry the other day and the two of them worked down at the water's edge shoring up the deck which has been pulling away from the land.  I find it fascinating that it not only stands on stilts, but is also tethered to the hillside by cables.  They are strengthening all points of contact.

The pallet of hardiplank was finally delivered and the guys were able to finish the side entryway.  I really like the way it looks!  

Inside, Steve did a test run of the plumbing and heating systems by running water through all the pipes and tubes.  No leaks!!  He also installed the beautiful floor plank that we had picked out and set aside as our mantle.  Between that and the new hearth, our dining room fireplace is really looking great.

Last weekend we tested the outdoor fireplace.  Not that we are rushing autumn or anything, but the fire sure felt wonderful on our chilly feet!

Just When We Thought the Challenges were Behind Us...

All winter long I kept noticing and focusing on the fact that the west side back roof seemed arched.  I wondered how Steve was going to fix the problem when the time came.  Well, here we are...the curve is due to the fact that some time ago a new roof was built on top of an old, rotting  roof using little blocks of wood and longer stretches of wood crisscrossing them to attach the new roof to.  Over time, both roofs bowed in and when Steve re-supported the back part of the house, the tension caused the middle to arch up.  The solution?  Tear off the entire roof and start over with new materials on the new rafters.  For the time being we have no roof at all! (the first picture is a little deceiving due to the angle...the house doesn't bow out...the roof just arches up!)

Within the next 2 days Steve and the guys will lay on some Zip plywood then reinstall the metal

roof.  Hopefully now we are done with the major setbacks.

Other great things are happening all around the house, though.  The beautiful piece of brownstone that Steve recently picked up at a quarry has found a new home as our dining room hearth.  The outdoor dining area pillars have been decoratively wrapped and now just need a second coat of paint.  The ceiling and door frame of our side entrance have been installed, and Joel has been working inside ripping out old door frames to free up the spaces into and out of the den.  It makes a huge difference in the feeling of openness.

We are expecting delivery of the hardiplank siding today so Steve can finish making the house green.  Word has it that our concrete patios and walkways will be started late next week, and the insulation man is coming the first week of September!