ARtraveler
R.I.P. Dwayne
Thanks for the update. :2thumbs:
-
There were many reasons for the change of the site software, the biggest was security. The age of the old software also meant no server updates for certain programs. There are many benefits to the new software, one of the biggest is the mobile functionality. Ill fix up some stuff in the coming days, we'll also try to get some of the old addons back or the data imported back into the site like the garage. To create a thread or to reply with a post is basically the same as it was in the prior software. The default style of the site is light colored, but i temporarily added a darker colored style, to change you can find a link at the bottom of the site.
The Log House Project
- Thread starter NancysToy
- Start date
NancysToy
Motorbike Professor
Contrary to popular opinion, I did not disappear from the face of the earth...nor did we give up on the house project. Sorry for the lapse in progress reports. These broken ribs have slowed me down. The plaster was finished two weeks ago, and we have been waiting patiently for things to dry out enough to proceed further. Nancy and I have been cleaning up things, particularly plaster dust and plaster in the electrical boxes and doorways. Some always squeezes out when it is being troweled. The plasterers cleaned up pretty well, but there was room for improvement. I also cleaned up excess foam around the windows and doors, and cut all the remaining shims flush. The ribs feel better, but I haven't been able to work too hard these last two weeks. We did do some work moving things around and cleaning, and had a couple of days where we had to clear snow. The little snowblowing I had to do nearly killed me! I also closed in the cold air returns with plastic, so we won't have to caulk each board when we apply the T&G.
My son came out Thursday and helped us move some of the interior tongue & groove pine up into the great room to acclimate before we install it. We moved over 1,000 board feet of it Thursday, and finished the remaining half today. Shannon also chipped ice for me Thursday so the driveway and roof would have a place to drain. I still cannot lift the heavy ice spud and my ribs hurt after a couple of whacks anyway. I tried it earlier this week and popped the ribs loose again. We also moved the solid surface walls for the walk-in shower. Thursday morning we met with our cabinet supplier and ironed out those final details. Thurday afternoon and evening Nancy and I attended an area home show, then we did another on Friday. Needless to say, I was pooped and hurting by day's end!
Today we finished moving the wood and then set the walk-in shower pan in the master bath. The solid surface custom pan is 48"x66" and weighs 250 pounds! It was quite the wrestling match. The custom shower is by the Onyx Collection. We love this stuff. We have an existing vanity by the same company and will have an Onyx vanity in the new master bath as well. We got the pan set in place, so I can put up the backer board, paint the ceiling after the plaster cures a couple more weeks, then set the soild surface walls and install the accessories.I was quite surprised to find the plumber had not glued the shower drain in place, so I will have to do so tomorrow. Glad I found it now!
The furnace had stopped working when we arrived. Apparently the cover became dislodged and the safety switch shut it off. It was running hard to catch up when we left. The temperature inside had dropped 10-15 degrees. It probably didn't help that we had the garage door open so we could bring the wood out of the walkout, up the hill and around the house, then in through the garage. We also took our reclaimed barnwood mantle out to the house today. We stopped along the way at the supply house to look at it with the stone we selected. The mason can't come until the snow is off the roof, but at least we do have a stone picked out at long last. The builder anticipated (and bid) cultured stone, but that stuff looks so fake, up close, that we couldn't bring ourselves to do it that way. The real stone veneer pleases this geology minor far better.
My son came out Thursday and helped us move some of the interior tongue & groove pine up into the great room to acclimate before we install it. We moved over 1,000 board feet of it Thursday, and finished the remaining half today. Shannon also chipped ice for me Thursday so the driveway and roof would have a place to drain. I still cannot lift the heavy ice spud and my ribs hurt after a couple of whacks anyway. I tried it earlier this week and popped the ribs loose again. We also moved the solid surface walls for the walk-in shower. Thursday morning we met with our cabinet supplier and ironed out those final details. Thurday afternoon and evening Nancy and I attended an area home show, then we did another on Friday. Needless to say, I was pooped and hurting by day's end!
Today we finished moving the wood and then set the walk-in shower pan in the master bath. The solid surface custom pan is 48"x66" and weighs 250 pounds! It was quite the wrestling match. The custom shower is by the Onyx Collection. We love this stuff. We have an existing vanity by the same company and will have an Onyx vanity in the new master bath as well. We got the pan set in place, so I can put up the backer board, paint the ceiling after the plaster cures a couple more weeks, then set the soild surface walls and install the accessories.I was quite surprised to find the plumber had not glued the shower drain in place, so I will have to do so tomorrow. Glad I found it now!
The furnace had stopped working when we arrived. Apparently the cover became dislodged and the safety switch shut it off. It was running hard to catch up when we left. The temperature inside had dropped 10-15 degrees. It probably didn't help that we had the garage door open so we could bring the wood out of the walkout, up the hill and around the house, then in through the garage. We also took our reclaimed barnwood mantle out to the house today. We stopped along the way at the supply house to look at it with the stone we selected. The mason can't come until the snow is off the roof, but at least we do have a stone picked out at long last. The builder anticipated (and bid) cultured stone, but that stuff looks so fake, up close, that we couldn't bring ourselves to do it that way. The real stone veneer pleases this geology minor far better.
Attachments
NancysToy
Motorbike Professor
Lots of Loose Ends
Today Nancy had PT, so I went out to the house alone. It's never as much fun alone...just like riding the Spyder.
The house was warm again, after yesterday's furnace failure. I'm gonna have to buy another tank of propane soon, though. There is no likelihood that we will be able to finish the geothermal for a while. This is one mean winter! Today it was near 50, but that is only about the sixth day above freezing since New Year's. We are expecting 4"-8" of snow Wednesday, and temperatures near zero Thursday AM.
I spent about an hour cleaning up. Between Nancy scraping the plaster out of the electric boxes, me cutting off the excess foam around the doors and windows, and our work which has loosened some of the exposed cellulose insulation, I only got two rooms done in that hour. They were messy!
Following that I made some repairs on the walk-in shower. When we set the pan yesterday I found that the drain pipe hadn't been glued into the trap. It was not marked as such, as the vanity drains are, so I assume it was an oversight. I'm glad we happened upon it, it would have been a bear to deal with after it started to leak when we christened the shower. It wasn't much fun, requiring numerous trips up and down the stairs, from one end of the house and basement to the other. I glued the pipe in place, and tightened the gasket to the shower pan. When I get the walls done and they finish the plumbing, we will be ready to roll.
After talking to my builder on the phone to plan our strategy from here on out, I put up an air/vapor barrier on the master bedroom outside walls. That should keep the cellulose from being damaged, and will keep it from leaking dust through the tongue & groove paneling as time goes by. The material is called MemBrain. It will pass vapor from the wetter side to the dry side, so moisture can't build up in the walls. Most of all, it will prevent air infiltration through the T&G. The foam and cellulose should keep the house tight enough, but that many joints in the wood make me nervous. Belt and suspenders.....
I ended up doing something stupid for my finale. I decided to move some of the backer board from the garage to the bathrooms, in preparation for finishing the showers. I popped these ribs loose again stretching to hold the panels. I'm hurting tonight. One of my parents' rules was "Self-inflicted wounds don't count," so I guess I won't get any sympathy as a result of my foolish rush to do too much.
Still waiting for wood to acclimate, plaster to cure, quotes to land, materials to arrive, and snow to leave, so things are still stalled out as far as the contractors are concerned. Hopefully we will see the trim carpenter and flooring people soon...and we can get back under way. I meet with the mason Wednesday...if we don't get snowed in. Until then, Nancy and I have lots of loose ends to deal with. I'm sure we'll keep busy.
Today Nancy had PT, so I went out to the house alone. It's never as much fun alone...just like riding the Spyder.
The house was warm again, after yesterday's furnace failure. I'm gonna have to buy another tank of propane soon, though. There is no likelihood that we will be able to finish the geothermal for a while. This is one mean winter! Today it was near 50, but that is only about the sixth day above freezing since New Year's. We are expecting 4"-8" of snow Wednesday, and temperatures near zero Thursday AM.
I spent about an hour cleaning up. Between Nancy scraping the plaster out of the electric boxes, me cutting off the excess foam around the doors and windows, and our work which has loosened some of the exposed cellulose insulation, I only got two rooms done in that hour. They were messy!
Following that I made some repairs on the walk-in shower. When we set the pan yesterday I found that the drain pipe hadn't been glued into the trap. It was not marked as such, as the vanity drains are, so I assume it was an oversight. I'm glad we happened upon it, it would have been a bear to deal with after it started to leak when we christened the shower. It wasn't much fun, requiring numerous trips up and down the stairs, from one end of the house and basement to the other. I glued the pipe in place, and tightened the gasket to the shower pan. When I get the walls done and they finish the plumbing, we will be ready to roll.
After talking to my builder on the phone to plan our strategy from here on out, I put up an air/vapor barrier on the master bedroom outside walls. That should keep the cellulose from being damaged, and will keep it from leaking dust through the tongue & groove paneling as time goes by. The material is called MemBrain. It will pass vapor from the wetter side to the dry side, so moisture can't build up in the walls. Most of all, it will prevent air infiltration through the T&G. The foam and cellulose should keep the house tight enough, but that many joints in the wood make me nervous. Belt and suspenders.....
I ended up doing something stupid for my finale. I decided to move some of the backer board from the garage to the bathrooms, in preparation for finishing the showers. I popped these ribs loose again stretching to hold the panels. I'm hurting tonight. One of my parents' rules was "Self-inflicted wounds don't count," so I guess I won't get any sympathy as a result of my foolish rush to do too much.
Still waiting for wood to acclimate, plaster to cure, quotes to land, materials to arrive, and snow to leave, so things are still stalled out as far as the contractors are concerned. Hopefully we will see the trim carpenter and flooring people soon...and we can get back under way. I meet with the mason Wednesday...if we don't get snowed in. Until then, Nancy and I have lots of loose ends to deal with. I'm sure we'll keep busy.
Attachments
MarkLawson
RT-S PE#0031
Scotty, I think you might know why the plumber didn't glue it.
suenmikez
New member
Log Home (Where?)
We had a lot of construction issues with ours, but it has been worth it. Where are you located?
suenmikez
New member
:yes::yes:
NancysToy
Motorbike Professor
Actually, he could have done it readily from the basement where he was working. I cut it off flush at the fllor, then set the pan over it, so I couldn't manage from the top, nor align it from the bottom. No problem...I'm sure I needed the exercise. :roflblack:
Nice! We will be just outside of Allegan, MI, in the heart of the snow belt.
Today we made a road trip to Marne to find and order a newel post for the stairway, bought a reclaimed wood vanity for one bath, then went to the property...where we managed to meet with the mason. We were supposed to do that tomorrow, but we are expecting 6"-8" of snow tomorrow. We then visited the stone supplier to look at hearthstones and an alternate stone for the fireplace/chimney. At home we got an email in response to a question we asked about the fit of the microwave/range hood to the cabinets we selected. that turned into a monster, and we had to change the cabinets. Less stylish, but you have to go with what works and fits. I hate revisiting these things, though, so the stone and the cabinets were like walking backwards.
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NancysToy
Motorbike Professor
We finally are seeing some progress again. For the last few weeks about the only ones working on the house have been Nancy and I. Much of the time I was working alone. Yesterday we finally saw our builder again, and today we actually had a tradesman. We have been making some headway in other ways. The flooring came in way over budget, despite earlier quotes that were much closer. They measured last week, and I'm not sure whether they used different numbers, although the drawings are pretty accurate, or if they made some kind of an error before. The hardwood price did increase, but that only accounts for a tenth of the increase in the quote. As a result we had to rethink the whole thing. We went to a cheaper carpet throughout, went to carpet instead of hardwood in the office (we had previously changed from expensive wool carpet to the wood), hired someone else to do the floor tile, and I am taking on the underlayment and LVT (luxury vinyl tile) as well as the bathroom tile myself. I don't need a longer worklist, but we have to make ends meet.
My worklist also grew last week when the mason said he wouldn't be enclosing the fireplace chase and that the hearth needed to be cut down. I had asked my builder repeatedly, and he said the mason would do it. Without a carpenter anymore, the jobs now fall on me. We did pick out some stone. We looked at cultured stone but it was too much like painted concrete for this old geology minor, so we went with the real thing at twice the price. The stone we really wanted was even more, but we had to work within our means once again. The one we picked is nice, though.
We also looked at paint and stain colors last week. We needed to pick a trim stain before the trim carpenter arrives next week to do the tongue & groove, wood ceilings, and interior doors. That was easy enough...we just decided on clear varnish, no stain. A decision on paint for the kitchen and other places will take more time. Sherwin Williams handed us a chip book with literally hundreds of choices. Whatever happened to simple old Roy G. Biv?
The builder brought out the extension jambs for the windows and doors Monday. The thick walls require jamb extensions. The trim carpenter will install them. I insulated under the stairs to help soundproof them, using denim insulation. If any of you contributed your old blue jeans to the project, I thank you. I also tore off the hearth top, in preparation for cutting the base down. We bought some OSB and drywall and I should have things rebuilt and finished this week...once the tile guy is done. I do have to seal the tile Thursday, though, so I may have to work the weekend again. I found a suitable box for the electric near the mantle, and worked with the electrician to wire that and rewire the fireplace. Nancy didn't want the outlet sunk into the mantle. Our mantle is an old barn beam...very nifty! Today I sanded the floor seams smooth for the tile, while Nancy vacuumed up the dust. Last week I covered the cellulose on the open walls with a plastic called MemBrain, which releases water if it builds up within the wall, yet doesn't allow water vapor or air to pass through to the insulation.
Today the tile guy came and laid the Ditra underlayment for the tile. I like the orange color, but I suppose we'll have to cover it.
Tomorrow he will lay the tile, then Thursday I will seal the quarry tile portions. He will grout Monday from the looks of it. The garage doors are also due to be installed tomorrow. Before we went home we moved and restacked the pile of lumber, logs, and trash that the drywall guys just threw into a big, mixed pile, instead of the neat stacks they had at the beginning. They needed room for their scaffold.
Nancy is gone the next few days, helping her sister who will be having back surgery. I will miss her a lot! The work is always easier with her help. Having to drive an hour to get home, then cook dinner doesn't thrill me, either. I'm not sure how she does it so cheerfully day after day.
My worklist also grew last week when the mason said he wouldn't be enclosing the fireplace chase and that the hearth needed to be cut down. I had asked my builder repeatedly, and he said the mason would do it. Without a carpenter anymore, the jobs now fall on me. We did pick out some stone. We looked at cultured stone but it was too much like painted concrete for this old geology minor, so we went with the real thing at twice the price. The stone we really wanted was even more, but we had to work within our means once again. The one we picked is nice, though.
We also looked at paint and stain colors last week. We needed to pick a trim stain before the trim carpenter arrives next week to do the tongue & groove, wood ceilings, and interior doors. That was easy enough...we just decided on clear varnish, no stain. A decision on paint for the kitchen and other places will take more time. Sherwin Williams handed us a chip book with literally hundreds of choices. Whatever happened to simple old Roy G. Biv?
The builder brought out the extension jambs for the windows and doors Monday. The thick walls require jamb extensions. The trim carpenter will install them. I insulated under the stairs to help soundproof them, using denim insulation. If any of you contributed your old blue jeans to the project, I thank you. I also tore off the hearth top, in preparation for cutting the base down. We bought some OSB and drywall and I should have things rebuilt and finished this week...once the tile guy is done. I do have to seal the tile Thursday, though, so I may have to work the weekend again. I found a suitable box for the electric near the mantle, and worked with the electrician to wire that and rewire the fireplace. Nancy didn't want the outlet sunk into the mantle. Our mantle is an old barn beam...very nifty! Today I sanded the floor seams smooth for the tile, while Nancy vacuumed up the dust. Last week I covered the cellulose on the open walls with a plastic called MemBrain, which releases water if it builds up within the wall, yet doesn't allow water vapor or air to pass through to the insulation.
Today the tile guy came and laid the Ditra underlayment for the tile. I like the orange color, but I suppose we'll have to cover it.
Tomorrow he will lay the tile, then Thursday I will seal the quarry tile portions. He will grout Monday from the looks of it. The garage doors are also due to be installed tomorrow. Before we went home we moved and restacked the pile of lumber, logs, and trash that the drywall guys just threw into a big, mixed pile, instead of the neat stacks they had at the beginning. They needed room for their scaffold.Nancy is gone the next few days, helping her sister who will be having back surgery. I will miss her a lot! The work is always easier with her help. Having to drive an hour to get home, then cook dinner doesn't thrill me, either. I'm not sure how she does it so cheerfully day after day.
NancysToy
Motorbike Professor
Busy day today! The tile guy was there even before I arrived at 8:30...an hour before he said he'd show. He was still there when I left, too, with another 2-3 hours of work ahead of him. He is one hard worker. Crawling around that long on my knees would probably put me it the hospital. He was remarking to Nancy that this was only about the second or third time he had done simple quarry tile. Most people want the latest and greatest, not something that you would see in a restaurant kitchen. We preferred something simple, in keeping with the log house theme.
At mid-morning the garage doors arrived. They had actually delivered them by accident earlier in the project, instead of the doors for another of my builder's projects. This time we were ready, though. They were real pleased with my casings, and set right to wor without any prep work necessary. They were still pecking away at the opener for the second door and at the third (utility) door when I left around 3:30. I got a quick demonstration of the wall-mounted openers, then I bailed. I had some errands to run.
I kept myself occupied and out of the way by reframing the wall the HVAC crews cut out to run their ducting. After lunch I shimmed the walls for the shower panels, until I ran out of materials. Nancy came in the AM, and chipped errant plaster after helping me with the wall. She has been pecking away at that plaster for a week. After lunch she headed off to Grand Rapids to have her sister do her hair, then off to visit her parents and stay the night. In the morning she has to take her sister in for back surgery, then pick her up Friday when she is released from the hospital. As you can see from the video of me eating lunch while the poor tile layer worked like crazy, I wasn't as ambitious as I could have been, I'm still suffering some pain from my fall, and my hip screamed at me when I stood or knelt. I think the cold rain may have had something to do with it...the arthritis loves that cold, wet weather.
I don't have to seal the tile tomorrow. It turned out that it was factory sealed quite satisfactorily. Terry will grout tomorrow, and I will seal the grout (and tile if it will accept any sealer) next week. I could have done the tile myself...it was a pretty simple job, but it would have taken me longer, and I would have been lucky to have been able to stand after I had finished. I do intend to do the LVT and underlayment myself, but that tile should be toward the end of the project, so Nancy can just leave me there and move things in around me if need be. :roflblack:
At mid-morning the garage doors arrived. They had actually delivered them by accident earlier in the project, instead of the doors for another of my builder's projects. This time we were ready, though. They were real pleased with my casings, and set right to wor without any prep work necessary. They were still pecking away at the opener for the second door and at the third (utility) door when I left around 3:30. I got a quick demonstration of the wall-mounted openers, then I bailed. I had some errands to run.
I kept myself occupied and out of the way by reframing the wall the HVAC crews cut out to run their ducting. After lunch I shimmed the walls for the shower panels, until I ran out of materials. Nancy came in the AM, and chipped errant plaster after helping me with the wall. She has been pecking away at that plaster for a week. After lunch she headed off to Grand Rapids to have her sister do her hair, then off to visit her parents and stay the night. In the morning she has to take her sister in for back surgery, then pick her up Friday when she is released from the hospital. As you can see from the video of me eating lunch while the poor tile layer worked like crazy, I wasn't as ambitious as I could have been, I'm still suffering some pain from my fall, and my hip screamed at me when I stood or knelt. I think the cold rain may have had something to do with it...the arthritis loves that cold, wet weather.
I don't have to seal the tile tomorrow. It turned out that it was factory sealed quite satisfactorily. Terry will grout tomorrow, and I will seal the grout (and tile if it will accept any sealer) next week. I could have done the tile myself...it was a pretty simple job, but it would have taken me longer, and I would have been lucky to have been able to stand after I had finished. I do intend to do the LVT and underlayment myself, but that tile should be toward the end of the project, so Nancy can just leave me there and move things in around me if need be. :roflblack:
NancysToy
Motorbike Professor
I was alone today...until the bank appraiser came. He was encouraging, saying he felt we'd get done in the nine weeks we have left. I hope so! I'm not as confident as he and my builder. I landed late, and unloaded my new Little Giant ladder. Nancy bought it for me at a recent home show. I guess she doesn't want me to fall again. I'll second that motion...the ribs feel better, but the elbow and hip are screaming at me. The elbow seems to have some nerve damage right in the spot where you hit your "funny bone". Very painful to touch in any way. The hip hurts badly, and has a big lump or maybe the bone sticking out abnormally. They said it wasn't broken, but I'm going to seek a second opinion. I shattered the pelvis on the opposite side in a motorcycle crash years ago, and never knew it until the arthritis got real bad. It acted similarly when I was first injured. Pain and I are old friends, but I worry about possible disability, so I think I'll have my ortho surgeon have a look. I could used Doc Doru's advice right about now.
Yesterday I finished shimming the walk-in shower studs for the backer board. The board has to lap over the shower pan, so the studs need to be even and the right distance away. I also wiped excess grout from the newly grouted tile floors, even though the tile guy did so several times earlier that day. Today I gave it a last dry rub and vacuuming. Sunday I will seal the quarry tile. We used simple quarry tile in the pantry and laundry, and unglazed porcelain in the foyer.
The garage doors were installed Wednesday. I splurged on the best-built garage doors I could afford. They are heavy gauge steel, with R-18 insulation, high-lift tracks, and wall-mounted operators. I was going to build swinging doors for the utility door opening, but the rib injury changed my plans. I had to order a matching overhead for that one, too, but smaller. It is strange...the 9'x8' doors came with one center hinge per panel, while the puny 6'x7' door came with two per panel. Go figure! The door operators are pretty cool. They are gear-driven and very quiet. They actually slow down when they are near the bottom...opening and closing. The control stations have motion sensors to turn on the wireless lights when you enter the room, and the doors close automatically after 1, 5, or 10 minutes, depending on how they are programmed. I am quite sure that they are smarter than I am. :roflblack:
The hearth on the fireplace chase has to be cut down before the chase is covered, so the mason has room to lay his hearth stones. I'm not sure how the mason and carpenter ended up on different pages, but in the absence of a carpenter it has fallen on me to remedy. It is built like a battleship, and extends under the fireplace, so it can't be removed to cut it down. It has been a struggle! I worked on it today and got the outside cut, but I am having problems with the joists, due to close quarters. I can't get most power tools in there and none will do the entire length anyway. One of the joists is doubled 2" LVL, so it is too thick for my little saber saw, and my arm wears out too quickly with a hand saw. I have been using a combination of power and hand tools, but the laminated veneer lumber dulls saws quickly. I'll hack at it some more tomorrow.
Our red cedar ceiling wood arrived today. It will be delivered Monday. Next week the trim carpenters start on the interior doors, wood ceilings, and tongue & groove walls. If the trim wood is delivered, the painter will start to finish it, so the carpenters can move on to that next. We also expect to see the electrician, and maybe the mason. I have a bunch of work to do to get ready for them, so I'll have to spend my weekend there...and get there again early Monday morning. Hopefully I can get back to my shower walls while they whittle away at the wood. I also have to get the underlayment for the kitchen and baths laid pretty soon, before the cabinets arrive. I also have to paint the walls where cabinetry will be installed. Picking paint colors has been awful! It is hard to decide what to do.
Yesterday I finished shimming the walk-in shower studs for the backer board. The board has to lap over the shower pan, so the studs need to be even and the right distance away. I also wiped excess grout from the newly grouted tile floors, even though the tile guy did so several times earlier that day. Today I gave it a last dry rub and vacuuming. Sunday I will seal the quarry tile. We used simple quarry tile in the pantry and laundry, and unglazed porcelain in the foyer.
The garage doors were installed Wednesday. I splurged on the best-built garage doors I could afford. They are heavy gauge steel, with R-18 insulation, high-lift tracks, and wall-mounted operators. I was going to build swinging doors for the utility door opening, but the rib injury changed my plans. I had to order a matching overhead for that one, too, but smaller. It is strange...the 9'x8' doors came with one center hinge per panel, while the puny 6'x7' door came with two per panel. Go figure! The door operators are pretty cool. They are gear-driven and very quiet. They actually slow down when they are near the bottom...opening and closing. The control stations have motion sensors to turn on the wireless lights when you enter the room, and the doors close automatically after 1, 5, or 10 minutes, depending on how they are programmed. I am quite sure that they are smarter than I am. :roflblack:
The hearth on the fireplace chase has to be cut down before the chase is covered, so the mason has room to lay his hearth stones. I'm not sure how the mason and carpenter ended up on different pages, but in the absence of a carpenter it has fallen on me to remedy. It is built like a battleship, and extends under the fireplace, so it can't be removed to cut it down. It has been a struggle! I worked on it today and got the outside cut, but I am having problems with the joists, due to close quarters. I can't get most power tools in there and none will do the entire length anyway. One of the joists is doubled 2" LVL, so it is too thick for my little saber saw, and my arm wears out too quickly with a hand saw. I have been using a combination of power and hand tools, but the laminated veneer lumber dulls saws quickly. I'll hack at it some more tomorrow.
Our red cedar ceiling wood arrived today. It will be delivered Monday. Next week the trim carpenters start on the interior doors, wood ceilings, and tongue & groove walls. If the trim wood is delivered, the painter will start to finish it, so the carpenters can move on to that next. We also expect to see the electrician, and maybe the mason. I have a bunch of work to do to get ready for them, so I'll have to spend my weekend there...and get there again early Monday morning. Hopefully I can get back to my shower walls while they whittle away at the wood. I also have to get the underlayment for the kitchen and baths laid pretty soon, before the cabinets arrive. I also have to paint the walls where cabinetry will be installed. Picking paint colors has been awful! It is hard to decide what to do.
NancysToy
Motorbike Professor
I'm Tired!
Up at six again this morning and on the road to Allegan. The first order of business was to clean up some drainage ditches to get the water moving. That is actually good news, since the water has been all frozen until these last few days. We're back below freezing again, though, and should stay that way for a while. We don't have any bare ground except in the driveway and some drainage paths. I can see about half of the roof, though. Spring is nothing but a cruel tease this year, I hope it comes in earnest soon. We have experiences temperatures well below normal for six months, and they say there will be no change until at least June. I'd love to see some bare ground. On the bright side, the last of the ice left my driveway at home last night. It's still too muddy to get the Spyder out, but there is hope.
I managed to get my hearth cut down the rest of the way. It took a variety of hand saws and hand and power tools (mostly hand saws)...and a lot of an old man's stamina, but I got it whipped. It took several hours. I'm glad I wasn't paying a carpenter to do it. My Dremel Multi-tool is dying, so I had to hold my mouth just right to use it, although it could only do a small portion of the job. I thought it was an extravagance when I bought it a few years back, but I use it all the time. If I can't repair it I will definitely buy another.
In the afternoon I got about half of the fireplace chase covered. Sorry, no pictures, I was tired and I was running late. I hadn't seen Nancy since early Wednesday, and I wanted to get home to her. Her sister's surgery went well, BTW. The mason wanted OSB on the chase instead of the usual drywall or cement board. Easier to fasten his mesh to it, I guess. I had to use drywall around the fireplace itself, however, since that or cement board is required within 1" of the opening. The OSB was easier, even if it had to be cut with a saw.
Tomorrow I need to finish the fireplace, seal the edges of my air barrier membrane, and seal the quarry tile. No day of rest this week, I have a long work list and I have to stay ahead of the mason and trim carpenters.
Up at six again this morning and on the road to Allegan. The first order of business was to clean up some drainage ditches to get the water moving. That is actually good news, since the water has been all frozen until these last few days. We're back below freezing again, though, and should stay that way for a while. We don't have any bare ground except in the driveway and some drainage paths. I can see about half of the roof, though. Spring is nothing but a cruel tease this year, I hope it comes in earnest soon. We have experiences temperatures well below normal for six months, and they say there will be no change until at least June. I'd love to see some bare ground. On the bright side, the last of the ice left my driveway at home last night. It's still too muddy to get the Spyder out, but there is hope.
I managed to get my hearth cut down the rest of the way. It took a variety of hand saws and hand and power tools (mostly hand saws)...and a lot of an old man's stamina, but I got it whipped. It took several hours. I'm glad I wasn't paying a carpenter to do it. My Dremel Multi-tool is dying, so I had to hold my mouth just right to use it, although it could only do a small portion of the job. I thought it was an extravagance when I bought it a few years back, but I use it all the time. If I can't repair it I will definitely buy another.
In the afternoon I got about half of the fireplace chase covered. Sorry, no pictures, I was tired and I was running late. I hadn't seen Nancy since early Wednesday, and I wanted to get home to her. Her sister's surgery went well, BTW. The mason wanted OSB on the chase instead of the usual drywall or cement board. Easier to fasten his mesh to it, I guess. I had to use drywall around the fireplace itself, however, since that or cement board is required within 1" of the opening. The OSB was easier, even if it had to be cut with a saw.
Tomorrow I need to finish the fireplace, seal the edges of my air barrier membrane, and seal the quarry tile. No day of rest this week, I have a long work list and I have to stay ahead of the mason and trim carpenters.
Pennyrick
New member
Scotty:
You've had a real battle with weather this year.
Thought you may enjoy this Canadian video spoofing weather forecasters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkDvqQKGgDA&feature=youtu.be
You've had a real battle with weather this year.
Thought you may enjoy this Canadian video spoofing weather forecasters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkDvqQKGgDA&feature=youtu.be
NancysToy
Motorbike Professor
Yep, I got the standoff, work plank, and some other stuff. Nancy was very good to me!
NancysToy
Motorbike Professor
Moving Fast!
We have still been moving along at a fast pace lately, after such a long lull. Yesterday three trim carpenters showed up to begin the interior walls, doors, wood ceilings, and trim. The painter showed up to go over the job. The ceiling wood was delivered and staged, and the trim wood as well. The new wood is a little wet, and will need to acclimate a few days. The carpenters started on the tongue & groove pine walls. Most of the perimeter walls are the T&G, after all, it is a log home, so it should look like one. The carpenters got all three bedrooms done.
Today four trim carpenters landed and started in the foyer. Very tricky getting things to line up room to room and over the long distances, with this open floor plan. They have done a great job so far. The interior doors showed up, and our lead carpenter began to install those, too. I worked on the corbel installation on the fireplace, that we enclosed last weekend. Nancy continued cleaning in the basement. The painter asked to stage materials and finish them down there. It had exposed cellulose insulation in the walkout wall, and lots blown onto the I-joists, so we spent much of Monday covering the walls with plastic and cleaning the joists. After that we swept. Nancy finished that today, and then vacuumed the entire thing, not an easy job for a 34'x62'x9' basement. The electrician spent the day putting in outlets and hooking up circuits. Hopefully we will have lights and a few more usable outlets soon.
We are missing a few doors, one was the wrong size, and a few were damaged. Hopefully that will all be corrected tomorrow or the next day. I doubt the carpenters will be longer than tomorrow finishing the walls, then it is on to the ceilings and the extension jambs on the windows and doors. The painter will be here Monday to begin finishing the trim and painting some plaster walls and ceilings. We should be pretty well buttoned up by the end of next week, so I can put down the underlayment in preparation for the cabinets. Things are moving right along.....and it is finally beginning to look like what we envisioned.
We have still been moving along at a fast pace lately, after such a long lull. Yesterday three trim carpenters showed up to begin the interior walls, doors, wood ceilings, and trim. The painter showed up to go over the job. The ceiling wood was delivered and staged, and the trim wood as well. The new wood is a little wet, and will need to acclimate a few days. The carpenters started on the tongue & groove pine walls. Most of the perimeter walls are the T&G, after all, it is a log home, so it should look like one. The carpenters got all three bedrooms done.
Today four trim carpenters landed and started in the foyer. Very tricky getting things to line up room to room and over the long distances, with this open floor plan. They have done a great job so far. The interior doors showed up, and our lead carpenter began to install those, too. I worked on the corbel installation on the fireplace, that we enclosed last weekend. Nancy continued cleaning in the basement. The painter asked to stage materials and finish them down there. It had exposed cellulose insulation in the walkout wall, and lots blown onto the I-joists, so we spent much of Monday covering the walls with plastic and cleaning the joists. After that we swept. Nancy finished that today, and then vacuumed the entire thing, not an easy job for a 34'x62'x9' basement. The electrician spent the day putting in outlets and hooking up circuits. Hopefully we will have lights and a few more usable outlets soon.
We are missing a few doors, one was the wrong size, and a few were damaged. Hopefully that will all be corrected tomorrow or the next day. I doubt the carpenters will be longer than tomorrow finishing the walls, then it is on to the ceilings and the extension jambs on the windows and doors. The painter will be here Monday to begin finishing the trim and painting some plaster walls and ceilings. We should be pretty well buttoned up by the end of next week, so I can put down the underlayment in preparation for the cabinets. Things are moving right along.....and it is finally beginning to look like what we envisioned.
Jim&Teresa
New member
Lots of progress! Thanks for the updates! Good job :thumbup: :thumbup:
GloryRyders
MOgang Member
Before you know it you will be scheduling the "house warming" party!:yes::yes:
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