Siding Party!

We're inviting anyone who wants to come by next Saturday, the 28th, to throw in with us to make the Big Push on our siding. We practiced a bit, then went and helped the Morelands on thier siding, and now we think we know enough to git-er-done! We'll have a lift, food, ladders, food, saws, food, multiple nailers and we might have some food!

Starting around 8 and going until we're tired, it's dark or the food calls. Anybody that want's to hang overnight it welcome, and we'll certainly keep on it Sunday.

No need to RSVP, just show up!

Siding!

We are moving on to SIDING now! Tom and I started on the north end of the house so we could figure out what the heck we're doing before starting on the front that we'd see every day. There was a little bit of... spiced debating... while these walls were being done... Something like:

Sandi: Let's check this row with the level.
Tom: No, we checked the starter row.
Sandi: We don't really know what we're doing, let's check every other row so we can make little adjustments if necessary, not big ones.
Tom: Geez, if we have to STOP and check EVERY board, we're never going to get this house done! I don't know why you want to keep wasting time!
*** Get level and find that one end is starting to dip a little***
Sandi: Mmm Hmmm!
Tom: Whatever.

Or something along those lines... :-) Or...

Tom: Let's get the ladders and finish this wall up to the band.
Sandi: I'm not getting on the ladder.
Tom: Come on, let's just get this wall done.
Sandi: I don't do ladders.
Tom: It'll be fine and won't you feel good when this wall is done.
Sandi: Yes, but I'm climbing the ladder under protest.
Tom: Fine. Grab the end of the board.
Sandi: Ok, I'll hold it but I'm not holding it AND nailing.
Tom, grumbling, sets up a 3rd ladder between us so he can finish the nailing.

I didn't realize what a wuss I was until it came time to sway at the top of a ladder with a fiber cement board in one hand and a pneumatic nail gun in the other. And in case you didn't pass second grade math, that doesn't leave any hands to hold on with!

But I have to say, we have gotten MUCH better at this and the front has gone much quicker than the first side.

This is the first side we did. This will be beautiful when it gets painted. A craigslist find. At half the price from the box store, I couldn't pass it up.

I knew the 6" trim that Nick talked us into would be worth the extra expense when we got the siding up. It really makes the trim pop!

Even the girls got in on the action. The top boards are brand new and were my birthday present. The bottom boards were a Craigslist find. (as was the whole north side of the house) They are ugly now, but when painted, you'll never know the difference.

Here's the front porch with our door installed. If you have any fabulous ideas on how to finish the front door alcove, I'd love to hear/see them!! So far, I'm just thinking regular siding painted a shade darker than the paint.

Here's the whole house so far.

And here is Titan on his rock. That silly dog likes to jump up on this huge boulder in our yard and just survey his kingdom. He's so darn cute.

Plumbing

Mike & Wayne working in the dining room

Well, it appears that Blogger has KINDA fixed the picture issue. I haven't been able to put pictures into a post for months! From the threads I've read, it was a widespread problem. It seems I can add pictures now, but I can't move them! Anyway... Let's get updated!





We want to send a VERY belated but heartfelt thank you out to all who helped us with our plumbing rough-in. We are using the PEX tubing instead of copper for a couple reasons: 1. Ease of installation 2. cheaper! We also want to note that we passed our plumbing rough-in inspection THE FIRST TIME! Not bad for electricians playing plumbers!!

Henry and Howard working in the crawlspace

Plumbing Update

We've been off the blogging but not the working, slow but still moving. The plumbing system rough-in is complete and signed-off. The day after the inspection I found one leak in a soldered joint, but otherwise this 5-toilet, 9-sink house is tight for water and waste. I still need to make the final connection to the septic system, but that'll have to wait until we get rock for our driveway to the tune of about 5 loads.

Sandi will tell you about the siding system and the next work party, as she's an expert whom I'd hold up against any pro sider, as long as she's firmly planted on the ground. You go girl!

After the skin is tight we'll paint, then start thinking about the electrical systems. Amongst the thought and schedule process remains the vents and the propane gas lines, and the heating system will be later.

Our permit expires next month, which while being a part of our original plan, is still unpleasant as it's about $1500 tax to renew it for another 18 months. Most counties in the region, excepting Snohomish County, has previously dropped permit deadlines and renewal fees as a gesture to combat the unpleasant economy. We would gladly circulate that $1500 through the economy if the beaurocrats would allow, rather than fining us for responsibly building a home without taking on over-bearing debt.

OK, back to the mills on Monday. Drop us a line if you can or want to join a work detail!

Tom

Crap, where have we been??

I'm not even going to try to start a real post. But on the chance that somebody actually looks once in awhile I'll say "hi we're still here". Not a whole lot of progress on the house in the cool weather, except for rapt attention to de-watering the crawlspace.

We'll update with photos sometime soon I hope, and hopefully crank up the work parties to make some progress on our dominating project.

Tom

Windows!

So we had ordered windows and the original plan was to have my Nick, Nate & Joe come back to install them but they are pretty busy (Good for them!) and Tom was just itching to install them. Since we are just a*little* bit smarter from the whole Tyvek experience, we decided to rent a boom lift again and we can install the windows and get the trim boards up at the same time. Piece o' cake, right?

We set up a painting station in the garage to spray the trim boards. Neighbor, Austin, came over to help run the saw.

And this is what the finished windows and trim look like on the craftroom windows! We decided on the 6" trim over the 4" that had originally been spec'd. I'm really happy with how they turned out.

It's hard to tell with just the tyvek on but when we get the contrast of the siding, that trim is going to pop!

Here is the front of the house with the trim done on all the upper windows while we had the lift.

Now let me tell you about 84 square feet of windows... The three upper windows in the living room are 4' wide by 7' tall. That's 28 square feet per window. Double paned and heavy as hell! I'm sure that I can speak for Tom when I say that we are most proud of those. I was sure that first one was going to crash on the ground 20 feet below us. But we figured it out and the other 2 went in much easier. I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment when I look at those windows.