House Building Journal - part 13

In reading my last blog from more than a month ago it sounded as if the state of our health and well being and that of the house was dire. It was not at all the case but rather a series of events that all seemed to fall one on top of the other.

January brought much smoother sailing but consequently, less to write about. As I sit in our cozy cabin, the house just a few yards away, all is peaceful and quiet.



Smoke is coming from the chimney as the new boiler hums along heating the radiant floors, insulation is complete and Frits is finishing the central vac system. All week, trucks have been in and out, some sliding off the driveway necessitating Frits to climb on his tractor and pull them out. A large truck belonging to the insulating crew, sat running in front of the house, with long hoses blowing in the insulating materials and guys tracking in and out. It now feels as if the whole house has been wrapped in a huge blanket making it very snug and quiet.

The process was new to us and to many builders in the area. First netting is stapled in place and then the ground up fiberglass material is blown in and held in place by the netting. The fibers of the material attach to each other, greatly reducing the chance of settling that can occur with other blown in materials.

 

During the early part of January temperatures were low and so condensation had formed and frozen on the inside of the exterior walls. Until this could be dried out no insulation could be installed. The radiant heat was already in the basement floor but now we needed it in the main level floor. Once the piping was in place, concrete was poured, leveled and smoothed.

 

Another week had to pass to give time for the concrete to set before hot water could run through the pipes. All the moisture from the concrete was now being released into the air and even more condensed and froze on the exterior walls. The boiler had to work overtime to keep the temperature in the uninsulated house warm enough to dry it out. A commercial strength dehumidifier and a fan helped and so by the time the insulators arrived, we were ready.

Work continues on the exterior of the house with trim and shingles still to be completed. Extra rafter tails have been added to strengthen the overhang to make sure the weight of the snow does not become too much. Working through the winter has it's disadvantages but also it's advantages. We now know where the snow comes off the roof and so when landscaping, we will take that into account. I have already picked out the spot where an ornamental crab apple tree should go. It will serve to screen our bathroom window somewhat as well as providing gorgeous blossoms in springtime.

 

The porch has just a temporary rail and not yet finished floor but will be a favored place to entertain as soon as the weather warms up. Come one, come all!

 

House Building Journal - Part 12

In my last blog I was quite smug about our good fortune with the weather, among other things. December began well enough although with the holidays looming, timing was critical. The masons were still under the plastic tent and progress on the chimney seemed slow. Just when I began to think someone had died up there the plastic came off and 'voila' our beautiful chimney was revealed!

The roofers were back to complete the section of roof around the chimney but still the porch on the back side of the house was only half complete. It had taken a crane to lift the huge fir timbers into place for the lower part of the structure. All had gone smoothly and I was already imagining sitting on the porch on a fine summer evening, protected from the bugs and sipping a cool libation, when out of the blue the dark clouds rolled in both literally and figuratively.

The fir timbers for the upper level were on order and in transit from Washington state. Still no snow to speak of - were we going to make it?

In the meantime, Ernie and the boys had insulated the garage and were making up the overhead doors to provide a warm indoor space to work. The fir arrived but one key piece was missing. It was going to take another week at least.

December 12, 2012 was supposed to be a lucky day. I had performed a renewal of vows ceremony at noon (12/12/12 at 12) at the Green Mountain Inn for a couple married 10 years prior plus there were numerous other happy events planned for that day. It was a crystal clear night and the stars were out when Frits stepped off a 2 foot ledge landing on his heels with enough force to cause a compression fracture to his back. It was the end of the work day but many hours in the emergency room followed. Not allowing me to call an ambulance necessitated maneuvering him into the front seat of my car for a very painful trip to the hospital. Rest and time (and pain killers) were the only treatments prescribed, none of which my husband is very good at taking. Did I mention the broken rib that had just healed from a fall 7 weeks before?

Bed rest lasted about 3 days and then, under the influence of the pain killers, Frits went back to work. He quickly discovered his limitations but still he crawled out of bed at 5:00 each morning and shuffled across the driveway to be ready when the workers arrived.

Then just before Christmas the snow began to fall. It was light and fluffy and kept coming for days and days. Good news for the skiers and the town in general but it added complications to our project. Shovelling was out of the question for Frits but I could see him eyeing the tractor with the snow blower. Ernie stepped up and manned both the shovel and the tractor to keep Frits at bay for at least the first few days.

Next came the germs! A very nasty cold bug had been circulating and landed on Frits the day before Christmas Eve. As I have mentioned earlier, not much slows him down but this put him to bed with a fever for another 3 days. With nobody on the job site he gave in and allowed himself a few days of rest. He missed much of the festivities but at least his back benifitted.

Finally the missing fir timber arrived all packaged in plastic. Once opened it was found to be undressed! Not naked but in its raw unfinished state. Next problem ... to find anyone with a planer that could handle 10 inches of solid wood, as sending it back to Washington was not an option. The right tool for the job was located in Groton, 45 minutes by truck away and it meant two trips for Frits. The final sanding, trimming and sealing took place and once again we were ready for the crane.

Are all systems go for 2013? Well, not quite.

The electricians had begun the rough wiring and the time was right for the insulators to come in to foam the sill box and the ceiling of the cupola. The night before they were due, the temperature fell to -15 degrees causing ice to form on the inside walls from condensation. They came anyway, from New Hampshire in a truck with summer tires. Of course they couldn't make it up the snowy driveway! With the help of the tractor to pull them out of the snow bank and the sanding truck, they eventually made it. Not until they had unpacked the hoses and foaming equipment did they determine that the job couldn't be done until the weather warmed up and the moisture was removed. They packed up and left.

The largest dehumidifier was summoned and together with a massive salamander (that's a kerosene heater that blasts a funnel of heat similar to that you see escaping during a shuttle launch) running night and day, the place was dried out in no time. Back came the insulators but even with a freshly sanded driveway they went off the road again. More digging and pulling and finally they were ready. They had already lost half the day so it was close to 7:00 by the time they finished. While they were at it we had them also do the underside of the cabin where we live. The problem here was that all people and pets had to stay away for several hours until the fumes cleared. The dreaded cold bug had now settled into my lungs and all I wanted to do was go to bed. Instead I schlepped myself and Lily (my Yorkie) over to the sympathetic neighbors and waited it out curled into the corner of their couch.

Frits, in the meantime, was coping with yet another crisis. A frozen pipe in one of our commercial buildings had burst, flooding a very large area. So armed with a wet and dry vac and the very same dehumidifier he spent the evening mopping and vacuuming, bad back and all!

Now the happy news: the weather has warmed up, the heating system is running and the porch timbers are in place.

Cool - huh?

 

 

House Building Project - Part 11

2012 was the year to build. The lack of all types of precipitation throughout the summer and now almost into December has been our friend. With the exception of two very wet weeks in October, the sky has been blue, greatly adding to the efficiency of the construction project, not to mention the general morale of all those around us.

We are still a construction zone but huge progress has been made. The windows are installed and temporary doors are in place. All of the roof is covered and watertight and about half has the finished standing seam metal roof. Snow is in the forecast for the next couple of days but no worries here. Bring it on!

The front porch is the push right now and then the screen porch on the back so that the roofers can come back to finish. Just as the workers were getting ready to leave last night the porch rafters were found to be slightly off. So at 6:30 (barely light) and Thanksgiving morning, Frits was out there refiguring, tearing out and rebuilding. It will be just fine.

The spaces inside are taking form. Each morning and often in the evening with my headlamp, I walk through, envisioning how the furniture will be placed and where my morning coffee will be enjoyed. From this camera angle you can see part of the kitchen to the left, the edge of the cupola to the right and through the living room to the bedroom door and beyond. The screen porch will be through the French doors.

Behind the plastic is the fireplace which will have a raised hearth but still the actual style and material of the surround is to be determined. The chimney is stone clad but still under its shroud.

Earlier this week, Frits wanted me to see the chimney stonework and hear my thoughts on the type of cap we wanted. By the time I get home it is well after dark but Frits thought this would be a better time than early in the morning when the frost is on the roof. I couldn't do it. Granted, the sky was clear and the moon was up but just a sliver of a new moon was not enough light for me. If I was going to fall off the roof I needed to see where I was going to fall. So dutifully the next morning at 6:45 up the ladder I went.

Back in the day when we were building our first house (circa 1971) and at about this time of year, I experienced my first roof shingling job. Not overly comfortable with heights and freezing I was coached in how to line up the shingles to the line we had snapped, take off my gloves long enough to nail them securely and inch my way across the staging, row by row, until after many hours, one side was complete. In spite of my discomfort I remember feeling pretty pleased with myself at the time. When Frits came to inspect my workmanship the ruler came out and he declared that the edge had travelled and was 1/4 inch off! Thoroughly deflated and contemplating divorce, I swore that that was the last roof I was going on. Over the years, I have claimed a 1/4 inch concession multiple times and we have had many a laugh over it.

Now, a senior citizen but still fairly agile, it was time to see the chimney, up close and personal. At about 26 degrees there was a good coating of ice on the roof surface, which might have called for crampons or, at the very least, yak traks, in normal circumstances. By hanging on to the edge of the cupola and working my way gingerly across the ridge I made it to the plastic housing and to safety. The chimney looked great! The return trip was a little more harrowing as I was now looking down but after all, it is a really low pitch and not that far to the ground. What's the big deal?

 

House building journal - part 10

After a truly spectacular summer of day after day sunshine we are now paying the price. For the month of October it has rained in torrents for many days, drizzled or snowed for a few and just as the sun emerges and you think you are going to get a break, the clouds roll in and the wind picks up.

Our goal for the house was to be all closed in by now..... but you know how that goes. The windows should be here soon but with gaping holes still in the roof structure they are not going to help. For a while, energetic vacuuming was taking place daily to remove standing water and leaves from the main level. That turned out to be a futile exercise.

These beautiful, reflective pools in the living room make Frits' blood boil as he struggles to figure out the various angles of a very complicated roof. He works well into the fading light of evening, long after Ernie and the boys have left, to be ready for their 7:00 am arrival.

The straight section of roof over the garage and mud room end is now watertight. Once the plywood was on we had to wait for a dry day to cover it with a membrane that will protect it until the standing seam roof can be installed.

I wish I had been able to take photos 2 days ago when Frits was attempting to secure a very large tarp over the cupola and the remaining open rafters. After a couple of exceptional, dry days the floors had dried out but the forecast was for showers beginning in the morning. The tarp had not yet arrived but the skies were looking ominous. By 8:00, light rain had begun and, just in time, the tarp also arrived. It was a mad scramble by the four workers to hold down a billowing piece of material the size of a soccer field at the same time securing it with ropes. By the time they were done, rain was coming down in sheets and the wind had picked up. The floors were wet again but nothing like before.

As the day went on, the force of the wind was too much for some of the grommets holding the ropes. Several ripped out sending one corner flapping, putting even more strain on the others. By nightfall and all alone, Frits was many feet in the air trying to wrestle this spinnaker-like sail back to earth. The house was afloat again so the battle was lost and now saving the tarp from departing altogether was the goal. Single-handedly he overpowered the writhing blue monster and packaged it for another day.

The next couple of days look to be dry so with any luck the rest of the roof will be sealed in the very near future. My husband will be much relieved and may even catch an extra hour of sleep on a Sunday morning.

Each day I walk through the house checking the views from every window and gauging how the light will change from hour to hour. So far, I'm loving it all. Most of the leaves have now fallen exposing even wider vistas. This is the view from our bedroom window but only to dream about, since we are rarely in bed after the sun rises or before it sets. Maybe that is for our old age!

 

 

House Building Journal -Part 9

Walls and floors are emerging from the cellar hole that was once a pile of rocks. The basement interior walls are studded in and the staircase to the main level is taking shape. Frits, the master stair builder, is creating a winding staircase around a center concrete core above which will soar an open light shaft. Hard to imagine? For me, it is impossible to get my head around the construction of such a complicated piece of architecture but I know the end result is going to be fantastic! Frits is not normally this well dressed for work but he had to take one last look before we headed off to a wedding.

 

To form the circular header that supports the cupola, many thin layers of wood must be bent around a form, each epoxied to the one before. This must be done before too many walls have been constructed, for obvious reasons. Positioning it overhead and then building walls to support it will be a challenge. Our team of framers is strong but not very tall. If one stands on another's shoulders they may equal Frits' height. This could prove to be problematic. Fortunately I will probably not be around to watch.

The time for ordering of windows and doors is coming up fast. One thing I learned recently is that the doors with the button type locking systems will not be going in our house!

Very recently I was showing a house in a fairly remote location. I entered with my key through a side door and opened the front door from the inside. After touring the house, my customers exited through the front door and I stepped out with them to say goodbye. The door closed behind me and yes, I was locked out! It gets worse. All good Realtors leave their shoes at the door and mine were carefully tucked inside the side door and I was barefoot. Also inside were the keys, my purse and my cell phone. I couldn't even call for help.

The house was built into the hillside with a large deck on the downhill side. I knew the sliders onto the deck were open but the deck rail was a good 12 feet off the ground and if there was a ladder around it was locked in the garage or toolshed. To make matters worse the driveway surface was made up of sharp stones almost impossible to walk on without shoes. Not knowing how I was going to get myself out of this pickle I sat on the grass with Lily, my Yorkie, in despair. Within minutes a truck came into view. Seeing a woman of considerable years hobbling barefoot down the driveway, waving frantically and yelling, was enough to get the driver to stop. He and his passenger were workmen in the area and quickly offered to go in search of a ladder. In no time I had scampered up that ladder, climbed over the rail and I was in! And so very thankful to those two nice men who had the good manners not to laugh and also wouldn't take payment.

 

House Building Journal Part 8

Living in our cabin overlooking the building of our new house is really great - most of the time. Frits is there for every decision when it is needed and I check progress before and after work. Even before the sun rises we are having coffee and discussing plans for the day. For the past month there has been a steady stream of trucks and workers arriving on the job. Frits has to stay ahead of them making sure all the materials are on site and the right size piece of machinery has been ordered. The first truck rolls in well before 7:00 am which means our walk with the dogs begins at 6:20. No sleeping-in here.

The London Olympics hasn't helped our sleep pattern either. We can only make it until 10:00pm and even then Frits snoozes through most of the events, waking only for the commercials.

Progress may seem slow at times but as those of you who have built a house know, there is much that has to happen below ground to create a foundation, both literally and figuratively, that will withstand the test of time.

Our foundation has been reinforced, waterproofed, insulated and now, back-filled and is ready for the heating guy to install the radiant heat and then the slab can be poured. All the time rocks, rocks and more rocks have been brought to the surface, moved, relocated and buried again or have formed retaining walls. Still, a mountain of dirt and stone remains, some of which we need and some will have to be trucked away. Our neighbors want a berm - "Look out!" I say.

 

 

House Building Journal Part 7

July has arrived and the footings are in for the foundation of the house and garage. Late on Tuesday, the final load of concrete was poured and smoothed giving it a full day to set up over the 4th. As Frits and I were surveying the base for our new home, our neighbors' dogs appeared through the trees. This is not unusual and often they enter our cabin through the dog door to join us for breakfast or meet us outside for a BBQ.

Immediately we saw what was to happen next. There was no clear path from the woods except via the newly poured footings. Short legged Lola bounded towards us making it over the first obstacle with only a few shallow footprints before she lost steam. In spite of our efforts to distract her from her course she ended up sinking up to her armpits in the liquid cement right before us. Next came Kofi. He is a Basenji and quite graceful in his movement. Not only did he traverse the footings but managed to pirouette in a few places. Fortunately none of it really mattered but you can be sure we will give our neighbors notice before the slab is poured.

During this time of excavation and before the area is back-filled it is necessary to bury any pipes and telecommunication wires etc. We decided that with the Olympics coming up that this would be a good time to install a satellite TV service. Until now we have had over-the-air TV through an antenna which, most of the time, is adequate but not great. Having had an account with Dish Network at our old house I called them to set up new service. After more than a half hour on the phone opening a new account and giving them the new location, programming needs and credit card info, the installation was scheduled. At least 2 emails and a couple of phone calls followed to confirm the day and time and to make sure someone was on hand for a five hour period but still, no one showed up. It seems the installer had gone to our old address! A new appointment was scheduled and another week or so passed. This time the installer arrived but the most ideal place to site the dish was on a post that would need to be set in concrete. No problem! Frits would set the post when the concrete was being poured for the foundation. In the meantime, since the service hadn't been started they cancelled our account. Another lengthy phone call was necessary to open yet another new account.

Tuesday was the day the installer was to come and we were ready. It was a different man who showed up and after setting all his coordinates and doing his figuring, he determined that the designated site was in fact not going to work because of interference from branches. With no other apparent options other than taking down about 10 tall trees and even then not knowing if it would be enough, he left. Foiled again!

Now we have contacted Direct TV to see if they can do any better. It will be a sprint to the end, I fear, to have service by the time the Olympics begin at the end of the month.