Crazy making

Here is the Aune recipe for making people crazy.
1.  Have a changing timeline for projects
2.  Schedule the garage pour and then decide to build the base for the fireplace the day before the pour
3.  Buy 7 less bricks than actually needed and only notice this after the stores are closed for the day
4. Work until midnight, then get up at 7 and keep going in an attempt to meet the deadline for the pour
5. Put in the last piece of support structure for the fireplace slab as the guys pour in the concrete

I am happy to report that we did indeed make this tight deadline and are still talking to each other.

Here is the proof

The garage is ready for tubing

The geo guy came and put in the tubing yesterday.  Meanwhile, Len started on the tall tower of bricks which will support the fireplace.

The first row of bricks in place

Straight and level (of course!)

Mixing mortar the old fashioned way

After Cath was finished work for the day, she started as the mason's assistant

Using my medical gloves to put mortar on the brick faces

We used the scaffold as the bricks grew

This little silver spacer made it easier to stay level 

It was about 5:15 pm when Len did the math and figured out that we were short of bricks.  We continued until about 11 pm when we ran out of bricks.  Len continued to  take down lumber and prepare for the pour.  In the morning, Len was at the lumber yard at 7:30 and got the needed blocks.

Placing the last brick at the upper floor level

We then scurried around to get the plywood topper put in place as the pour was wrapping up in the garage.

Ready for the pour

Concrete ready to go

All poured,  being finished

Concrete on top of the brick tower.  The little piece of foam in the middle is blocking the hole where the ashes will drop and fresh air will be introduced

Whew!  After all was said and done,  we did it!

Digging - Just Can't Get Enough

Tuesday, while Cath sat in the office working, bundled up and the heater on, Len was out doing his favourite thing - digging.

The garage is all cleaned out

Here comes the gravel

Yes, the backhoe is still doing it's job

Once the gravel was dumped, Len leveled it out .  Today he will get  foam and plastic to put down so it is all ready for the geothermal tubing and then concrete.

Raking as well as shoveling - an all-around good worker-guy

All ready for the foam

And now, here is what the evening sky looked like.  The sunsets are really beautiful here.

Don't forget to look up every now and then!

Many little (?) jobs done

The last few days have been a gift of nice, warm weather.  Because of that we tried to do some outdoor work, knowing that the snow will be here before we know it.  The first thing was to get all the pressure treated lumber from the lumber  yard and position it.  Everything is screwed down except where the hot tub will go and under the covered deck.

Ready for relaxing...someday

Covered deck boards placed but not screwed down

Then Cath put varathane on the big shop doors and Len mounted the hardware, put up Tyvek and did the trim.

Safety poster for WCB - note  the ladder on the scaffold

Putting on the huge hinges

Ta da!  It  opens!  

Then we got to work on a dog run under the deck.  Cath put down wood chips and shoveled the area.  Len put up some wire mesh.  Still to come - a gate.

Wood chips are easy to shovel and spread

Mesh fence in place for a doggy jail

Len picked up the mortar mix for the foundation of the fireplace and moved them 3 at a time from the truck to the basement.  Each bag weighs 55 lbs.

Doesn't look that heavy, does it?

We also got some cinder blocks for the foundation of the fireplace.  Here Len is showing off his superior strength.

He made about 12 trips

Doesn't look that heavy, does it?

Piled up in the basement

Then there were several hours of moving things out of the garage in preparation for our final cement pour and geothermal tubing placement.  This is how it started out.  Cath moved a majority of the cedar trim pieces while Len man-handled all the insulation and tons of concrete for the masonry fireplace.  Big job!

The full garage

There will be pictures of the empty space later... just a few bits and pieces left for Len to deal with on Monday.  We also covered up all the newly-stacked wood piles in anticipation of rain.  Luckily none has come yet.

Great Big Window Day

Well the day finally came.  All Len's preparation made it look almost easy.  A new friend and fellow musician,  Pat,  came over with two eager young men and the big window got put in.  It only took about 1/2 hour.  Lots of testosterone needed and used. (muscles).  Cath supervised and took a few pictures.

A big, heavy window - get it right side up and out!

Heave ho!

Inside the window is steadied and guided

Len puts in the first screws and everyone sighs a sigh of relief

Once the grunt work was done, Len finished putting on the tuck tape  and secured the window inside.  Then we sat back and took a look at the house with all it's windows.  Cool!

From the driveway

From the garden

Then it was back to work on the deck, using all the clamps.

Need more screws and more planks.  So far the count of screws in the deck is 3200 used.

A view from under the deck shows why we need so many screws - 3 to each board every 8 inches

The goal for tomorrow is to get as much deck done as possible.  Stay tuned.

Weekend Work

Yes, we worked all weekend - with not that much Visual Progress to show you.  Len spent many hours hammering to put in three complete rows of blocking underneath the deck.  It made it very stable, wobble-proof, but unless you look underneath, you won't even know it is there.  He also put down a bunch more boards and screwed them in until he ran out of screws.

Len loves his clamps!

Sanding the ends of the plank - an added touch

You know those are SCREWS don't you?

Len also was able to cut off the extra joist ends in preparation for the trim (sometime next summer?)

The electric chainsaw has been very useful

Len started to prepare for tomorrow's placement of the large upper window.  He got Cath up, way out of her comfort zone, on the top platform of the scaffold.  The picture below is looking into the great room.

Shadow play

Hanging on for dear life - what's the problem, Cath, it isn't THAT high!

It seems higher than it looks

You will notice that Len got the planks put down, but not screwed in, so that it is easier to walk for those of us who are joist-walking-challenged.  He is working on the eave trough and down spouts as we know the rain will soon be here again.  Meanwhile, what a gorgeous fall day!  In the sun it feels like summer.

A Man not playing with a full deck

Well the deck project is in full swing as we use up the great weather we've been having. I clamped the boards together with wedges and now the screwing begins. Cath is pre-drilling the butt joints and I set a bunch of screws with the battery drill and then drive them home with the electric.

It goes pretty fast presetting the screws.

Of course, now that we have a solid surface to work from we are able to put some windows in.  The dining room was first and it really brightened things up in the house.

Move away the plywood and then the light comes in

So much better.

Cathryn has gone to Vancouver and I am tasked with installing some more windows.  Looks like it could rain today so I got busy right away and set up the scaffolding on the deck. After a couple of hours they were all in except the big one.

Just one more to go.

It has started to pour and I have been out covering up piles of wood.  I took a look at the stream coming from all the downspouts.  There's a going ta be a lot of water if we need it.

A lovely little stream

So now everything is mucky again. I am still holding off on the gravel as we will be drilling the first of October for the geothermal. Back to electrical work.

Len