Moving outside

Len put up the last of the wood on the chimney structure, took down the scaffold and moved on.  In preparation for having house guests, we did some work in the suite above the garage - even put up some drywall to make the bathroom a bit more private.  Then we did the carpet in the basement media room and bedroom, put up lights and hauled down the bed.  We need to do the tiling of the basement bathroom floor and get the sink in and toilet back in.  That is a rainy day/evening job.

Kyla helps Len take down the scaffold

The finished product....almost.  Trying to decide what to do at the bottom to transition to the tower.  Those rocks are just set there as a test. 

Kyla has arrived and she is helping Len work on outdoor window trim in preparation for doing siding.  They have a real system and have already completed all the bottom and side trim.  They tell me the upper trim will be easy-peasy.

Production line

Trim and flashing 3/4 done.  The red tape is finally disappearing.

Meanwhile, between working, cooking and cleaning, I got out and weed-wacked next to the road.  This rain has made the weeds and grass grow like crazy.

You may laugh, but I am not going to get anymore black fly or mosquito bites!

 I got lots of nice fresh fruit and so here is dessert - underneath is ice cream.

Yummy!

Back to work, more pictures to come. Stay tuned.
Cath

Camedia 2.1 Megapixel

No, didn't find the camera.  I guess we could be using Len's iPhone or my Blackberry, but instead we are going way way back and are using our first digital camera.  Cost around $1000 at the time if you can believe it.  Still takes decent pictures, just need a data card reader to get it into the computer.

So here are the pictures.

Len  up on the roof

The ladder had to be moved each time he went up or down

Careful placement

Coming down just as carefully

Meanwhile, inside the tower is ready.  Note the various levels of scaffolding/planks necessary to put the metal studs in place.

The tower being put together 

 On Wednesday evening we had a nice break when the Denneys and Wilkisons from Kelowna showed up with their trailers and stayed overnight.  We had a great visit, toured them around, and they helped move in some drywall and unloaded the stone from the trailer.  Much appreciated!    Favourite quote from Jack, "If someone held a gun to my head and told me I had to build a house, I would just shoot myself".

Jack and Jim

Darlene and Liz explaining modern camera use to Len

When our company left, it was back to work.  Len prepared the drywall for the chimney tower, then primed and painted them.

Primed

Florentine Plaster applied

 Then the pieces went up.  Len had to do some fancy crawling around the beams.  I watched and reminded him to "be careful".

First piece is up!

Man on a beam

Upper pieces finished

One lower piece in place

We are going to use the ceiling wood to do the corners.  Len milled some of the pieces and fit them together to make corners.

Once they are varnished, they will go up.

That's it for this week. Tomorrow I am going on a fund-raising walk for the Stephen Lewis Foundation Grandmothers to Grandmothers. Then our band is playing at Lone Butte Rocks.  We hope to meet up with the Kelowna campers who are fishing in the area, and other friends so not much work will get done.  Check in next week.

Cath

No camera but still going strong

Sorry everyone, we misplaced the camera.  It is here somewhere, but can't be located.  I really wanted to show you Len's chimney masterpiece (imagine a rocket-like structure made out of steel studs).  He has been up on the roof during the moments of sunshine.  (We are still getting lots of showers every evening and sometimes all day.)  The building inspector was here today and said it was going well - carry on.

Len has also been putting the carpet in downstairs when it is too wet to climb the roof.  I painted the downstairs bathroom and the hobby room.  I also put up some hooks for our hot tub towels.

I just finished putting in the rods and shelves that partly finish our walk-in closet.    I got one unit at Home Depot while I was in Kamloops yesterday, but I should have bought 2.  Len had mercy on me and helped me out with some of it so that things are straight and level.  Anyway, the big boxes are gone at last!

I also got the rods for the other closets in the house so that is another little job.  There are lots of those "Small" jobs to be done, too bad I am not that handy.  They include both vanities for the bathrooms (I don't think you would like to see my jigsaw work!) more carpet laying (I just am not picky enough to do the meticulous job Len does) and various lights to be put up (Len has determined that I am electrically challenged).  So guess who is going to be busy while I continue to work at the computer, paint, clean, and cook.

We'll keep looking for the camera.  Meanwhile, rest your eyes.
Cath

Apparently its a sin to stop working

So Len "caught" me enjoying a beer and the sound of bird calls at 6 pm, out on the deck.  "Have you run out of something to do?" was his question.  My response, "I chose not to do something right now, which is different than not having something to do".  I invite your responses.  Is this man driven or what?

Back hall ready for grout

Front hallway in progress

Anyway, lest a moment pass without something being accomplished, Len tiled the back and front entrance.  My contribution was to grout it.  Then I also unloaded a whole whack of flooring so it can acclimatize.

Bamboo flooring is now "breathing"

Then Len started on the "Next Big Thing" which is putting up the chimney.  He had to build a support out of metal studs.  My question,"But will it fly, Orville?"  Ha Ha.  Building a house does something to your sense of humour, obviously.

Metal studs forming the chimney surround

Finishing touches

I have no idea how late he will be working, but I have quit for the day, happy with my beer and the bird calls.

Cath

Heavy lift day

Our flooring showed up today and 49 boxes had to be moved to the great room from the truck. ooofda.

lots of bamboo died for this floor.

Next came the piano which we brought from Kelowna.  It's seen a great home for 8 years at All Saints Lutheran with Melissa at the keyboard.  A sad parting by all.

Doesn't look that heavy does it

So I decided to be extra clever to move this up the stairs by myself.  I figured the pharoahs built the pyramids I could move a piano.

First we make use of the inclined plane

Then we use ratchets and pulleys

Lots of straps and careful pulling

Up she goes

The orange is the come along, the yellow is a safety strap, just in case

At the top, now what

 Here I enlisted the aide of some muscle across the street.  The boys that helped with the drywall.  We pushed and pulled and

Voila

 Thought I might get a little help while they were here, moving a large roll of carpet to the basement.

Part way by truck and then a hefty lug into the media room.

So tomorrow I tackle the tiling before the flooring can go down.

Len

And they're off!

To Kelowna, that is.  Len is going to do some home reno's with Kyla.  So besides getting the trailer and everything ready to go, Len made an access door to the attic above the laundry room.

a hole is born

The frame needs to be painted

You won't here from us until we get back on Sunday.  We called to see where the flooring is - it was on it's way to Prince George and will be held there until Monday to make sure we are home when it arrives.  That will be another exciting day.

Cath

Basement painting progress etc

There have been a few days of progress here and there.  First, the island got power.

Plug in all ready to go

 Then the bedroom fan was installed.

Goes around and lights up too

 Then all the smoke and CO2 detectors were installed.

5 of these

 We bought the paint for all the walls sometime back while we were in Vancouver, and it was with some surprise that we took a look at a many gallons of very dark paint for the basement.  What were we thinking?  The colour is nice "Sea Star" a grey-green-blue but too dark for anywhere except the media room.  So we painted the media room, including the ceiling, and then mixed it 1:3 with some white and used this for a feature wall and the hall.  Then 1:4 for the bedroom.  The results are pretty good.

Len is the ceiling king

All primed, ready for colour

Sea Star cut in

Walls almost done

Sea Star on the left, our first tone-down on the right

Once all the painting was done, the lights were put in as well as all the plug covers.

LED pot lights

One of these on each side wall

So we got it all cleaned up and will forget about more painting until sometime in the future.  I have to think about what to do in the bathroom in the basement.  We still have 2 gallons of Sea Star, but I think not.  I see a nice paint job in the garage or shop someday.

Cath

Floor's a comin' Ma

Today I finished the drywall work at the top of the loft and painted the florentine plaster colour.  This concludes the painting of the main floor and loft, finally.  I guess we will now get busy on the basement painting.  Should be a heck of a lot simpler and faster.

I also have put the posts in for the rail at the basement stair in preparation for the flooring.

First cut a hole in the plywood to access the subfloor

 The posts are created from fir that was cut from our lot.

Now to support the posts for glue and lag bolts

2 posts ready for attachment

Under the floor shot for the inspectors.

The completed job.

Our bamboo flooring has been ordered and is expected here in a week or so.  Then we are going to let it acclimatize for a couple of weeks before install.   There is lots to do before we lay the flooring and since I will be renting the nailer I want to have all my ducks in a row. We will do the tile for the entrance area and the back hall. This will give us a starting point for the flooring.

Today I am fitting the carpet up in the loft as we are now using the area for band practices.  We call ourselves the Ditch Daisies,  photo to follow.

Len