Siding done at last

Len is a happy guy!
He has been on such a drive to get it done that our blogging has suffered.  So here are all the details to catch you up.

The side of the great room by our bedroom is done

Working on the dining room side

That's a wrap!

Then on to the covered deck

 Meanwhile, I spent the weekend staining all the soffit material.

This is where the pile of wood was.  All stained, finished and ready to put up

 While I was gone for 2 days to Victoria, Len had company

Is this what you call a horny toad?

 Len moved from the now-finished covered deck (sorry no picture yet) to the front entrance.  The last siding to go up.

Getting set up 

Putting up soffit material under the porch roof

One of Len's famous ladder to a scaffold to a ladder configuarations

The finished product

Worth it, don't you think?!
Tomorrow is clean up day in preparation for our company.  Dave, Doris, Mom and Dad arrive in the evening.

Cath

Just keeps draggin' on

Not that I'm complaining.  It is so good to finally see it getting finished.  Big surprise,  Kyla came out on Friday and helped again on the siding.  She is my favorite worker as she will attempt most anything. We are doing the large soffit area under the front overhang. It is 4 feet across with a large beam in the middle.  Progress is agonizingly slow but with Kyla my trips up and down the scaffold are considerably reduced.

Cutting soffit boards

Up they go for installation

On the prcipice

 No matter how hard or late we work our food fairy has something great for us.

Oops, wine, can't go back up the scaffold.

Getting the paint supplies ready for another trip up

Looking straight up at the soffit installation

 Kyla has gone back home and Cathryn is in Prince George today so I am busy trying to get the soffit done.  I did manage to finish the west side and I will complete the rest tomorrow

The deck setup

From the driveway

Two side walls to finish after the front is done

Unless it rains a lot tomorrow I will be able to finish the high stuff and start on the east side wall.


Len

How Hot Is It?

Yikes, hot enough for me to retreat inside to do the blog instead of enduring the heat.  Yesterday we had mid-30s and it is headed that way again.  Just a few little white clouds in the sky but they say thunderstorms might be on the way.

Since Tuesday, this is our progress.
Wednesday, Len spent the day up various ladders working to complete the northeast corner.  This is an area where roof lines meet, soffits meet and walls meet.

Ladder to scaffold to ladder to ladder (apologies for the glare)

Len on his ladder

Putting on the last little piece

 Then on Thursday, he moved on to the east wall.  This was by far the easiest as there weren't any windows to work around - just one vent.  All the soffits were short pieces which also helped.

First section of board up

Batten done

By the end of Thursday this is the completed look

 Friday morning, bright and early, Kyla arrived to help out with the front of the house.  In some ways this area is easier than some as the horizontal board goes up between the windows and the board and batten starts higher.  The big challenge is that the soffit is 4 ft wide and way up there.

The lower scaffold was used to put up window trim and the horizontal siding

Kyla cutting siding with the skill saw

Trim going on

 Meanwhile, I picked up where Melissa left off and was given the task of staining and varathaning all the soffit material.

My stack

Len through the upper windows.  I am inside where it is cool

Kyla working on the metal for the window trim

She handles the tin snips like a pro

 It took most of Saturday to get up to where the board and batten goes.  Then preparation needed to be done for the soffits.

Getting up there is quite a climb

The lift has been replaced by a bucket on a rope.  Low tech, but it works.

Len taking up the painting supplies

Kyla bravely climbed up to help paint

Hot and high work

So that brings you up to date for now.  Len is starting the soffits and I will put up some pictures of that later or maybe tomorrow.
Cath

North side completion . . . sort of

It took a day longer than planned, but there are many reasons for the delay.  First off, we had a 2 hour power-outage yesterday which was frustrating.  Then there were the many small but tedious and time-consuming nooks and crannies to be dealt with.  But dealt with they were and ta da!

One last little bit of flashing

One of the tricky corners.  Doesn't the soffit look nice?

The other tricky corner.  

While he was up there, Len sanded and varnished the beams as well as painting the siding.

I think the finished product is great.

The only portion not done on the north is under the covered entrance, but Len says that can wait.  Also, the soffits on the garage which apparently will be easy peasy.   Next, on to the eastern wall.  No windows to deal with there, but still high.  Tomorrow the scaffold goes back up in its new location.

Cath

The weekend that was

Here is another Saturday photo - Kyla helping her Dad move the heavy hardiboard panels.

Going down that little slope adds to the challenge

Once the work was done for the day, we had a nice wiener roast - an easy supper to fix.  Ask Victoria why the smoke seemed to follow her!

Left to right, Chris' leg, me, Kyla, Cathryn D, Melissa, Victoria

 Then we all went for a walk in the Walker Valley with the dogs.  Here is the pack.

Left to right, Asia, Banjo, Tank and Deuce

 Melissa and the girls left early Sunday morning ( 5:30) so quietly that we didn't even hear them.  We were very sorry to say goodbye, and really appreciate all the help not only with the house, but meals and cleaning up too.  Come back anytime!

Kyla and Chris and doggies stayed for a cup of coffee and a brief walk before heading back to Oyama. It was a short visit, but much appreciated.

Len bidding our guests adieu

Back to work!  Working around the porch roof is tricky but Len can use the roof for getting at some of the more remote corners.

Fitting the sheets around the beams was challenging

Last panel up

Painting the main sheets before the soffits and trim goes up

Here you can see the individual sheets.  The gaps get covered with cedar trim ( batten)

But hold the presses! I took the drastic step of climbing up to assist with the painting.  Not too bad as long as I have something to hold on to, and of course I move very slowly.  But at least I can say I did it.

That's me on the lowest platform (but high enough for me)

Together Len and I will have painted the whole house when we're done

That's it for today.  Tomorrow, I am back at work and Len will again be on his own.  He should get all the soffits up and the trim on in this area.  Glad to say the weather forecast looks good.  We got up to 30 today.
Cath