Bluegrass and Sniffles

The 108 Mile Cabin Fever Bluegrass Workshop was a great success and it was lots of fun for everyone but Len.  He was down with a cold and couldn't really get into the spirit of things, although he only missed a few hours.

Here is where I found him when I got home.

Looking a little bleary-eyed

Here is a little proof that I actually do some things around here.  This is the last of the many plugs that I hooked up.  Len did all the switches.

Always use the meter to make sure the circuit isn't live

 Meanwhile, Len has been working on making a pattern to cut the stairs into our long timbers cut for us by a neighbour.  They were the twisted ones that Len straightened by clamping them to the timbers on the covered deck.  Here you can see the board - 14 feet long I think - and the start of his template.

He'll use the router to cut the slots for the stairs.

I will be away for meetings for a couple of days and then there is the Easter weekend which we are planning to spend at Ruby Lake and Sechelt.  So if you don't see a new entry, it is because Len is either still sick or too busy to write.

Cath

The Fireplace is finished....up to the chimney

Nigel came for 1 1/2 days of work.  After all the rock chips had flown, the fireplace was complete.  Just waiting for the mortar to dry before it can have it's final cleaning.

Mortar under the hearth

Fitting the door

Nigel, our wonderful mason

Back of the fireplace

From the loft - the dark lines are mortar that is still wet

The finished project - almost!

Now we have to figure out what is going to happen with the chimney.  We may have to enclose the chimney up to the roof, or (we hope) use black chimney without any enclosure.  It depends what the building inspector determines is the best.

Len spent quite a bit of time cleaning up the rock chips and dried mortar everywhere so it looks pretty good now.  Next on the list is to get the drywall finisher started.  We have selected a contractor who can get going next week, possibly, while we are in Vancouver and up the coast for Easter.

We are going to take a few days off house stuff and will be going to the Bluegrass workshop tomorrow evening through Sunday.  So if you don't hear from us, don't take it personally!


Cath

Will it ever end? No? didn't think so.

Well let's see, what have we been up to.  On Friday Len woke up early and decided to drive to Vancouver to pick up the rest of the rock for the fireplace.  He left at 7:30 and was back less than 12 hours later.  So we had more rock to haul in, but this time the wheelbarrow wasn't frozen in the snow and we were able to use it to our advantage.

The load included rock and the hearth stones

Using the wheelbarrow was helpful

The rock laid out, ready for Monday

The hearth stones fit perfectly

Nigel, our mason, is coming on Monday to finish the main part of the fireplace.  The chimney?  Not sure when that will hit the to-do list.

 Len has been finding more drywall to do.  He had a few sheets left over and so decided to start on the back stairwell.  Sure looks brighter now.  And then we decided to put up the light so it is actually BRIGHT.

drywall around the garage door

Let there be light!

I have been putting in all the plugs in the walls.  I finished the basement and am working on the main floor after work, in between cleaning up, cooking and such.

We have had four drywall finishers come by.  One fellow said the job was too big for him.  Another quoted us a very high price so we wonder if he actually wants the job.  Another fellow isn't available for a month.  One seemed just right - not outrageous cost and is available in a week.  Just waiting to see one last quote before we commit.  It will be great to get that messy job done.

Today we went for three hours of bluegrass music jamming at Lac La Hache.   We are going to the Bluegrass workshop at the Hills Guest Ranch here at 108 Mile starting Wednesday night so we would like to have everything ready for the drywall mud by then.

The sun has been out, melting the snow and drying up our driveway.  The upper yard is still a skating rink but we are hoping for serious melting any day now.

That's all the news from the 108.
Cath

The "end" of the drywall

Despite the absence of recent blogs, Len really has been working.  The goal was to post something when the drywall was truly done and as it happened there were little bits (and a couple of big bits) that cropped up.  So sorry for keeping you waiting!

We are having the drywall finishers in to do quotes today so that should reassure you that we are "close" to completing our part of the drywall project.

Len had to get artistic on two areas in the media room.  The beam out to the post only went 1/2 way across the front of the room and to Len "it looks stupid".  So he constructed a fake extension to the beam and drywalled over it and voila!  Looks good.  The post is lovely wood, presently being protected by plastic and wood strips.

Note the fake extension on the right

The finished product

Remember how I said it would kill Len not to have the wall behind the fireplace finished?  Well I was right and so it was indeed finished.  He will use another method to make a working platform for Nigel to finish the fireplace.

Not done = not acceptable

More uses for the lift and planks over the stairwell

Another ta da! moment

Today is the first day of spring.  Could have fooled us.  It snowed a couple of times, just a skiff, still it was white and cold.  Looking forward to some serious melting soon.

Two days of drywall bits and pieces

Came home from a two day trip to Vancouver to discover Len hasn't moved from the basement where I left him.  He has been busy doing all the picky little bits that, to quote him, "slow down progress".  So I needed a pretty thorough tour of all the corners and hidden spots to appreciate why he is still at it 2 days later.

I can report that today's pictures would pretty much be a copy of yesterday's so we have decided to spare you more drywall photos.

Apparently Len spent quite a bit of time getting ready to go inside the fireplace foundation/clean out as there was a bit of wood to be removed from around the ash dump.

First he created a section from some ducting to be used as a sloped floor to guide the ashes to the front by the door.

Leftover plenum from duct work

The finished sloper cut and bent to fit

Before this could be installed the wood had to be cut back so how to get up and in there.  He needed a ladder and was clever enough to think of our motorhome ladder which fit through the small opening.

The aftermath

He climbed up and used a router held upside down to do the job and I only wish I had been here to take a photo of Len with all that dust and wood shavings on his head.  Alas, you will just have to imagine it.

Laying on my back looking up into the fireplace foundation

A closer look at the 3/4 plywood I routered back from the fresh air slot

Once he was finished fixing inside the clean out he was able to mount the sloped tin and the door and do the drywall mentioned yesterday.

The door in place

The drywall on the stairwell will have to wait until Nigel finishes the fireplace as he needs a place to stand to do the back side and Len uses the framing for the staircase to hold up a platform.  I know it will kill Len not to have the drywall truly finished, but that's the way it has to be for now.  We should be heading to Vancouver this coming week or the next to pick up the last of the rock and the hearth stone which is being cut for us at Adera.  Then Nigel will finish his work, the platform will be dismantled and the drywall can be completed.

Stay tuned....
Cath

So the CIA does a little torture you say.

I've decided that the best kind of torture would be to have someone kneel down on a drywall screw.  Let me tell you, I would give up any secrets I ever had thats for sure.

So I have to complete the door to the fireplace clean out before I drywall the area. I had the door and frame fabricated and now I have to secure it to the concrete blocks.  I will be going into town tomorrow for anchors then I'll finish that wall.

Looking into the ash pit area

Here is the door and frame ready for paint and install

Lower bathroom hall completed

Just the beam to cover and then the media cupboard

I built in the sub panel and now I will drywall it

More tomorrow

Len

Where has all the drywall gone?

Well we never thought it would happen, but the huge piles of drywall are gone.  In their place are actual walls!

Putting up the upper sheet to hide the fireplace foundation

Len used a drill to cut out for the plug

Ta da!

The pile that once was is...gone

Walls and ceilings done in the media room

Now there are just some little bits and pieces for Len to finish up.  The plan is to hire someone to mud and tape or is that tape and mud?  Anyway, soon (?) we will be ready for paint.  Guess I better pick out some colours someday soon.  Len says that is my job.

Cath