A Visit and then Slave Labour

Hi, finally have a chance to catch up on all the goings-on.  On Thursday, we were very happy to have Joyce and Murray visit us for the evening.  After the obligatory house tour, we settled down at the fire pit and chatted while enjoying a wiener roast.  We were having such a good time that I neglected to take pictures until they were about to leave.  

Proof that they were actually here

Bright and early Friday, Len started to put up the insulation he brought home on Thursday.  We have had enough 5C mornings and hope that this will add a few degrees.  It was a HUGE job to get the area above the garage done because of the cathedral ceiling and the low rafters on the side.  We used Roxul which is made in BC out of crushed rock, not fiberglass.  So it was not as itchy or hard to work with.  We would recommend it.

Two layers need to be put in the ceiling

Lots of little places to fill

Good progress

Len's favourite - on his back in the crawl space

He must be getting done 

The new look is "green"

Even the stairwell got done

It took a full day, 8 to 8 to complete the work.  We celebrated by eating ice cream while we watched a movie.  Next, back to wiring.

What to do in the cold of summer

Well it sure felt more like fall than summer today.  Got up to a high of 15.  Brrr.  But we stayed busy inside.  Len started getting all the electrical sorted out.  

Putting the large line in to the generator - just in case

This is the "emergency" panel with a feed to the generator

 Meanwhile, Cath was working away on the computer.  After work, she put another coat of varethane on the doors.

Door to the deck from the garage, stained and protected

Front door stained and protected

 Here is a picture of the shop door Len put in yesterday.  It needs finishing.

Raw door

So there are three electrical panels in the house.  This one is the secondary one which powers the kitchen side of the house

No, it's not really crooked, just a poor picture

Here is where the large wire goes through the floor joists

We also placed the boxes where we plan to have outlets.  Then we compared it to Len's drawings.

Banjo and I often see wild asters growing along the road where we walk at least twice a day.

Len and I headed over for a hot tub and shower.  Feeling warm again.  They say it will get down to 5 tonight.  We will have to cuddle up to stay warm.

More tomorrow - we expect Murray and Joyce tomorrow evening and are hoping for better weather.

Cath

More doors and dirt and moving on

On Monday, Len dumped a few final loads of topsoil on the back hill and then parked the backhoe for now.  The poor thing has developed  another transmission leak and we are out of fluid.  It will be a big job to level the dirt so it is ok that he has stopped for now.

Lovely topsoil 

You know the door to nowhere?  Well in consultation with the building inspector, Len decided he would move it to the garage side so that it cut out the need for a fire door at the bottom of the stairs to our living area above the garage.  Sounds like a quick thing, but it was a lot of work tearing out all the lumber supporting the present door and replacing it.

Got to make a mess first

The door to nowhere now leads to the garage.

The rest of the day was spent putting in backing for drywall in the basement.  Not picture-worthy.  Just imagine Len up a ladder with pieces of 2X4 and a hammer.  Now imagine it over and over and over. After work, Cath took up staining and putting urethane on the nice wooden doors.  Will take pictures tomorrow.  One last door to do - the man door for the shop and then we will start stringing wire.  Haven't heard from Hydro about when they are coming to move over to our pole and electrical panel, but should be soon.  Living with just one extension cord off a 15 amp breaker is a bit of a challenge.  See you tomorrow,
Cath

Doors and dirt

This is what happened this weekend.  The weather was  pretty nice so we spent both days outside.  In order to get to putting up the decks - necessary for getting the upper windows put in - we need to side the area under the deck .  In order to get to siding, we need to trim the windows.  So that is what we did.

The metal colour contrasts the trim.  We have piles of it and so that is our story.

2 bits of metal on the bottom around the trim

Two more at the top 

Finished, sort of

The ends of the trim need painting  and we need to shoot foam around it but otherwise the window is done.  Meanwhile, Cath was shoveling and raking the topsoil that Len dumped using the backhoe.

The black earth is the good stuff

More piles to go.  Also, note the supports for the deck in place.

 The next trim to go up was around the basement door.  In order to do that, the door needed to be fit and leveled and the hardware installed.

After much jimmying the door is level all around

Scary to drill such big holes in the beautiful fir door, but it all  worked out.

Yes, he chiseled it all by hand

Now the trim, and metal bits too

Ta da!  A beautiful door.

Len moved the temporary front door to where it belongs.
Right now it is a door to no-where between the garage and the main house..

To get the front door in, Len needed to complete the front porch.  Here the last screws are put in place

A shot of the new front door in place but not stained yet and without its hardware.  It was already dark and time to quit.

So that was the end of the weekend - lots accomplished and lots more to do.  Talk soon!
Cath

Not your average log splitter

When Cath and Melissa did some log splitting they found it very inconvenient and hard on the back.  "Can't you do something about that?"  was the cry.  "Why yes, let me rebuild that for you" was the reply. 

In the shop- wheels and axle from our dolly

The craftsman

Able to make it work despite being crowded and disorganized

See how easy it is to move?

Time out to enjoy a fire in the new fire pit spot and try out the new camera's self-timer

All Terrain Maximum Convenience Log Splitter - the way they should be built to begin with.   Dave, notice where the button is now.  Also, it is painted two tone green and black.  Now back to working on the house.

You Asked For It

I have received a lot of letters lately asking about the post piers so I have decided to show the technique in a step by step photo essay.

1. First you must create some art to enable the lifting and placing of the block not to mention the creation of the block itself but that's another story.

Ain't it lovely

2. Make an incision, surgeon-like and dig a hole with the big yellow tractor, to a depth of 42 inches. (Code)  Do NOT HIT THE HOUSE. Not to mention the close proximity of the trees.

Precision surgery

3. Spend some time leveling up the bottom of the hole and then drop a bag or two of concrete mix to set the block on. This will harden as time goes by.

All ready to go

4. Again with great precision, place the pad in the cavity

Mind the flora

 5. Get in the hole and muscle the block around and into position.  Be sure to do this in the heat of the afternoon.

Under the string for alignment

 6. Place a precut sonna tube over the rebar and on top of the block. Tube should eventually be a couple of inches above grade after backfill. Check approximate level and position of final post, then lock in the base with cross members so no movement will occur as concrete is dropped into the tube.

The tape measure is for checking the distance from the next post. (9' 7")

 7. A final leveling of the tube is done and it is secured to cross members. These boards are secured to stakes in the ground with screws and the tube is screwed to them. This is one area where you can really get screwed so care must be taken.

All ready to go

8. Now you must lift heavy objects. This is where a lot of people stop and call in a professional. The bags of premixed concrete, gravel and sand are only 50 pounds each but after 44 of them maybe it would have been a good idea. Place the bag in the wheelbarrow and pour out the mix. Add just under 3 liters of water and stir. A lot. When it is all oogy and gooshy you are ready

Not oogy and gooshy yet

 9. Using a good strong shovel and with precision, place the concrete in the tube. You will find that it takes a heck of lot more concrete to fill this tube than you imagined. Push on and four or five bags later you will fill it up. Use a scrap piece of lumber and smooth out the top.

A thing of beauty

10. Finally and most importantly is the post saddle. Using your alignment string push the pin of the saddle into the wet (important note) concrete. Check for alignment to string and distance to next post. Place a level on the top, lightly, and check for horizontal.

All level

11. Go have a beer

This next photo shows what happens when you put your gutter drainage system in before your deck piers. A small detour had to be created. I am still waiting for a good rain to test out this system which includes the shop roof as well.  Ross says we could probably put a power turbine on the flow and sell back to hydro.  We'll see.

A little zig and zag

Admiring my handiwork

Please keep those cards and letters coming in and I will keep digging

Len