Ready For Sheetrock

We finished all the minor changes and adjustments we had to do and cleaned up the house in preparation for the sheetrock starting this week.  It wasn't until after the framer was done and gone that we decided to add a closet here, make attic access points there, and build a hearth for the fireplace to sit on.  So I did all of that, plus some other things, over the last couple of weeks.  It feels very final once the sheetrock goes on.  Like nothing can be changed.  Of course, I don't want to change anything but I'm learning more and more that Bonnie and I are picky and specific in our tastes and decisions.  I think I do better to deal with what I have than to start from scratch.  I guess when there are soooo many options, I feel that I have to make the best possible decisions instead of simply doing the best with what we have. (Like in a pre-owned house.)

So here are the "before" pictures before the sheetrock starts.  I'll update with some "during" pictures tomorrow.  The tape, mud and texturing should be done at the end of next week, so they tell me.

                    

The good news is the framing was finished last week.  The not-as-good news is that everything else by comparison will be slower and less visually exciting.  There was a delay on our windows  being made and they're just coming in this week.  Danny and his guys already went to start Sam & Rachel's house last week but will return for the windows and doors. 
      We're making decisions right now like which color of shingles, siding and stone veneer.  I have the roofer scheduled to shingle the roof next week.  The house should be pretty well sealed after it's roofed and the windows & doors are installed.  The exterior sheathing panels are made specifically for that purpose and are even taped with a special sticky tape that makes it well sealed. 

     The plumber, Scott, has been at the house this week roughing-in the plumbing lines.  I've also given the go-ahead for the heat & air guy to order the material for a groundsource, geo-thermal system.  If you're not familiar with what that is, the simple version is:  long pipes are buried in the ground outside the house which keep a consistent temperature throughout the year which is much, much closer to the temperature we want inside our house than the outside temperature.  As a result, the system only needs to heat or cool that air a little to meet our needs and we use much less energy to do so.  As a bonus, any extra heat goes to warm the water heater, again saving some money.  The "bad" part is the upfront cost.  A ground source system is considerably more expensive to purchase than traditional forced air but the reasoning is the energy savings will pay for it within a handful of years.
       Here are a few pictures of my parents when they visited a couple of weeks ago.  Silvia & Rose love playing at the house, and having Grammy and Pop J there is extra super fun.

As it turns out, Bonnie is an excellent firewood stacker.  I never doubted her.

Up and Up

We're seeing big changes everyday right now.  Last week brought I-joists to part of the main level for the upper rooms.  This week brings those rooms.  We have two bedrooms, a full bathroom and a bonus room upstairs to make our house a "story and a half".  The middle of the house will have a vaulted ceiling from the front door straight back to the fireplace on the back wall.  The master-suite side, on the left, won't have anything special over it.  Maybe with a few thousand dollars extra we could have used that space more but, we can say that about a lot of the house.  "For just a bit more we can do this!"  We've said that several times to each other but have to remember that we'll be extremely blessed with what we have planned and can't afford more anyway.  We have a handful of "down the road" projects.
The walls for the upstairs' room popped up quickly and the guys went on to sealant tape to the exterior sheathing and put the ceiling joists to the master side.  The beginnings of the front porch have begun too.
         The windows are ordered and the long lumber for the vaulted ceiling/roof will arrive soon.  I'll try to keep up.

Sweet, Sweet Concrete

We finally have all the concrete work finished this week.  Keith had the garage poured, and the front porch, the side retaining wall and rear patio.  With that finished, Danny is freed up to build the garage and later, the front porch.  Also, the patio in the back will be the support for the screened back porch on the main level.  It will have a door from the kitchen and steps leading down the side toward the garage.

Today I stopped by and saw the exterior walls had been covered with sheathing.  With the walls covered it's easier to see how some of the rooms will look.  I walked up the steps (that lead nowhere) and took these pics before any of the upper level has been started.

Here's the master bedroom.

The kitchen.

The garage.

We ordered our windows this week.

I expect the floor joists to be started in the next couple of days.  

We'll see the house get taller and taller next week.

Main Level Going Up

The guys got those exterior walls up on Friday and we're really starting to see our house now.  None of the interior walls are in yet but the lines for them have been chalked on the floor so we can tell where they'll be.  I imagine they will be finishing the whole first floor tomorrow or Tuesday and start moving up.  We've made a few minor adjustments as we go along, just before Danny starts the next part so as to not have to redo anything.  You don't know what you might want to change until you can see it in real life instead of on paper.  Right now we're thinking of adding another garage on the left side of the house.  Just kidding.  We've just made some window adjustments and bathroom switches.

More And More Every Day

This is the point in house construction when we can see big changes every day.  I'm sure later on in the process I'll have less frequent, dramatic pictures but right now it's really fun.  In a month you'll get to ooh and ah over toilet placement!

The main level sub-floor was finished Thursday afternoon.  Bonnie was so happy she leaped off.

I stopped bye Friday late-morning and saw Danny, David and Stoney putting up the exterior walls.  They hoped to have them all up today.

Framing Begins

Things are happening quickly now.  The porch and garage foundation walls were poured last week and filled with gravel and the basement was poured on Monday.











That was enough for our framer Danny to begin so he was out there yesterday morning at 7:00 am.  Some lumber was delivered by 8:00 but the city hadn't yet connected the temporary electric.  Danny had a small generator to power just a saw so he went to cutting but I didn't know how long before the city utilities would show up so I borrowed a friends' generator and took it out for Danny to use.  With it he was able to run his air compressor for his nail guns.

As it turned out I'm glad I did that becuase the City didn't connect
the power until 2:00.  With the generators Danny was able to just
about complete the basement framing and get ready for putting the
I-joists on today.  Very exciting to see some real construction.