There’s an issue with the pitched roof part of the house (no issues with the flat roofs (so far)). It needs more support – most likely in the form of structural steel. This issue is trying. Instead of many paragraphs describing the background of this problem, we’ll just wait for the pretty pictures that come with a successful resolution.
We have stairs now, which makes getting to the second floor so much easier. There was a moment when I swear we looked like a couple of apes swinging from trees trying to get up there before they installed the bottom half of the stairs. A moderately dislocated shoulder and bruised hip bone gave me a whole new appreciation for a well crafted graduated incline. Sorry, no pictures of the monkeying around.
Framing, week one:
You know what’s fun? Jumping around those internal bracing boards like you’re on the set of Mission Impossible (okay, fine, it’s more like stepping over them gingerly with the gait of a middle-aged person, if you really must know).
Some measurements were off, but they’re easy fixes.
The windows in the kitchen are another story. In order to accommodate their weight, a larger header was installed, but that bumped the windows too far down. Moving them up just a couple of inches means replacing wood with steel. Fingers crossed it’s a quick and relatively painless fix. Even with the windows slightly off, it’s easy to see the prominent role the pond will play in the kitchen. I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. The pond is the most wonderfully magical thing ever.
We’re hopeful this baby will have a roof next week!
We have a foundation!
And some other stuff!
As the crew was pouring, I kept looking up, certain I would see pigs gliding across the sky on newly sprouted wings.
As with everything else associated with this project, this was not an easy task. The pour itself went flawlessly, but issues with the city the day before nearly threw us off track again. No need to bore you with the details, but you should know we’re grateful to the one person in the Public Works Department who gets things done. If we were younger, we would name a child after him.
It’s been a little over two months since the last update. This update wasn’t supposed to happen until they poured the foundation because, let’s face it, it’s not really a building project until the foundation goes in, right? We still have no foundation, but here’s an update anyway.
We’re in the middle of a beautiful spell of weather and we were so hopeful concrete trucks would work their magic this week, but a meeting with our builder burst that little bubble. It seems we’re not the only project in the world (gasp!) and the projects in line ahead of us have dealt with the same nasty weather so everyone is behind.
It feels a bit like standing at a deli counter, looking up at a sign that says Now Serving #76, then looking down at the #149 ticket in your hand. I’m not typically a negative person, but I fully expect to be in the middle of a six-week-long ice storm by the time they call our number.
All is not lost, though. Here’s what has happened in the last couple of months:
We ordered windows while they were on sale. The sale allowed us to upgrade the energy efficiency of the glass while staying below budget (win/win!). Unfortunately, the manufacturer wouldn’t hold them indefinitely – the exact amount of time this project will take – so they’re living in a storage unit near the construction site.
This time round, the foul language isn’t related to excitement. This time round, there’s a problem. It might be time for me to admit I sport a potty mouth regardless of the situation.
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adventures on spring lake 