Long overdue!

Somehow time got away from us, and it's May! 

After the masonry work, a lot of the trim work was done. We waited a few weeks for screens and a few more for gutters and then a few more for weather.

It snowed...

...and snowed...

...and snowed. And then it seemed like it would never melt. For a good two weeks there was 12-18 inches on the ground.

But then we got lighting and speakers, and things were looking brighter and sounding a little better.

And then we got the TV (and occasionally we find kids out here in the morning with the fireplace and TV on)!

Some time in April new furniture arrived, and we painted our old chairs to be lighter.

We also did a bit of the landscaping ourselves near the scalloped fence and painted it white (still some painting to do on that).

And now it's almost done. Just a few gutter covers and landscaping left to do!

2020's Parting Gift

 After the stone work was completed, our project went a bit off track. A piece of the existing house was being replaced to accommodate a new porch light when some rotten wood was discovered. Removing that wood led to finding more rotten wood in the wall under Clara's window. And then investigating that led to finding rotten trim around Clara's window. So, we ended up replacing the window trim pieces and the wood inside the wall under her window. Since plywood wasn't around in 1938 when the house was built, the exterior walls were built with 2x6s, so some of those got replaced. The fixed area needs to be painted next, and then it is good as new.

We did manage to get the gutters done this month too and salvaged the old ones as much as possible, much to the chagrin of the gutter installer, who intended to throw away the old solid copper gutters! 

Next up is screen installation and trim pieces.

Masonry work

 The last two weeks have been spent on the shiplap ceiling and the masonry work for the wall near the stairs and the fireplace.

The stone had to be moved under the roof with makeshift plastic walls around the porch and heaters to thaw the frozen stone. We lost several days of progress thanks to this step.

But then work got underway again with laying stone. 

Now the wall by the stairs is complete and drying.

Same goes for the stone around the fireplace. The grout lines will end up looking much lighter once they dry.

Progress is messy

 Last week and into the weekend, the project went through a messy phase with spray foam insulation installation and the roof being completed.

This week is about continuing the masonry work for the fireplace and wall near the walkout stairs and adding the shiplap to the ceiling of the porch.

After the ceiling, the support posts and all trims will be wrapped in Azek to protect them from rotting or warping, so they hopefully never have to be replaced (by us at least).

Siding, Electrical, and Fire!

Lots of progress here the past couple of weeks! 

Cedar siding went on, the electrical and gas work are done, and we have a working fireplace!

Tomorrow, stone work starts and the roof shingles go on. After that, a few more weeks for the finishes including wrapping all the posts, installing the ceiling, light fixtures, and speakers and then putting up the screens. And gutters, and the TV...so there is still quite a bit left. :)

It's a structure!

 Lots of progress here the past couple of weeks. Headers and fireplace framing went in a week and a half ago, and then trusses arrived last Thursday. This week, the trusses were installed and the plywood layer of the roof was installed. It is really looking more like a structure now.

Later this week will be electrical and gas line work. 

We've gone vertical!

 In the past few weeks, the foundation was poured and the walk-out stairs were completed. We're back to a concrete slab now, but there's lots of infrastructure below that slab that wasn't there before for drainage and gas lines.

We also left our mark in the stairs.

Last week was an off week for work here. But this week, things are moving again, and we've gone vertical. Posts are in and headers are coming next.