A friend verbally kicked me on the phone the other day, reminding me that I was delinquent in updating the blog.
There's been a flurry of things happening to get it buttoned up before the permanent winter snow comes -- although we have had PLENTY of early season snow. Six to nine inches last weekend on Saturday! Thankfully, we're having a sunny reprieve this week that's allowing the snow to melt.
Here's a quick rundown.
Took last Thursday off to go meet the fireplace installers. They kind of whimped out when they got up there. The cabin is not in white-glove condition, and they started coming up with excuses as to why they couldn't get it installed.
"It's *REALLY* heavy."
"Those stairs are pretty narrow."
"The framing's not quite right."
"That roof is really high."
Well, they left with their tail between their legs, and after a visit by Norm, he agreed to take the fireplace back up today and lift it in to the cabin with his backhoe. They are supposed to come tomorrow and get it installed along with the chimney. We'll see.
When we were there that day for the fireplace install, there was just a TON of water coming in from the roof due to a lose panel used for getting up easily from the top floor and due one spot missing some roofing membrane. Norm fixed it all, and the framing is drying out nicely.
We went up again on Saturday, not realizing how much snow there was.
We attempted to pick through the rubbish pile to pull out all the good lumber that we can use for burning, and then burn the rest. But even with multiple doses of white gas, we couldn't get the waste lumber to burn. It was just too wet. But we did stack a bunch of the lumber we'll use for the fireplace in the garage to dry out. And we moved the rest in to an out of the way pile so Norm could spread crushed rock in the coming week.
Much of the dirt that was stack up against the foundation has been spread down on to the septic drain field. It hasn't gotten a final grading, but it's much closer.
There was still a pile of lumber on the property line out in the weather. It should be mostly used up as the interior framing is completed this week.
As of today, the metal roof is fully installed, except for a couple pieces of flashing (that may be on, but I haven't confirmed.)
The framers came back today to finish up the inside framing on the bottom floor. (We did some minor changes to door positions to optimize the location for the dryer, so the vent has as short a run as possible. The door to underneath the stairs will be short and cut slanted on top. The entrance to the laundry room from the main room will be a sliding door, and the door from the laundry in to the garage will be a regular door opening in to the room.
Exterior doors are supposed to be installed this week as well.
The pile of beautiful crushed marble sitting at the bottom of the driveway should also be spread out now..
I'm panicking because we're 3/4 of the way through our money, but we're definitely not 3/4 of the way done building. Things will slow down necessarily over the winter, and also for financial reasons. Gonna have to start doing more of the work myself.
But the structure is sturdy and weather protected now, which was the objective this year.
The exterior stairs shipped early this week, a couple days late. The truck's due to arrive on November 1st, and I'm hoping the weather holds out so we can get the truck to the site to offload the stairs. Tons of confusion back and forth with the stair manufactururer on shipping, but I think we've got it sorted. There is a lift gate on the truck, but the stairs are too long for the lift gate -- so we'll need a few sturdy hands to meet the truck when it arrives.
There's been a flurry of things happening to get it buttoned up before the permanent winter snow comes -- although we have had PLENTY of early season snow. Six to nine inches last weekend on Saturday! Thankfully, we're having a sunny reprieve this week that's allowing the snow to melt.
Katie out front on Saturday, October 21. About 6 or 7 inches of fresh snow.
Here's a quick rundown.
Took last Thursday off to go meet the fireplace installers. They kind of whimped out when they got up there. The cabin is not in white-glove condition, and they started coming up with excuses as to why they couldn't get it installed.
"It's *REALLY* heavy."
"Those stairs are pretty narrow."
"The framing's not quite right."
"That roof is really high."
Well, they left with their tail between their legs, and after a visit by Norm, he agreed to take the fireplace back up today and lift it in to the cabin with his backhoe. They are supposed to come tomorrow and get it installed along with the chimney. We'll see.
Our return-missionary daughter, Abbie, sitting where the fireplace is supposed to be.
Temporary supports holding up the fireplace shed dormer.
When we were there that day for the fireplace install, there was just a TON of water coming in from the roof due to a lose panel used for getting up easily from the top floor and due one spot missing some roofing membrane. Norm fixed it all, and the framing is drying out nicely.
We went up again on Saturday, not realizing how much snow there was.
April 21, 2017 -- Approaching Stevens Pass Summit on Hwy 2
April 21 - the road driving in to the cabin.
Our port-o-potty snow gauge outside the cabin.
Free advertising for our builder, Norm Smith of Homes Northwest
We attempted to pick through the rubbish pile to pull out all the good lumber that we can use for burning, and then burn the rest. But even with multiple doses of white gas, we couldn't get the waste lumber to burn. It was just too wet. But we did stack a bunch of the lumber we'll use for the fireplace in the garage to dry out. And we moved the rest in to an out of the way pile so Norm could spread crushed rock in the coming week.
Standing in front of the unsuccesfully torched burn pile.
Much of the dirt that was stack up against the foundation has been spread down on to the septic drain field. It hasn't gotten a final grading, but it's much closer.
There was still a pile of lumber on the property line out in the weather. It should be mostly used up as the interior framing is completed this week.
As of today, the metal roof is fully installed, except for a couple pieces of flashing (that may be on, but I haven't confirmed.)
The framers came back today to finish up the inside framing on the bottom floor. (We did some minor changes to door positions to optimize the location for the dryer, so the vent has as short a run as possible. The door to underneath the stairs will be short and cut slanted on top. The entrance to the laundry room from the main room will be a sliding door, and the door from the laundry in to the garage will be a regular door opening in to the room.
This is the wall between the garage and the laundry.
You can see the scrap lumber pile in the bottom lefthand corner.
Exterior doors are supposed to be installed this week as well.
The pile of beautiful crushed marble sitting at the bottom of the driveway should also be spread out now..
I'm panicking because we're 3/4 of the way through our money, but we're definitely not 3/4 of the way done building. Things will slow down necessarily over the winter, and also for financial reasons. Gonna have to start doing more of the work myself.
But the structure is sturdy and weather protected now, which was the objective this year.
The exterior stairs shipped early this week, a couple days late. The truck's due to arrive on November 1st, and I'm hoping the weather holds out so we can get the truck to the site to offload the stairs. Tons of confusion back and forth with the stair manufactururer on shipping, but I think we've got it sorted. There is a lift gate on the truck, but the stairs are too long for the lift gate -- so we'll need a few sturdy hands to meet the truck when it arrives.
Looking up from the basement through where the front entrance still needs to be framed.
Katie looking out the back deck door. (I think this is a masterful selfie...)
Totally cool!
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