Starlink Install

The only Internet option available to us for the last year has been T-Mobile home Internet. It's been barely adequate-to-unusable.  For the most part it's about 5 Mbps down / 1 Mpbs up, although it seems to have improved more recently. The problem is that it seems to cut-out almost entirely at unpredicatable times, especially when we're trying to watch movies in the evening. And when there are weekend crowds at Stevens Pass. 

The Home LTE hotspot is located in the bunk room window on the second floor -- a less than ideal location, since the Google Mesh and Lutron controllers are sitting next to it in the window sill. I was able to sign-up for the Starlink beta in April, and they finally green-lighted me in September. The dish arrived 2 weeks ago. 

Starlink requires a clear view of a fairly wide section of the sky, especially to the north. KnArrow Haus is surrounded by mountains to the North and South, and a handful of tall trees to the North, South and West. I realized pretty quickly it would need to be mounted sturdily above the roof line and away from snow shedding events. 

Because I couldn't find a ready-made bracket, I made my own. After trip to Everett Steel and then to Karlin's Homemade Old-fashioned Rootbeer and Amature Welding Emporium I was on my way with an L-shaped, steel pole to bolt to the lower roof beam on the front of the house. 

Custom Starlink mounting pole.

I spent an afternoon drilling holes and grinding/smoothing the welds; then a couple coats of black paint. Unfortunately, a neighbor's 34' ladder ladder just wasn't quite tall enough to reach the roof...

With some help from a friend, I procured a 40' ladder and had him haul it up to the cabin on the weekend. I'm planning to store the ladder on the side of KnArrow Haus with a locking bracket so that we can use the ladder whenever we need it without it "walking off."

What follows are the pictures of the 40' ladder and our creative efforts to mount the post bracket and attach the Starlink satellite dish to it.

Eyeballing the task at hand.

Colin heading up with Abbie, Richard and myself steadying the ladder.

With one bolt securing the bracket to the beam,
rotating it upright proved more involved than
we anticipated, especially at the dizzying heights.
Colin's brother was on the roof pulling on the rope.

Pic taken inside the bunkroom.

The post mounted, we gently hauled
the Starlink dish up on a line.

Colin anchored the top of the ladder to the beam
with some webbing. Then he anchored himself in his
climbing harness to the ladder so that he could lean
back comfortably to set the dish on top of the pole. 

The finished installation. 

For now, I let the cable hang down and ran it under the garage door. Getting it running couldn't have been easier. Plug in the cable from the dish to the power box, then plug the box in to the wall, and wait a few minutes. The Starlink dish automatically points itself skyward, and starts to deliver bandwidth after about 10 minutes, which gradually improved over the next 15 minutes. 

In the monitoring app, we didn't experience any outages longer than a second, but I'll have to wait for at least 12 hours to figure out if the the trees are out of the field of service enough that it will be reliable long-term.

I don't think the Starlink dish improves the KnArrow Haus aesthetic much, but it definitely improves the bandwidth. Movies in hi-def from now on...

Bandwidth test after about 15 minutes.

Next week I will run the cable and secure it down the side of the house and in to the laundry/utility room.  Unfortunately, the conduit I ran to route Internet Cat-5 cable from the outside in to the utility room is only half-inch, and the Starlink cable needs a 3/4" hole... I'll have to figure out a new route in to the laundry room through the garage.

Garage door cleanup

The garage door has been asking for some final trim for a while now. I had a few pieces of Ipe' left over that I was able to use, and literally just enough screws to get all the boards attached. 

Garage door trimmed in ipe'.

After the drywall was installed 2 years ago, I realized I'd forgotten to insulate above the garage door so I sprayed some foam in. It was November and cold when I did that, and the foam lay dormant over the winter. Then when things warmed up, the spray foam expanded and bent the drywall out so that it prevented the garage door from opening. We've been limping by for a year now by pulling on the top of the door before pulling up.

I pulled off the drywall above the garage door and sawed off the excess foam.

Spray foam sawed off above garage door.

Pine installed over the foam above the garage door.

I have some blue pine left over from the interior window walls and basement ceilings that worked nicely to cover the insulation above the door. The garage door opens without coaxing now. Now I just need to wash down the outside -- it's filthy, dusty. 

Fireplace mantel and speaker bar

Installing the fireplace mantel was more work than I was hoping. I bought one of the fany new floating shelf brackets that supposed to be easy to install and hold over 200 lbs. The mantel isn't that heavy, but I wanted to make sure it was stable. 

After sanding and finishing the exterior, I proceeded to route out the back to receive the male part of the bracket. That was a lot of work. An inch wide and three-quarters of an inch deep. The female bracket on the wall also needed to be perfectly straight on the wall. It took several attempts for Abbie, Colin and me wrestling to get it on.

Fireplace mantel and speaker installed.

Sideview of the floating mantel.

I angle trimmed and sanded the end of the mantel to prevent anyone coming down the stairs from getting caught up on it -- it's right at an adolescent head height. 

While I was at it, I got a Samsung speaker bar with subwoofer. The TV's sound just wasn't quite sufficient.

Summer Maintenance

Summer is the time to get all the maintenance stuff done. Schneewagen was in desparate need of an oil change, and the transmission has been causing problems. not getting in to gear smoothly. I borrowed a trailer from one friend, a trailer hitch from another friend, and a pickup truck from a third friend to retrieve Schneewagen and bring it to the lowlands for service.

Retrieving Schneewagen for service in the lowlands.

It turns out that the oil change fixed the transmission issues as well. Because its a wet transmission and the snow tracks take extra effort to turn, they encouraged me to change the oil more frequently. Problem solved. Set for the winter. (Thanks to friends.)

Punch List Catch-up

This blog has been neglected for a few months in favor of just enjoying KnArrow Haus. Time to catch-up on the march down the punch list -- done at a more leasurely pace than at this time last year. 

After an epic snowfall year, the Spring melt occured with equal ferocity, clearing the road to KnArrow Haus the first week in June. As the snow melts it turns filthy with the pine needles, dog poop, and general cruft collected in the layers of snow over the Winter.

The 2021-21 snow season at Stevens Pass in context
(data courtesy of NorthWest Avalanche Center)

Schneewagen riding out the snow Spring snow melt (taken on May 15).

After some diagnostics, I determined that there is a short *somewhere* in the floor heating zone that covers the entry way and entry toilet room. (I thought I had checked all the zones before the concrete was poured, but something happened....Sigh.)  Since the wire's embedded in concrete, the only reasonable solution is to mount a convection space heater on the toilet room wall. I've got it plugged in to its own remote thermostat. It draws very low current and does a nice job of keeping that area warm during the cold months.

Space heater in the entry toilet room.

The hose on the kitchen sink's pull-out faucet threw a washer and began leaking after only 6 months of  use. I spent nearly an hour squirming and contorting in a very cramped sink cabinet trying to figure out how to unhook the faulty hose and connect the new hose we received under warranty.

I used this picture to try and figure out how to unhook the hose.

I acquired a live-edge maple slab from Second Use and have been slowly working on it in my garage in the lowlands in preparation for the crank table base. The crank table base got held up in India when the Covid spike shut everything down. I'm hoping the base arrives before Septembert. The next step on the slab is to epoxy the holes and rotted areas with black epoxy, hopefully in the next few weeks.

Live-edge maple slab destined to become the kitchen crank table.

A live-edge slab of English Elm that is planned for the fireplace mantel. No epoxy required on this, just lots of sanding. The mounting bracket is on order and should arrive this week.

Live-edge English Elm slab for the fireplace mantel.

We've been surviving without doorstops at KnArrow Haus. I decided to do them in 3/4" black pipe with cork for the cushion. I cleaned the black pipe, then sprayed each assembled unit with clearcoat before gluing in the cork.

Amelia helped grandpa count the door stops.

Front door stop in position.

I've had an LED light sitting in a box in the garage, and finally determined to replace the bare bulb and rough-in socket. Pretty simple install. It's bright. 

The LED light for the garage

The bunk beds are a bit wobbly. I secured both beds to the wall with lag bolts and rubber spacers between (to prevent squeaking). 

Ezra helping Grandpa use the tape measure.

The mattresses are a bit thicker than the bunk beds were designed for. To prevent the otherwise inevitale "roll-out" of a child from a dizzying height on to a diamond-hard concrete, I'm building some blac pipe railing. Should be installed by end of next week.

Finally...not exactly on the list of KnArrow Haus improvements, more on *my* list of improvements: Much of March and April were spent blasting and clearing very LARGE kidney stones from both kidneys. The picture below represents about half of the fallout. 

The fallout from having 2 large kidney stones blasted.

Smartlock Lessons

A few smartlock-related lessons in the past few weeks:

Lesson 1 - Don't attempt a smart deadbolt AND a smart handle

I've been using a programmable (but dumb) deadbolt for several years. I added a smart door knob a few weeks ago.

Dato home smart door lock

The Dato Home smart door knob had a lot of promise. It supports smartphone access, numeric code, finger prints, an electronic key fob, and a back-up traditional key. 

• The main problem is that it would automatically re-lock 60 seconds after unlocking it. To keep it unlocked, I had to use the smartphone app every time, and it would only keep the door open for the day. Katie and Mackenley got locked out the first morning after install while I was sleeping. Brrrr.
• Pressing numbers on the keypad was unreliable because it's hard to tell if you've actually pressed the correct number. And it wouldn't reliably detect Katie's fingerprint.
• Programming it remotely was unreliable. 

I quickly decided that relying on the deadbolt alone to be "smart" was the answer. 

Lesson 2 - Don't test a smart lock from the outside (unless someone's inside).

As I was attempting to get the smart door knob working better, I made a rookie mistake by testing the reinstalled knob after shutting the door from the outside. The family was gone to Leavenworth, it was 22 degrees F, and I was in my cotton slacks and house clogs. 

Turning the handle did nothing... 

I had repaired the "smart" part of the lock but had failed to properly engage the mechanical part when reinstalling the knob. 

On the hunch our back basement door was still unlocked, I attempted to make my way to the back door along the side of the house. Clogs and cotton pants aren't the best uniform for attempting a passage through 12 feet of untracked snow. After attempting to tread through the snow I ended up worming my way along the side the house to spread out my weight. After about 20 minutes, I managed to slither 40 feet along the side of the house, ending in an exhilirating head-first body surf 9 feet steeply down to the back door landing. 

Thankfully, the back door was unlocked.

Lesson 3 - No exterior levers in bear country

With all our bear activity last year, and after hearing the advice of a sister-in-law who lives near a ski resort in another state, she let us know: You should never have an exterior door lever in bear country. Too easy for a curious bear to open.

I switched the exterior handles on the front and back doors to keyless knobs. No more getting locked out or ambushed. 

Lesson 4 - Go with a reputable smartlock

Researching online, I determined to replace the front electronic deadbolt with an Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro. Here's what sealed the deal:

• Supports fingerprints -- and works better than the knob did.
• Supports key codes with a numeric keypad where each button provides positive audible and touch feedback.
• Supports bluetooth phone unlock.
• Supports internet access so I can unlock remotely and can add temporary codes.
• Supports a mechanical key back-up. 
• Gets top reviews by reputable publications.

I moved the existing electronic deadbolt down to the back basement door and replaced it with the Ultraloq.
 

Ultraloq U-Bolt deadbolt with keyless door knob.
(We still need to paint the front door.)

Coat Hooks, Towel Bars and Mirrors

This post covers multiple weekends of working the fit-and-finish punch list.

Coat & Towel Hooks

At the end of last year I scored a really good price on rigging hooks -- less than $2/each. It took a while to get the 3/8-inch iron pipe fittings and bars so that I could complete them. But very pleased with how it all turned out. 

 

2 coat hook bars in the entry/mudroom with -- for big and small kids.

Towel hooks in the bunk bathroom

Towel hooks in the master bathroom

Towel hooks in the basement bathroom.

Towel Bars

The towel bars are also made of iron pipe. The black iron pipe is filthy when you buy it -- oil and grime. I use a paint stripper to clean the oil and debris of it. Then I assemble the pices -- a floor/wall flange, street elbow, straight pipe and cap. 

Hardware for the towel bars

Hardware for the coat & towel hooks

Then I sealed them with Rustoleum clear coat so they don't rust. Because they only mount to the wall on one side, I make sure to get at least 2 of the 4 screws into a wall stud (I don't trust molly screws unless I'm forced to).

Towel bars on each side of the sink in the bunk bathroom

Towel bar in the main floor toilet room

Towel bar in the basement bathroom

Mirrors

Katie took a LONG time choosing mirrors. But after they finally arrived, there was a lot less involved getting the mirrors installed. 

Bunk bathroom mirrors

Downstairs bathroom mirror

Master bathroom mirror

Punching the List

It's taken a while for my energy to return after my Covid-19 adventure that started New Year's Eve. Last weekend I had a lowlands punch list to work on (Replaced the kitchen faucet and the front door handle). 

This week we drove up to KnArrow Haus Monday evening. Since I'm working during the day, I resolved to check off at least one box each day on the long punch between me and a KnArrow Haus finish line. 

Tuesday

Main floor heat: We've noticed that the entry/mudroom is cold. All the heat is in-floor electric and floor is cold, so I cracked open the main floor thermostat box to check the wiring (after turning off the circuit breakers.) After some head scratching and a phone consult to the master electrician at Pure Power, it appears there's a short somewhere in the first run of wiring that covers that part of the floor. 

Dianosing the main floor heating wires.

Really unfortunate. I know I checked the resistance when we first laid down all the wiring last Fall, but clearly something has happened between then, pouring concrete, drywalling, and now. I'm exploring options for a low-profile convection wall heater to bring the entry and toilet room up to temperature.  

Wednesday

Snow track tension: Schneewagen's back tracks haven't been tightened since they were installed at the beginning of last year's snow season. The bolts were torqued down, and the crescent wrench I had available was going to strip the bolts. I keep the socket set in my car, but we drove up in Katie's car.Thankfully, my neighbor up the road graciously loaned me his socket set, and I was able to get the tracks tightened up over the lunch hour. 

Finding the belt tightening assembly required some foraging
and pouring hot water to melt snow and ice. 

Sliding door locks: We have sliding doors on both of the upstairs bathrooms. I installed the locks after dinner.

Sliding door locks installed.

Thursday

Towel bar prep: We're using black pipe for the towel bars and coat racks. The problem with black pipe is it comes with a coat of oily, greasy gunk.  Not something you want on your hands or towels.  I used a citrus paint stripper to clean all of the pipes and fittings. I'll let everything dry thoroughly overnight before applying a coat of wax and assembling. 

Hand towel bars for the bunk bathroom

These will have red slip hooks mounted on the bars for towels and a coat rack

Friday

More work on the towel bars. I wiped then down, then applied a coat of wax, and assembled them. Realized I need some end caps for a couple of the bars to keep the hooks on.  And of course, I don't have any of the screws to mount them to the walls.  But at least I know what I need to still get now. 

The towel bars and coat rack resting on the sideboard in the kitchen.
The sideboard has become our temporary project bench for the punch list. 

I'm really pleased with the deal I got on the hook racks.  Those rigging hooks are normally $8 to $9 a piece, and I found about 30 of them on clearance at Grainger for $1.27 a piece on clearance.  A little iron pipe from HomeDepot and the project was complete.

Saturday

Installed a new "smart" door knob. Up here in bear country, we need to avoid door levers on outside doors, as bears don't have to be very smart to gain entry if the handles unlocked (...when we're here!) I found these round door knobs after some research.  It shouldn't have been quite as big a project to install them as it was -- when I took everything out of the box, I dissambled the inside knob a little more than I needed to. When I sent to install things, it wasn't quite working out, and it took me a while and a few restarts to get it all back together. 

The new smart door handle on the font door.

After getting everything installed, I programmed it with my fingerprints and a code. But when Katie went out the door Sunday morning, she wasn't able to get back in -- I had to get out of bed to let her in. There's a "passage mode" that keeps the door unlocked for an extended period of time, but it only works for a single day, not for multiple days. 

After I get the kinks worked out with the door knob, I'll install the other unit on the downstairs back door.

Sunday

As a low-key, sabbath activity, I installed the WiFi hub for the door knob so that I can access it remotely in order to let someone in when I'm not here. Probably need to switch out the deadbolt now so that I can do the same with it -- the current deadbolts only support a keyed-in code, no remote access. 

We've received 4 feet of snow this week while I've been here, over 10" just last night.  The base is now over 100".

Over 100" on the ground at KnArrow Haus.