This blog is solely about the start-to-finish construction of a house.
It is recommended to start at the earliest post and proceed chronologically.


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March 10, 2015

Table Saw Down

Maybe I did work it harder than usual

My saw fritzed out on me last evening, mid cut.
Just when I need it most!

Did not have a new table saw in the budget for the house.

Lets hope we can get this repaired, and quick!  Really need it.


*EDIT:
Saw is back!  Thanks to Charles H. Day Co. for a very quick and reasonable repair.

March 07, 2015

Window Sills & Interior Trim

Random Window Sill
Interior woodwork is now underway, and things are starting to look rather completed. 

Wood Flooring is Sanded and Oiled

First coat of floor finish
is curing upstairs on the fir end grain flooring.

Completed Ceramic Tile

Master Bath Walk-in Shower
Our bathroom ceramic tile is now complete!

Hard to photograph, since the rooms are tight, but here is what I have to show.

March 03, 2015

I Am Simply Floored

Flooring in the Study
And suddenly we have a beautiful wood floor in place.

February 25, 2015

Wood Flooring Jenga

Behold the biggest Jenga game I have ever played.

What you are viewing is a stack of wood flooring, all turned on edge and spaced out to allow drying and acclimation.

Picked this up from the mill today, and schlepped it up to the second floor.  It will be installed next week, if all goes according to plan.

February 22, 2015

I HAVE THE POWER

Hopefully Skeletor does not also arrive with this new development
The house was hooked up to utility power this past week.

Gone are the sketchy daisy-chains of extension chords - now we can plug into the wall outlets.

The always lovely electrical masthead.

The Unbearable Whiteness of Being

Painting, painting, painting.  That's about the sum of it these days.

Hard to photograph.  Above is a photo that you might guess you've seen before, but it is subtly different.

First we whiten a mottled white-ish surface with primer.

Then we turn that white surface into an off-white surface.

Then we cover that surface again with off-white for good measure.

I estimate we are about 1/3 of the way done with the process.  My shoulders burn. There are a lot of surfaces inside a house.

For now we are going with off-white (Benjamin Moore "White Dove") everywhere.  We expect to add color accents, but want to live in the spaces with our furnishings first.

Lisa the Pro Roller

February 15, 2015

First Grout

The white tile at the bathtub, grouted. 

Penny tiles on the back wall still awaiting their turn.

Blue tape on the wood window, and red tape on the bath tub is temporary, if that wasn't obvious.

A little more drywall compound is required to fine-tune the transition between drywall and the tile edge strip.

February 11, 2015

Entropy



Our beautiful windows and doors are taking a beating.


en·tro·py  /entrəpē/  noun: 
     2. ...gradual decline into disorder.  
         synonyms: deterioration, degradation

Caution, I'm letting off a little steam below.

Drywall Sprayed & Sanded

Almost ready for paint!

Spraying the Drywall Topcoat

This project is asking for a "Level 4" smooth finish on the drywall. 

We prefer the look of a smooth finish, but it requires more skill and work to get good results. It will show minor irregularities more than a textured surface.  So it is important to get the wall installed flat, and the joints sanded very smooth and level. 

Going the extra mile, our drywall contractor sprayed on a sandable topcoat to really even things out, giving us an almost "Level 5" finish.

I am a mix of emotions: thrilled for the better quality walls, and nervous as heck to turn this guy loose in the house with a spray gun.