Physics Lesson

Question: Will an empty propane tank remain at the bottom of a 5 foot pit during torrential rains?
Answer: No
See the photo for the result of our unintended experiment. The propane tank was delivered a few days ago, and before we could get the pit filled in, heavy rains swamped our region, filling up the pit and causing the tank to rise and FLIP over. Sigh. The installer for the tank will return after the pit is pumped dry, right it and replace the now damaged regulator that was submerged in the water for a couple of days. Bob has the excavator standing by to immediately fill it in so it can't happen twice.

The good news is the dry wall team finished today. Only 3 weeks late, we are now ready to begin painting the rooms that will have cabinets installed....kitchen, master bath, laundry. We'll also paint the powder room and upstairs bath as the tilers are ready to install tile in those locations. Painting in a "naked" room sounds easier than painting after tile has been installed. Bob and I will spend a couple of days this week and weekend getting it painted and ready for the cabinet install which we hope will be next Monday.

I was at the site today and ended up painting some exterior areas with the colors we THINK we like. After they dry, we'll decide what we think. I took the camera, but didn't get any shots before it got too dark.

Next post will show the workshop Bob has set up in the basement. He has quite a production line going on for the staining and storage of 2300 pounds of stain grade fir that will make the window trim, door trim and baseboards for the house. It is turning out just beautiful!

We have walls!

We like the brown color on the right for the wooden pillars.
Bob has installed the "cable rail" system after the GC put up the posts.

Staircase and loft before and after drywall install.
Ceiling of the greatroom with insulation installed.


After a few weeks of inactivity, things have returned to full tilt at the house site. The insulators showed up and sprayed foam up against the roof. The dry-wall team appeared last week and remain there this week putting up sheetrock, then the plaster to form the walls. We have selected some paint colors for the kitchen, master bath and laundry since the cabinets will be installed there in the next few weeks. When the walls are finished, Bob and I will begin painting.

The porch is coming along with some beautful Craftsman style stone pillars.

Snow delay

The framing is almost finished for the front porch; we've selected the decking color; you can see some of the exterior color options at the corner of the garage.

Connect the blue wire to the white wire, but don't touch the yellow wire, right?
Siding is on awaiting the paint.

We expected delays from rain, but not snow so early in the year. The mountains were hit hard last week with the blast of cold weather that hit all of the Pacific NW. We estimate about 8 inches of snow fell at the property; the roads were snow packed and dangerous until after Thanksgiving. The temps dipped into the teens and with EXPOSED PIPES for the plumbing and the sprinkler system we had visions of burst pipes and water spraying the inside of the house. Bob set up some space heaters in the basement and we managed to keep the temperature a few degrees warmer than outside. We think we dodged a bullet. The heating system should be operable in a few days and we won't have that worry again.

I've included some photos of the wiring maze that is blooming inside the house and the dusting of snow from a couple of weeks ago. I don't think it is visible, but the siding is on....lap siding on the bottom levels and shingle siding on the top. It is primed and ready for exterior paint. That may have to wait until the snows thaw.

All Talk, No Photos

This week I will update you with words only, no photos to share. It has been raining a LOT, and on the recent sunny day that we were there with our friend Kate, from Austin, it was too dark/too late to get a good shot.

Things are moving along, however. As Bob says, the inside is a maze of wires and pipes. The electricians have been working for more than 2 weeks to "rough" in the spots for electrical outlets and lights, as well as oven, vent fans, garbage disposals, etc. The heating specialists have pipes running around to connect the radiant floor heating on the two bottom floors with the radiator system on the top floor. The plumbers have their rough in work complete, and the preliminary connections for faucets, tub, shower, toilets are in place.

Because we live in the county at such a remote site, county code requires installation of a fire sprinkler system. Those pipes are also being run throughout the ceilings of each room. Certainly it is a system we hope we never have to "test" after the initial install tests are performed!

Bob has been very busy at the site daily: he installed a central vacuum and low voltage wiring for stereo speakers, cable, internet. His next project will be staining the wooden inside trim of the windows.

Our general contractor, Steve, says the next phase will be insulation installation, then the drywall. After that, interior painting (at least the kitchen ASAP to prep for cabinet installation). The tile setter has been on site, and orders have been placed for tile in the showers, entry way, master bath, guest bath.

We are still focused on March as a move in date, and realizing that is just around the corner!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Roofing and Siding

So, here is the weekly shot and I know it's been more than a week. The roof is completely on and the siding is going up quickly.
The siding is "primed" and once we settle on a color, will be painted. It will be a shade of green. Did you know there are about 74 shades of green? Amazing.
...the site contractor used a CAT to move boulders found during excavation to form retaining walls.
Inside the house, things are coming along, as well. Here is the box for the chimney chase and fireplace. It will be surrounded by tiles that we've selected in a beautiful design.

Somehow I got captions below the photos this week. The cold, rainy weather seems to have descended upon us this past week, and we are happy to have the roof on. Inside the house, the main floor has been poured, and the electricians are wiring for lights and outlets. The plumbers have done their preliminary work, and we have the ability to drain water out of the house via some pipes, not just bailing out via the windows and doors. About 95% of the windows and doors are in, as a matter of fact.

Bob has begun working in earnest at the site daily. He installed the central vacuum system and has stained the interior of the windows that are in the TOP of the great room (prior to installation) and they look great!

We have a ROOF!

Well, almost. Steve and team have put on the roof sheathing, tar paper and accepted delivery of the shingles. The roofing crew should begin installing the shingles tomorrow. The color of the shingles is Aged Bark, a fancy name for med to dark brown.

The plumbing crew was there today to put in drains for sinks, showers, toilets, etc...running pipes for the shower stalls. Bob was there today and took these last two photos of the work to date.

Looking good, huh??

The top two photos show just how far we've gone to "build our own house"....Angela drove the truck so Bob and Dave could load and unload the windows and doors. Successful mission, all in all, with the exception that the window company forgot to put the entire order in one spot for loading. They realized it after we'd turned in the rental truck. :(

A work in progress

Hello all, Here are some photos that Steve S. (our very patient General Contractor) has taken over the past few weeks. Also, if you want to look on Google Earth, you can find the site: address 9011 NE 312 Ave, Camas, WA. and see the progress as of 15 August.

From top to bottom: The supports for the garage roof, the roof trusses being placed, the SIPS panels going up and the "shell" of the main floor.

Thanks, Steve for getting some action shots for the blog.