Finishing up the Basement

We worked a long time getting the basement painted and cleaned up. It looks so much better. I can't say it is really done because there isn't much furniture in it, but it is so nice to have it clean and painted.

Getting some pool games in

My basement spa bathroom

Looking into the 'movie room'

Inching Forward to a Occupancy Permit

Well, I am not updating as often as I'd like. I am so busy and the internet out here isn't always working so great :(

We keep chipping away. The sidewalks are in. And the lawn has been reseeded.

The painters came and finished the touch ups indoors and out.

The front door is stained. It looks great.

Thank you, Olathe Painting.

The hardwood floors have had their 3rd and final coat.

The basement water damage is in the process of being repaired.

The decking is pretty much completed and the railing is coming along nicely!

We need the fireplace to get the hook up.
We need the heating system to be running.
We need our sump pump to be working.

The floor sanding leaves dust everywhere so I needed to clean everything again. I started cleaning upstairs at the top of the window trim and cleaned the entire upstairs, then the stairs and then started on the main floor. I spent the better part of 5 days cleaning dusty woodwork and walls and floors. I haven't even started on the basement yet.

Bryan took a couple of days off and we worked on deck railing and a few outlets we needed to get in. He also put in the light fixtures on the deck.

I went around and did some paint touch up and I put the sealer/enhancer on the slate fireplace. It looks so good! Emily and I did a lot of packing at the other house today. We have a lot to do there to get ready to move.

We scheduled an inspection for today but the inspector called in sick! So we are rescheduled for Monday.

Day 378 - Staining the Concrete Floor

Last week we had the basement floor stained. That is a process that takes several days. The prep work took quite awhile and I don't have any pictures of that but then it was stained and has three coats of sealer on it. It looks really good.

Thanks for a great looking floor!

The painters finished last week. It looks great. They left before I could get out there and get their picture taken so I'll have to catch them when they come back for touch up.

Hopefully this week we have the hardwood floor company get started on finishing the hardwood floors.

A little clean up. . .

followed by a little football!

DAY 365 -- ONE YEAR INTO THE PROJECT

One year ago this week  [it was a Wednesday, July 13, 2011] we broke ground on this house.  I was sure we would be in by now but as you can see, we are not. Things are progressing steadily but we won’t be moving in this week. Or next.

It has been quite a year.  Quite an adventure. We have learned a lot. About building a house, about people, about ourselves.  And in the end I have no doubt it will be worth the wait and the work.  We have had some fun along the way and we have met many interesting people.  And there is no question, the house is beautiful.

In the last week:

We celebrated the Fourth of July.

The painters have been working and they hope to finish up this week.

The garage doors were installed.

The tile installer has been very busy and has most of the tile installed and ready to grout.

Bryan started installing the deck boards on the porch.

The girls and I helped Bryan paint the basement ceiling and walls. I ordered more light fixtures. The template for the countertops was made.  And we had record high temperatures.

This is the thermostat on my dashboard.

June 12 -- Day 336 -- Craftsman Style From the Trim Carpenters

The trim carpenters have been very busy for several weeks now:

 Window and door trim

They are putting in my doors.

And building my library shelves. This is them mid stream.

And the library fireplace in process.

And the closets . . .

And the stair treads and railing.

These stairs are beautiful!

I know they have been time consuming for the carpenters,

but they look so fabulous.

This is the library shelves completed. They are all oak.

This picture is too dark and you can't tell how great they look,

but this room will look amazing.

We have also had the painters out working on the outside.

They painted the ceilings on the porch.

Bryan and I have been out there working a lot as well.

I am the clean up crew and general go-fer.

I also get to answer all the questions everyone has!

And I have been picking out cabinet hardware.

For some reason I can only do one room at a time :)

This was Monday morning at 7am  --  putting down backer board.

We were out there until 9:30 Sunday night and didn't get to this job.

There is lots more going on but I will quit for now and try to be back soon!



December and Cold Weather Have Arrived

December is here! Wow  --  time is flying by. The retaining wall guys are working. It is bitter cold so not much fun to be out there. I think it is actually colder in the house than outside!

Last Friday the painter finished up the last of the "car siding" boards. [I helped] Hooray! That was a lot of boards! If you look to the back of the shed past the 'drying rack,' you see the stacks and stacks of boards.

I am trying to get a few things figured out before the drywall comes in. Things like: do we want central vac? and how about an audio system? and the security system? and TV and phone lines? do we need a phone line? What kind of internet is available out there? All things that might be nice to have figured out while the walls are open.

Yesterday I had to go to the county courthouse. Apparently our permit did not include a finished basement. So I had to get that corrected. We also had some issues with the city and the county arguing over who was responsible for our address when the security company calls. No one was claiming us! But I think we got that fixed by changing our address.

Then we went to a flooring place and were thoroughly overwhelmed by options in flooring! They are really pushing prefinished wood floors but there aren't as many color options with prefinished. None of these decisions seems to be easy. Just when you think you know what you want someone throws you a new curve.

Today I spent time with the cabinet guy. He brought me a sample of the cabinet door in white oak. I am excited! Some of the kitchen will be stained white oak and other parts will be painted cabinets. But there are still so many decisions to make. I have discovered the website Pinterest can be very useful for pulling together things that I like.

Thanksgiving Day! -- Day 135

So much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day. And to start with, the beautiful weather! So beautiful in fact that peole are working!! Including us . . .

 

stone masons are working on the stone columns and screened porch

we worked with the painter to get the car siding painted

wish I could say we were done

Here is my housebuilding Thanksgiving thankful list:

Airless paint sprayers and the painter that made the day a whole lot easier

Blueprints -- even though they are no longer blue

Cement -- many, many truckloads

Digger who did such a nice job excavating

Electricians who are lighting the way

Framers who came to a hole in the ground and left a house in it's place

Great weather since we broke ground

Hardie cement siding -- prepainted of course

I-beams made of steel

Justin boots

Knowledgeable sales people helping me pick stuff out

Lumber

Mechanical guys doing the HVAC

Natural beauty of this building site

Overalls -- Carhartt overalls -- that I will soon need

Plumbers laying out the lines

Questions that get answered

Roofers who topped it all off

Stone masons who worked on Thanksgiving Day!

Trusses in all shapes and sizes

Under budget anything

Veranda -- another word for porch -- beautiful word, beautiful place

Windows that are awesome

Xtra talented people helping us every step of the way

You -- I'm very thankful for anyone who reads this blog!

Zoom lens on my camera :)

OCTOBER IS HERE & So are the roof trusses!

I love being out here. The weather has been so beautiful and we have been so fortunate to not have rain. I like sitting here in the house. It smells like fresh cut lumber and I can see all the way through every room in the house from where I sit. I can see clear up through the part of the roof and see the sky. I sat here a year ago in the grass and enjoyed the view and the quiet and today it is so different yet so the same. Beautiful weather, beautiful views. This year the sound of the wind in the trees is mixed with the sound of Tyvek rippling in the wind :)

October 3, Day 83: The roof trusses arrive!

October 4, Day 84: We continue to paint every day! Sometimes even by headlight!

Oct 5, Day 85: As the roof goes on, the house begins to change

October 7, Day 87: They had to bring in a crane to get the highest trusses up. It was a rather windy day so it was pretty eventful to watch.