|
With the roof on I could breath easier and sleep sounder.
The building project was now protected from the weather to a great degree.
Go ahead, RAIN all you WANT! |
| Still PLENTY to do - at this stage we are at
about 60%. I also slowed way down on picture taking and got busy with
building. I think mostly because I was always thinking about and
working on several tasks at once. I'd work a few hours on several
different tasks each day. It was a challenging time of
keeping track of what needed to be done when and how. Course, it
seemed like everything needed attention at the same time. |
| I need to get the wood stove hooked up and running
so I can stay relatively warm while doing the interior work. It will
be a while before the attic insulation gets done. We have to finish
off a few interior walls, and plenty of small projects. I'll be doing
Plumbing, and Electrical, while Greg starts working on the kitchen
cabinets. The stair parts will need to be finished out, and drying in
before they go together, and then comes flooring,
wall covering (sheetrock or other), and lots of exterior trimming out, staining,
painting, etc. |
|
 Greg
worked on the kitchen upper cabinet soffit while I began working on finish
stair balusters and stair steps and also laying out plumbing. Hi
didn't scrimp on the soffit, in fact we were hanging some heavy cabinets
from it and Greg really made it "over built". |
Old treads out, new treads in
|
 The
stairs were exciting and we were all anxiously awaiting how they would come
out. I wanted a "natural" looking staircase, and I wanted to use as
much of the material as I could that came from this land.
 The
stair steps were cut long ago from the largest fir tree we had to drop.
The tree grew just about where the stairs now climb to the 2nd floor.
Originally they were lumber boards cut into several 10'-15' lengths of full
2"X12". We then carefully cut, edged and sanded 15 steps for hours.
I must have put 6 coats of finish on those stair steps. |
 |
I had selectively cut rough lengths of Cedar branches for
the balusters long ago. Nadia Dion and I worked for hours stripping the bark
off 6 months prior.
Greg started cutting the stairway
horses from the full dimensioned house milled lumber. Now all these parts had to be
individually Hand sanded with Many finish coats. Hours of work went into all the
balusters, newel, steps, horses, and all the stair parts. I had
everything - except a handrail. I had not been able to find a natural
15' length of tree or branch that was the regulated diameter from end to end
- and straight! At about the last minute possible I found just the
right young maple. Pictured here as I strip it of bark and branches.
The maple wood was stark white, so I stained it to better match the Cedar
stair balusters. |
 |
 The
Newel was pretty special. I had several hunks of Cedar which I hoarded
away just for this moment. It was difficult, very difficult to
orchestrate the stairway construction. So, I depended on Greg to sort
out my puzzle and he did just a
wonderful job on this one. He had to make some extremely challenging
measurements and cuts to make the "Natural" staircase work out. The
Newel is a centerpoint of the staircase and I chose to name the newel after
my grandpa Arthur. Now I can remember him every time I swing myself up
this stairway. I spent many hours of culturing to get Arthur just
right.
This section spans about 8 months. These last pics
are after we MOVED IN 3 days
before Thanksgiving 2005. |
