Outside work

This month the carpenters have been installing windows, trim under eves, and have befun to wrap the house with a yellow spacing material before applying clapboard siding and cedar shake shingles. The chimney is being built and weatherproofed. The masons have started laying the Old Chester stonework along foundation. The second garage cement work is done, and framing this will start next week. And our well was drilled, and has a very high flow rate, perfect for our geothermal heating system. More retaining walls being built around second garage. First picture shows scaffold on roof to build chimney. Next is cement pouring for garage foundation, and cement floor with machine laid stone walls. Next is window view with yellow wrap, then the foundation stone, and last a mock up showing what a clapboard corner will look like, flared out over the stone foundation.

Inside work

Lots of progress this past month, but most of it inside, where it is more difficult to illustrate with pictures. All of the interior walls are now framed, and the electrical wiring is being installed. The PEX tubing that they use for plumbing instead of the old copper pipe is in, red for hot, blue for cold. All the steel straps are now around the keyed beams. The brickwork for fireplace is in. It will be covered with Vermont stone below and wall board above. Pictures below show lower level framing, lots of electrical wire, plumbing, straps on keyed beams and the fireplace, viewed from the main floor and the loft.

Porch, beam straps, framing and color

These are pictures from last week. Lots happening now. The first pictures show the back of house facing lake, with porch finished. Eventually it will be all screened. It connects from kitchen to great room to master bedroom, and will have hot tub on master bedroom end. Interior framing continues, next is views of master bedroom wall and ceiling with tall steel post to support roof. In basement, radiant heat is installed, concrete floor poured, and work is begining with duct system for A/C and some air heating. Next are 2 of first views of steel straps that hold keyed beams together. We really like them. They have also started to install painted trim under the roof, so this is the first glimpse of house trim color (siding will be lighter). Finally, concrete in front porch makes it look more finished. Lots more decisions to make, keeping us busy.

Posting of July 17 added later:

Carpentry work has moved to the inside and back of the house, with interior wall framing on the main floor and construction of the screened porch across the back of the house. Retaining walls continue, with a new tall wall, partially machine and partially hand made. Shown below are views of kitchen, pantry, laundry, study framing, followed by master bedroom framing. Next is a view of screened porch just beginning, new retaining wall, and last a picture taken tonight from the lake looking up at the house. Next week should see well drilling, basement and garage concrete floors, and more carpentry. Getting hard to keep up with it all.

Roof and framing complete!

Good progress on house framing, now with tarpaper on complete roof, it is weather tight, and they are starting to build the interior walls. Meanwhile, Gary continues to build machine made stone walls to contain the patio in back, as shown below. We have had some great weather, bought a new lawnmower, got the old weedwacker and chain saw working, and have started doing some clean up work around the little yellow house near the water, where we are storing kayak equipment, lawn chairs, etc. Found 2 trees the correct distance apart to hang up the hammock, for when the work is done! We've taken to going over to the site after work, getting take out dinner from a great local restaurant, and eating dinner at the water edge. Nice view across the dock to the lake from our lakeside dining spot. Meanwhile, lots and lots of decisions about details. We are pretty much consumed by house, but still really enjoying the process.

Bedroom and garage

This past week the carpentry crew has been putting the roof on the master bedroom and starting on the garage framing. It now looks more symmetrical from the driveway, as shown by the first 2 fgures below. The roof lines on the house are complex (I told Jeremy that I liked interesting rooflines, and he took me at my word). So the carpenters have had to do a lot of interesting work with the roof joists, as shown in the 2 ceiling pictures next. Meanwhile, they are starting to frame up the interior walls, shown by the last view into the pantry and laundry room off the kitchen. All very exciting for us!

Master bedroom and porch

This week the carpenters added the front porch and started framing in the master bedroom suite, which is on right side of house looking down from driveway. We particularly like the view out the very large window in the bedroom (Deb is shownfor perspective. Good progress being made.