Mid - Late March

Well, The weather seems to be getting mild.... the pasture is starting to green up.  Anxious to get a garden in.  The insulators got started during this time period, I used BMC out of DFW and they started with a foam crew.  They sprayed open cell foam in the attic/second floor.  Roof rafters as well as dormers and side walls.  Makes for a very air tight house.  I also had them spray an inch of closed cell foam on wall between house and garage as a vapor/fume barrier   Later the cellulose crew came in and filled all the 6 in exterior wall cavities with cellulose.

He is slicing the foam off with a long blade on a sawsall so drywall can cove wall.

My stone arrived also.  Purchased from Covenant Stone Works, it is called Texas Blend.  It is three different colors of Texas mined limestone from a quarry near Abilene. Nice fellow, Aaron, drove from Austin to Abilene to pick up the stone and then to Van where I helped him unload.  I was sore for two days.  The stone is actually cut to a thin 2 in thickness at the quarry for easier installation  and includes corner sections.  We will have it installed on the area you see tar paper now, kinds of a wainscot  and on the chimney.

This same week I installed one garage door and really like the outcome.  The rest will be installed after the sheet rock is finished.

Reg came up this last weekend and we had a nice time.  Nice to have company too!  We decided last fall to take up archery since we have the room now.  Here is Reg shooting a compound bow or any bow for that matter for the first time.  She consistently hit the target at 20 yards

Finally, the transom for the front door arrived and had it installed and the front door trimmed out.  I began finishing the front door with some stain.  Next I'll use a spar varnish to protect and add some sheen to it.

This week the sheet rockers started and will finish this Friday.

You can see the blown in cellulose in the picture below

Lastly, I've contracted with a paint company here in Van for exterior paint. Hopefully in a week or so you will see a new look.  /Cheers

Late February - Early March

Well, it has been quite an interesting time up here in Van.  The electricians and plumbers wrapped up there rough in work and I was waiting on the front door transom and the round window for the master bath to arrive so the framers could come back and finish those things up.  The windows showed up last last week and the round was toast, one of the double glass panes was smashed.  I think we will be able proceed with insulation without it installed... more on that later.  Have I told you about Ben Wheeler ??  It's a small town about 8 miles from here.  Long story short, Regina has several qualifications for moving,  had to be close to grocery store (we're about a mile from Brookshire's in Van), she wants a horse or two, being from New England, she wanted the area to be "quaint".  That last one is tough to find in Texas, maybe Austin, Fredricksburg, Shiner, Wimberly, but Van is not quaint.  Well, we stumbled into Ben Wheeler, go here,  http://www.benwheelertx.com/.  I've been hanging at the Forge, but both places have great entertainment.  I think I found "quaint".  Regina and I met a lady,Patty, at the Forge that owns a flying service.  This past week, my brother David, who has loved flying all his life struck up a conversation with Patty one night while we were watching Wesley Pruitt band.  She said she would buzz the new house the next day.... not only did that, but she landed in my front yard took us both up flying in a helicopter...  quaint or what!

The jonqels you see popping up above are from the old homestead that originally existed on this property.

 Put David to work wiring home for satellite TV and internet (Hughs.net)

Put up a barn light I found in Canton last weekend at their world famous "Trade Days".  It really is something to see, largest flea/antique market I've ever seen and it goes no every month.

Had to install some backing board/foam on the garage to house wall so the insulators have something to spay the foam on.  I'm having the wall between the house and garage foamed for air sealing.  It will also have some cellulose blown in between studs.  The house roof rafters as well as the pony wall under the house gets foam and the house 2x6 walls get cellulose.  There is also 1/2 inch foam sheets on the exterior of the OSB siding, taped seams along with the standard house wrap.  Should be a pretty tight house.

 The pipe you see is for the propane system.  The gas folks did they rough in last week as well.  We will have a propane furnace, on demand hot water heater, stove top/range, and garage heater.

That's all for now...

Peach Tree Farms - Areal View

You can "google" this link in Bing Maps to see areal view of property.  Of course the house doesn't show up yet.  "850 county road 1508, van, tx 75790" , http://binged.it/13FsAKI

First Two Weeks of February

With the framers finished, the most visual changes, progress, etc. have finished   Next the plumber will start as well as the electrician and roofer.  They like to give the plumber and electrician time to poke their needed holes out  the roof before the shingles go on.  The plumber puts in vents for plumbing and the electrician is responsible for bath and kitchen stove vents.  Personally I started on putting up the lattice skirting under front and rear porches as well as starting construction of cedar shutters.

Allot of the trash wood from framing the house was discarded, I kept some of the best.  If a single nail is put in a board, it can't be sent back to the lumber yard and we sent ALLOT of wood back for credit.  My own little lumber yard below.

Roofing materials delivered, but up and down weather caused a few days delay

Note things are starting to green up already due to mild winter so far !

Garage doors arrived.... they are on my list of "To Dos"

I started putting on the eastern white cedar shingles on the east side of house, but will need scaffolding to finish.

Roof is starting to go on..

My lattice work.... the bottom edge will be graded and covered by future landscaping.

Back porch... the center section with the red cedar framing will be screened in with wooden screen doors on both ends.

Shutters I'm constructing out of red cedar... they will be primed and painted.

The soaking tub platform in master bath... with a nice view!  I put on the decking :)  The sub-floor is really thick stuff, 1 1/8 inch thick.

We're putting in pedestal sinks in upstairs bath... found some locally on Craig's List

Time For An Update - Feb 4th

Last week saw the framers finish up, what wood they didn't use got sent back or burned, or ended up behind my barn.  Front stairs turned out nice, there are two sets on the front porch and one at the rear of the house.  The fireplace installers showed up and installed the fireplace in one day. On the next day, Friday, they installed the fire brick.  We purchased an Isokern fireplace.  It is really interesting, a Danish product also produced in the US.   Made from volcanic ash and formed into building blocks like legos.  Lighter than a true masonry fireplace, about half the cost, but just as nice or nicer.


Adding two dormers on rear of house

 

Building stairs

Front-side stairs

Making sure it fits!

Assembling the fireplace

Firebox assembled

All Assembled, pretty good size fireplace, the fire box opening is  44" wide and 41" tall

Adding the chimney.... made from same material, it is a two part system with the square block you see and an additional flue liner inside.

We spent a little extra to have the firebrick split and installed in a herringbone pattern.   Really looks good!

Installing firebrick

Finished for now, fireplace surround, mantel , all come later in the build

Porch columns arrived and were installed Friday as well.

I'll put a white lattice under the porch floor in due time.

Home for the weekend.  Have granddaughter, Layla's 2 year old birthday party, Super bowl, pack up a bunch of tools, etc.  Back on about Wed. and hopefully the plumber is ready to start his rough-in.