Stapling Paper in the Air

With nothing but solid rain in the  weather forecast for the next six days, and the insulation crew coming in less than a week, we have been putting the push on getting building paper on the whole shop-garage building. It was easy for the lower portion, but gets trickier on the second storey especially when there is 7 feet of sloping dewy or frosty metal  roof in the way.  Fortunately, a couple of stages of borrowed scaffolding and some planks, clamps and screws seem to be getting the job done, although slowly....

Installing Chimneys in the Rain

Friday was a very wet day but we had scheduled the installation of our two woodstove chimneys since mid-September.  So, at 8am Steve rolled up in the Wilk stove van followed by Dayton who worked the whole day hanging off of the very slippery wet steel roof for the day but left us at 4pm with two very nice, plumb, stainless steel chimneys all ready for the woodstoves as sson as the drywall is complete.  

Concrete in the House

The red heating tubes in the house have now been covered with 1-1/2" of fibre-reinforced concrete which will make a perfect surface to cement the tiles on to.  The pumper truck arrived at 7:20 am and the concrete truck at 7:45 so we were already to begin pouring (spewing) at 8:00 am. Our cement finisher, Brian Allen and his crew worked until 11:30 screeding, floating and troweling the floor for the final finish.

Home Sweet Trailer gets a Veranda Cover

With a very wet weekend forecast, we decided to take the time to add  a tarp to the ratty canopy that came with our rented 5th wheel trailer.  With my brother Trev's help it was installed just in the nick of time for a very wet Friday night and all day Saturday.

Workshop-Garage Doors all on

We have lock-up!  At least the Workshop-Garage is now possible to lock up.  The Garage doors we had made last spring have been hung and Karen has fitted and hung the big 4' shop doors for the final time.

We have also completed the application of building paper n the whole lower storey of the shop-garage in preparation for insulation and drywall.

Red Tubes in House Floors

Our heating contractors returned this past week to install the red heating tubes in the house main floor + upper bathroom.  In preparing for the wood stove installation we've also had to layer  metal strap and concrete board under where the stove will be installed.  Things are now ready for the 1-1/2" layer of concrete which should happen sometime this coming week.

We also passed the electrical inspection on Friday at 5:00 pm!  Insulation and Drywall on their way soon!

Karen fits Shop Doors

With the smaller passage doors installed, efforts have turned to the big 4' shop doors which have been hung, marked, removed, re-hung, checked, removed, had hardware installed and are now awaiting finishing before their final installation.

Doors Getting Installed

In the continuing effort to get the workshop-garage locked up Karen has been working on getting the doors installed in their openings.  This involves fitting the door in the jamb, lots of routing and drilling to get the handles and deadbolts installed and working then off again for a final coating of urethane.  Finally they go back on for the final time.  Currently: 2 down 3 to go, and the garage doors should be installed later this week.

Copper in the Walls

We have spent a busy week without a lot to show for it outwardly. but hopefully it is work which will pay off in the years to come.  Karen had spotted a great 60 gallon compressor on UsedVictoria a few months ago so we bought it and have just completed installing it and 140 feet of air lines in the walls of the shop and garage.  Electrician, Jim has now finished wiring the shop/garage so we should be getting our inspection sometime this week.

 

Second Bobcat Visit

Mike, our bobcat driver arrived both yesterday and again this afternoon with a few yards of crushed rock (Cobble Hill cobbles reduced to gravel-sized chunks) and spread it around the front of the shop-garage building.  We are now ready for whatever the winter rains may bring.

Windows, Big Curve, and Successful Framing Inspection

A very busy morning as Daryl, Dean, Corey and Dave all returned to fasten on the big curved barge board and install of the high altitude window.  The pictures say it all, except how sad we are to say bye to "the lads"as this was their final bit of work for us.  

We also met our building inspector, Grant Breckenridge, who toured through the project and gave us his enthusiastic approval!

Bobcat Visit

With winter rains not very far away we didn't want to have the piles of dirt get any more cement-like so we had a visit this past week from Mike at Blaine's Bobcat to rearrange things.  Mike (Blaine's son) remembered doing some initial work for us 5 years ago when we first bought the property and had to fill a few holes and pull fence posts.  Now, Mike is a full partner in the family business and an absolute master of the Bobcat having first started driving professionally at age 8!

Roof and Gutters Nearly Complete

It's hard to believe that we have not posted a report since early September.  Lots of little things have happened since then but much of it not really photographable.  

These include:

-A visit from the Structural Engineer, based in Canmore Alberta, who OK'd the posts and beams.

-Lots of progress on wiring from our amazing Electrician, Jim who has come every weekend and

  now has the Shop/Garage nearly all wired.

-All of the Shop/Garage doors now finished with jamb installed and ready for hanging.

-Major wood shopping.  Cedar now delivered for siding with more on the way and upstairs house

  flooring on it's way.

-Steady work from Pat Hauser, our roofer extrordinaire who has worked solidly and now also

  given us a huge hand installing the gutters, made of the same material as the galvalume roof.