Installing Concrete Rock Wall Caps

With little break in the rainy weather this weekend keeping us from pre-finishing siding or installing siding on the celestory, we've had a successful couple of days working at ground level installing concrete wall caps on the front and back parts of the house. It appears to be a detail which frames the work of our real masons Soenke and Devon who placed the rocks and slate in December.

A Wet Day at the Quarry

Among the many things we have to do before the house siding can commence is to cut and install the concrete caps on the rock walls. This involves mitering the curbs we've been casting, two at a time, over the past month. It turned out to be a perfect rainy day activity because the saw is water lubricated and you wind up getting wet no matter what the weather. Happy to report 100% success with no broken corners (yet).

Bath and Kitchen Layout

In preparation for the Plumbers' arrival this week we have now installed both bath tubs and completed the shower stall ready for both drain and tap plumbing. Karen has also got the kitchen layout finalized using the actual appliance, sink and hardware sizes just to be certain that the rough plumbing bits are all in the right places.

Boards & Battens II

A lovely break of sunny weather has allowed us to make great progress on the board and batten siding of the shop. We also decided to decorate the "belly band" horizontal board in the gable end with black and white squares which help break up the all-wood look.

Boards & Battens

We have been taking advantage of some lovely May weather (finally) to pre-stain all of the vertical siding that will be applied to the workshop. We have been coating the backside with Thompson's Water Seal and the front with a water-based deck finish that looks a lot like latte. It is a great finish to work with; excellent coverage, no solvent fumes, it can be applied to damp wood and water clean-up. It is also very clear so it leaves the cedar looking quite natural.

Sealing Rocks, In-the-Wall-Vac & Shower Pan Testing

A weekend of little jobs to finish off the pre-drywall checklist. Karen worked off of the scaffold for the whole day, scrubbing, vacuuming and brushing sealer on the rock fireplace. I have spent the last few days installing the piping for the in-the-wall vacuum system as well as building the tub and shower rough-ins. The upstairs shower is being constructed in a way that allows for a custom size and shape so, following a how-to article, I've been building the pan using pond liner rubber over a mortar base. As I write this it has a few inches of water testing all of the plumbing before adding any more concrete. Wish us luck...