Ryder Residential

2009-06-07T22:36:00.002-03:00

OK ever since we moved in (and yes, we did move in!) it seems there hasn't been time to post! It is still a work in progress...we stained about 3/4 of the stair posts and rails yesterday! Although that is the last "inside" job. And of course landscaping is the newest big thing--we got topsoil yesterday and seeded it. Grow grass, grow! And the part that Bernie threw hay on last year (over the septic) was mowed this week! I'll post pics soon!

We also went back to Curio Antiques and bought an old church pew from the 1800s that is now a bench by the front door...and yes I'll post pics of that too! :)

2009-04-17T23:01:00.002-03:00

Cross your fingers, toes and any other crossable body parts...

2009-04-09T10:17:00.002-03:00

The water line bust washed so much fill away that we didn't even have to get a machine in to dig it up...Gary dug around (in the dark) by hand and found a hole, and when they turned it on the next day the water was apparently going 50 ft in the air. So we've found the hole...now to get it fixed. They are going to try it today. One can only hope. And also hoping it goes quickly and they also get the kitchen faucets and sink finished, and turn on some water so we can pee and have water to clean with.

I'll take some new pics soon...countertops are in, and some other things done...

House for sale??

2009-04-06T17:35:00.002-03:00

We've had enough. Really. Anyone want to buy a house? Now the waterline in from the pump is leaking. Had a geyser and a river in the yard and had to turn all the water off. I don't even know enough swear words to express my frustrations right now. No idea how, when or how much this one will be...

2009-03-31T21:48:00.002-03:00

A better day...the hole in the pipe is fixed so the heat pump can be started. :) Appliances and furniture came...athough they didn't bring the pedestals for the washer and dryer..grrrr. Aliant came and we're getting a real phone entrance. They measured for the countertops (they are in, just need to be cut). And most of the plumbing is done....now to turn the water on and pray!

2009-03-31T21:37:00.003-03:00

One piece of the sectional couch...the rest is wrapped pretty tightly...

Our new bed....

And dresser...there is also a taller chest and a nightstand....

Fridge and stove. The fridge will slide back into the hole once the water for the icemaker is hooked up. There is a microwave/range hood for over the stove and a dishwasher too. :)

Another one of those days....

2009-03-30T19:12:00.003-03:00

...the ductwork in the basement is not long enough to come through the drop ceiling...so they have to come back and fix it. And when they turned the heat pump on today (for the first time) the electrician who was working in the bathroom yells out "There's a leak in here!"....someone, at some point, had punctured the pipe that takes the water out of the heat pump and away from the house. Looks like they put a nail through it. Oh bliss. So now we have to get the plumber back to fix that before we can turn the heating system on. At least it was lucky that tile happened to be out and someone noticed...if the ceiling had been enclosed it might have been a while before we noticed it.

On a good note all the electrical is done, permanant phone service coming Wednesday, internet and satellite tv on Monday. Appliances and furniture tomorrow!(washer, dryer, fridge, stove, dishwasher, microwave/range hood, couch, and bedroom set--whew!)

2009-03-29T20:00:00.000-03:00

Pics from the kitchen, no countertop yet, but everything is coming togther. We do have an issue with the cabinets--they are not as "whitewashed" as the sample and we're not impressed. We wanted the whitewashed look to match the rustic style of the rest of the houe. At first it was hard to tell, with only the small sample, and the cabinets mostly in boxes in the garage, so we argued, but not too much. Now that they are up, we have found some trim pieces that ARE the right colour...so we're not crazy, and have started to complain a bit more vociferously. Someone is coming on Monday to look at them. I do LOVE our kitchen island--one of our best finds--and the apron/farmhouse sink, which I got for a steal-of-a-deal on e-bay.

And while I am complaining.... Our windows and doors came from Atlantic Door and Window and were installed last summer. One came already broken and the door has leaked since we got it. The guy came in September to replace and repair...brought the wrong window and nothing for the door. Said he'd be back shortly. He finally came back in February--and brought the exact same WRONG window pane he brought in September, and again couldn't do the door. We have Kent's chasing them, but seriously folks, if you're looking at doors and windows and want any kind of customer service, don't expect it from Atlantic

.

2009-03-29T19:59:00.001-03:00

Bathrooms...the vanity from our Ensuite, which is still sitting in our bedroom at the moment! The 1/2 bath on main floor (I LOVE how my "vanity"/vessel sink/faucet turned out.) And looking into the kids bathroom from the hallway.

We have...

2009-03-25T21:00:00.003-03:00

TOILETS! whoohoo Who knew how exciting poopers could be?! :) We also have cupboards in progress, appliances and furniture coming on Tuesday and satellite tv on Thursday. New pics coming soon...

2009-03-16T21:12:00.004-03:00

Gary and I spent several hours Friday night cleaning the floors of footprints and dust, and then 5 1/2 continuous hours on our hands and knees staining them on Saturday night. We used Carlysle's Bradford Umber, and it was not too hard although we were both pretty stiff by the end of it!

A couple of boards went a bit darker than the rest, but in true Carlysle-customer-service style we called the next day (a Sunday!) and the lady who answered explained we could use mineral spirits to lighten it a bit, which worked perfectly. There are also a couple of small spots where the stain didn't take, probably where glue got on the boards, but the nice things about rustic flooring is that it doesn't need to be perfect!

Tonight was the first coat of tung oil...one of four...and it was so simple to put on...you can see the difference between the pictures. It is wet of course, and the last two coats are more of a matte, so it won't end up this shiny, but it looks BEAUTIFUL! :)

Oh, and please excuse the outfit...you don't exactly wear your Sunday best! :)

2009-03-11T21:02:00.002-03:00

I think I may have some dusting to do....

2009-03-09T20:53:00.002-03:00

The wide plank floors are being installed....we have been waiting anxiously since August when we picked them up in New Hampshire. :)

Bathroom floor is tiled. The smaller stuff is for the tub surround and as a small highlight in the shower.

2009-03-09T20:38:00.003-03:00

Our small bathroom off the garage entry has been bothering me. The way the "men" laid it out you would have to stand on the toilet to wash your hands. But with the pedestal sink (all that would fit) there was no way to move things around because of where the plumbing was. Then I asked...why couldn't we get a narrow vanity, turn it sideways so it is on the same wall as the toilet and just cut the side out instead of the back for the pipes? Answer--we can. Problem--limited space. Solution...a vanity that isn't a vanity! We bought a hall cabinet (what they called it) that kind of looks like an old-fashioned washstand. Then searched high and low for a small vessel sink--hard to find--but of course e-bay came through! So here it all is....it fits the feel of the house, and goes in beside the toilet nicely!

The "washstand"

The sink

The faucet

Over the overages...

2009-03-06T17:43:00.002-04:00

We're really into the crunch...every week now is costing more money in labour costs than we budgeted for, and more stress. And of course this is that proverbial rock and a hard place...you need to do the work to finish the house, but every day makes it harder to keep costs under control. We really need to finish...we've crept past the 6-7% over, and are moving up there....

2009-03-04T17:44:00.004-04:00

There are so many decisions when planning a house. We're lucky, because our tastes are pretty similar, and we know what we like. One of the styles we love is Craftsman, and while our house is not totally Craftsman, we've added details whenever we can. One thing we really liked from many Craftsman details we've looked at have been wide, plain baseboards and trim. So all our trims are simple 4" (basement and upstairs) or 6" (Great Room) and the baseboards are all 8" pine. No baseboards on yet, but the windows are coming along!

2009-03-04T17:37:00.000-04:00

We're getting there....

2009-02-26T18:50:00.002-04:00

We are in the home stretch. Today we applied, and were approved for the "overages"...things that either cost more or were not anticipated in the original estimates. Generally, I have been told, this runs about 15-20%...we will finish about 6-7% over our original budget. So not bad. :)

Let there be light...and drop ceilings....

2009-02-24T17:53:00.003-04:00

The electricians came today to install the lights, switches, plugs, hook up the heat pump...all the fun stuff! While they worked on that the drop ceiling was started in the basement. The ceramic floors downstairs are in but not grouted...I'll posts pics when they are. For now, a few of the lights....

2009-02-16T22:39:00.004-04:00

We are done painting! You have no idea how glad I am to be able to type that! The crackfiller billed us for just over 10000 sq feet of surface area--which means, after primer and two coats, we have painted over 30000 sq feet in the last couple of weeks, mostly between 8 pm and 1am! But it saved us a lot of money we can use for other things. Inspection tomorrow for the last draw before the end. :) It is hard at night to get decent pics of the colour, but you'll get the idea!

Now that the painting is done, and the humidity down in the house, we also started bringing in the wide-plank flooring and that can go down sometime next week. It is not all in yet, but will be tomorrow.

The basement...the playroom, the Grampy Suite kitchen/living area and bedroom....

2009-02-16T22:29:00.002-04:00

The Great Room

Noah's Room

Andi's Room

The Bonus Room

Finally, garage doors....no more blue tarps! :)

2009-02-01T19:18:00.003-04:00

Painting at night is not the best idea...it is so hard to tell how it really looks. But since that is the only time we have free that is what we're doing, and hoping for the best! Here is the Master bedroom, painted with Benjamin Moore's new Aura paint--expensive, but I said I would try it and see how it went. It should only take one coat and will never take more than two, even for dark colours (according to BM). And unlike regular paint where you cut in and then paint in sections, with this you cut in the entire room and then roll on the rest. I *think* it did cover pretty well, but I'll have to wait until daylight to really tell.

This is Yarmouth Blue....the colour doesn't show very true because of the lighting, but you get the idea. :) And ignore the streaks on the ceiling...that is where Joey came back and touched up a few spots that were only noticeable once we painted. He likes everything to look great!

Burning the midnight oil...

2009-01-31T00:18:00.003-04:00

No posts lately because we've been too tired to post. Once the kids go to bed Gary and I go to the house to prime (and soon paint). We went Wednesday night and did Andi's room, the kid's bathroom and Noah's ceiling. Last night (Thursday) we went after school until Andi's gymnastics class and finished Noah's room. Tonight we went after the kid's were sleeping and did the ensuite and a good chunk of our bedroom. So we're progressing. And tomorrow morning we're going to get some of the paint so I can start painting while Gary continues with the primer. Once we have some colour on the walls I'll post some pics. Until then, you'll know where we are!

More good news...

2009-01-22T14:28:00.002-04:00

Stopped at the house at noon...Joey says the upstairs will be ready to start painting next week! :) I am sooooo excited.

Love, Love, LOVE IT!!!

2009-01-21T19:24:00.005-04:00

While browsing the internet the other night for a storage piece to keep the dvd player, hdtv box etc in I came across a store in Shediac Cape. And of course, as often happens when you're not looking, you find exactly what you didn't know you were looking for!

In this case it was the perfect kitchen island. Yes, we had ordered two extra cupboards when we ordered our kitchen that were supposed to make the bottom of an island. But nothing like this....

We fell in love, and made contact with Darrell at Curio Antiques, arranging for a trip to check it out--for those who don't know it is about 1 1/2 hours away--and praying it was as nice as it looked. So we went tonight and are now the proud owners of an original oak seed counter from an old PEI general store that dated around the early part of 1900. It is so well made, the drawers slide perfectly, and written in pencil on the side of the drawers are the contents and the price--beans, peas, etc. And to make it an even better story, the counter was used in the General Store on the Emily of New Moon tv set! (Which of course appeals to my literary sensibilities, as L.M. Montgomery is one of my favourite authors, so the link, no matter how tenuous, is a neat one!)

Curio Antiques is a must-see for those of you who love great antiques, pine pieces and cottage chic! I've put a link to it under the Favourites section of the blog....certainly will be one of our favourites...we'll be back!

2009-01-16T14:22:00.003-04:00

This is where you will find me every evening....with a book, and probably a snack..

The playroom...or maybe man-land...who knows!

Looking into the "furnace" room from the playroom...

Some of the flooring choices....

2009-01-11T18:30:00.006-04:00

The smaller tiles (12x12) are for the ensuite bath. The larger ones that I took the picture with next to our wide-plank pine floor sample are for the foyer, the entry from the garage, the 1/2 bath, laundry room and the fireplace hearth--basically everywhere on the main floor that isn't wide-plank. The pics aren't great...I could not get the camera to pick up the true colour of the ceramic.

2009-01-11T17:59:00.001-04:00

2009-01-09T20:06:00.002-04:00

The crackfiller came today and Gary took him through the house. He has a good reputation and a fair price, so we're lucky to have found him. Thanks Mike...who actually hooked us up--kinda like a blind date! Next week, Charlie and Mike will finish the drywall in the great room (the plumber is coming back to secure the tubs etc so they can finish the ceiling) and basement. Then a couple of weeks to crackfill. It feels soooo good to see progress. :)

Trading Spaces :)

2009-01-04T18:37:00.004-04:00

The upstairs is drywalled and the great room is started...it went really quick upstairs, and the great room has fewer walls and closets and bathrooms! It makes the house seem "real" to have the rooms defined within their space. It is hard to get an idea of their shape and size here, since usually the camera angles wouldn't let me fit the room in very well...but at least you can get a peek...

The upstairs hallway from Andi's door towards ours...

The bonus room....

Our bedroom...

Andi's room...

Noah's room...

The cheap labour...

The kitchen started...

2008-12-29T19:41:00.003-04:00

Drywall....doesn't sound that exciting? Ah, but it is...thrilling in fact. The rooms are starting to take shape. :) We've hired Mike to help with the next stages of the house--good thing he is not scared of heights. Must be his agility from the volleyball court!

2008-12-13T20:46:00.001-04:00

Went to Moncton today....but not Christmas shopping! We bought all the rest of the faucets for the house, and 14 cartons of tile for the front entry and the mudroom/bath/laundry. They were HEAVY! But we love them...they are the bigger 18x18 tiles and are so pretty...I'll have to take some pics! :)

2008-12-07T19:55:00.000-04:00

A few new pics from around the house...the garage doors are not blue--just the tarp keeping the snow out until the doors get here. You can also see the pex "nerve centre", the front door, the basement family room (there are french doors at the end...you can see the edge of one), and the Waterfurnace geothermal heat pump.

2008-12-07T19:51:00.000-04:00

Our "O Clearance" fireplace...once the wall and mantal are built around it it has the look of a fireplace, but it is energy efficient like a woodstove. Charlie has already had it fired up with a nice, crackling fire....

Looking into the bonus room (standing in our walk-in closet...once the house is done you'd have to have x-ray eyes to do this!)

The walkway Gary made from some of the old stones that are all over the property...

Good news for a change!

2008-12-04T15:17:00.000-04:00

CMHC only requires a clean BACTERIOLOGICAL test, not the inorganics test...and we have that! No e-coli or other nasty things living in our water. So we're OK! *whew* After spending two days fretting and talking to Dept of Environment and Dept of Health! I have to say though that Marc at Dept of Env is absolutely wonderful...went out of his way to find out information for us, to give us advice and support!

Can you sense my frustration?

2008-12-03T13:32:00.001-04:00

CMHC is the most bureaucratic nightmare I have ever dealt with....even worse than the education system. Much worse in fact.

Dept of Environment suggests you do your water test after a period "normal usage"...ie: when the house is complete...so that the system has had a chance to be flushed. BUT CMHC requires a clean water test before 80% completion or they will not release more funding. So one agency is saying, you probably won't get a clean test yet, and another agency is saying you have to have a clean water test now. GAAAHHHH! And on top of that, if the lead is in the water we'll never have a "clean" test until it is filtered at the tap--you know, CMHC, those things that go on near the end of the building process??? When we are already more than 80% done???

CMHC, which is supposed to facilitate house building, is the one thing that has made this project more difficult and much more stressful....but what else should I expect from a govt agency....

Get the lead out...

2008-12-02T20:27:00.000-04:00

And I am not talking about speeding up the building process. *sigh* Public Health left a message on the phone...our water test had high levels of lead. I have to call them tomorrow and find out what to do about that. Just one more hoop to jump through.....

2008-11-28T14:29:00.000-04:00

As per usual our butts are being pulled out of the fire by interim financing arranged by Helen, the Credit Union goddess, as well as a loan from my Dad. Between the two of them we have enough money to see this project through to completion. *whew* Good thing we have people who love us! :)

CMHC Math

2008-11-27T11:39:00.000-04:00

Building inspection passed....of course. Charlie is FANTASTIC! :)

CMHC is a pain. They have a set percentage of the total cost of the house they release as certain things are done, and it is very restrictive. For example, they allow 5% of the total cost for the heating system--which was $13000 less than our heating system actually cost. 1% for the "Front and Back Step"...well in our case it is a wrap around porch--which actually cost over $6000 for materials plus several weeks of labour!! So we are not getting money as quickly as we would like and have had to arrange "interim financing". They really need a better system that looks at the estimates for an individual home, rather than the cookie cutter approach. Especially as more and more people are moving to environmentally friendly products (like our geo-thermal heat pump) which cost more than the percentages they allow.

This week they are dumping the gravel for the driveway--which gets the same amount from CMHC as our wraparound porch I might add! Insulation is ordered. Garage doors are ordered. Cupboards are ordered..... :)

2008-11-24T19:17:00.000-04:00

CMHC inspection done today. Building inspection tomorrow. :) The water was flowing today, and we got water for the water test, which has to be done before the last 20% of funds will be released by the bank. It looks nice and clear...hopefully all the little things we can't see are good organisms and not bad ones. Bernie was there filling in the trench...Gary will be so sad to see it gone (haha)...and will finish that tomorrow.

Two drywall scenarios at the moment: I have a call in to City Drywall in Moncton for an estimate and to find out whether they are available...but they haven't been very quick about getting back to me. He said he would get back to me today, and when I called he is not even in until Wednesay---does not bode well. We also have someone who could help Charlie install the drywall and may just go that route...more reliable, and might as well keep the work local...if we can get someone to crackfill...

And finally, just a shout out about our electrician, Stephen Dunfield,(Energetic Electric). Highly recommend him...this guy is pleasant, helpful, efficient, is there when you need him, answers all my stupid questions...great to deal with!

Moving on in....

2008-11-20T21:50:00.000-04:00

No, not us. Construction. The outside is done....

And is Gary ever glad the plumbing is done so we can fill in the trench for the well (you can see him here shovelling sand into the trench). Every time it rained in the last eight weeks it filled in and he had to dig it out again...accompanied, I am sure, by a few choice words and phrases.

I took a few pics of the outside now that it is done. They were taken at night, but turned out pretty well. My mom's cousin lives at the end of our road. I ran into her the other day, and she admitted that when she first saw the house she thought it was so odd looking and ugly. Then we put the verandah on, and she fell in love...said it is just like the Walton's. I love it...we just won't have that many kids....lol

2008-11-20T17:17:00.000-04:00

The plumbing is just about done...they wanted to test it today but the generator had a different hook-up than the wiring for the submersible pump...so tomorrow! :) A few more things to hook up--like the hot water tank and the heat pump, and we're good to go. Finally. :)

So, next week will be CMHC and Building Inspections and then on to insulation and drywall. We are rethinking our drywall plan for a few reasons--time and labour mostly--and are checking to see if we can get someone to install and crackfill. I am waiting to hear back from a couple of companies. If that doesn't work we'll just go back to plan A, which was do it ourselves, well, mostly Charlie with help.

We also have the kitchen designed and ready to order...white-washed birch cabinets...and a nice big island. :)

YAHOO!

2008-11-17T17:20:00.000-04:00

The plumber finally arrived today, after eight weeks...eight looonnggg weeks. I am so happy. :) I told Charlie maybe we should chain this guy to the house. I'm scared if he leaves he won't come back....

2008-11-14T21:08:00.000-04:00

Ben has finished all the "out" plumbing to the septic and up through the roof. He is going to come next week and put the pump in the well and hook up the hot water heater. But he really doesn't have the time or the back to do the "in" hot and cold water...which was supposed to be done by the non-appearing plumber. He is as frustrated as we are with no-show...who again told both us and Ben he would be there at 3 on Thursday and never showed up. Anyway, if we can either find someone to work with and/or help Ben to do the PEX, we might get out of this never-ending plumber drama....that and hook up the heat pump....*sigh*

2008-11-12T19:56:00.000-04:00

I figured everyone would be sick of my whining about plumbers by now (no, he still has not shown up) so I decided to add some new pics with the porch roof shingled and all the siding done, except for along the porch. Every day we can see more and more of the river...the views from upstairs are expecially beautiful...although these ones are from the porch, and they're pretty nice too....

And.....

2008-11-10T14:56:00.000-04:00

...no....

I called him again. Told him I was going to have to lay off my carpenter and that I was NOT doing that, so we needed the plumbing done NOW. He says he ran into a bunch of problems at this other job that he should have had done a month ago. He is hoping to finish it today. He has all our stuff in the truck and once he is done he and his workers will be up and should be able to do ours quickly. I'll give him to Wednesday and then if he is not there will start calling him...a lot...he will either have to come do it or change his cell number....

Nothing yet....

2008-11-07T18:26:00.000-04:00

Today he told Gary he'd be there Monday. We'll see....

2008-11-06T19:04:00.001-04:00

Still nothing.....*sigh*

2008-11-05T18:20:00.000-04:00

NOPE :(

2008-11-04T21:51:00.000-04:00

The word is that the MIA plumber is coming tomorrow...cross your fingers.

And Gary just talked to the other plumber (the one who is almost done his part) and had a good laugh--he is the funniest! :)

One step forward, two steps back...

2008-11-02T12:15:00.000-04:00

That's what it feels like lately. Gary is off for four weeks working on the house...next week is his last week. We had hoped to get the siding done and the drywall started while he was off. My brother is scheduled to come up and help next weekend with drywall (after we cancelled him last weekend since we weren't ready.)

So...the siding is almost done. Check.

**Rant on**
Insulate and drywall...on hold. Before we can even order the materials for this stage of the process (again, because of the way the bank draws work) we have to have the rough electrical, HVAC and plumbing done and inspected by both the building inspector and the CMHC inspector. Then, after the inspection, wait another couple of days for the money to arrive from the bank and THEN order the materials and start to insulate.

But once again, we're held up by plumbing. *sigh* The other two trades are done (and waiting patiently for payment). Even one of our two plumbers is almost done (they work together and one is doing the "out" and one is doing the "in"). The "in" plumber has done nothing...promised us a few weeks ago he could start in TWO weeks, two weeks have more than come and gone. Got a key and met us at the house over a week ago--was starting that week...nothing. Called him last weekend and he said he would be there Monday night...nope. Came on Tuesday and talked to Charlie, said he was going to get the materials and start that night....still more nothing. We're really frustrated at this point...there is no way we'll make a Christmas deadline. And we may even have to lay off Charlie for a few days unless this gets done right away. Oh, and once again we'll have to tell my brother we're not ready for his help....hopefully he will be able to come when and if we need him.

It's not like we don't have roof over our heads, and we know we'll finish eventually, but it would be nice if the plumbing could get done and we could move on....

**Rant over** Thanks for listening....

Prairie Gold on the East Coast...

2008-10-26T18:37:00.000-03:00

The siding is going on...and the colour, as you may have guessed, is called Prairie Gold. Gary is also working on a stone walkway using the stones that are plentiful around the property....

2008-10-18T13:49:00.000-03:00

Lucky for us Gary's dad, Reg, is a Heavy Equipment Operator and was home from Alberta last week...he dug the hole for the line in from the well, fixed up the driveway and moved some of the big rocks that used to be in the stone wall. The biggest one we put out by the driveway to put the house number on. The others Gary has been working with to make the walkway from the driveway into the house....

2008-10-11T10:25:00.000-03:00

2008-10-07T21:10:00.000-03:00

We went "lurking" last weekend...looking at porch railings. We love the short, old-style rails we see on older homes, but they are not very safe. So after cruising Miramichi and looking at lots of porches we decided on a combo of the low rail with a higher rail for safety...

Looking down the rail from the front step....

And from the porch itself...

Looking along the side of the house...no railing here yet...

While you're waiting...

2008-10-01T18:46:00.000-03:00

for new pics, I think I'll share some of the financial lessons we've learned so far...

1) Dirt is expensive....and it takes a lot more fill than you would think when you look at what seems a huge truckload, but hardly makes a mudpile once it's dumped.
2) Do not get an inspection and THEN order stuff...by the time you get the money the new stuff has been added to the bill, but the draw money in the pot won't have gotton any bigger. (Yes Helen, you told us this, but men don't listen!)
3) You WILL go over budget...you will...then you either have to cut something or hope the nice folks at the bank and CMHC will renegotiate with you.
4) Interest rates are important...but sometimes going with a bank and a person you can trust is more important. We could have saved a 1/4 or maybe even 1/2 a percent going with one of those online mortgage lenders...and never actually met any of them. Instead we chose our NBTA Credit Union, and Helen, who knows our life story by now...she is a phone call/e-mail away and I can drop in on her when I am in Freddy for meetings. She cares about us and our house project, and that is worth a lot.
5) You can do it yourself, and save money, but be prepared to invest your time...thankfully teachers get the summer off...

2008-09-27T19:55:00.000-03:00

2008-09-22T20:53:00.000-03:00

The door hardware is on...

Andi helped mommy with some measuring...

My way of seeing how the bathroom could be laid out the best--make templates from newspaper and move them around....

The porch is coming along...there is actually more done today, but the pics are from yesterday...now there are posts all along the "bump"...and rafters along the front..

Hallelujah

2008-09-17T20:26:00.000-03:00

We have a plumber, thanks to Shasta. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo There are not enough hugs and kisses in the world for you!

He can't do it for two weeks, but there is plenty to keep Charlie busy until then. :)

Still no plumber...

2008-09-17T18:41:00.001-03:00

I am about to go off the deep end...we have called so many people and it's either a no, or just no answer....some of them are too busy to even answer their phones. We hoped that we could find someone, but I am starting to think that we may have a looooooooong delay. *sigh*

2008-09-13T21:56:00.000-03:00

Thanks to everyone who has been giving us names and helping us track down plumbers. Here's to hoping it all works out! xoxo

PLUMBER WANTED....PLEASE!!!!!!

2008-09-13T17:53:00.000-03:00

Well, our THIRD plumber just quit.

The first one we had lined up decided to go out West, and left before we even started the house.

Plumber No 2 was great; he came and did all the rough plumbing in the basement floor before the concrete was poured. Then he decided to go out West too. But he arranged for another plumber, who came up with him and looked at the job...we thought we were all set.

So today plumber number three calls, and says "Sorry, we're just too busy." Holy frick. And of course we're at the point where we need a plumber in the next couple of weeks to get the rough plumbing in so we can insulate and drywall. GAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH

I called the father of a high-school classmate and threw myself at his mercy...he is retired though, and already doing more extra projects than he wants. But he is going to let me know. Everyone cross everything....fingers, toes, hair follicles, whatever....

And I have also called everyone I know and asked for names of plumbers...of course we've already been through three of the five they have mentioned, so I have two names to try on Monday.....*SIGH* (Ok Shasta, NOW I am a bit stressed....)

Water, water everywhere....

2008-09-11T21:02:00.000-03:00

We have a well....with 100 gallons per minute! No problem running a geothermal heat pump....at all.....lol...

And Charlie changed all the door openings today and two of them are in....one more to go. Had to order the handles for the French doors at Home Depot online, since no one here carries the dummy handles. So it is all coming together again. If only we didn't have those backward steps.

Should have known...

2008-09-10T17:06:00.000-03:00

...things were going too smoothly. HVAC, Electrician and Plumber will all be coming in the next little while. The plumber might be harder to get in, as he is super busy, and is really just doing our house as a favour for a friend. Our second plumber also moved out West (as did our first), so he arranged for this guy to do the job. No big deal, and nice of him to arrange it rather than leave us high and dry.

Here's the problem. You can see all the windows are in, but not the doors. Hmmm...wonder why? Maybe because the doors don't fit!? They are all 1 inch bigger (wider and taller) than the dimensions on the spec sheet from the building supply store! And while that might not seem like a big deal it is especially problematic in the basement, where we already had problems with the height of the headers....sigh....plus it means backtracking and redoing work that is already done.

And still no word on our second draw...not sure if the CMHC inspector was back and did his report or not...will have to try and chase that info down tomorrow....before we run out of money!

2008-09-09T21:29:00.000-03:00

2008-09-06T19:35:00.000-03:00

Adam Ramsay, the well driller, was up today to check things out...a couple of "adjustments" to the landscape (we'll be calling you again Jane!) and he is coming on Thursday to drill the well. We want to make sure we have enough water pressure before we install the geothermal heat pump.

The upstairs windows are in, as are some of the downstairs ones. Gary took a couple of pics, but I was away, so there are no pics of today's work crew...Shawn (Birder), Mike (Kronk) and Chris (Walshie). So for those of you who wanted to see a picture of Kronk at work, you're outta luck...haha....

Windows to our world...

2008-09-05T19:36:00.000-03:00

The windows came today. :) And will go in tomorrow! One was broken, but Kent's is going to send someone to replace the glass, since it was broken before we ever got it.

LOVE the big kitchen window...there are no upper cabinets on the river side...just the view. And Charlie put in the "porthole" today at the end of the upstairs hallway, just so we could see one window in! :)

2008-09-04T19:31:00.000-03:00

Glad we bought shingles before the price jump this week!

Pondering something important...

Bonus room over garage...

New pics soon--I promise!

2008-09-03T20:35:00.000-03:00

The roof is on the garage and the front is in the process of being shingled. Windows and doors go in on Saturday.

Of course, there always have to be headaches, right? We requested an inspection for early next week from CMHC so we can get the next draw. We chose next week on purpose...so that the windows/doors would be in and would be included in the draw. Well, guess who was there today...the inspector! So he would do his report and we would get the money up to date--which does NOT include the windows--and then they arrive tomorrow and by the time we get the money we owe for them too!! gaah!!! I have a call in and hopefully they call back tomorrow and we get it straightened out....*sigh*

2008-08-28T20:26:00.000-03:00

Thank you...

2008-08-23T18:18:00.000-03:00

..to Uncle Aub for the lend of his trailer and my big brother Andy for his truck so we could pick up our floors and save the shipping and brokerage fees. I meant to put this in the post about our trip, but now it gets it's very own post! :)

If it isn't the rain....

2008-08-23T17:49:00.000-03:00

...it's the sun! lol Started shingling today, but after three rows the nail gun quit. But it was too hot anyway...walking on the shingles in this heat would mark them, so the guys quit early today. School starts Monday, so Gary will help when he can, but Charlie will be a one-man-show most of the time.

2008-08-20T20:50:00.000-03:00

2008-08-18T20:59:00.000-03:00

A little more help from friends...

2008-08-18T20:53:00.000-03:00

...to lift the trusses up to the roof. David and Greg came up and gave Gary and Charlie a hand, along with the two Dad's, and David's dog Lucy, who Andi loved. I took pics of the pup but she is pretty much a blur! lol

48 Hours

2008-08-16T19:12:00.000-03:00

You can do a lot in 48 hours!! We drove to the US and picked up our wide-plank pine floors at Carlisle in Stoddard, New Hampshire. (We also went to Boston and saw a Sox game and met up with friends in Freeport!)

I can't even explain how amazing the customer service and operation is at Carlisle....Mark Nichols, who sold us our floors, has been fantastic since we first became interested in the product, calling us, sending samples, e-mailing and answering all our questions. And when we went to pick them up he gave us a tour so we could see how our floors were made. This is a first-class operation. EVERYONE there was friendly and helpful from Mark to Pat who did the paperwork to the guys who loaded the truck.

It is like Santa's workshop for adults...and your present is a beautiful wood floor. :) This is our favourite part of our house and we can't wait to see them in place!

The Last Stand

2008-08-11T19:50:00.000-03:00

Nope...not Custer...the last outside wall! Coming soon....a roof! Thanks to my dad, and friends Dax and Frank for their help. Reg said it's like a barn-raising, and sometimes it is. Although Gary and Charlie can do most of it themselves there are times when we need some help, and it is great to have friends. A house built with love! (Come on, say it.....Awwwww....)

Andi's Room

2008-08-10T20:22:00.001-03:00

Andi loves to go "upstairs" to check our her room, which she says with a British accent "Andi's reum"....lol....Mommy took her up, then Daddy took her up so she could look out her windows. She even got a peek out of the accent window at the end of the hallway.

No more ladder! whoohoo

2008-08-09T22:01:00.000-03:00

Charlie made the stairs to the second story (with some temporary treads of course...the real ones might get a bit worn!). The entry is vaulted to the second story with a hallway and railing all the way around.

2008-08-07T17:31:00.000-03:00

Now this is getting fun! I love seeing the second story go on...gives a real perspective to the house. Had more help today from a friend...Jay came and assisted with getting a couple of walls in place. Thanks Jay!!

Noah needs a white hat...

Charlie pondering the mysteries of the universe...or the placement of a window...one or the other

Upstairs....

2008-08-06T12:37:00.000-03:00

This is the view out our front bedroom windows, right up the main Northwest Miramichi

We hadn't realized our other bedroom window would have a beautiful view up the Millsteam....

Andi and Daddy having a "talk"...

The carpenter and assistant....

The Second Story...

2008-08-03T14:19:00.000-03:00

will go up this week. The joists are in, and so hopefully tomorrow they'll be able to start the floor and then the walls for the 2nd story. But all this rain we've been getting (and are forecast to keep getting) has really hampered things. It is unbelieveable that after a winter of snow snow snow, we're getting a summer of rain rain rain. STOP the precipitation! Please.....

They're in....whew....

2008-07-30T10:10:00.000-03:00

Two 20+ foot beams....one for the garage and one for the Great Room. It went very smoothly. No calls to 911....

Big beams....

2008-07-28T14:20:00.000-03:00

Tomorrow the big carrying beams for the second floor are being delivered and put in place by a boom truck....because of the span of the Great Room (24 feet wide) we had to have steel I-beams to carry the load of the upper floor and roof.

Final approval for the septic came today! whoohoo

And our first "draw" should be here in the next day or so, and we can pay off the bills so far! Paulette at Smith and Smith answered all my questions and explained how all of the money part works and it now makes MUCH more sense. Some days this all seems very confusing, but we'll be experts once it's done (not that we are ever doing this again! lol)

A few pictures...

2008-07-27T12:09:00.000-03:00

Looking into the garage....the only wall missing is the front one.

The view of the Great Room from the corner of the kitchen....

And one taken the other way, from the Great Room into the kitchen. The laundry/mudroom/ 1/2 bath is on your right in this pic....

And in case anyone wants to drop by and watch the progress.....

CMHC Inspection

2008-07-23T17:06:00.000-03:00

Tomorrow we get our first CMHC inspection for the bank...which means money to pay the foundation, septic, landscape and Kents thus far! And also means that we have done at least enough to satisfy them that we have a good start. Hopefully it all goes well. :)

Another story....and one more to go....

2008-07-23T13:50:00.000-03:00

We're home from vacation and we have four walls!

2008-07-22T20:54:00.000-03:00

On the main floor. While we were away Charlie and Bobby Bowes finished the walls for the main floor and Gary and I arrived home just in time to help get the last one into place. The septic is done and inspected and we really like the way he sloped and finished what will eventually be the lawn. Have to contact the bank for our first progress inspection. :)

I have a new crush....

2008-07-17T12:36:00.000-03:00

Ok...so let me start with a little history...

Growing up my brother Andy's best friend was Greg Keating. Now they were ten years older than I was, and by the time I was six or seven I thought they were the best thing ever. One of the clearest memories from my childhood was their high school graduation reception line--I think I was seven. Andy gave me a hug and a kiss. Then Greg gave me a hug and a kiss...and I almost died. I had THE biggest crush for years after that.

Now Greg's brother Bernie is putting in our septic, and from my last post you know about the lift station, which is more expensive and can back up if the power goes out, requiring a generator. Anyway, Bernie met with the inspector and convinced him that, with some tweaking of the position, it could be done without one (the whole issue is how close we are to the river). So no lift station!! So while Greg will remain my first childhood love, I think that today he has been replaced in my affections by his brother Bernie. (Who I also remember from my younger days for his abilty to eat a whole apple in one bite, which he used to do to entertain us on the school bus!)

And I also have to mention Bernie's wife Jane, who I am sure will be so glad to have us out of her hair. I am sure she must hate to see our number come up on her caller ID, we have been bugging her so much. But she has lots of patience and is always so pleasant and efficient--Gary says she would make a good school secretary (and from a teacher that is a compliment! haha) We will be dropping off a little treat to Jane someday just to thank her!

Finally, some pictures from the last few days....we're moving on up!

Money in, money out...

2008-07-15T17:19:00.000-03:00

So, we saved money on the farmhouse sink. Then we find out this afternoon we can't do a gravity septic system and have to have a lift station. We're not really surprised, but we were hoping we *might* avoid it...anyway, there goes the money I saved this morning....ah well, what are you gonna do?!

Gotta love e-bay!

2008-07-15T13:45:00.000-03:00

We really wanted a farmhouse sink, but they are between $1500-$2000 here in the stores. I did a lot of looking at options, measurements etc and found what we wanted on ebay---including shipping it is just under $500! And we got an awesome brushed nickel faucet at Home Depot a while ago...just needed to find the right sink, and now we have!

No new pics

2008-07-14T21:03:00.000-03:00

But trust me, there is progress. Today they built the basement stairs, which are pretty cool with a nice turn at the end. And the phone got installed, so it is no longer a black hole (no cell service!). The rest of the week they'll be working on the main floor, which has very few interior walls, so should go pretty quick. Gary and I and the kiddos leave for the cottage Thursday night, and Charlie has the Irish Fest, so Friday is a holiday! We're not back until Tuesday night but Bowes is filling in for a couple of days as chief labourer/carpenter's helper. As per Bob Fitz's recommendation we have banned him from cutting, but really really really appreciate his help. Thank goodness for good friends! :) Of course, Charlie did mention that if all those girls who just graduated from JMH find out Bowes is going to be there they may all show up and watch--which could be distracting--lol!

Moving along...

2008-07-10T21:24:00.000-03:00

The basement is pretty much laid out and the walls up. Gary and Charlie have put their creative minds to work and made some decisions on stairways and storage places. They are pretty good at envisioning the final "product". (We hope! lol)

After a couple of days of waiting, the joist hangers FINALLY arrived (the joists came on Tuesday, but no hangers!) so by tomorrow they should all be hung and the floor started (maybe even done!).

Next week will be construction of the first floor (the Great Room/Kitchen/Laundry) and the septic system is also going to be installed early next week. In order to get the first "draw" (ie: money) we need the septic in, and inspected. And since we'll have to pay some people soon, we need to get that out of the way.

So, things are progressing nicely.....

2008-07-07T20:09:00.000-03:00

Well...the rain has certainly gone away and the sun is out....after a snowy winter and rainy spring it it welcome, despite the heat. And with the nice weather we've been moving along on the house. The basement is now enclosed and the load-bearing wall up, waiting for the joists for the first floor, which we thought were coming today, but now are hoping arrive tomorrow...

A picture taken from the garage floor--pretty much the same view as we will see out the big kitchen window.

These two are out the bedroom window and door of the "Grampy Suite aka Tasha's apartment". Behind all the trees and brush is a beautiful view up the Northwest Miramichi.....

:)

2008-07-03T19:53:00.000-03:00

The smiley icon says it all. Even though Gary had his first workplace accident--tip: move your finger AWAY from the nail. But a good first day...

Our carpenter, Charlie, started today, and it felt like things were finally taking shape. I taught with Charlie before he retired and he was the one who got me involved in NBTA. And we have heard nothing but great things about his work...in fact we have been told that we will never have to cut a tile because every wall will be square...lol. Charlie is also a musician and songwriter, and you can see a lot of that creative side in his carpentry...he likes to dream, to build it in his head long before he builds it in reality. We are lucky to have found someone who is building our house to the same standard and with the same interest as if he was building his own house.

We do have an issue with the French doors and the height of the basement, but Charlie is going home to look at options, and hopefully something works out...

Happy Canada Day!

2008-07-01T18:53:00.000-03:00

It's Canada's birthday and WE got a present..concrete floors! whoohoo You can see Gary having a "say" with one of the Savard brothers--honestly, we have a hard time telling them apart. But they are so nice...and love to talk!

So the foundation work is done, and construction starts on Thursday. And the forecast looks great for the next little bit! :)

Just so you don't get bored....

2008-06-29T18:51:00.000-03:00

Here is a picture of a house that was built from the plan we started with (and then revised and changed MANY times!). But the outside has remained much the same, so this gives you a good idea of what our house will look like, although our garage doors are on the front, so you would see them in this picture. As well, we have extended the porch around the back and added a deck.

Progress...or lack thereof...

2008-06-28T21:46:00.000-03:00

Well, we're on a rain delay. The house is surrounded by loads of fill while they wait to finish the backfill and pour the floors, and the building supplies delivery and start of construction has been postponed until.....who knows.... *sigh*

Rain

2008-06-26T11:14:00.001-03:00

It's Thursday and still no good forecast. Right now it shows rain right through until next Wednesday. But regardless, the lumber is coming Monday morning and construction starting....I guess they can pour the floor through the framing but what a PITA ....darn weather....

Waiting on the weather

2008-06-23T20:30:00.000-03:00

The inspection is done, and the basement floors are covered in plastic awaiting cement. Unfortunatly they are also awaiting the sun. While the walls can be poured with some rain in the forecast the floors are a bit more touchy. Apparently showers are OK, but rain would be bad. And these days we seem to be getting a lot of it...not constant, but here and there every day.

Rain, Rain, Go Away.....