Hand Rail Installation

After collecting parts for about 4 weeks, we were able to install the hand rail this past weekend. It started out as a 20ft long 1 1/4" galvanized pipe. It was cut down to 14 ft for travel at the hardware store and the ends were painfully trimmed with a pipe cutter to the correct size of just under 13 feet. With the addition of returns and supports researched and bought online from Kee Klamp, it was a fairly easy installation. I would highly recommend the addition of an impact driver to your arsenal of power tools. Its an electric screw driver that is almost turbo charged and applies pressure at the same time it is driving the screw in. It was invaluable for driving screws into pipe for this project.

Gas Tank On The Way

This week the gas tank is to be delivered and buried. Prior to that happening, a 6x12 ft hole 5ft deep had to be dug in the ground. That creates a lot of excess dirt. That dirt is being used to fill in around the retaining wall and level out the area in front of the outdoor fireplace and is manually being moved with a wheel barrow. We moved about 40% of it this weekend and once the tank is delivered the rest will need to be moved as well.

Nearing Completion

This week the pergola and the stainless steel chimneys were finally added to the front of the house. With the newly completed retaining wall, these features together make for a great outdoor room which will hopefully be put to good use entertaining in the near future. We couldn't wait. The moment those chimneys were up, we had to test out the fireplace. It was a nice breather from the landscaping we had been doing all afternoon and a great end to a beautiful Saturday afternoon (after Thanksgiving) in which we were lucky enough to have 60 plus degree weather. The pergola will be stained to match the rest of the house, with any luck, within the week as the new builder is wrapping up the balance of work and turning the house over to the painter this week.

Radiant Floor Heat - What????

Finding someone who knows anything about installing radiant floor heating systems has proven very difficult. We finally found a plumber that lives in the neighborhood who was willing to give some advice on the system but wasn't really interested in installing it. So, we (and by we I mean the more tech savvy one of us) have decided to install it with the help of the many resources available on the web. The system is based on heated hot water running through pipes in the floor - on the first floor that is a concrete slab covered with stone and on the second floor that is underneath the reclaimed wood floors. So far the system has been mounted on the wall and dry fittings are in place. Looks like a professional job, right?

Progress

Over the past 5 weeks there have been many projects started and many completed. The pump was dropped in the well and the pressure tank installed so that the workers could have access to water. Why the previous builder did not have this done a long time ago I have no idea. He was actually hauling water in for his projects when there was a well already in place for over 6 months with no pump. We also had all the stonework completed inside and out, a retaining wall built around the pergola area in the front of the house, final electrical started with a new electrician, a 12x5 ft hole dug for the soon to be delivered gas tank, and the stainless steel chimneys started.

New Contractor

Hired! We have a new contractor that is working with us to get the house complete. He sent two of his crew over this weekend to finish up the trim inside the house, install door locks, and clean up some of the randomness left from the other builder. The pic above shows the completion of the master bath vanity soon to be filled with white fluffy towels.

Cabinets Installed

One of the first things on the list to complete once the builder was let go, was the kitchen cabinets. We had passed Horton Cabinets in Sparta on our way to the cabin every weekend, and they were the first ones I called to see if they were interested in completing the job. The owner showed up the day after I called him, took measurements, and completed the job the next week renewing my faith that there were actually people who could get things done in a timely manner. The kitchen mostly consists of lower cabinets which are made of the same wood that are on the walls so that they blend in and don't really stand out. For the upper cabinets we went with open shelves. Glad to have this checked off the list.