Ouch. Just moments ago a chickadee tried to fly through the cabin window. Unfortunately it was closed. He seems to have fluttered to the nearby tree and sounds as if he's complaining. Obviously my windows are too clean.
The picture tonight is a view of the kitchen area taken from the second floor hallway. The sink will be in front of the large window. There's an outside door in the centre of the picture. Cupboards and a fridge will be along the wall to the right of the door.
Harris has been concentrating on completing the outside walls; finishing the headers, and putting the sheathing on the studs. Wes has been concentrating on inside partition walls. I believe it will culminate with the erection of two major post and beam partitions that are roof support structures. This I'm sure will take at least until the end of the week.
And John Kirk was back today with his machine for the next phase of moving the dirt back. We installed drain pipes, but couldn't complete all the earth movement; plumbing for the sewage pipe to the septic tank has to be completed first.
So it's been a busy day, and I can start to appreciate some progress.
August 2, 8:00 PM
This snapshot was just taken at 7:40. I've just looked over today's work. Harris has completed the sheathing of the erected framework. He has carried a supply of lumber up to the second floor and is about to start framing the last section of the house. However at day's end there was some concern over the feasibility of a door at the stair head accessing an outside balcony. We'll resolve that tomorrow. Wes appears to have reached a point where the major supporting posts and beams will have to be installed. I expect some significant development tomorrow,
I was absent a good portion of the day. Some business was necessary in Courtenay. And since I was going, we needed another 50 pieces of 2x6 lumber, some nails, groceries, laundry, etc. Hey, going to town is now a big deal. Coming back is an adventure too. Summer traffic on the ferry is creating long lineups. It was almost quitting time when I unloaded the lumber in front of the house.
A couple of dark looking clouds covered the skies twice, but nothing came of it. Some rain would be welcome. And no, I didn't feel the earthquake yesterday afternoon at nearby Gold River.
August 3, 9:30 PM
An interesting side light. While sitting on the porch having coffee at 7:00 AM this morning,
I noticed my cat, Ozzy, perk up and stare at a brush pile about 50 feet away.
She jumped down and hurried over in a crouch, stood poised, then leaped into the grass.
She came up with a mouse, and pranced like a show pony off to her own private spot
and devoured it. The surprising aspect is that three months ago she was blind;
a result of extremely high blood pressure.
Great recovery, eh?
(The veterinarian approves the diet as it is low in salt. I approve of the dietary supplement
because her prescribed food is now a dollar a can). Good hunting cat!
As shown in the picture, the second floor is being framed. We had encountered a problem implementing a door on the second floor to the outside deck. The designer came up this morning and suggested a minor modification to implement this. And we are proceeding.
This afternoon I traveled to Comox again for a regular visit to the chiropractor. And of course, pick up more 2x4 lumber. I'm going to miss my visits to the guys at Comox Lumber when the house is finished.
August 4, 6:00 PM
The second floor is taking shape. This picture shows the doorway at the head of the stairs, and the walls of the master bedroom. (Incidentally the picture was taken facing into the sun. Brightness resolution is suffering).
I was in Courtenay today with detailed drawings arranging for truss rafters for this section. They should be here in about a week.
And I guess I was too slow to feed the cat this afternoon. Just before supper she trotted in with a fat mouse, determined to eat it in bed. My bed! She was very indignant when she was ushered out onto the porch.
August 5, Saturday, 7:00 PM
Here is the house as it looked at daybreak today. The sun has just risen enough to illuminate the framework. There will be no further progress until Tuesday, as this is a long weekend with Canada Day on Monday.
A wonderful surprise today. Barbara Conrad, a work associate from my previous life as a BC Hydro employee, anchored her sailboat a few miles up the island. She and her husband came down for a brief visit. It's good to see old friends.
Tomorrow I will leave early and head back to the Vancouver area. My mother is in the hospital with a compressed vertebrae fracture after a fall. In my absence, Erik (my son) and two of his buddies will come and take care of the house and feed the cat. Party time!
PLEASE NOTE: until I return, there will be no update of this site. I hope to return either August 8th, or 9th.
August 8, Tuesday 9:30 PM
I'm back after the long weekend. This was not the most fun weekend. It's not pleasant having my mother in the hospital, in pain.
In my absence, Erik has kept the plants alive and the cat fed and happy.
Here's the status of the house when I arrived at 5:30 PM. I had been previously concerned with the rate of progress. So a third man was added to the crew today. His name is Bob Isaak. Lets hope this helps get the roof on in the next few weeks.
It's been a hot sunny day here. They didn't seem to get the early clouds we had in Vancouver.
August 9, Wednesday 9:00 PM
Here's what the house looks like at the end of the day today. The floor has been put on the storage area above the garage. Since there will be very little foot traffic, this floor will just be nailed, not glued. Framing of the second floor and the garage is proceeding well.
On the main floor, we've begun preparation of the posts and beams. We have found we are short one post; a 12 foot 7x7 post. Somehow there was a mixup between the order placed and the delivery. We're seeing if a replacement can be found. However I think a composite made of multiple 2x6's and shims will be perfectly acceptable. This won't be much of a setback.
I've arranged for the electrician to install the electrical panel in the garage. He'll be here early next week, and BC Hydro should complete the connection within days. Things are moving.
Tomorrow morning I'll be driving Erik back to the ferry. He's been here since the weekend.
August 10, Thursday 8:30 PM
I apologize. My quality control is deficient. My download yesterday went astray, and I didn't notice the site was not properly updated until a few hours ago. I'll be more careful.
I was absent all morning, taking Erik down to Nanaimo to catch the ferry back home. When I returned, Comox Building Supplies had just delivered more lumber. We were getting low. Things are progressing.
Wes built the composite post out of 2x6's to replace the one we are missing. And he's been dressing (sanding) the beam and the other two posts in preparation for erecting them. Harris appears to have completed the framing of the upstairs living areas. And he's preparing for installation of the trusses which will arrive either tomorrow or Monday. Bob is proceeding with the garage and the storage room above the back portion of the garage.
I expect the framework of the roof will soon be appearing. We've been in contact with the roofers, selected the materials, and tentatively booked them in three weeks. Hope we're ready. (I hope we're ready early).
August 11, Friday 9:30 PM
End of another work week. I'm beginning to believe the house will actually be roofed and closed one of these days. Framing of the garage and the upper floors is progressing well. The largest beam and it's three supporting posts were erected today between the front room and the kitchen areas. (I still don't understand how they did it). And the remaining beam and two posts are being prepared now.
Greg, the electrician, was by today. He'll install the electrical panel on Monday, and arrange for BC Hydro to connect the power on Wednesday.
I expect the trusses for the upper floor area to arrive on Monday. I hope they'll be quickly installed.
And I've been coordinating with the Vinyltek, the window suppliers, to confirm the exact size of all windows to be delivered. (How embarrassing, I discovered today I had completely forgotten one window above the dining room doors). For one odd shaped window, I had to cut out a cardboard template which I'll courier in from Courtenay tomorrow.
Even I enjoy the weekends now. I can proceed to the tune of my own drummer for a couple days.
August 12, Saturday 6:30 PM
Here's what the house looked like at daybreak. The sun is still so low that my shadow extends into the picture area.
I've spent the majority of the day in Courtenay/Comox; exchanging lumber, banking at the credit union, replenishing groceries, visiting the laundromat, and trying to find a courier service. You know, we're so laid back in this part of the world that none of the courier companies are open on Saturday.
After unloading everything here, I've been cleaning the construction areas in the new house. "A clean site is a safe site" I've been told. So I sweep, gather up the old nails, and collect all the wood scraps. (I've got quite a pile of very expensive firewood now).
Tonight there's a guitar concert at the community hall, and I'm going to attend. So I'll just download this and be off.
August 13, Sunday 9:30 PM
I'm leaving the same picture for one more day. Nothing changed today, except the building is a lot cleaner. So clean in fact that I almost don't want it messed up tomorrow. Hey, it's a lot of work sweeping up all that sawdust and picking up all those bent nails.
Even the cabin got cleaned up, and the plants were all watered. I canned two batches of plums that my neighbour had brought over and I still have half a bucket left to eat. That's good, because I've already finished eating the entire crop of my tree.
The windows still aren't finalized. I've spotted two changes to be made before confirming the order. So tomorrow morning we'll exchange fax documents again with the manufacturer, and hopefully I can finally sign off and have the fabrication started. The local fax centre on the island must appreciate this project.
And the concert this evening at the community hall was terrific. A great selection of classical sonata's by two performers on piano and violin. I've really enjoyed the day.
But I did notice a tiny hint of autumn in the air. It was cool enough in the middle of last night to need another cover on the bed. We'd better get that house closed in soon.
August 14, Monday 5:00 PM
Here's the state of progress, as seen from the remnants of Mount Birkeland. (There's still a sizable pile of dirt left. Mostly decent topsoil). Tomorrow I expect to have the last large beam installed atop the two posts in the middle of the front room.
Also tomorrow I expect the trusses to arrive on the 8:20 AM ferry. I believe we're ready for them on the second floor.
Today Greg was here and installed the electrical panel, with 8 temporary outlets for the builders equipment. If all goes well, BC Hydro will arrive on Wednesday and connect the power. Then I can disconnect all these power cords from the cabin's outlets.
I seem to have spent a good portion of the day on the telephone; checking on my mother's status in the hospital and following up on preparations for her; arranging for a garage door; and making the final sign-offs for the windows. Also managed to wheelbarrow the last remaining clay pile out to the front patio area of the house. (We need a nit more fill there).
And tonight at the community hall is the third concert in the series; a piano recital. I'm looking forward to a couple hours of cultural enjoyment.
August 15, Tuesday 9:00 PM
The trusses came today on the early ferry. It was a huge truck for the small number of trusses. But it had a large crane which managed to lift them to the top of the master bedroom. And while the crane was available, the guys arranged for it to lift the last beam into position in the front room.
The trusses were erected and fixed into place this morning. The garage framing appears to have been completed. There's still some sheathing to be done. And some minor interior walls to be completed, including bolting the beams in place. But the next major development must be the rafters (where we are not using trusses).
The forecast is for rain in a couple days; before the roof is on. We were concerned that the post and beams would become water stained. They're bare wood, and will be visible in the finished house. So I went to town and got some "Varathane - Natural Oil Finish". A water sealer would prevent me from staining or painting the wood in the future. This product leaves the options open, and protects the wood for now. At least, that's what I think. Can anyone tell me different? Send me an E-mail.
The guys stayed late to help me coat the post and beams with this oil treatment. I appreciated that. And after supper I went out and put a second coat on, as recommended. So I don't have to be too upset if I hear thunder followed by raindrops tonight or tomorrow night.
I'm hoping BC Hydro comes by tomorrow to hook up power to the place. It'll be good to get rid of this field of extension cords.
And by the way, last night's piano concert was great. Kirsten Olafson played excellently some works of Bach, Haydn, Chopin, and Schumann. And I wasn't the only islander who appreciated this program; the hall was full.
August 16, Wednesday 9:30 PM
Another late update. But tonight was the last in the concert series that I will be able to attend. It was billed as "The Two Divas"; a mezzo-soprano and a contralto. Wow, the vocal energy that is radiated in the close quarters of a community hall. A tremendous evening.
BC Hydro came today, as expected. (They're very reliable.) I now have temporary power outlets at the house. So I hope I've unplugged the extension cords at the cabin tonight for the last time.
Here's the state of the house at 4:30 today. (The garage extension makes the building look quite large from this perspective). This was taken from a slight elevation in the neighbours yard to the north. (Actually, atop her septic tank). Harris has expressed concern about the difficulty of extending the roof as specified in the design, with the trusses as supplied. He has somehow used joist hangers for added stability in the extension.
I spent the afternoon carrying all the remaining lumber down close to the house for easy access; 2x12's, 2x10's up to 20 feet long for rafters, and 1x4's for strapping on those rafters. My arms have stretched a bit, but the leather gloves keep the knuckles from scraping too much on the ground when walking now. Speaking of gloves, I didn't know that leather work gloves wore out. I've trashed a pair of Revy's finest. I thought you just eventually lost them.
And no rain yet. How long can this fortunate streak continue?
August 17, Thursday 5:30 PM
Not as much visible progress on the roof as I had hoped. However all three builders have reached a point where rafters are their next task. Harris is proceeding with the roof over the second story. He has determined that 2x4 strapping is needed on this section instead of the planned 1x4 because the extra strength is needed to support the roof overhang. I can understand and fully agree.
We had a diversion this morning, scrambling to protect things from the rain. It only lasted for 20 minutes, and left no lasting effect. But the forecast is pessimistic for the next few days.
I've been building some cribs (protective housing) for the septic tank and field pump units. They need to be accessible for servicing some day. By somebody else!
The picture tonight was taken near the end of the work day. I stood on the railing of our cabin porch to get this angle.
Tomorrow, some rafters!
August 18, Friday 4:30 PM
Gradually coming along. Rafters don't seem to be erected as quickly as I thought. (Maybe that's why the roof I put up on the cabin 19 years ago is a little uneven.) We are a little slower since Bob had to leave early this afternoon for his tri-weekly trip to town. I took this picture shortly after 4:00 to avoid the rain shower that appeared to be coming again.
Yes, the rains finally came. Nothing heavy or prolonged. Just enough to require rain clothes be worn. Except me; I had the option of watching from the cabin door.
The designer, Jim Mathews, dropped by to see how his plans were being implemented. He comes by when the ferry lineup is to big to get onboard for the sailing.
In the breaks between showers I cut up some of the small logs (well, branches actually) that have been piled for a long time, wheeled some dirt, and finished the crib walls.
Activity this weekend depends upon the weather, which isn't forecast to be the best.
August 19, Saturday 6:00 PM
A mixed day of rain, clouds, and sun. I went to Courtenay/Comox for the morning. First stop of course is always the laundromat. And the lumber stores, returning unused supplies and buying new ones.
Most of my efforts this afternoon were involved with shoveling; trying to landscape the front of the house (towards the water I mean).
Here's a picture of that "water side" and the south side of the house. Unfortunately it has to be taken from down the slope a bit, so it appears a little imposing and high.
For those wondering; the closest set of windows is the dining nook. The middle set of windows is the living room. And the far set of windows (downstairs) is the guest room. The windows above are the master bedroom.
And good news today. My mother was released from the hospital. She is staying in our condominium in Coquitlam. Marit is taking on the additional role of "care giver"
August 20, Sunday 7:30 PM
A strange day today. The sunny periods never showed up, and the occasional shower tried, but couldn't quite materialize.
No change in the house (except it's a lot cleaner than it was when the guys left Friday afternoon). So I've taken a picture showing the view from the upstairs master bedroom. That's our beach down below, on a cloudy day.
I had a surprise visitor this afternoon. Craig Seale, the BlueMaxx agent who supplied the material and helped with our foundation a couple months ago, came by with his family. They toured the building. Craig took pictures; even going down into the dark crawl space to take a snapshot of his BlueMaxx foundation.
Earlier in the day I finished roughly landscaping the dirt fill in the front of the building. And I finally cut up the last of the large branches that had been waiting for the last two months to be added to the firewood pile. Finally this afternoon I made one more batch of jam from the last of the plums given to me from a neighbour.
Tomorrow, on with the rafters. Maybe by the end of the week, a roof?
August 21, Monday 7:00 PM
Here's the house as it looks with the guys packing up at the end of the day. A surprising amount of effort seems to go into the roof raising.
We've been scrounging pieces of 2x8 boards, anything over 22 inches, to use as blocking between the rafters. (The rafters are 2x10 boards but the blocking must leave 2 inches for air circulation.) But we don't have enough scraps, so I'll have to go to Comox tomorrow and get more. While I'm there I'll return a few a few inferior boards.
The clouds didn't want to leave today, but by early afternoon they finally gave up and let in some sunshine. Maybe summer will return long enough for the roof to be put on.
August 22, Tuesday 6:00 PM
It's coming, it's coming! Tomorrow's picture may not show a great change as there is quite a bit of blocking, overhang, and strapping to complete.
There's a third roof which is not yet started. It is in the middle,between the two sets of rafters, over the entrance door. Hopefully, work on this will start tomorrow.
It's been sunny and very warm today, but some clouds have just arrived as I write this. And it's getting cooler at night; down to 8 degrees when I got up this morning.
August 23, Wednesday 4:30 PM
As I expected yesterday, there is not a great deal of visible development. All the work today has been expended on blocking, strapping, and preparation work. And there's still more to do. They have decided that the third roof should be delayed until the bottom roof can be sheathed in plywood. It will be built on that finished surface.
Bob and Wes have been working together developing that lower roof framework. Harris continues to work solo on the upper. He has an entire length of overhang to complete along the centre of the house. Then additional 1x4 strapping will be required along the bottom half of the roof. And finally sheathing will be applied. I'll bet he gets to start the sheathing before the end of the day tomorrow.
Vinyltek, the window suppliers called this morning. Our windows were ready, and they could deliver them on Monday. I had to say "heck no. Wait another two weeks". They're too fast. I just ordered them last week expecting three week delivery.
It's been hot again; 27 degrees at 4:00 PM. Definitely had to use the SPF 30 sun screen today.
August 24, Thursday 9:30 PM
Here's the picture of how things stand today. I guessed a little wrong on their course of progress; I forgot that the soffits needed framing and preparation too. (Soffits are the underside of the roof eaves). Apparently it's easiest to do this before the plywood goes on the roof. I'm afraid I'm not going to see any real roof on this structure until well into next week. And it's a little disappointing since there appears to be some rain coming this weekend.
Since I had some appointments off-island today, the guys gave me a shopping list of material they needed. Including more 2x4's. I find it very frustrating to pick out lumber from the piles in the yard. Today I had them open a brand new bundle, and it looked like all the rejects that couldn't be exported. I had great difficulty picking 25 boards that I wanted to use in my home. And it's not the fault of the store; it's what Weldwood sent them.
Still warm and sunny, but with some clouds at sunset. Friday (payday) tomorrow.
August 25, Friday 9:30 PM
Well, we're progressing. Most of the strapping is complete. Most of the other preparation has been done. Even the hurricane straps, which securely anchor the rafters to the roof plate, were being nailed on at the end of the day. Surely, Monday the plywood will be put on the roof. Surely!
The piles of lumber are really shrinking. There seems to be more room around. There still is some construction to be done though. The third roof, in the centre of the house will be done; next week I hope. And there's still some interior walls to complete.
I spent a little time today digging and finding the water pipe that currently goes from my well to the cabin. We'll soon have to extend that to the new house and I'll have to confer with the plumber exactly how that can be done while still supplying water to the cabin.
It would be nice is the rains would hold off just a little longer. But as I write this there is a fine drizzle, more like a mist, from a broken cloud condition. We'll have to see what the weekend brings.
August 26, Saturday 8:00 PM
No rain last night after all. And although it tried hard today, there was no measurable rainfall. So far I've been very lucky.
The picture was taken in the first rays of the sun. My long shadow is extending into the garage door opening. I'm still getting up early. The local rooster wakes my cat, who in turn insists I get up. And it's hard to ignore her when she's confronting me nose to nose.
I cleaned up the work area again today, and collected all the wood scraps. We will be installing a wood stove in the house, and I'm slowly building a large pile of very expensive wood for it. The main project I undertook today was installing flexible drain pipe down the slope and connecting it onto the north drain pipes. I don't want to erode the slope by having our drain water pour down a channel on the hillside. I'll have to do another one for the roof gutters.
And tonight, a free evening. I think I'll watch a rented movie, something trivial, light, and comical. Does "Analyze This!" sound reasonable?
August 27, Sunday 5:00 PM
Here's a view taken from the south. I'm standing back in the bushes, under a very large maple tree. The maple tree incidentally is looking rather unhappy and unhealthy; probably because of the excavation work in the vicinity earlier. I hope we don't lose it.
A large log floated onto the beach in front of the house recently. Today before the tide could take it away, I went down and cut it into firewood lengths brought it up to the yard. I'll split it and let the rains leech out the salt over the winter. It will be fine for the stove the following winter after drying in next summer's sun.
Not too much wheelbarrow work was done today. But I did act as tour guide for a number of parties of neighbours who came to check out the structure. Fortunately the wheelbarrow can be used anytime there's spare throughout the week.
Well that was a rather lame video yesterday. I'll try another tonight that's more at my level of interest; "Stuart Little".
August 28, Monday 8:30 PM
We're finally getting a roof. The plywood started going up right after lunch. That's 5/8 inch tongue-and-groove fir. I guess they'll finish it tomorrow morning and then trim off the wood overhanging the edge.
After these surfaces are sheathed then they'll build the framework for the middle roof. I'm hoping they can be ready for the roofers to apply the metal roof next week. Then it will be water tight; (from the top anyway). Let's hope the showers forecast for tonight hold off.
No videos tonight. My score is 0 for 2.
August 29, Tuesday 7:30 PM
There was a little rain last night, and the plywood was not enough to keep the house dry. Especially with the large open central area where the third sloping roof is not yet built.
Before the metal roofing can be applied there are still several tasks that have to be completed. The third central roof has to be built and sheathed in plywood. And the facia has to be applied around all the roofs. (The facia is the covering on the roof eaves.) This is necessary because the metal roofing that will be applied wraps around onto the top of the facia.
For the facia, we're using some spruce material that has been pre-primed with a base paint. Wes and Harris have started putting these facia boards on the ocean side of the house. I rented scaffolding since the roof top is almost 7 meters high. Meanwhile, Bob has been building the framework for the third roof.
After getting the scaffolding, and more nails, I went to Comox and bought the 30 minute tar paper that we'll use on the outside walls of the house. Our first guess was 18 rolls. I wonder how close we'll come.
So it's progressing. Too bad we have another holiday on Monday; Labour Day. It doesn't look like we'll be ready for the roofers until the end of next week.
August 30, Wednesday 9:030 PM
Well, here's the current status. The slanted plywood roof reflects so much light, even when it's cloudy, that everything else appears darker in this auto-focus camera. The facia has been put all around the lower roof. They have started on the upper one.
As you can probably see in the photo, Bob has some of the rafters up on the middle roof; approximately half of them. But in addition to the rafters, the south side of the roof will have to be framed in yet.
The plumber was up today to survey the layout for vents. He'll be back next Tuesday to begin work on them.
Marit is coming up tomorrow for a few days. I have colour chips waiting for her. It's decision time.
And I took the cat in for her checkup today. She seems in good health; the medication is keeping her blood pressure down within normal limits. But as long as she's supplementing her diet with mice, the vet suggested I give her medication for worms on a periodic basis. Okay Ozzy; this'll taste good. Hold still.
August 31, Thursday 9:30 PM
The end of August! Time is really flying by in retirement. And so is summer. We've had some showers today, and more expected tomorrow. That small center roof is not getting built fast enough.
The framing and rafters on the third roof are progressing. And the facia is installed on most of other roofs. All three builders are now focusing on some aspect of this third roof. It has considerable overhang in the front and requires some significant post structures to support it. The posts are prepared and laying under the tarp in the centre of the picture. They should be erected tomorrow.
Marit arrived today for a short stay. The cat welcomed her by totally ignoring her for a short while. As soon as she arrived I had her choose a colour chip, and then placed an order for appropriate vinyl soffit material. (Lets hope I calculated the area measurements correctly).
Tomorrow we'll go into Courtenay and check out a few more components and choices.
| return to home page |