Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Final Grade!

Just when we were starting to get used to the piles of loam in the front and side yards, the site guys came back and spread it all out for final grade. I had forgotten that the front yard had been farmland...big, open, expansive farmland.

We put up some silt fence, seeded with winter rye in attempt to stabilize everything over the winter, and planted 3 teeny tiny christmas trees that have been living in pots for the last 2 years. It's kind of late to plant things, but we figured it they've managed to survive in pots, they should survive over-winter in the ground!

So even though the yard is a big expance of loam...it is starting to take it's final shape. We have finalized the interior paint colors (these are the final, final paint colors - unlike the last 2 times that we thought we had picked the final colors) and Ryan is ordering the paint this week so we can get started this weekend. The first rooms to get color will be the kitchen and the bathrooms so they will be ready when the cabinets come in - which should be the second week in November. They will also be the first rooms that we do the flooring in so we can get the plumbers back for finish work. Yes, that's right I said finish work...as in finishing...as in the light at the end of the tunnel! It's all very exciting! Here are some pictures of final grade.

Ryan is finished the siding with the exception of the front dormer on the main house. The weather is uncooperative today - drizzly and raw - which makes the roof slippery and dangerous to side on. Hopefully the rest of the week will be more siding friendly!


Front yard...

More front yard - we're going to need a riding mower!




Back yard.


Monday, October 26, 2009

Progress

Ryan has finished the siding on the entire first floor of the house and the gable ends. The front and back dormers on the garage are done (with the exception of the soffit) and Ry is getting started on the main house dormers this week. Here are some pictures of the exterior...

Front porch - the posts will be stained a darker brown to match the bronze windows.


Front dormer on the garage.


Front porch head on.


Whole house.


Front of garage


Looking out from the back porch


We didn't quite get the railings finished before Brody woke up from his nap...another day!


Back of the house.


View of the back porch from the back yard.


Our woodstove insert was finally delivered on Saturday. Ryan and I spent the day installing the pipe - soon we will have heat and be ready to paint!!

Friday, October 16, 2009

Creeping Along...

The drywallers finally finished taping and priming last week. So we now have our house back to ourselves! It's a wonderful thing. Ryan has been working on the siding, which seems never ending, and the garage doors were installed. We're ready to start painting inside the house, but it has been so cold this week that we need to wait until the woodstove is installed and fired up to heat the house up a little before we can start painting. The woodstove is supposed to be delivered on Saturday (tomorrow). It apparently is going to take 3 delivery men to get the unit into the house. They told us it's about 900 pounds! Needless to say we went against everything we believe in and decided to pay the extra for delivery to save ourselves! Here are a few more recent pictures...

Garage doors and shakes installed.






Kitchen & Hearth Room with finished drywall - ready for paint!