We have just about gotten everything into the house out of the motor home. Things are settling into place.
We have moved things around as we have found better uses for the space and more convenient to our uses.
The parking lot for the barn is going in today. Just road gravel, but it will alleviate the mud when it rains. the guy that did our concrete work is doing the parking lot. We have 2 horse trailers in the way of the work and we will be pulling them out of the way this morning.
After the parking lot is in we will move the coach over to the house. I winterized it and closed up the slides, now all I have to do is disconnect the electricity and back it out of where it has been for the last 11 months.
I cannot back it out without Mikes direction and stay on the concrete. The slab was designed for an RV, ours wasn't here when the pad was designed so there are some curves in the approach that require a spotter on the outside to help navigate it back onto the driveway.
Also, there is not enough room to turn the coach around so I have to back it all the way out to the road. The driveway has 3 curves in it and backing it out isn't easy. I have done it before and with the help of a spotter it can be done much more easily.
Brenda's hours have increased to just under 20 hours per week. This is very helpful at this time of year. She enjoys her job and is glad for the increase in hours. Unfortunately she had to work Thanksgiving, so she missed dinner at our niece's home. It was a nice gathering although 2 of the nephews were not there. We missed them.
We have been working on the barn. Adding 6 pallets of shavings for the stalls, the former green house is filling up.
We are also parking the tractor and lawn mower in there, too.
Along with the work shop area it is getting pretty crowded.
We are taking one or two bales of hay out everyday so that is helping.
We are preparing for boarders. We have posted signs in conspicuous places around the property. Like "absolutely no smoking in the stable area" and the signs pertaining to the inherent danger of Equine Activities and the limited liability to the owners of the stable.
These are important and necessary. The insurance companies require the posting of these signs of limiting liability.
The stalls are nearly complete. They only need to have the rubber pads placed and the shavings added when the stall is rented. We have the water buckets and the feeders, but they will need to be installed prior to renting the space. We intend to start boarding other horses in the Spring.
Ta ta for now.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Moving In
Last week things all came together as a best case scenario.
Tuesday, MLGW placed the meter. Wednesday, Ellendale Electric came out & tested their work. Thursday, Electrical inspection. Friday, final inspection.
Friday I polished all of the floors and let it dry overnight. Saturday we started moving things into the house. We put in the new things that we needed for the house and did not have since we lived in a RV. Brenda's cousin Diane and her daughter came over and helped move things out of the garage and into the house. They also helped washing and sorting the dishes and tableware and trying to help Brenda decide where to place them. There is so much more cabinet space and we haven't begun to occupy that space.
We started moving things from the coach and we had forgotten just how much stuff that you can put in that space (less than 400 sq feet). We haven't begun on the basement compartments and there is still lots of things left to take out of the coach and bring to the house. We have gotten the food and clothes over here and we will decide what stays and what is moved as we clean out places. We plan to keep the RV so many things that were collected for that particular lifestyle will remain with the RV. I expect we will find things that were put in a place where we could find it and really misplaced them. I have found a few things already.
Mike decided that because the garage faces north, that he could not wait to put the garage door on. He was planning to wail until next year, but the weather is cooler now and the wind is out of the north so that the fallen leaves have blown into the garage. We even had some snow on Monday (flurries at best....you really had to look hard to see it).
The Farmers Almanac predicts a cold winter here this year.
Since we have moved out of the RV, I now have to winterize it for the first time. I have read how to do it and I expect it won't be too difficult. This is our 7th winter and we have always been where the weather wasn't that cold, and while it is occupied there is no need to winterize it.
There are many things that you don't realize that are needed for a home. Trash cans, wall decorations, window treatments, etc. Just the many little things that we will collect those as time passes.
Brenda likes working at Big Lots, but still is only getting 10-11 hours hours per week. We are hoping as it gets closer to Christmas her hours will pick up.
Cleo is adjusting to her new digs. She wanders all over the house and hasn't found a place to hide yet. She still walks on us at night and she is spending more time with us at night. She does settle down, but still walks on us and around us while we are trying to sleep.
More later.
Ta ta for now.
Tuesday, MLGW placed the meter. Wednesday, Ellendale Electric came out & tested their work. Thursday, Electrical inspection. Friday, final inspection.
Friday I polished all of the floors and let it dry overnight. Saturday we started moving things into the house. We put in the new things that we needed for the house and did not have since we lived in a RV. Brenda's cousin Diane and her daughter came over and helped move things out of the garage and into the house. They also helped washing and sorting the dishes and tableware and trying to help Brenda decide where to place them. There is so much more cabinet space and we haven't begun to occupy that space.
We started moving things from the coach and we had forgotten just how much stuff that you can put in that space (less than 400 sq feet). We haven't begun on the basement compartments and there is still lots of things left to take out of the coach and bring to the house. We have gotten the food and clothes over here and we will decide what stays and what is moved as we clean out places. We plan to keep the RV so many things that were collected for that particular lifestyle will remain with the RV. I expect we will find things that were put in a place where we could find it and really misplaced them. I have found a few things already.
Mike decided that because the garage faces north, that he could not wait to put the garage door on. He was planning to wail until next year, but the weather is cooler now and the wind is out of the north so that the fallen leaves have blown into the garage. We even had some snow on Monday (flurries at best....you really had to look hard to see it).
The Farmers Almanac predicts a cold winter here this year.
Since we have moved out of the RV, I now have to winterize it for the first time. I have read how to do it and I expect it won't be too difficult. This is our 7th winter and we have always been where the weather wasn't that cold, and while it is occupied there is no need to winterize it.
There are many things that you don't realize that are needed for a home. Trash cans, wall decorations, window treatments, etc. Just the many little things that we will collect those as time passes.
Brenda likes working at Big Lots, but still is only getting 10-11 hours hours per week. We are hoping as it gets closer to Christmas her hours will pick up.
Cleo is adjusting to her new digs. She wanders all over the house and hasn't found a place to hide yet. She still walks on us at night and she is spending more time with us at night. She does settle down, but still walks on us and around us while we are trying to sleep.
More later.
Ta ta for now.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
We have electricity
Some time today MLGW came and placed the meter.......we now have electricity in the cottage. We tested the circuits and it all works well.
Tomorrow, Ellendale electric will come and do their testing and call for a final inspection. Cordova HVAC will come out tomorrow and charge and balance their unit. We are all happy. Maybe we can move in the first of next week if all goes well.
The painting looks really good in the light. It was done with portable lighting and we expected a lot of holidays in the paint. We were pleasantly surprised when we saw it with a lot of real light. With only 7 windows with low E coating it is pretty dark in the cottage during the day.
Sometime later I will be will be putting a full view storm door on the front door so that we can open the interior door to let in more light and control whatever might want to come in other than just light.
Ta ta for now.
Tomorrow, Ellendale electric will come and do their testing and call for a final inspection. Cordova HVAC will come out tomorrow and charge and balance their unit. We are all happy. Maybe we can move in the first of next week if all goes well.
The painting looks really good in the light. It was done with portable lighting and we expected a lot of holidays in the paint. We were pleasantly surprised when we saw it with a lot of real light. With only 7 windows with low E coating it is pretty dark in the cottage during the day.
Sometime later I will be will be putting a full view storm door on the front door so that we can open the interior door to let in more light and control whatever might want to come in other than just light.
Ta ta for now.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Again.... no electricity
Last Friday a MLGW crew came out and hooked up the line to the pole. We now have electricity to the meter box. But, they are not allowed to install the meter, soooooooooooo, another crew has to come and install the meter. They were there for 35 minutes. 2 ten ton trucks and 3 guys to run the wires through a pipe, attach the pipe to the pole and hook the wires to the existing power line.
Oh, what efficiency. It will take 3 crews and several weeks to install a 60' electric cable from a pole already on the property to the cottage. If all utility companies work as MLGW does no wonder our rates are so high.
Maybe, this week we can get a meter so that the private electric company can come and check their work and we can get the final electric inspection. We can get the AC guys back to charge the heat pump and balance the system and maybe get a Certificate of Occupancy. But, if MLGW keeps to its schedule it will take 2 weeks to get a crew out to install the meter.
Can you tell that we are not happy campers?
Ta ta for now.
Oh, what efficiency. It will take 3 crews and several weeks to install a 60' electric cable from a pole already on the property to the cottage. If all utility companies work as MLGW does no wonder our rates are so high.
Maybe, this week we can get a meter so that the private electric company can come and check their work and we can get the final electric inspection. We can get the AC guys back to charge the heat pump and balance the system and maybe get a Certificate of Occupancy. But, if MLGW keeps to its schedule it will take 2 weeks to get a crew out to install the meter.
Can you tell that we are not happy campers?
Ta ta for now.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Well, electricity......almost.
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| master bath |
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| 2nd Bath |
It seems that electric cable cannot be installed by one crew here at MLGW.
Last Saturday a trench was dug and pipe and electric cable was installed from the pole on the property to the meter center that was placed by the same crew. We now wait for another crew to come to install a pipe to run the wire up the pole and attach it to the power lines. They will then put in a shunt on one side of the meter center so that an electrical inspection can be done. Then ...... we wait until another crew comes out and installs the meter. Oh, isn't great to be unionized. All of this for a meager $2400, and this is only MLGW's part. Off of my soap box now.
The electricians came out and finished their part on Monday and now we await a temporary inspection and a MLGW crew to do their job. It seems MLGW will not do the line work until after temporary inspection. Hopefully, that will be done today.
The cottage is ready to move into, and we will, as soon as we have power.
Brenda tried using a steam mop on the floor. It did not do as we hoped in that it took the polish/wax off of the floor and left a dull finish in it's place. We will not be doing that again. Dust mop followed by warm water mopping should do the trick.
I think that the steam mop was designed for tile flooring without wax.
I hung the mirrors in both bathrooms and installed the window treatments on all of the windows. They will give us some privacy when we move in.
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| Living room Windows |
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| Kitchen window |
The AC guys will need to come back to charge, test and balance the AC/heat system before we can move in. They are great about coming the next day after they are called, so they shouldn't be any problem.
Mike and I are back working on the barn. We hung a rack so that wet saddle blankets can air dry outside of the tack room. I installed 2X4 base molding outside of the tack room and feed room to help slow the mouse infestation of those 2 rooms. There was a gap between the floor and the siding big enough for mice to get in. Those spaces are heated and there is food for them to eat in the feed room, so anything we can do to keep the mice out is necessary.
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| 2X6 bracing on post |
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| Bracing on roof of new addition -18 feet long |
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| 2X4 base board |
Mike has been reinforcing the middle 4X6 posts in the barn. and adding bracing to the new addition on the barn. He is concerned that the horses will run unto one of the posts and hurt themselves, so the bracing also rounds over the corners of the posts.
We also finished bracing the new barn addition. Buying lumber in 18' lengths is getting more and more difficult.
More after we move in,
Ta ta for now.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Closets
Over the last week the painting has been finished and the closets are now complete.
I have installed the closet organizer in the master closet. It is very elegant and we thank the girls for their generosity.
It took most of 2 days to assemble and install all of the components. The directions were kind of ambiguous and it was a trial and error approach to the installation. But I figured it out and all came together.
I also installed the closet shelving in the spare bedroom and both the linen closet and pantry. It was time consuming and they turned out well.
Tuesday and Wednesday I installed the toilet paper holders and the towel racks in both bathrooms, while Brenda was cleaning the sinks, bath tub and shower. She also cleaned all of the baseboards in the cottage. She spent several hours on the project and the house is getting cleaner.
We also dust mopped all of the floors and wet mopped them. They are surely shiny. I think that they need to be done again so I will do that again tomorrow.
We still await MLGW.
Ta ta for now.
I have installed the closet organizer in the master closet. It is very elegant and we thank the girls for their generosity.
I also installed the closet shelving in the spare bedroom and both the linen closet and pantry. It was time consuming and they turned out well.
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| pantry |
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| linen closet |
Tuesday and Wednesday I installed the toilet paper holders and the towel racks in both bathrooms, while Brenda was cleaning the sinks, bath tub and shower. She also cleaned all of the baseboards in the cottage. She spent several hours on the project and the house is getting cleaner.
We also dust mopped all of the floors and wet mopped them. They are surely shiny. I think that they need to be done again so I will do that again tomorrow.
We still await MLGW.
Ta ta for now.
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Getting close
The plumbers have finished with their installation of the fixtures. All is well. We can take a cold shower now..... No electricity to heat the water......
The sheet rock is all fixed, no more holes and all of the blemishes are fixed.
All of the areas of blue paint are finished. Mike and Barb are doing all of the painting and will start finishing the yellow paint tomorrow morning. We hope to install the towel bars and TP hangers tomorrow also.
All of the trim is finished. It is a beautiful white and really stands out aginst the wall colors.
The air conditioner is installed. The thermostat is installed. The outside unit is charged. Just need electricity to test it and run it.
MLGW now has their money. Now waiting for them to come and install service from pole so that we can call the electricians back to finish their work so that MLGW can and will hook up the power to the cottage. Everyone we have talked to that relies on MLGW to provide power for their services has said the same thing. They do things on their own time.
Barb has started on the landscaping in the front of the cottage. She was stopped until the sidewalk is installed.
I have started on the installation of the beautiful closet organizer that our daughters got us for a housewarming gift. I need to get some more parts so that I can finish it.
I have installed the shelf and clothes hanger for the guest BR. It looks great. It is all one piece.
I have started the pantry shelving and will finish that tomorrow.
Mike & Barb are going to Houston for a few days, so Brenda and I will be caring for the Barb's kitties and the horses in their absence. Mike hopes to have all of the painting finished before they leave. I hope to get all of the window treatments up while they are gone.
The concrete guys were here today to prepare for the pouring of the apron for the garage and the side walk. They also prepared an area in the greenhouse for a slab for our work shop. We need to get all of the tools etc. out of the barn in preparation for boarding horses in the spring.
They will be back to pour the concrete in the morning. They do nice work.
Adam came out last Sunday and we finished terminating all of the low voltage. It did not take as long as we had anticipated and we got it completed in about 5 hours. We still need to install the WiFi antenna and access point and a router but that can come anytime.
Beth Whitehead is in Memphis to visit an old high school friend and spent the day with us yesterday. We really enjoyed her visit and we hope she enjoyed as much as we did. We haven't seen her in about 4 years.
Ta ta for now.
The sheet rock is all fixed, no more holes and all of the blemishes are fixed.
All of the areas of blue paint are finished. Mike and Barb are doing all of the painting and will start finishing the yellow paint tomorrow morning. We hope to install the towel bars and TP hangers tomorrow also.
All of the trim is finished. It is a beautiful white and really stands out aginst the wall colors.
The air conditioner is installed. The thermostat is installed. The outside unit is charged. Just need electricity to test it and run it.
MLGW now has their money. Now waiting for them to come and install service from pole so that we can call the electricians back to finish their work so that MLGW can and will hook up the power to the cottage. Everyone we have talked to that relies on MLGW to provide power for their services has said the same thing. They do things on their own time.
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| Kitchen sink is in |
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| everything works except a COLD shower |
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| good job |
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| nice landscaping |
I have started on the installation of the beautiful closet organizer that our daughters got us for a housewarming gift. I need to get some more parts so that I can finish it.
I have installed the shelf and clothes hanger for the guest BR. It looks great. It is all one piece.
I have started the pantry shelving and will finish that tomorrow.
Mike & Barb are going to Houston for a few days, so Brenda and I will be caring for the Barb's kitties and the horses in their absence. Mike hopes to have all of the painting finished before they leave. I hope to get all of the window treatments up while they are gone.
The concrete guys were here today to prepare for the pouring of the apron for the garage and the side walk. They also prepared an area in the greenhouse for a slab for our work shop. We need to get all of the tools etc. out of the barn in preparation for boarding horses in the spring.
They will be back to pour the concrete in the morning. They do nice work.
Adam came out last Sunday and we finished terminating all of the low voltage. It did not take as long as we had anticipated and we got it completed in about 5 hours. We still need to install the WiFi antenna and access point and a router but that can come anytime.
Beth Whitehead is in Memphis to visit an old high school friend and spent the day with us yesterday. We really enjoyed her visit and we hope she enjoyed as much as we did. We haven't seen her in about 4 years.
Ta ta for now.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Electric update
We finally heard from MLGW. It seems the guy Mike had talked to went on vacation last week and no one took his place.
He came out today to measure and take some notes and told Mike that it would be 4 to 6 WEEKS before they could start the job. That is after they receive a payment from Mike for the work which hasn't been priced yet.
This is the problem when you have a monopoly. They do things on their time. This would be totally unacceptable time frame in the commercial world. OH WELL.
Ta ta for now.
He came out today to measure and take some notes and told Mike that it would be 4 to 6 WEEKS before they could start the job. That is after they receive a payment from Mike for the work which hasn't been priced yet.
This is the problem when you have a monopoly. They do things on their time. This would be totally unacceptable time frame in the commercial world. OH WELL.
Ta ta for now.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Waiting for Electric Company
Mike contacted MLGW a week ago last Friday. He was told that they would inform him of the cost to connect the house to the power grid. Today, we still have not heard from them on the cost or when they will be providing the service from the existing pole on the property.
Until they get the meter center installed on the cottage the electricians will not finish the panel so that MLGW can hook up the power and install the meter.
Meanwhile, we have been busy hanging the doors, installing the base and shoe molding. We can now have the dry wall guys come back and fix all of the holes and blemishes on the walls, there aren't many, but that is what they contracted to do. After that the painting can be completed. We can also have the AC finished and the plumbing finished.
If MLGW comes early this week, maybe we can start moving in next week. That would be lovely, as we really need to move the coach. It has not moved in 9 months. These motor homes are not designed to just sit. They need to be driven to keep everything lubricated.
I have started my training for Sacristan at church. I am looking forward towards that ministry. Brenda is becoming more and more involved in her ministry with SVDP. She is also now in charge of getting food that is collected at Nativity to St. Mary's soup kitchen. They feed 100 or more homeless people everyday and can use all of the food they can get.
Ta ta for now
Until they get the meter center installed on the cottage the electricians will not finish the panel so that MLGW can hook up the power and install the meter.
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| counter top, range & dishwasher installed |
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| Front door |
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| Master closet |
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| Trim in master closet |
Meanwhile, we have been busy hanging the doors, installing the base and shoe molding. We can now have the dry wall guys come back and fix all of the holes and blemishes on the walls, there aren't many, but that is what they contracted to do. After that the painting can be completed. We can also have the AC finished and the plumbing finished.
If MLGW comes early this week, maybe we can start moving in next week. That would be lovely, as we really need to move the coach. It has not moved in 9 months. These motor homes are not designed to just sit. They need to be driven to keep everything lubricated.
I have started my training for Sacristan at church. I am looking forward towards that ministry. Brenda is becoming more and more involved in her ministry with SVDP. She is also now in charge of getting food that is collected at Nativity to St. Mary's soup kitchen. They feed 100 or more homeless people everyday and can use all of the food they can get.
Ta ta for now
Friday, September 20, 2013
Another busy week
Things are really beginning to come together. The septic system is in, the cabinets are in, all the walls have at least a first coat of paint. The ceiling is painted, some of the light fixtures are in, and to the fans are hung in the office and spare bedroom.
The windows are trimmed out but need to be painted. That will be done today. The insulation is complete. R30 fiberglass insulation was blown into the attic yesterday. Even though it's been in the 90s here during the day, with the windows and doors open the cottage is cool.
There seems to be some confusion, at least on our part, concerning the electricians and MLGW. MLGW won't hook up the power until the electrical final inspection is done. The electricians can't finish their wiring until MLGW puts in their meter center. We are not sure if it is a chicken or egg thing.
The counter top people were out yesterday to measure. We cannot install the dishwasher or the stove until the counter tops are installed. We expect that that will be accomplished sometime midweek next week.
Today, I will be hanging the rest of the light fixtures and the fans for the living room and master bedroom. I will also be hanging the speakers for the home theater. That has to be done before the final electrical inspection.
There are so many little things that need to be done. We still have to install the base molding and shoe mold. The AC guys were out earlier in the week to install the return air covers so we will know how to place the molding. All of the woodwork still has to be painted, so much left to do.
The AC guys still have to come out to install the outside unit. And the electricians are to come back and wire it up. The thermostats also still needs to be installed and that will be accomplished when the outside unit is installed. The electricians were here yesterday and installed all the receptacles and switches. They also installed the doorbell and all the smoke detectors.
If all goes according to plan, we hope to move into the cottage during the first week of October. This has been a long and trying process and both Mike and I do not wish to repeat it. Neither one of us are spring chickens and not as durable as we were in the past. But, the sense of accomplishment is remarkable.
Tata for now.
The windows are trimmed out but need to be painted. That will be done today. The insulation is complete. R30 fiberglass insulation was blown into the attic yesterday. Even though it's been in the 90s here during the day, with the windows and doors open the cottage is cool.
There seems to be some confusion, at least on our part, concerning the electricians and MLGW. MLGW won't hook up the power until the electrical final inspection is done. The electricians can't finish their wiring until MLGW puts in their meter center. We are not sure if it is a chicken or egg thing.
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| Vanities in Master bedroom |
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| 2nd Bedroom |
The counter top people were out yesterday to measure. We cannot install the dishwasher or the stove until the counter tops are installed. We expect that that will be accomplished sometime midweek next week.
Today, I will be hanging the rest of the light fixtures and the fans for the living room and master bedroom. I will also be hanging the speakers for the home theater. That has to be done before the final electrical inspection.
There are so many little things that need to be done. We still have to install the base molding and shoe mold. The AC guys were out earlier in the week to install the return air covers so we will know how to place the molding. All of the woodwork still has to be painted, so much left to do.
The AC guys still have to come out to install the outside unit. And the electricians are to come back and wire it up. The thermostats also still needs to be installed and that will be accomplished when the outside unit is installed. The electricians were here yesterday and installed all the receptacles and switches. They also installed the doorbell and all the smoke detectors.
If all goes according to plan, we hope to move into the cottage during the first week of October. This has been a long and trying process and both Mike and I do not wish to repeat it. Neither one of us are spring chickens and not as durable as we were in the past. But, the sense of accomplishment is remarkable.
Tata for now.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Busy couple of weeks
Saturday before Labor Day, we finished the floor by applying a coat of wax finish. On Monday we took fiber paper and covered the entire floor in anticipation of the dry wall application. We are certainly glad we did as drywall people are notoriously messy and these guys are no exception.
Tuesday, we put in the insulation in the walls and in the attic that we had floored for the furnace and water heater. Mike, Barb, Brenda and I did the work and it went pretty quickly. We also fixed the bracing that the HVAC guys cut to install the ducting. We also blocked where the cabinets are to go in the kitchen. Tuesday was a very busy and long day.
Saturday, 5 finish guys came and taped & mudded all of the drywall. They weren't there but about an hour and they had put on the first coat. They came back yesterday and sanded and put on the second coat. Today they were back and sanded and fixed all of the places that were not up to their standards. They checked all of the taping and mudding with a very bright light and found the imperfections. These guys are good.We both feel that this was money well spent. Mike and I could not have done this in 2 weeks bar none 3 days.
We plan to paint the ceiling tomorrow and hang all of the fans and light fixtures,
We also plan to assemble the cabinets while the girls paint the walls in the kitchen and breakfast area.
Heather is arriving tomorrow afternoon for a long anticipated visit from Portland OR. We have a lot planned to do while she is here, and the annual family reunion is next Sunday. So, we are not sure how much will be done to the house while she is here. We will see.
Ta ta for now.
Tuesday, we put in the insulation in the walls and in the attic that we had floored for the furnace and water heater. Mike, Barb, Brenda and I did the work and it went pretty quickly. We also fixed the bracing that the HVAC guys cut to install the ducting. We also blocked where the cabinets are to go in the kitchen. Tuesday was a very busy and long day.
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| Cabinet blocking and insulation |
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| Garage wall next to Kitchen |
We plan to paint the ceiling tomorrow and hang all of the fans and light fixtures,
We also plan to assemble the cabinets while the girls paint the walls in the kitchen and breakfast area.
Heather is arriving tomorrow afternoon for a long anticipated visit from Portland OR. We have a lot planned to do while she is here, and the annual family reunion is next Sunday. So, we are not sure how much will be done to the house while she is here. We will see.
Ta ta for now.
Friday, August 30, 2013
floor saved
After we had such a disastrous week last week with the floor in the cottage, Mike ordered 2 more gallons of stain and another gallon of neutralizer thee floor became completely stained.
The floor looks really great now, but it is darker than we really wanted as we had to keep applying stain, which reacted with the concrete, and got darker in places where the stain had taken before. But overall it looks great.
Today the sealer was applied and in 48 hours or so we will apply the first 2 coats of finish. This should protect the shine that the sealer has left.
One of the main problems was the different and ambiguous instructions that came with the product. This product is meant for people with experience and should have taken about 3 days, not 2 weeks to complete. We are now experienced and should we ever have to do this again we will know what to do, Ha Ha .
We plan to start the insulation in the walls and where the attic is floored on Monday. Hopefully,the dry wall guys can get the dry wall in during the first part of next week so that we can start painting.
This week was not wasted though, as we brought on 320 bales of hay for the winter. We now have over 400 bales and should last until the first hay cut next year. We plan to hopefully start boarding horses next spring, which will help pay the bills.
Ta ta for now.
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Stained floor
Mike and I spent last week working on staining the floors of the cottage.
We scrubbed the floor with a buffer with 220 cleaning pad. We scrubbed the floor and then rinsed it with clean water. We let the floor dry over night and the next morning we chemically etched the concrete and again washed the floor with clean water.
Even with the house only a little over 1000 sq. ft., it took several hours to do these 2 steps. We again let the floor dry completely to show any places where we did not get the etching right. During the etching process the floor is to be kept wet and not allowed to dry. So, we were constantly adding water to the floor. Many gallons of water was used.
The next day we stained the floor with an acid stain applied liberally to the complete floor.
We knew there might be a problem when large areas of white patches appeared later in the day. We let the stain stay on the floor over night and began the process of neutralizing the acid and cleaning the excess acid from the floor then next day. This time we used a wet/dry vacuum to extract the water instead of using a floor sqweegy to push the water out of the doorways.. Again a lot of water was used.
We again knew we had a problem when the white patches were not the same color as the rest of the floor. When it was still wet we thought that it might be ok to just leave it as the white patches had some color in them. But the next day when the floor was completely dry, the color was not visible in the patches.
Mike decided that we could add stain the colorless patches, so we hope to try that process on Tuesday.
We followed the directions to the tee, and even called the manufacturer for some advice. The only thing that we can figure what went wrong is that we left too much etching residue on the floor and the stain reacted with that instead of the floor itself.
We are going to retry the staining and neutralizing process again and hope for the best.
We are trying to not use a floor covering, as staining is more durable and will not have to be replaced any time soon.
Ta ta for now.
We scrubbed the floor with a buffer with 220 cleaning pad. We scrubbed the floor and then rinsed it with clean water. We let the floor dry over night and the next morning we chemically etched the concrete and again washed the floor with clean water.
Even with the house only a little over 1000 sq. ft., it took several hours to do these 2 steps. We again let the floor dry completely to show any places where we did not get the etching right. During the etching process the floor is to be kept wet and not allowed to dry. So, we were constantly adding water to the floor. Many gallons of water was used.
The next day we stained the floor with an acid stain applied liberally to the complete floor.
We knew there might be a problem when large areas of white patches appeared later in the day. We let the stain stay on the floor over night and began the process of neutralizing the acid and cleaning the excess acid from the floor then next day. This time we used a wet/dry vacuum to extract the water instead of using a floor sqweegy to push the water out of the doorways.. Again a lot of water was used.
We again knew we had a problem when the white patches were not the same color as the rest of the floor. When it was still wet we thought that it might be ok to just leave it as the white patches had some color in them. But the next day when the floor was completely dry, the color was not visible in the patches.
Mike decided that we could add stain the colorless patches, so we hope to try that process on Tuesday.
We followed the directions to the tee, and even called the manufacturer for some advice. The only thing that we can figure what went wrong is that we left too much etching residue on the floor and the stain reacted with that instead of the floor itself.
We are going to retry the staining and neutralizing process again and hope for the best.
We are trying to not use a floor covering, as staining is more durable and will not have to be replaced any time soon.
Ta ta for now.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Cottage day 50
It has been busy for the last couple of weeks. The plumbers finished up last Thursday on their top out, and inspections were passed on Friday. They used the pex system. It is said that it stretches many times its size & returns to its original diameter, therefore it is less likely to burst if it is frozen. The joints are very durable and don't come apart easily.
Electricians arrived on Monday to do their rough in. They finished up yesterday and inspection is due today. Adam took a half a day off work yesterday and he came in to run the low-voltage. The low-voltage consists of data, telephone,and cabling for television. Everything will be run out of the spare bedroom closet. It is a good central location and a fairly large closet. All the communications for the cottage, will come into the cottage near the electrical panel located on the east side of the garage. Since the garage is not going to be finished on that side, everything will be accessible.
We got a surprise on Tuesday. The AC company called and said there was a cancellation and they would be out on Wednesday to start the installation of the heating and air-conditioning. The installation team leader arrived midmorning on Wednesday with the heater, ducting and all insulation. Mike insisted that all ducting the rigid, and the team leader told us that the inspectors are now more interested in the R-value of the insulation than an airflow.
I went over little before eight yesterday morning, to open the house in the gate and these guys were already there. They arrived somewhere between seven and 7:15. Their goal was to run all the ducting before it got hot. There was a front that moved through on Wednesday and the temperature and humidity were reasonable. One of the guys was in the attic all morning running the ducting and he said he hardly broke a sweat. It was a good day for them to work in the attic.
They also ran the ducting for both bathroom fans, the dryer vent, and the vent hood.
These guys do good work, neat, orderly and clean. Their supervisor arrived about noon yesterday and he was pleased with their work, as were we.
They were pretty late leaving yesterday, so we don't expect the rough in AC inspection to be done until Friday.
The pictures aboveshow the work that has been done this week. The bottom two pictures are the low voltage cabling that Adam, Mike and I installed yesterday. This is the area of Adams expertise. This is also part of the electrical inspection. We had to get this completed yesterday for the inspection today.
Mike and Barbara decided to stain the floors of the cottage. It is considerably less expensive than floor coverings and "The Duck", our concrete guy, did an outstanding job surfacing the concrete.
The stain arrived yesterday and hopefully we can start staining the floor the first part of next week. There were small fiberglass fibers put in the concrete to help hold the surface together and minimize small cracks, and most of the surface fibers have not broken off and been swept up. So, we need to buff, this concrete so that the fibers will not be visible .
We're going to stain the floor before drywall is put in place, because with this particular method, there is a lot of rinsing required. If the drywall is not there it cannot get wet.
Things are moving a lot more smoothly than we anticipated. The trades have come when expected, and worked efficiently and in a timely manner. Also, the materials have arrived when expected, so there have been no unexpected delays.
October 1 is our expected move-in date, but if things continue moving the way they are, it may be sooner.
Tata for now.
Electricians arrived on Monday to do their rough in. They finished up yesterday and inspection is due today. Adam took a half a day off work yesterday and he came in to run the low-voltage. The low-voltage consists of data, telephone,and cabling for television. Everything will be run out of the spare bedroom closet. It is a good central location and a fairly large closet. All the communications for the cottage, will come into the cottage near the electrical panel located on the east side of the garage. Since the garage is not going to be finished on that side, everything will be accessible.
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| Pex system manifold |
I went over little before eight yesterday morning, to open the house in the gate and these guys were already there. They arrived somewhere between seven and 7:15. Their goal was to run all the ducting before it got hot. There was a front that moved through on Wednesday and the temperature and humidity were reasonable. One of the guys was in the attic all morning running the ducting and he said he hardly broke a sweat. It was a good day for them to work in the attic.
They also ran the ducting for both bathroom fans, the dryer vent, and the vent hood.
These guys do good work, neat, orderly and clean. Their supervisor arrived about noon yesterday and he was pleased with their work, as were we.
They were pretty late leaving yesterday, so we don't expect the rough in AC inspection to be done until Friday.
Mike and Barbara decided to stain the floors of the cottage. It is considerably less expensive than floor coverings and "The Duck", our concrete guy, did an outstanding job surfacing the concrete.
The stain arrived yesterday and hopefully we can start staining the floor the first part of next week. There were small fiberglass fibers put in the concrete to help hold the surface together and minimize small cracks, and most of the surface fibers have not broken off and been swept up. So, we need to buff, this concrete so that the fibers will not be visible .
We're going to stain the floor before drywall is put in place, because with this particular method, there is a lot of rinsing required. If the drywall is not there it cannot get wet.
Things are moving a lot more smoothly than we anticipated. The trades have come when expected, and worked efficiently and in a timely manner. Also, the materials have arrived when expected, so there have been no unexpected delays.
October 1 is our expected move-in date, but if things continue moving the way they are, it may be sooner.
Tata for now.
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