Have you ever thought about all the stuff behind your drywall?

There are pipes and wires running everywhere.  And we opted for no ductwork in our walls so we have less of a maze in those walls than most houses have.    I just laughed as for a while when you managed to traverse the make shift stairs to the basement it looked liked the underside of a octopus with all its' tentacles hanging down.  This is just a small sampling.

If you wanted to sweep down here you acutally had to carry everything to one side of the basement clean and then repeat the process for the other side.  Sure am glad that is over really really don't enjoy concrete dust.

When all those things that make your lights go on when you flip a switch, or water come out of the faucet when you turn it on,  and your washing machine

actually empties into a drain instead of running out onto your floor are in place, then they start hiding all that stuff with insulation.  Okay maybe that isn't really what insulation is for, but that certainly is what drywall is used for.  LOL

The Chilly Days of October

Some of the mornings and even during the days now it is becoming very chilly with the winds out here.  The Cedar trees planted all around our home in town gave us a great deal of protection from the wind and is it was something we didn't even think about.
   We will get used to the winds out here over time but for right now it is a blessing to have the exterior insulation started and our metal roof on.  We chose a metal roof for its lifetime value --there is no comparison between roofing tiles and a metal roof when it comes to which is more durable.  The funny thing is with the oil prices being so high last year (and asphalt roofing tile having a oil base) it was actually less expensive to have a metal roof instead of asphalt tile. 

With the exterior insulation on it was just a little while and the windows, doors were installed.  The almost star window had been delivered and was being moved from place to place trying to keep it from getting broken. 

At last they were able to put it in place, and what a effort that was.

It is pretty awesome how it looks from the inside and hard to believe that just two men man handled it into place.

With the windows and doors all in place the log siding we had taken delivery on way back in April could finally be put on the house.  And yes it is a odd looking little house for now, but like I said I like different and that covered front proch is my favorite place to be.  It is here that I watch the sun set in the evenings.

Now the inside could really be started.  There had been some work done on the interior but the bulk of the work still lay ahead of us. 

September and October

This is what drain field tile look like for those of you who have spent most of your lives in a city or town.  Gosh!  I grew up in the country and didn't have a clue.   All of the waste materials and water that goes down any drain in the house collects in the septic tank.   Then all the water is seperated in the tank  filtered in the drain tile and then drains into the soil.  It is really a very efficient system and here we insisted on the best possible system to protect the environment we live in.

As I told you the well and the septic were installed a few weeks ago but I thought I would show you a bit of how it was done.  Besides I wanted to come back to this point for a bit of a story.
   This being the only house we have ever built and being new to everything like septic, well, and drain line for the sump pump.
  Then having one contractor for Digging the Well
One for installing the Well Pump
One for installing the interior plumbing and sump pump
And one for the septic

Plus all of this piping coming through the north wall of the basement with the sump pump sitting in the northeast corner,  you will probably understand that it was not an easy task to get to the bottom of this leak in the corner of the basement and who was going to be responsible for getting it fixed. 

Well all the contractors came out and rechecked their work, and no one could find the problem.  However the plumber,  the well contractor and the septic contractor all said it looked like a problem with the well pump as his lines were coming in through that area of the basement wall.  He however swore up and down that it couldn't be his work.  He had to come back four times.  First he tried to say it was a problem with the well, then all the rain we were having and then something was wrong with the drain tile that is placed around the footings of a house.

He  finally decided it was indeed his work that was at fault.  So he came back to dig up his lines coming into the basement and fix his piping.

Through all of this he is the only contractor exibiting a really bad attitude which isn't helping the situation.

So  in the process of digging up his piping he bumps the 30 foot line for the sump pump leading from the basement to the back of the back yard.  Now we have to call in the plumber again to reset his line.  By this time when ever he comes out to the house to work (I believe I have visible steam coming out of my ears)  So when he approaches us and says "If I have to come back here one more time,   you will find me dead in your front yard" what pops out of my mouth before I can even stop myself.

We'll bury you!

We do laugh about all of this now. In the end he did apologize and he also ended up paying the plumber and giving us a gift certificate as a way to make amends.

It did all end well but there were a few really stressful time during construction and this was right up there at the top of the list.

But you know the basement is now finished and the rest is history.

Here we were just puting on the first coat of dry lock.

Late August early September

I found it interesting that first all the plywood is placed on the sides of the house, then later the windows and doors are cut out.

Our septic tank and well are now  in place also.  You don't think about all of these things when a house is built in a city-thus all of the gray hair. 

 

Our trusses were designed for the house - it is a odd looking little house---but  you all know I have always liked unusual things.  What can I say odd looking little house ---odd little woman living inside.  LOL

The trusses were made this way to extend 10 feet beyond the front wall of the house to create a covered front porch along the whole front.

Four of these pillers will be placed at the front of the porch.

This picture was taken from the top level--and is actually where Lyle and I will have our loft bedroom.

I do love that it is finally starting to look like a real home.  We are now at 15 months from the time we found the land. I do so hope you are enjoying going back in time with me.

We have two roads that intersect just about a block and a half away and this picture was taken from that intersection.  Every time I see this picture it reminds me of Little House on the Prairie.

It wasn't long after this was taken that the second floor was started. 

The two tall beams on this wall will hold our star window---It is not quite a star but as close as we could come to one.






Through the trees and down to the plowed field is where Simon, Petie and I play now.

When the house is finished this will be my view from the back of our home.  I do love that we were able to find a piece of land large enough for Simon and Petie to go for walks.  Fast Forward Behind the trees we generally just cut pathways through the tall grasses and the dogs just love running along those.  This is one of my favorite things to do with them and usually I am laughing so loud at their antics that Lyle can hear my up at the house.

It is amazing how much work actually goes into building a house.  From digging-- to basement walls-- to sub-floor and then starting the first floor walls.  Before the sub-floor was finished we needed to have some of the plumbing brought through the basement walls, decide where to bring in the electrical, where the septic line would come in and where the sump pump would go.  And would you beleive that we needed to make these decisions before the well was dug or the septic system was in place.

Part of Our house being delivered

It is hard to believe it is actually started

No stress at all!  LOL 

July

The garage is just about finished and the basement excavation is done as well.



I am amazed at the work that is completed between rainfalls, which seemed to be occuring every few days.  We felt so bad for the contactors as every time they went out to work on the house they had to set up pumps and pump out the water before they could start working on the basement walls again.

These will be walls some day!  LOL

When it wasn't raining it was hotter than H____
down in that hole.  All we could do was keep a supply of bottled water in a ice chest for the workers.

They really work hard when they can

May/June Time Frame

  Well our plans for the house are ready to go, but we need to push back starting constructing ( Mother Nature isn't co-operating and any heavy equipment will surely get stuck)  Ok!  July 1st start on the house, we're  good with that we can have the garage put up first. 
  This actually worked out very well since when it was finished it gave the builders a place to work out of.  It also gave us a place to store all the log siding that was already stained and sitting at our home in town.  It really wasn't toooooooooooo much of a issue getting up this driveway.  Well not when it was dry anyway.

And we really are making progress when it isn't raining.

Mother Nature At Work Again

Look at the treasures I found in my wildflower garden this morning.  It is all of these little things that make life so worthwhile.

Design Work?

Yes we did fianlly all agree on a final drawing.  This process was so very hard because all the measurements (example)  exactly how many feet and inches were between a window and a door.  How many feet and inches from a window to the corner of the room.  We had to get this right without error on our part because Lyle and I built all the free standing pieces of furniture that would be used in those areas-and they were built to fit.  We have no built in kitchen cabinets, or linen closets, clothes closets, every piece is free standing.  Since I was the one making the changes and using all
that graph paper (you can not believe how many boxes of Nice n' Easy I went through.  LOL 
   So off to braun building we go with our drawing they develope the plan, all is good right?
Nope!   The house in coming in toooooooo expensive we need to loose some square feet.  Arrrrrrrgh!
Breath deep Carol breath deep!
Ok, life is good again Carol is calm!  I am now eblow deep in graph paper again.
Chopping off the square feet-Hmmmmm!  Moved the stairwell to the basement and downsized two rooms--not too bad.  Moved the two back windows and the back door, moved the front door and the two front windows--still breathing- adjusted the 4 front pillers.  Ok, I'm done and off to brauns we go again.  Yes! Yes! Yes!  it works.

Simon and Petey

These two guys look like dogs don't they?  Well, I really don't think they are.  I think God looked down at the four of us, saw what we were about to undertake and sent angels disguised as dogs to help us maintain our sanity.   From planning and dreaming we were now looking at design work.  This meant taking four individuals ideas about what they would like in the new home and fitting those ideas into the dimensions we had all agreed on.  I do believe we kept the paper companies in business buying graph paper.  For a while there I think all my dreams had a graph paper background.   LOL

And here they are, Simon brown with a bit of black and Petey looking at me over the top of his head as I am working on my computer.
  

The Land Is Found

 This 5 acres of farmland with just a few large boxelders growing.    But the potential that this little piece of land offered.  We could invision turning it back into what it once was.  Pine trees, Cedar trees, Maple trees, and other varities.   Just creating a little woods with our little energy efficient log house snuggled inside.  Space for a little vegetable garden, berry patch and just a small orchard. 
    Oh!  The fun of dreaming and planning.

Building Our Home-Come with us on this journey into unknown territory

A Fall Greeting

I just came in on this blustery day of big black clouds, patches of blue in the sky and the oranges and reds of the Maple Trees.  What a wonder nature!