Blog Cabin

Bathrooms

2011-01-26T10:09:00.004-05:00

Our bathrooms (master, kids, and basement) are almost complete. Daniel did an amazing job tiling the showers. We are still waiting on the counter tops and shower doors. Overall, they are looking good. The first picture is the kids' shower. The rest are of the master bath. My favorite part is log insert that was tiled into our floor.

Stairs and Railing

2011-01-26T09:53:00.002-05:00

Now that the floors are finished, the final step was to install the permanent stairs and railing. They are not totally complete - Bill is working on the decorative caps - but here is a sneak peek (both upstairs to the loft and downstairs to the basement)

Finished Floors

2011-01-26T09:44:00.003-05:00

The tongue and groove flooring upstairs took a beating after months of weathering and construction. The crew (i.e., Daniel) however, was able to sand it down to its former beauty. John applied the protective topcoat this past weekend. We are so happy with the end result. Here are pics of the kids' bedrooms and hallway to the loft area.

Winter Wonderland

2010-12-24T15:49:00.005-05:00

We have had a very snowy December. Here are some pictures to help you get in the holiday spirit. Merry Christmas everyone!

Floors, Cabinets, and Paint, oh my!

2010-12-24T15:22:00.005-05:00

The finish work continues on the inside. The interior staining is essentially complete (we will have trim to do once it is put up). The biggest project was staining all the ceiling beams. It took a lot of scaffolding and patience. It was John's version of the Sistine Chapel. The hardwood flooring was started in preparation for setting the kitchen cabinets. It is laid in the kitchen area, hallway, pantry and master closet. All of the cabinets arrived yesterday. We got the majority of the kitchen installed (at least the hard part, which are the uppers). We called it a night before we could get the cabinets out that will make up the breakfast bar section (that includes our sink and dishwasher too). Next week we will tackle that, as well as the laundry room and master bath cabinet installation. John completed the laundry room tile and I painted, so that room will soon be ready for action (let the folding begin!). We have also primed most of the other rooms, so they are ready for paint also.

Basement

2010-11-27T19:29:00.004-05:00

Bill (shown below) & the boys have been busy drywalling the last week. They finished the basement this weekend! Soon it will be transformed to John's mancave, the Wildcat Den :)
The gutters have also been installed, which is helpful since the rain is back :(

Lots of Progress

2010-11-21T19:46:00.007-05:00

I know, it has been a looonng time since the last post, but I have a good excuse. We have been spending just about every free moment working at the ranch. We have accomplished a lot. The exterior is essentially finished. The siding on the upper floor and basement is up and John stained all the eaves (he learned new acrobatic skills in the process). The porch is finally stained, too (whew!). On the interior, we stained all the logs, insulated the whole house, and the drywall is up. It is starting to look complete! There is still a long to-do list, but we are getting closer (yeah!)

New Additions

2010-10-15T21:56:00.005-04:00

Lots of new things to see today when I went up to the ranch after work. They finished the siding on the front facade. All it needs now is a little trim around the bottom window.
The garage doors were installed, the replacement window for Em's dormer was put in, and they hung the front entry door.
The HVAC and electrical are finished also, so we should be ready for a framing inspection soon!

Finishing the Front

2010-10-10T20:59:00.003-04:00

Now that the windows are in, the next step is to finish siding up the front of the house. This is where they left off on Friday. I think it is starting to look like a real cabin. We finished staining our front entry door this weekend. I am excited how it turned out.

Big Windows

2010-10-07T19:45:00.001-04:00

Yeah! The specialty windows arrived as scheduled and are in. I love them!

Windows and Roof

2010-10-06T19:46:00.005-04:00

We are getting closer to being complete on the outside. All of the windows and sliding glass doors are now in and the trim work has started. (The exceptions are Emily's dormer window that had to be re-ordered because of sizing issues and the front entry door which I still need to stain). The large specialty windows for the great room are scheduled to go in tomorrow.
The roof is almost entirely shingled. We have also stained the entire exterior and most of the log siding that will finish off the second floor.

More Green

2010-09-29T20:40:00.006-04:00

The color continues to appear at the ranch. The shingles are about 50% complete and should be finished when Rob returns from a short vacation. Because Rob was away, Bill made a grand return and facilitated getting the windows put in. He also finished up our railing and outdoor stairs. It was great seeing him back on site.

The weekend crew (Pop, John, and me) started the staining process. Here are the false corners completely finished (1 coat primer, 2 coats stain, 2 top coats). I think they turned out great. I like the color, especially with the green windows and shingles.

Seeing Green

2010-09-15T20:40:00.003-04:00

The shingles are finally going on! There are not too many up yet, but it is enough to get me excited. It is hard to see in the picture, but the color really adds a pop.

Emily's window seat has been framed. I think it is a fun feature. It is also a very large space, as you can see by the picture with John standing on it.

I joined the crew and helped finish studding up the basement this weekend. We finished with no boards cut too short. I was very proud!

Bring on the Shingles

2010-09-10T19:25:00.006-04:00

We are finally ready for shingles! Preparing the roof was a long process because of the many layers - 2 sheets of insulation, followed by OSB, and topped with tar paper. There is a picture below of a cross section that shows that. Plus, the dormer had to be framed. I am excited to see that last piece go up on the house. It gives the front a more balanced look and there is lots of room on the inside of the dormer (see the second picture).
The rough-in plumbing is finished and has passed inspection. The fourth picture is the plumbing work for the basement (that is John and Pop's handy framework). The electrician is just about finished up with the electrical boxes,and now the HVAC sub is on the scene. The vents have been cut and duct work started.
My favorite new addition is the porch railing. Bill has been hand making it at home, since he is no longer working on site, and a few sections were completed today. Now I just need my rocker :)

Tongue and Groove Complete

2010-08-29T20:22:00.004-04:00

It has been a while since I last blogged and things have definitely changed. The tongue and groove is now up on the entire house. This means two good things: the interior of the home looks more complete because the 'ceiling' is in place, and roof installation can begin. John and I spent the weekend scrubbing all the interior logs with log wash, preparing them to be polyeurethaned. It was messy work, but the logs look fresh and new!
The plumber and electrician have also continued to work.
The last picture is our good friend Ginger, who came out one evening for a stroll with 2 fawns.

Shade & Water

2010-08-19T20:49:00.003-04:00

Things are a bit cooler on the ranch this week. The water company installed the water meter, so we will now have access to water on site. In addition, the crew has covered all the porches with the tongue and groove, which makes life a lot shadier. They are now starting on the tongue and groove for the roof and laying tar paper (the first layer on the way to shingles). Can't wait to sit on my rocking chair on the porch!

Porch Roof

2010-08-12T19:59:00.003-04:00

The porch roof is in the works. They have put up the rafters for the dining room side and along the back so far. In doing so, they have added some OSB, house wrap, and even a few rows of tongue and groove as needed to tie the rafters into. That is fun because it lets us have a peek of what our ceiling will look like in the great room.

Roof Ready

2010-08-10T20:22:00.005-04:00

Even with the loss of Bill, things are moving along. The roof framing is complete with the exception of Emily's dormer. They put the OSB along the back wall of the second floor and have most of the porch posts up. The framing is also done for the specialty windows in the great room. The electrician has also been working hard. The wiring is pulled on the second floor and basement, and outlets are being installed.
Looking more like a home every day!

More Roof

2010-08-04T20:08:00.003-04:00

It has been a week since the last blog, and the roof continues to come along. It is a difficult task given the heat and the weight/size of the the rafters and beams. Also, they are now minus one important crew member. Bill, our senior man, is in the hospital. Despite all of this, they are making good progress. They are just about finished with the other side.
They began work on the porches this week too, when Rob's brothers were unable to come help with the heavy lifting.

Roof Begins

2010-07-28T21:25:00.005-04:00

Work began on the roof today and they moved quickly, getting the beams up over the kids' rooms. From the ground, it seems so high. It is very exciting to see the final stage of framing underway. The last two pictures are of part of Jack's room and the view from Emily's dormer beams.

Second Floor Framing

2010-07-26T21:13:00.002-04:00

We have stairs now (even if slightly temporary), so it is much easier to view the upstairs. Emily was finally brave enough to go up and check out her room layout. Her room is the area to the right in the second picture. The third picture is Jack's room (looking from Emily's side) and the last is the kids bathroom.

2nd Floor is Down

2010-07-24T10:08:00.006-04:00

The decking on the second floor is down!This also means you can see the ceiling of the first floor. They chalked lined the upstairs layout, so now we can see where the loft and kids' rooms will be. They spent Friday moving all the lumber needed to start the roof line and started on the shed dormer (where you see it erected is the back wall of Jack's room). The dorner allows more headroom vs having a sloped roof (like in an A frame).

Second Floor

2010-07-21T20:26:00.006-04:00

The heat, humidity, and storms continue, but so does our crew. The rest of the first floor has been framed up, which included our pantry, and master bathroom with water closet. The electrician was up this week and prewired the first floor (the picture of wiring shown below is for the pendant lights above our kitchen counter). Today they began laying the 2x6 tongue and groove flooring on the second floor (which is also our ceiling on the first floor).

Interior Framing

2010-07-18T12:43:00.005-04:00

We have returned from vacation and, as I hoped, things look much different. The crew has almost completed the interior framing on the first floor. You can see the ceiling for the porch and views from different vantage points. The first is from the dining area looking toward the hallway and rooms. The kitchen wall is on the left and the utility room wall is on the right. Beyond that is our pantry, and master suite.
The second picture is from our bedroom looking toward the kitchen/dining area. The last two pictures show my bedroom closet and utility room. These all have pocket door frames to maximize our usage of space.
The only framing left is the wall that separates the kitchen pantry from our bathroom.

Logs are Up!!

2010-07-08T21:23:00.003-04:00

The crew worked through the heat today and finished setting the logs! John stepped in to help get the last few heavy ones up and in place. He makes a fine builder! Actually, I think he really enjoyed being a part of the construction, since his heart and soul have been in this project for a long time. Tomorrow, they will place in all the remaining wall rods and get started on the decking for the 2nd floor. The plumber and electrician are also scheduled to come and work at the beginning of the week. When we return from vacation in a week, things should look a lot different. I will miss visiting the site for awhile, but it will be exciting to see the changes when we come home.

Getting Closer

2010-07-07T21:02:00.006-04:00

Day 5 has the top course almost completed on the front windows and entry. The other walls are coming along. Definitely taller than me now.

Since they have the front wall complete, they were able to install the first couple of wall rods. These will be adjusted manually during the first year we live there to keep the logs tight. You can see the picture of the spring in the basement (that we will use to adjust the rod).

Getting Taller

2010-07-06T21:12:00.005-04:00

It is day 4 of setting logs and the house is gradually getting taller. They are now on course 11 - getting close. Don, our rep from BPB is coming up again tomorrow to check on progress and follow-up on any questions. Yesterday, we placed our window order and purchased our kitchen appliances. It was exciting to think that we are close enough to start making those purchases.

Day 3 of setting logs

2010-07-03T19:51:00.004-04:00

Day 3 ended successfully with 8 courses now set and work beginning on the 9th. It is very easy to see where all the doors and windows will be placed. I love my 'views' through the windows, even if they aren't officially in yet. Our antler chandelier for the great room also arrived today. We love it! Can't wait till it is time to hang it. (on an interesting note, it was made at the CDN Antler Company, which are my dad's initials - good work Pop).

Day 2 of setting courses

2010-07-01T20:50:00.003-04:00

Day two was another gorgoeous weather day - perfect for setting more logs! We are now up to the 4th course. We can see the openings for doors and the front windows. I say this at just about phase, but I truly can see the house now. It is very exciting! Stay tuned - hopefully they will make more progress tomorrow. P.S. The last picture is one of the many blackberry brambles on the property. I helped myself to a few ripe ones as I was taking pictures tonight :)

Logs Arrive

2010-06-30T19:34:00.003-04:00

The truck arrived bright and early on the 29th. The logs are now unloaded and stack strategically around the property. Don, our representative from the log supplier BPB, was on site today, helping the crew get the first few courses set. Only 13 more to go!

Decking Done

2010-06-25T18:08:00.003-04:00

The decking is done! Looks good and it helps us visualize the extra living space we will gain. The back side looks like it could make a nice bowling alley (just don't suggest that to Jack). We have leftover lumber and Bill said that he could custom make our porch railing. We looked at his samples and they are nice, plus it would save money.
Logs are scheduled to arrive Tuesday, which means they will start setting them Wednesday or Thursday - can't wait!

Decking started

2010-06-24T20:20:00.003-04:00

I think we picked the hottest and stormiest summer to build a house, but the guys are perservering. They finished up the porch framing and started laying the decking. They completed the dining room side and half of the backside. It looks like their materials are ready to go for tomorrow (and no rain is in the forecast). Bill said that the logs are set to arrive Tuesday (Jack's birthday-just what he wanted;)

Porch

2010-06-23T12:20:00.003-04:00

The crew is currently working on framing up the wrap around porch. So far they have completed the front, garage side, and have finished most of the back side. The remaining side should be easy because it is fairly level with the ground, so no scaffolding. The decking should also go quickly. They anticipate being finished by the end of the week, which means logs are next!!!!

Covering up

2010-06-17T21:58:00.004-04:00

The crew was busy again today. They put the OSB board along the framed walls of the basement and garage. Then they laid Advantek on the first floor joists, so now we can walk around and get a good mental image of the layout. They also began placing the posts for the front porch. Jack had a good day too. He discovered a toad (pictured below) and created a "river" in the back yard. He was fascinated with that and worked on it for over an hour. Oh, the simple things!

Floor

2010-06-16T15:16:00.002-04:00

The first floor is well on its way to becoming a reality. The whole crew is on the job full-time now and they are moving quickly. Bill, his son Rob, and Rob's son, Daniel are hard at work putting up the floor joists. You can see the progression in the pictures. You can also see the opening for the stairwell to the basement. We're getting there!

Rooms

2010-06-15T17:06:00.002-04:00

Framing up the basement continues to move along. You can actually tell there are two distinct rooms now. The wall dividing the garage and the family room is up, which makes it very easy to visualize the space. In the pictures, you can see the large beams are now in place. They are essentially going to support the whole house (along with some posts that will be added later). You can also see the 'view' out the family room door. The last picture is a visitor who stops by the job site almost daily, I guess for a little breakfast with the crew.

Framing Continues

2010-06-11T21:04:00.003-04:00

Framing continued today with the exterior basement wall going up (the one opening is for a door). This means it is time for the subfloor to go up - yeah!

Framing

2010-06-09T06:03:00.003-04:00

Framing has begun!! Here you can see the sill that was laid (with vapor barrier for you Pop - John was showing it off for you:) ). Next the garage doors went up. It is starting to look like a real basement. More to come soon (I hope).

Extras

2010-05-26T19:58:00.004-04:00

Here are a few extra pictures from the last few weeks. The black tubes are the cooling tubes of the geothermal unit. Jack was fascinated with all the dust created when they dug the 100 feet deep wells. He thinks it is volcanic ash.
The fence that is required by code is now around the lagoon. Speaking of which, we have our first frog that made his home there. We also still see lots of deer tracks. I guess they are willing to stay despite the construction.
The last picture is our new security light. Our builder is very happy that is installed now that he will have lots of equipment on site.

Wood!!!!

2010-05-26T19:43:00.003-04:00

The big day has finally arrived! Our first shipment of lumber from BPB (our log supplier) was delivered bright and early this morning. The majority of this load is for framing up the basement and getting started on the wrap around porch. More logs will come later in a second shipment. The crew should be hammering away in the next few days.

Concrete is Complete!

2010-04-18T19:57:00.005-04:00

The piers for the porches have been poured. There were 20 in all. They should provide good support, since they are large enough for Jack to lounge in (see pic). You can see our handprints in one, if you look closely. The wells for the geothermal should be dug in the next few days. After that, the framing will begin!

Retaining Wall & Piers

2010-04-15T19:16:00.004-04:00

The retaining wall is now finished and the crew has already back filled behind it. They dug the holes for the porch piers today and those should be filled tomorrow. It continually amazes me how much earth they have moved around since we started. Jack still loves going out to 'the ranch' to climb and roll in rocks and dirt, as evidenced in his picture here.

More Basement Work

2010-04-08T05:33:00.003-04:00

Even though it has been awhile since our last post, work on the basement has steadily continued. The pictures show the progression. First, the rough-in plumbing was completed, including the basement bathroom. Then, the underlayment was put down. Yesterday, the basement floor was poured. That really made it look like a room. They also began work on the retaining wall, which is necessary to hold back all that earth on the side yard. The next step will be to pour all the piers needed to hold up the wrap around porch--then they can start framing. I took the picture of the redbud because I loved the splash of color amidst all the dirt and concrete--a sign of good things to come!

Poured Walls

2010-03-17T20:22:00.002-04:00

As of yesterday, the walls are officially poured and the forms are down. I think it really helps form a vision. The picture that looks darker is a view from the front. The others show the back and sides. One open end is for the garage. The other will be framed up so we can have doors and windows.
We met with Bill and Rob tonight to show them where we want the rough-in plumbing for the basement bathroom. After the plumber does his work, the concrete crew will return to pour the floor.

Walls

2010-03-13T21:20:00.005-05:00

UK fans aren't the only ones celebrating a Wall. We are very excited to see the forms go up for our basement walls! They are 10 feet high and will be 10 inches thick. Tim is using good materials, so they should end up being sturdy.

The open part will be our garage doors. I captured images from that view, from the back yard (looking toward the soon-to-be back deck), and from up high on the ridge. I also had to add a few of Jack enjoying the dirt mounds. He thinks he is climbing Mt. Everest. John was happy to see the temporary electric passed inspection, so I included that too.
The weather forecast is looking great for the upcoming week, so we anticipate they will be pouring the walls soon. I'll be sure to post once the forms come down.

CONCRETE!!!!!

2010-03-04T19:40:00.003-05:00

How long has it been since our last post?? Longer than we like, but there was not much we could do about it. In December, we hired a new general contractor/builder, but by then, Mother Nature was holding us up. This winter has been wetter and colder than average. This week, however, we finally got the break we were waiting for. Our builder, Bill, had the concrete crew ready and waiting and they managed to get our footer poured! It is amazing how excited we are over this seemingly boring step (rebar is a beautiful thing). We have had to deal with bad builders and bad weather, and now I think our patience has paid off. Basement walls are coming soon!

Tomorrow, John is meeting with Bill, Don (the production manager at our log supplier), Tim (our concrete guy), and Brian (our rep from 84 Lumber). They are just making sure we are all on the same page. John is excited to hear what everyone has to report.

Going Up

2009-12-19T23:17:00.002-05:00

Have you ever read the book "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"? Well, if you give a man a steep driveway, then he will probably want a 4x4 truck. We had been planning to purchase one eventually, knowing we would have many items to haul, but this one came available and we hated to pass it up. It is a '98 Toyota Tacoma with only one owner and low mileage. We know we'll get lots of use out of it. We have now officially driven up to the top of the driveway!
We also hauled our hardwood home the other night. It has a new home in our garage. It actually fit better than I expected. It was worth it for the deal we got.
Now...if we could just get a foundation. Don't even ask...we'll keep you posted.

Slow as Molasses

2009-12-10T15:34:00.002-05:00

I know. The entries have come to a grinding halt. Forward progress can be difficult sometimes. Ever since we fired our builder, he has been a much more productive person. There isn't a lot of tangible progress, but we have been quietly working behind the scenes.

We hired a plumber. He met with our excavator and had him dig for the basement plumbing.
We hired an electrician and the temporary electric should be up soon. Power tools will come in handy at some point.
Larry and Becky finished off the work on our culvert and the waterline.
We found a great deal on wide plank oak hardwood flooring, so we scooped up the whole pallete. Now we just need a place to store it (ha).

We still don't have concrete. The weather is our enemy right now, but I am hoping for some unseasonably warm and dry forecasts. We'll see...

The Apprentice

2009-11-21T18:54:00.002-05:00

Have you ever watched that show? If so, you know Donald Trump's famous last words.... Well, John went Trump on our builder today. We finally lost patience and said a few choice words to him. I guess he got the point because he left a message that he would be up to pour concrete next week. Not being ones to trust him, we already found our own concrete sub. He was recommended to us by our excavators and we feel good about moving forward on our own. Becky and Larry also recommended another seasoned builder and we have talked to him as well. We are just not willing to listen to excuses and tolerate inaction. This should be interesting as we continue on the journey.
On a positive note, Becky was out earlier this week digging the water line down the front of the property. In an earlier post, I mistakenly called the septic line, the water line. Well, I got it right this time.
Stayed tune...you never know what will happen next!

More Digging

2009-11-15T20:13:00.003-05:00

Well, the fall weather has been wonderful. We have been having October temperatures in November. However, our progress has been slower than we expected. We are getting practice in how to be flexible. The one positive accomplishment is that Becky dug out our footer. It is now ready for concrete, which will be a big step forward. As you can tell, I got my camera back. These photos show the completed lagoon and views of the footer (one from the rear and one from the front). The closer picture really gives you a sense of the layout of the house. The deep holes are for support posts. Becky finally hit some larger rock on this dig, but not enough to give us trouble.

Hopefully, I will have a post soon with pictures of concrete!!

The Green Light

2009-11-04T18:39:00.003-05:00

Sorry we haven't posted for a few days, and even sorrier that there are no pictures this post. Emily left the camera at a friend's house on Halloween and we have yet to retrieve it. I promise new pics soon. The other thing is that there hasn't been anything to really take pictures of.... the last time we were on site, things were drier and all the holes were filled in, but nothing too drastically different. However, it was a bit easier to see the lay of the land and visualize the finished area (I am already plotting my fire pit area, garden, bird feeders, etc.. :) ).

The most exciting thing this week is that we officially have a building permit! Terry picked it up today, so we are definitely able to move forward. We have the green light to pour the footer. The last we heard, Becky was coming out to dig the footer tomorrow or Friday (originally Terry planned to just put up forms for the concrete, but code requires it be dug below the frost line). After the dig, Terry will be able to pour the concrete. I am anxious for some heavy concrete trucks to come up so my gravel will get packed down so I can use my driveway!

Hopefully, I will have some new things to report soon. Stay tuned!

More Mud!

2009-10-29T19:58:00.002-04:00

The rain keeps coming and so does the mud. The weather held us up for a few days,but Larry was back in action today. He is pretty much finished with his part of the job. The basement excavation is essentially finished. The septic tanks are in and they just finished laying out the water line, despite being chased around by a black snake. The driveway now has gravel, but we need a few heavy trucks to drive on it before it is ready for the van. He has a bit of finish work to complete on the culvert, but soon I will be cruising up my very own driveway!

The family is still enjoying exploring the site, especially the hounds. Check out Jack in the dozer. The other photo is Becky (Larry's wife) working the backhoe. She jumps right in and works with him, which is pretty funny (can't you just see me ?). They have been an excellent team. I would recommend them to anyone.

Cross your fingers and we may have a footer poured by next week!

Basement

2009-10-25T20:25:00.003-04:00

They are making progress on the basement. Larry has dug about 5 of the 8 feet down that is needed. Jack loves it because it is his own personal rock wall. He loves to go to the property and climb. What could be more fun for an 8 year old boy than being surrounded by rocks and dirt? Chloe, the basset, also got in the action by literally jumping off the top edge which is almost 6 ft high. She had to have flown 10 feet out before landing and rolling. She came out without even a scrape. That dog is wild. The long rectangular hole is the finished product for the septic tanks. The other photo is the view from what will be our front porch.

Mud Wrestling

2009-10-24T13:26:00.003-04:00

The rain came, but that didn't hold up Larry too much. The pile of #2 gravel was delivered and is ready to be spread. He started digging out the basement (dozer photo) and the hole to drop the septic tank (see backhoe photo) . There is mud EVERYWHERE. The good news is that there is not very much rock coming up (yet:) ). The weather will be clearing tomorrow, so things should continue to move along. On a non-digging note, we dropped off the picture of the pileated woodpecker to the local wood artisan today, so he can start our first 'commissioned' piece.

Movin' Earth

2009-10-22T20:17:00.004-04:00

Larry has been busy these last few days. We now have a driveway cut with minimal tree loss. Gravel is on the way. We're not able to drive up it yet, but at least we can walk to the top of the property without hiking gear. The lagoon pit is much larger than I expected, but the driveway is a lot less steep than I feared. When we pulled up the entrance this evening, our friend the doe was standing in the driveway waiting for us. Guess she knows our floor plan is called the 'Doe Run'.

Let the Games Begin!

2009-10-15T19:40:00.005-04:00

We are ready to get started! Today we met with our builder, Terry Wise and the excavator, Larry Caudill to stake out the house and plan for the driveway, basement, and lagoon. These pictures show the property 'pre-dozer', with views from the road, the top of the ridge looking out (where the house will sit), and toward the back. It is beautiful land, but I admit I will be happy to see some piles of dirt soon.