House Project

Upstairs floor done

2013-05-21T05:29:34Z

Today I spent putting down the last of the upstairs floor. Laminate flooring goes down quickly but is exacting work. The room certainly changed in a hurry! Now the Boughen boys can finish the trim and Becke and her crew can finish the blending of the colors. The electricians can also put in the LED lighting to finish things off before Becke moves her things in.

Photographs don't do this room justice. It just makes everyone who sees it smile.

-grampa dan

Small details

2013-05-20T03:52:37Z

Not every part of the house construction is glamorous but every bit requires thought and attention to detail. Some of the more mudane bits seem to require the most thought and planning. The flooring in the upstairs hallway at the top of the stairs is laminated cork. This has to transition to ceramic tile down the stairs. The stair noses presented a big dilema as we didn't care for the cheap looking standard fare. After some research we located a stair nosing (actually a tile countertop trim) that would work perfectly. The laminate flooring needed to be custom sawn at the edge to make it work and that was today's task. Small square tiles will go into the front of the metal molding when I do the tiling down the stairs. The same molding will be used all down the stairs.

I had previously laid the laminate flooring over the arched bridge some weeks ago and now at last it was time to extend it through the upper hallway and then into the last room upstairs (tomorrow). After doing little for the last four days it felt good to get my hands to the tools once more. In about two hours the job was done.

It is the small details throughout the house that make it so special.

-grampa dan

Peacock room

2013-05-16T07:05:17Z

Becke has always loved wild colors. For her room upstairs in the new house she has pulled out the stops. Inspired by a peacock feather she has designed the colors for her room. It is pretty wild. With the hand troweled sloped plaster ceilings and high wainscot it looks like no other room I've ever seen.

By late next week the room will be complete. Stay tuned...

-grampa dan

Waterworks details

2013-05-14T04:45:33Z

Today, Shawn from Richard's Plumbing spent the day in the new house hooking up the sinks and taps. He 's a great guy who pays attention to the little details, like how the pipes under the sink are tucked close to the wall in order to not take up valuable storage space. The taps we chose are simple, yet elegant and single handle design for ease of use.

The big sink is in the mudroom bathroom. It's the extra deep sink that will get heavy duty use including washing our small dogs. The spray head also is attached to a hose that pulls out for spraying. I still have to do the tile back splash around this area.

The main bathroom features a six foot long tub that is extra deep. It will be a great place to soak. The taps are the same simple, elegant style.

The ensuite shower is a pure delight. It features three separately controlled shower heads. I gave it a spin tonight and this is a shower where one gets wet all over at the same time. Measuring four feet wide by eight feet long and with a nine foot ceiling this shower feels nice and roomy too. :)

I'm loving this house already!

-grampa dan

Floor progress

2013-05-13T05:13:57Z

Today I mamaged to finish tiling the last of the closets, the stair risers and the floor of the mudroom bathroom. That finishes the small floor areas of the house. This means the pace of tiling will pick up from here.

The LED lights under the handrails light up the stairs perfectly by themselves (without shining in our eyes) and will serve as a night light when we have company.

The trim in Phoebe's playroom is now finished and ready for final paint. The adjustable shelves are ready for paint as well.

With the upstairs bathroom tile in place I can now finish the laminated floor in the upstairs area. Once that is done I'll be tiling the large areas of the downstairs. It is all coming together quickly now. Stay tuned for more progress...

-grampa dan

Splish splash.

2013-05-10T05:18:21Z

The new house is a careful balance between practicality and fun. In the bathroom and ensuite we considered many options for the surrounds. Janis isn't fond of the maintenance tile would involve. The high cost of a one piece solid surface defeated that option. In the end we opted for a 100% acrylic splash with as few seams as possible. It's plain but the easiest to maintain. We'll keep the fancy for other parts of the rooms. The bath splash crew was in the house the last few days installing the massive sheets of acrylic. One of the installers will be back tomorrow to finish.

The ensuite the shower is eight feet long and four feet wide. The floor is sloped gently to the drain in the middle and there will be no shower door. The reason is simple. Like the rest of our house these areas are designed to be wheelchair friendly. I put in plenty of sturdy backing in both the tub and ensuite shower areas in case we need grab bars in the future as well. The truth is that Janis and I aren't getting younger. While we may never have the need for wheelchairs we don't want such a need to force us from our home in future years. It will never be easier than now to plan for such an eventuality.

On Monday the plumbers arrive for the final install of the toilets and taps. Everything is coming together.

Soon...

-grampa dan

Laundry room - check!

2013-05-09T05:15:12Z

As the crew finishes the painting of each room I move in as soon as the paint hardens to lay down the tile. Today the upstairs bathroom was started and the laundry room was finished.

The stack of boxed tiles get smaller each day while the finished floor grows in size. We are counting the days until we move...

-grampa dan

One room at a time.

2013-05-05T04:26:34Z

The house is at the stage where progress is done in bits and pieces. The Boughens are busy putting up trim, starting on the upper floor. They'll finish off one room at a time and then work their way through the bottom floor. In Phoebe's play room the trim is almost complete and looking great.

The massive shelving unit, designed to dsplay all the wonderful things Phoebe creates, is ready to have the adjustable shelves installed. Final paint will finish things off nicely.

Downstairs I've been busy laying tile. The ensuite tile is finished. Other tile work is underway through the house. The main bathroom is now ready for grout.

Final painting continues one room at a time and then I'll follow along with the tile. We can hardly wait to get into the house for real very soon.

-grampa dan

One place to step at a time

2013-05-03T04:29:30Z

It's been quiet in the new house (construction wise) for the last two weeks as we hosted the Sign and Sculpture Magic Workshops. Today that changed as we start the push for the finish and move in. The Boughen boys were back, starting upstairs. They'll work their way down in the next couple of weeks. Then we'll do the final painting and then the tile work to finish things off.

With the tub and shower surrounds to be installed in the main bathroom and ensuite on Monday, the time is pressing to get the ceramic tile in those rooms. I laid the bulk of the ensuite tile today.

Each day we'll get one step closer to moving in. Stay tuned...

-grampa dan

Turning up the heat

2013-04-17T04:46:33Z

We've had a great deal of fun building a unique house that suits our style and likes but there is a serious side to the project as well. It was our intention to build a house that is efficient to operate, as green as possible and that will last a long, long time. Janis and I did a lot of research for each system and sought out reliable contractors who would bring our unique dream to life.

The heating system was one of the key components. Richard's Plumbing and Heating was recommended to us by our framing contractor. Richard does nice work. He recommended a top quality hot water heating system for our dream house - the same one he put in his own abode.

It was fascinating to watch as he put in the many pieces of the complex piping system and the many controls. Richard patiently explained each piece to me, what it did and why it was good. It is a carefully crafted work of fine art!

Tomorrow the heat gets turned on.

-grampa dan