Random Framing, Pex Tubing, and First Few Windows

D. and our brothers are adding some extra framing.  Above is one of two wall niches gracing the first floor.

Master Bedroom closet has a new doorway (foreground.)

Brother R. has been working on adding the gusset plates necessary to beef up the structure of the newly-discovered "room" in the attic space, before we cut out some of the webbing.  Looks to me like he got nail-gun-happy; but as a structural engineer, he assures me all those nails are necessary.  (And, ladies, the gusset plates are those square pieces of plywood.)

Attic storage now has a framed doorway.

Neat roof framing over the front door.

The brothers have all been out to help this week.  Here they laid wire mesh all over the basement floor, to which we'll (they'll) attach the pex tubing for the radiant heat.

Sister C. trusting her dad to hold the other end of the ladder while she poses out the living rom window.

And practicing her Olympic diving technique...

Now, pex tubing in progress.  Eight men were working fast Monday night.

All of this organization will soon be covered with concrete...

 

I'm told this is the "Manifold" where it all comes together in the Mechanical Room.

 

 

Thermal blankets ready to go back on, since winter isn't over yet.

And, finally--- the windows are going in...!

Master bedroom windows.

Library window.

There are about 35 more windows to go in next week. 

The builders also took advantage of 40 degree weather (it felt heavenly, by the way) to lay all the black felt paper on the roof.

Saturday, D. and friends will be starting on Electrical wiring, and I'll be delivering lunch (because we want to keep all our siblings as friends...)

Next week, windows, plumbing, and pouring concrete.

First Time Upstairs

I went out Saturday afternoon to deliver the guys' lunches, and upon rounding the corner, I discovered Stairs to the 2nd floor Loft.  I actually squealed with glee-- because, you recall, I have been banned from ladders, and had never been to see the upstairs!  I went up slowly, due to the icy conditions (and my current state of clumsiness), and thoroughly enjoyed the new views.

My new storage room, with lots of light from the dormers.  Can't you imagine how warm this will look lined with neat little rows of tubs of children's clothes? 

Pretty view from the Storage Room's Dormer #1.

2nd View from the Storage Room.

View of the Front Yard from Dormer #2.

More storage (it's all attic space over the garage.)

Entering the loft (slowly, due to the ice.)

From the Loft, looking over the Dining Room.  (A. and J. would want those catwalks to stay in.  Not a chance, boys.)

Overlooking the Living Room.

Overlooking the Front Door.

Trusses above the Loft.

This is a potential new room, that we discovered could be turned into a useful room, if we could just alter all those trusses.  Thanks to the work of a structural engineer, we'll be able to re-work the trusses, and eventually finish off this otherwise-wasted 15x10 attic space.

Heading back down the stairs.  Ahead is the Master Bedroom.

 

New Master Bedroom furnishings.

"Little" brother R. stopping for his lunch break.  He has been immensely blessed this last year, and agreed that being featured on Big Sis's blog would round out his accomplishments nicely. 

(Actually, I told him to smile because Aunt L. in California would like to see how he's doing.)

Front of the house.
  With lawn ornament.
  I'm thinking of purchasing the ornament from the builder. 
I'm told it would work well to get the van un-stuck the next time I can't get up the driveway.

 

This is our property across the road from the house.  There are large gardens under all that snow.  In the woods, to the left of the playhouse, are our beehives.  We're holding our breath to see how many survive all this cold.

House progress from the road!

Have a good week!  We're anticipating the temperatures to rise into the 20's, and then the 30's.  (And right after that comes Summer!!!  We can't wait...) 

Freezing, Framing, and Phil

There's been some progress this week, as the windchills have let up a little.  (No thanks to Mr. Punxsutawny Phil.)  I'm sorry the picture quality is so lousy.  We're not sure what happened, but it's corrected for next time. 

A little walk around the house.  Here's the garage--

The "back" of the house, but actually what you see from the driveway.  Living on a hillside is complicated.



Looking in the window at the Loft framing.

The Living Room windows.  Schoolroom on the Left.  Library on the Right.

Front of the house.  (The only section left to be framed.) 

Neat framing pics.  Here's the Loft from the front door. 

Roof framing over the Loft.  (By the by, I've just started to picture what sorts of objects the boys are going to try "flying" from the Loft into the Living Room.  Yes, paper airplanes would be nice, but I imagine they'll be launching balls and other accidentally destructive things.  We do have boys after all.)

Living Room.  Seeing our own-design house plans actually taking shape has been an adventure.  Some of the rooms, like this one, are much smaller than we were picturing.  And some (ahem, my kitchen) ended up being larger than we wanted... 'Tis interesting.

Dining Room patio doors and ~trapezoid~ windows.

Hallway to the bedrooms.



Shoveling snow out of the house.  (A chore we don't plan on doing next winter...)

The only one without a cough gets to shovel.

 

New framing over the garage.  See the dormer?

Another dormer on this side of the garage.

The beginnings of a stairway to the upstairs.

Attic space over the garage (almost to pretty to use as storage.)

The new stainless refrigerator (Craigslist purchase #4039), taking up a temporary abode in our entryway.


And....


The Craigslist find-of-the-day (yesterday)...which I'm proudly displaying in our living room--

Many, many thanks to our brothers who helped trek across the state to haul it here....
 



A six-burner, double oven range (to feed my canning addiction.) 

I have been accused of canning snow. 

That is so not true.

Until next time.