Interior Shots

This morning Bill and I had the walk through with the electrician, Pat and contractor, Alan to discuss the electrical requirements for the building. I started snapping photos as we were moving through the building and thought I would feature interior shots on this post.

This is a shot of the sleeping alcove. It is right off the main room and the window is the one above the garage doors. It actually has as much square footage as the bedroom in the old house. It is just a different shape - long and narrow.

Here is another peek at the space.

This is a view from the sleeping alcove into the main room.

This is the space for the Kitchen. This weekend I plotted out the layout using Ikea components.

Yes, we even get a bathroom. The tub is here and just fits! Which, of course, was the plan. It will be deep enough to soak in!

Here are a couple of views of the entry to the apartment and the bathroom. The middle door is for the stackable washer and dryer.

This will be a cozy corner for reading, the computer or just doing laundry!

This is a view heading down the stairs.

This is another view from the return heading down the stairs to the entry area.

They have started to wrap the exterior to prepare for the siding. This is a new product which is designed to breathe but, not let water penetrate. This is like some of the new high tech fabrics used in outdoor clothing.

This is a view of the backside along the alley.

Our neighbors have been asking if we will be serving coffee and latte's out of the stairwell window!

Too Cold to Work!

As many of you know, the temperatures in this part of the world dropped in to the teens and lower the second week of December. Alan's team found the compressor frozen one morning and had to set it in the old house to get it to warm up. After a couple of days, they retreated to Alan's warm shop to work on other projects. We supported that decision!

This is a view from the upstairs studio apartment. On a clear day, Mt. Hood is in view.

Both Bill and I had been away from the house for three weeks. During that time the roof on the pool area was completed. The garage doors were installed and most of the sheathing was completed. The space for the washer and dryer was built along with finalizing the frames for the windows. The windows are due in January.

Early January will see the pool installation and work on

that room to enclose it to the elements. As you can see, the posts that will be between the windows are in place and things are taking shape in that space.

This weekend I actually got to park in the garage! It was nice to unload in a dry space!

Happy Holidays to all!

Santa's Helper!

Tis the Season for Christmas parties! After our family gathering in Portland last weekend, Dad (one of Santa's Helpers) dropped by and took these photos for the blog.

The crew is working hard to get the building all sealed up to help secure the place and to protect them from the cold. The photo above is exciting because the roof of the pool is framed and sheathed. We can now

see what the over all building is really going to look like from the exterior.

The windows, front door, roof and garage doors doors have been ordered. The elves (Alan, Zach and Mike) plan to have the building sealed up soon. Alan also wants to have us parking in the garage by Christmas. That sounds like a pretty good christmas present to me!

Bill is in Bahrain right now. So, I am going to put in a couple of other photos for him to enjoy.

Happy Holidays!

Covered up!

On Thanksgiving Day I put up the Christmas tree! It took Bill a little while to find it, he finally saw it after dark!
This is a view of the north side of the building. You can see where the sleeping area is to the east and the windows on the north side are for the kitchen and bathroom.
This is a better view of the sleeping area to the east and the main room to the south. The view of Mt. Hood is great.
Next week they will start in on the roof for the pool area and the end walls.

A Roof for Santa to Land on!

This week the trusses were put into place for the studio apartment. The goal is to get the roof framed and sheathed on the entire building before Thanksgiving. That will make the place snug and secure for working in the inclement weather. In this picture you can see the frame for the bay on the east side. This will be the sleeping alcove.

Two Stories!

On Sunday Bill and I met with Alan our contractor to review the window placements and style. It was so cold. I only lasted outside about 45 minutes. Alan said once again, the crew may be there on Monday only if they get their bull elks over the weekend!
The second story is well under way. We now have a good idea of how the space will feel and function. The view from the second story is looking very promising. We now know that Bill will be quite comfortable when he is in the "Dog House" or "Penalty Box" as Alan refers to it.

Joann Schwab joined us on Sunday in White Salmon. She got the first class tour along with Prince (her dog) and Pearl. If you think Pearl is bossy now, she will be able to keep her eye on the whole neighborhood from the second story.

No Hunting Today!

On Sunday I spoke to Alan and he said the crew would be out hunting on Monday. Low and behold, I am packing the truck to drive back to Portland and I look over and Zack and Mike are pulling into the driveway. Then the next truck was Alan's. I asked them what was going on and they said "We don't like to hunt in snow! Work sounded more appealing."

So, they began to finish the stairs. As you can see, they have the floor joists in place and the place secured in plastic so they can keep as dry as possible. By the time I return next Sunday, they should have a good portion of the second floor framed.

Up it Goes!

Today the gluelam beam was set in the garage. The forklift that was on site to put the beam in place caught on fire. Yep, there was fire and lots of drama. Good thing half the crew is on the volunteer fire department. They had it out in a matter of minutes. I missed all of the excitement because I was in Hood River picking Pearl up from the dog groomers.

Instead, a crane was brought up from Bingen and they lifted the beam into place in about 5 minutes. They make it look so easy!

Let's Frame!

On Wednesday the slab was poured for the garage. That ended the concrete work for a while. Now it is on to framing! On Friday afternoon I pulled in and found the following sight! How exciting! It is beginning to look like a building.

The project is getting lots of interest from the neighbors and people passing by. A couple of days ago my neighbor said she saw some people out walking their dogs stop by and use the porta potty. That inspired me to put the above note on the door. I thought it would leave some room for question and perhaps make the perpetrators think twice. My plan is to just drive the car up so they cannot open the door and get out. I admit, I have been a little nervous that I might knock it over when I back down the drive. But now I have a purpose!

On Thursday, Bill and I met with trent Wither of Withers Lumber in Woodburn/brooks and picked out our windows. This is getting exciting!

Tarred and Feathered!

There has been a lot of activity on site this week. The stem wall forms were pulled off on Monday and Chris got the job of tarring the cold joints and the retaining walls where the ground will be against the building. The drain pipe has been laid around the perimeter.

Today they poured additional footings and the slab for the entry. The gentleman who did the finish concrete work was the same person who poured the slab for the original carport 30 years ago!

The best news is that the dirt pile between the house and garage has been graded. Now Pearl can sit at the back door and watch all the activity. Zach spread gravel so the can have a dry working area during mud season!

Sunny in White Salmon!

Considering that it was snowing last monday when the crew was working, Zach and Chris are delighted to see the sun! Hard to believe that it is October! Great fall day with wonderful color and shirt sleeve weather. As usual, it is colder inside the old house than it is outside. Just another reminder as to why we are doing this project!

Today the forms are coming off of the stem wall. As they remove the forms they are cleaning them and stacking them for storage. Later in the week, Alan is going to regrade the space between the house and the new building. We will be able to see them working without looking around a wall of dirt. This will help Pearl emencly. She barks when she is tied up on the porch and can hear voices but not see any activity.

The birds are finding their new home.

Mud, Mud, Mud!

This morning Pearl and I climbed out of bed at the crack of dawn. We were up and on our way to White Salmon in time to watch the concrete being poured. By the time we arrived, the site was staged with the pump and hoses. The plumber was also here to make sure the forms were in place for the water line to enter the structure. The concrete truck was expected to roll in at any minute.

It took a little over 8 yards of concrete to fill the forms. One truck was drained and a second came with the remaining material to finish the pour. It took less than an hour to fill the forms. Once the forms were filled, Zach, Chris and Alan began tapping the concrete down into the forms and leveling off the tops.

The last item was placing the lag bolts in the concrete for the cill plates. Once they were finished, I think the team was on their way to nap!

It's Snowing!

The stem wall forms are being put into place! The back corner wall will be almost 4 feet because of the grade. We are stepping the building about 18 inches to work with the grade. However, the hill is bigger than that!

Yesterday was Matthew's last day on the site. Today he is going to work for the Lumber Company down in Bingen. He will be working on the river on the tugboats and barges. Matthew helped us tear down the carport basically get started on the project. This first picture is one of Chris (in the red) and Matthew placing some of the foundation forms.

This photo was taken this morning as Chris (in blue) and Zach place more of the forms. The gentleman standing next to them is Alan's brother Doug. Doug will be doing the insulation for the building. This truly is a family affair. Alan is the contractor. Chris is his son. Zach is his son-in-law. Matthew is his nephew. I guess we will be able to say that this is American built!

It is now snowing and the guys tell me this is better than rain! Less sloppy!

Foundation - At Last!

The foundation is now underway. Last Friday the footings were poured. As you can see, they are stepped for the grade. Today work begins on the stem walls. So far no rain to muck things up.

The Carlock building team, Zach, Chris and Matthew

, are tying the rebar and setting up the forms. I am providing homemade chocolate chip cookies to keep them inspired and motivated.

This morning the house was freezing. I realized that I am going to have to use some of my birthday money to invest in polar fleece to get

through the next 4 months.

On another note, I have noticed the other comforts of home the team brings to the project. A Honey Bucket and a stereo system. The Bosch Stereo is also disguised as a power source. What will those guys think of next for toys on the construction site?