It's Not Cramped, It's Cozy!

Ed finished the interior framing this weekend. Man, that bedroom is tiny! It's about 10'x10', more or less, which is about the same size as our guest bedrooms now. It will be livable, but only just. We had friends that lived in a cab-over camper for a year while their place was being built, and they had a toddler! We only have a dog and three cats. We can do this.

This is the kitchen. The refrigerator will be first along the left wall, then counter space. The double sink will be under the double window, then the counter will run to the right to the wall (bedroom wall) , turning into desk under the large window. We'll have an island, about 4'x6' that will have the stovetop and oven, and an eating counter. Can you see it?

Ed spent most of Tuesday morning finishing up and cleaning up for the rough framing inspection. The building department here has been pleasant, helpful and easy to work with. But having an inspection is like having your teeth cleaned. They don't hurt you, but you hate it anyway. All went well, of course. Ed is pretty precise about his projects. It was a milestone though. One baby step down, 150 baby steps to go!

Windows and exterior doors come Monday. Of course, it's supposed to start raining this week, and we won't see the sun for a while.

He Was Framed

Sunday it was raining a bit, and Ed helped a neighbor install a pellet stove, but by the afternoon, he was back up working on our project. We decided to go with Milgard Tuscany windows for the apartment. They were lower priced than some, but not rock bottom. Because the windows are custom, they get pretty darned pricy very very fast, so we decided to conserve here and spend the big bucks on the house. But we also didn't want the windows so different they would be visually jarring when the house and garage are complete. To make a long story longer, the sliding door and transom show as one unit on the house, but Milgard Tuscany windows don't come that way and had to be made as separate units. So, Ed had to put a header in between the door and the transom. He also finished framing the arched windows both front and back.

Ed started framing the interior walls on Monday, and into Tuesday. That's the fun stuff. This is where I can really sense what it will look like. Ed is visual..he can see it all in his head. I'm tactile, and have a tough time until the hardware is up.

For instance...above is the pantry. The kitchen will start on the right side of that wall. First the fridge, then cabinets, and the sink will be centered between the two windows. The coat closet is the same size, on the opposite side of the door.

This is the bathroom, and the bedroom closet will be to the left of the..um..left wall..you know..Anyway ..the bedroom walls aren't up yet, and there is more (and more, and more) blocking to go in for the sheetrock, but hopefully by next Tuesday afternoon, Ed can call for his framing inspection.

Finally as the weekend comes to an end, it's always good to stop. Smell the air. Hear the sound of a thousand crisp maple leaves drifting their way to ground, and the creek singing as it glides toward the Mighty Columbia. Elk call out their challange to one another. Ravens gronk as they settle in the tree tops. Life is good. Say thank you.

One Two Red Blue

No....I didn't forget. It's just that things have taken a slight detour. Ed hurt his hand and hasn't been able to use the hammer. Weekend before last we gave it all a rest and took off for Portland for the day. We went to Lumber Liquidators to see what they had to offer. Then we went around the corner to check out the high-end plumbing fixtures. We don't plan on getting too carried away with the apartment above the garage, but it's nice to see what the choices are. And what choices there are! Brass, bronze, copper, chrome, stainless steel, granite, onyx, concrete, porcelain, soapstone, glass...and that's just sinks and faucets. Did you know there are electrified toilets? Lids that go up automatically, go down silently, heated seats, quiet flushes, one button flushes, two button flushes ..red flushes blue flushes. No,wait, that's Dr. Seuss' bathroom.
It was fun to see all the stuff though. Go figure..I zeroed in on the cute little faucet that was only $850. That's a water faucet...not a champagne faucet! We'll be skipping that one!
We did manage to get the Mustang pushed back into the garage. That's a good thing because winter is right around the corner. Ed hooked a big old tire to the front of the tractor and pushed the car ever slow slowly while I sat inside and steered..which I hate. I was scared to death I'd steer it right into one of those pillars we just put in. But we managed to get it in there without hitting anything!
This last weekend Ed's hand was much better so he was back at it. Unfortunately all the stuff he did was not camera-friendly so I don't have any pictures. He put in more blocking, nailed off the rest of the hurricane clips and finished nailing off the plywood.
Finally on Tuesday he started framing the interior walls. By next weekend he should have the majority of the interior walls framed in. Once he is done with that....(drumroll please) we can call for the framing inspection!

Bats In The Belfrey!

Sunday Ed put up the scaffolding on the east side of the project. He'll probably leave it up for the duration, since he will need it to put in windows and shingles and stuff. Just getting the scaffolding up took the better half of the day.


Monday he started hanging the plywood for that side. He nailed up some blocks along the wall and lifted the plywood, set it on blocks, lifted the plywood set it on blocks, moved to the next tier of scaffolding, and started over. Lifted the plywood, set it..well you get the picture. After doing that all day, he got the Big-Boy-Backrub.
After fighting the rain through half of August, it feels good to get the roof complete and the walls up. It looks really different from inside. I spent some time topside, laying rope and electrical cords on the floor where the kitchen cabinets and interior walls will be, trying to fix in my mind how the rooms will feel, besides small, which is a given.

Those are the views...west, east, south and north.
We're due for rain next week too, so Tuesday Ed wrapped the chimney with roofing paper, and tarped the door opening. Windows and doors have to go in before the real winter stuff hits, but for this storm, we're calling it good. The rest of Tuesday was spent cleaning up the jobsite and doing a few pre-season chores like tarping the part of the woodpile not covered already, and cleaning out the woodstove chimney flue. Did you know that if a little bat gets trapped in your chimney in the summer, the little bat-mummy just doesn't weigh anything at all! Poor thing...and HOW does a lizard get up on the roof and inside there? Ed vacuumed out two dead bats, three mummified lizards, and rescued one live lizard (after a brief E ticket ride through the shop vac).
I'm pretty sure Ed will be framing interior walls next week. WoHoo!