Housebuilding: Week 5

It seems as though a lot has not happened this past week.  We started our 5th week of housebuilding with another wall raising.  Now the house was actually starting to look like a building as we entered the weekend of projects.  

Following the very busy Father's Day weekend the inside walls for the main floor of the house were all built and put up.  Now Andrew can run from one room to another and ask "who sleeps here?"  only to be confused when I keep answering "no one".  

I am excited for this next week and what it brings with beams and added heights and additional people.  The beams were delivered and although they will sit until Monday morning, I love seeing the potential that comes with 2 huge stacks of beautiful hemlock.   It is kind of like watching the potential in a little boy observing his father being a man; you know he is taking notes in his head for the day when he is required to do manly work.

Saturday Activities

Saturdays have been filled with around the house projects.  We have done a little here and there to help prepare our new house to be a home. Earlier this year I was able to purchase some granite blocks at a great price and as soon as we had a platform on the first floor, Tyler, Eli and I put them into place.  They are not in permanently as they really need to sit and settle for a year, but they certainly make it easier to get "into" the house.

Housebuilding: Week 4

I cannot believe that it has been another week already.  With that said, I don't even remember what stage we were at in the building process last Thursday.  I am sure glad that I have a camera to remind me.

All ready for the first floor decking!

Here is the first wall almost ready to be stood up.

We have such wonderful friends and family.  They came out in the mist and rain to help raise the first 2 exterior walls of the house.

As I type, here the house sits, ready for the remainder of the first floor exterior walls to be stood up straight and proud.

Isn't it handsome?  Just look at all that beautiful loam and fresh farm hay!

What's a Family to do?

After many days of rain, Saturdays filled with work and 4 rambunctious boys; A Sunday afternoon at the beach was needed.  Sure it was a little chilly and windy, but going to the beach on a Sunday afternoon brings joy even in the coldest of weather.  I love Sundays!

John, Sara and Samantha joined us on our little adventure.  It was wonderful being able to spend some time with friends and simply enjoy an afternoon without a to-do list. That is what makes Sunday afternoons so fabulous! 

If you get chilled at the beach, have no fear, Samantha will gladly help you bury your legs in the warm sand.

There is nothing quite like the warm breeze on your face!

Even though Eli knows Sunday is not our day to work, he cannot help but try building something with the treasure on the beach. 

Housebuilding: Week 3

 It seems odd that the weeks that I have setup for updates go from Thursday to Wednesday, but that makes it easiest on me.  It also leaves me wondering how to word some of my sentences.  Do I say, we started last week with the pouring of a brand new concrete floor in the crawlspace, or do I say we ended it that way.  relatively speaking, the "beginning of last week"  for a Thursday posting would be last Thursday and Friday.  So that is the format that I am going to adopt.

The boys were so excited to put their handprints in the new concrete floor. I searched everywhere for a 2011 quarter instead of having to write it, but alas, not a single bank in Monmouth or Winthrop had a single new quarter.

As I said, we began last week with a new floor in the crawlspace.  Of course, the boys had to watch them pour the entire thing.  I keep thinking these guys are going to get sick of my men watching everything they do.  Thankfully we rotate to different sub-contractors often enough; by the time they start getting annoyed they are done with their job and we are onto someone else.  With the concrete work done by Friday we were ready to start wood building on Monday morning, and that is exactly what our builder Rod did!  He started bright and early Monday morning by receiving lots of beautifully yellow 2 X 10s and plywood and studs.  There are few things as exciting as new wood waiting to be put to good use.  

Can you believe that I had 3 grown men working at once on Tuesday morning?  I kind of like being the foreman for a building project.  Troy is digging the trench for the well guy, who is laying the pipe for the well, and Rod is working on the structure. 

I find myself drawn to the progress at the land.  Tyler and I often find ourselves driving to go see the work that has been done during the day while he was at the office and I was on the phone.  Admittedly I spend my days on and off the phone trying to order materials, setup electrical pole installations, and gain those last few quotes so that I can stay one step ahead of the crew at the house.  After all, I don't want Rod coming over to build only to find that he is out of lumber.  What a disaster that would be!!

Tuesday night we brought Ayla and the boys out to see the progress.  Here are the joists almost ready for a nice new deck to be installed.

The Art of Stacking One's Muddy Shoes by the Door

Ask anyone in Maine and they will proclaim:  Mud Season is over!  But not at the Smith house.  Oh no,  when you have a very large machine moving dirt everywhere for weeks on end you can enjoy mud season all Summer long!  I only hope that we can get that area finished and seeded with grass before too long.  I am not sure my car can survive the ever flowing intake of sand, clay, and mud.  

Housebuilding: Week 2

Thursday last week the walls were poured.  Here they are directly after with the forms still on them.

I have decided that in an attempt to be organized in my record keeping I am going to attempt to update my blog with one housebuilding post a week.  That isn't to say I won't have other posts in between about more important issues, but on every Thursday I will try to post the progress of our house for the past week.  That way you can all celebrate and watch our home being built with us. 

And here they are with the forms off headed into the long weekend.

What did Tyler and I do Memorial Day? We tarred half of the foundation in 86 degree weather and very bright sun.  It was glorious!

We finished the tarring on Tuesday, and on Wednesday our excavator extraordinaire did some backfilling and drainage to prepare the foundation for a nice floor.  Here it is Wednesday night eagerly awaiting the brand new smooth concrete floor to come on Thursday.