Design

M y Sunday drive found some more work done at the new home. Window trim, soffits, copper roof, front porch floor and support beam are done. This coming week the framers should finish up with the stairs leading up to the porch and a few other minor items. My daughter, Ann's, baywindow bedroom has a deeper than normal closet to later accomodate a mainfloor laundry room ... it's now had the plumbing roughed-in. Everything is moving right along. We had snow flurries and sleet today ... with some snow showers expected tonight.

W e have windows!! (a nice surprise today)

ROOF IS UP ... I'm so happy, so very happy ! L ast week it rained inside my new home ... the roof was not completely covering the top of the house. There was water everywhere ... but by the following day, it was 90% dried out ... Now it can rain all it wants, as long as the wind doesn't blow rain sideways through the window openings. The color is called mission brown ... so is my basement floor color (um). Two bathtubs have been "installed", the rough-in plumbing for the entire house is about completed, and the bonus room above the garage now has a framed end wall, flooring, stairs, and the bathroom. Here's a few pictures I took today.

W alls, roof trusses, stairs ... beginning to take shape. Tomorrow (Friday) I'm off to pick out bathroom and kitchen tile and countertops. Photos: 10/12/06 of new home under construction ... furry friend ?? Just a visitor that my kids thought I should have brought home!

T his past week interior walls, doors, windows and one of two stairways were framed. Plus 80% of the exterior walls were covered over, and they started building the front porch. Ann's closet was expanded a bit to eventually convert to a main floor laundry room, and I gave up a corner cabinet of the kitchen to put in another very convenient doorway (before, there was just one way in and one way out). Next week we should start on the second floor above the garage and the roof trusses. Progress is sweet. Photo: Ann standing near the storageroom door near walkout basement, 10/6/06

Photos: Showing framing today ... including the garage.

T hursday: This week has gone well (so far) with the framing company. They are doing an excellent job ... and I'm sure to tell them whenever I catch the foreman on site. This evening I managed to "drag" Nathan and the dog Holly, both on tethers (big smile) up to the property. This alone is quite a fete as they both seem to want to go in different directions (at once)! As you can see from the photos, Nathan found his room and posed by his "window" opening. There was a small measurement problem ... probably a miscommunication with the draftsman. I told him my dining room needs to be 12'x12' (I'm thinking all along inside measurements) ... he made it that size from the outside measurements ... thus, giving me an 11'x 11-1/2' room; making the width a bit too tight with my buffet cabinet. My (wonderful) builder was able to fix the problem by making a slight adjustment to the pantry and adding a "bump-out along affected wall. I...