Busy busy

Just a few shots as it's late and I'm T-I-R-E-D.  

West side metal is nearly done.  HAve to install the door now,  to keep going.  South is all done, though there's no trim on the corners yet,  so it looks a little rougher than it will soon.

Besides getting more siding on this week,  we got the electricity run to the house.  Although the inside is not wired yet,  we did get temp lights in the basement and a few outlets so that we no longer need to run extension chords up from the mobile home for tools....  Small things make a big difference! 

The first floor-- all except for the window seat bump out seen below will be plastered with a lime plaster-- so there will be a contrast in textures as well as colors.  

Over and out from the gorgeous gulag.  

Keepin' at it

Surprise surprise, the metal  siding work is going slower than I though it would.  How unusual! 

 

In part it's that there are lots of details at the eaves and gables that I need to  finish before the siding can be cut.  That's the case in the picture below, where we're working under the eave

 (whilst the concrete truck is in the background -- more on that later.)

The metal material is pretty  demanding to work with -- lots of little cuts and snags this week --and also little nicks where the sparks hit when you cut.  It's pretty dramatic: 

Although there's no one section that's complete,  we are pleased with the color and with the nice lines of the deep corrugation that we chose.  And the time spent sweating the details has so far paid off in that it's coming out pretty tidy.  Once again I can only say that you'll have to come see for yourself,  because neither the color nor the setails show to well in these tiny pics. 

  

I had loyal Fred pour the concrete slabs at the front and kitchen doors this week, so that  we can finally get those porch roofs on next.

Compared to the previous pours,  this was simple and low tech.

And the results make quite a difference to what it feels like to approach the house.   Above is one side and below is the other. 

The dogwoods are starting to bloom.  

 

My job is not to lose my head,  as happened in this picture!

Busy week impersonating a GC

Indeed this was a busy week. 

On Monday the weather was finally glorious so it was time to remove the billowy tarp and glue down the EPDM (kinda like rubber) sheet that waterproofs the almost flat roof that forms the balcony/deck on the west side of the house.  

   

In the picture below you can see the sheet folded over as the glue was drying: 

Tuesday was a day of many subcontractors.  Pulled from here to there by the questions and needs of those performing three separate operations,  I was reminded of my days as a manager. I got nearly nothing done with my own two hands,  but the electrical trench was dug,  conduit run, inspection passed and then the trench refilled so that our driveway was once again passable. At the same time we got a hole for the underground gas tank,  and the gravel for the concrete slabs at the main and back entry was placed.  In the middle of it all I had a consultation with a possible lime plasterer.   It was so hectic that I didn't take any pictures!  

Next day was a little calmer,  so I got a coupla pics of the gas tank being dropped into its spot.  

Still later it was time for delivery of the metal roofing and siding material:   another boom truck operation. 

Meanwhile my job was to get the redwood decking down onto the balcony so that the rubber sheet is protected as we get started moving all the metal up and up. 

The deck was a delightful job for me.  Wood -- beautiful wood -- and materials and concepts that I know how to work with!  I worked alone, and late,  enjoying myself.   

The weather kept us inside one day,  but on friday it was finally time to start working with the  corrugated siding.

As always,  the beginning was slow because there's so much to figure out about a new material. 

So the week ended with just a tantalizing bit of the nice green metal up.But  as little as it is,  I ended the work week feeling euphoric.  For one thing,  the material is exactly as I hoped it would be,  in  terms of the color and the way it looks.  (Hard to capture right now,  but the corrugations are deeper than the standard that you see around a lot,  so it's a stronger line that you see...  )  And beyond that,  it's the very tiny start of the thing looking as I have for so long been picturing it in mind's eye.    And that really is a lotta fun.   

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Crawling the walls

This past week we got some scaffolding delivered and then set up -- a job in itself.  The first use for it is so that Sebastian could scratch coat (seal with a cement and sand mixture) the parts of the house that I hope we will be siding in metal in the coming weeks.   

THen we'll use it to place that very metal,  and when some of the other trim details are finished,  it will go back to the scaffold rental place. 

I've been working on finishing various windows while he's been up there.   

The coming week will be a full one,  with  visits from electrician and excavator in preparation for bringing power to the house,  as well as getting various work done so that slabs can be poured at the front and back door.  We'll see what we have to show for it next week. 

In the meantime,  spring has sprung so that Barley and I can take our post workday walk in dappled sunshine now,  rather than by moonlight.    This is the ridge walk,  just above the house: