Progress from the Roof to the Basement

Progress has been sporadic since the holidays but construction is back in full swing, with work underway from the roof to the basement.





While Hans is in Vietnam, Trapp has started on the metal roofing over the porches and the dining room.  The metal roofing allows for a lower pitch on the roof and give us a farm house feel, or at least we hope it does.

John has been working on putting up the siding and moving toward the front of the house.  With temperatures in the 40's, it's pretty good weather for getting this done.  However, the snow all around the house is melting and mud season has begun.

The fireplace and flue were installed last week and a test fire was laid.  In one of our first houses, the stone mason said the chimney would "draw so good, it'll suck your cat up and out of the house."  We are hoping this one draws good too, even though we don't have a cat.  The mason is scheduled to come this week to discuss the stone for the fireplace and the hearth.

Gary has continued to work in the basement pullin' wire.  Looks like spaghetti down there.  His work has been difficult because the insulation contractor put up insulation before they should have.  All of that has to come out to complete the HVAC and electrical installation.  So there are insulation mountains in parts of the basement.

More Choices

Bathroom Tile

Wood Floor, Carpet and Trim Color

Bathroom Tile ?

Another Possible Bathroom Tile Combo

Sheetrock

John P. and his crew hung the sheet rock last week and did the entire house in two days.  What a job, Gary and I hung the sheet rock in our first house and learned quickly that we were not very good at it and it isn't a fun job.  The first 12 foot piece we tried to hang on the cathedral ceiling broke in half, 6 feet sections on either side of Gary.  They were hanging pieces 18 feet up in this house, which was another reason to hire pros.  Fortunately the scaffolding has stayed in the living room to help with access to the high walls in the living room.  The only thing left to hang is the garage and hopefully we will have warm weather next week and they will be able to complete the work.

While We Were Gone

We have been in NC for the holidays and got back to Red Lodge on Friday.  We have been gone for a couple of weeks, visiting friends and family and getting warm.  While we were away, Hans and Trapp worked on the siding.  They started on the garage, to get a feel for how it goes up and how the boards fit together.  The wood is Douglas Fir and is already stained and rough sawn, for a rustic farmhouse look.  The company, Montana Timber Products, is based in Missoula.  They will place corner trim after putting up both sides.

 

 While we were gone, we got a couple of feet of new snow and it has been snowing every day since we got back.  This may make it more difficult for the delivery of sheetrock this week. Temperatures are not supposed to be above 35 next week and not much work can occur in that kind of cold.

The Subs

Number 1 Subcontractor

Gary has been working furiously to finish the electrical work before we head back to NC for Christmas.  The electrical inspection is scheduled for Wednesday and he is making up the last panel. Everything else is complete, except for the outside lights on the porches.  Before we insulate, the electrical work must be approved.  Montana is a funny state, no building permit required, no inspections on the building, but we must have the electrical work inspected.  The wild west has always been about upholding individual rights, with minimal governmental interference.

The plumbing and heating contractors have also been busy.  They should both be done prior to the insulation on Friday of this week.

Porches

The final grade will be about 3' higher

Hans and Trapp have been working on the porch this week, creating a place to enjoy the view of the Elk Rearing Range.  The surface is made of a composite material that should stand up to the intense sun on the west side of the house.  They needed to get this completed so that they can build the enclosure for the fireplace.  And the fireplace must be completed so that we can insulate the walls.  It's

FIreplace

all connected and it has to be completed in the proper  order.

Inside Work

Gary  is doing the electrical work, which is slow going when you don't have anyone at the end of the wire pushing it through.  This weekend, he had help, but they were pretty inexperienced and worth about what he was paying them.

While we were away, there was a lot of activity at the house, mostly inside the house.  Plumbing, heating, and insulation contractors all made good progress.  Also while  we were away,  we got our well drilled and the gas line run to the house.  It is wonderful that we can soon have water and gas inside the house, but not quite how we had hoped.  From the time we completed our application for gas, it took the gas company 2 months to trench in the line.  Unfortunately in that time, the ground froze.  Consequently  they needed to defrost the earth, which is not a cheap proposition.  Picture huge electric blankets with insulation covering an area 20 feet by 150 feet. 

The well was equally expensive, they drilled 410 feet and only got 3 gallons per minute.  The driller witched the lot and thought he found the best spot, but his magical powers must have been weak that day.   We will have enough for household use, but not for a garden.  Our choices are either to bury a cistern or dig another shallow well for irrigation.  We can wait on that decision till next summer.