Fireplace Stonework Complete

Our neighbor worked today to finish the fireplace so that the painters can continue their work tomorrow. Ken has done a great job. He will also do the stonework on the outside of the house and will build some stone retaining walls.


Looking down from the loft:

Week-end work on fireplace

Well, you're going to get a crick in your neck, trying to look at some of these pictures! I had them turned right in the computer, but when I posted them, they turned back and I can't get them fixed. I'm tired of trying to figure it out, so I'm just leaving them the way they are in hopes that you can get a good enough idea of the progress on the fireplace. Ken has been working today (Saturday) on the mortar, and these show what it looked like late this afternoon. He plans to finish it tomorrow (Sunday) so that the painters can get to work on Monday. The photo of the garage shows the completed siding.

Garage, Fireplace and Stairs

The first two photos show the work that was done today on the garage siding. Our neighbor, Ken, is working on the stone around the fireplace. I think it's like working a giant jigsaw puzzle, so it's moving more slowly than the work on the garage. The painters will wait until Ken has finished the fireplace before they continue their work, hopefully the beginning of next week. The stairway down to the ground floor (basement) is looking good! Tim & Eli are doing a great job. By the way, this is Cheryl posting now. Larry wanted to make sure that I could handle this before he leaves Friday for eastern Europe. I'll be posting pictures daily over the next 10-12 days so that Larry can track the progress on the house while he's gone.

Progress on Garage

As you can see, the garage is shaping up quickly. They just started the framing yesterday (first picture). The second picture was taken this afternoon (Tuesday). The painters have been doing preliminary work inside - caulking, covering the floors -- and today they primed all the trim. If they continue to have as many guys working as they did today, the painting will go very quickly! Ron & his crew are working on the stairways, and work has begun on the stone around the fireplace. Lots going on. It's raining tonight, so it will be a muddy mess out there tomorrow.

Wet and Cold, but warm inside

We finally got the slab and retainer wall for the garage poured. We had to wait for a day when the ground was frozen for the cement trucks to get up the hill. The ground is frozen this am so we will have the wood and trusses delivered today for the garage. Framing should begin on Monday.
Note there are only three columns up. There will be four, but Lowe's did not have the base and cap for the fourth one, so it is back-ordered.
On the inside the hardwood floors were finished yesterday, so all floors are finished. Today the cabinets will be delivered!! (Cheryl said to put those exclamations in there. She has worked hard on getting this order done).
Pending completing work on the stairs (treads, risers, ballusters, railing, etc.) and some trim work, the painters should start the first of next week.
The stones for the fireplace and outside trim were ordered this week. We will work on the fireplace once the painters are finished. Work on the natural stones on the retaining walls will be going on the first of next week.

Hardwood floors started

Two workers have started the hardwood floors on the main floor. The wood is prefinished oak. The photo below is in the master closet, and the floor has not been cleaned, yet. Ater two days they have finished the closet and master bed room and started in the great room. Looks like they will need four more days to complete the hardwood.

Finally concrete on the hill

Two concrete trucks rolled up our hill this morning before daylight. They came early before the ground thawed so they would have better traction after the wrecker had to come and pull one of them off the hill last week. They also poured the front porch and footings for a retainer wall between the garage and the house.

After we have another drying spell, one truck will return to pour the three foot retaining wall on two sides of the garage slab. Later we will pour the drive and a turn-around at the top and the bottom of the drive.