Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

We seem to be stuck in a weather pattern that includes rain at the wrong time.  The guys were able to get some of the SIPs and the framing in to support them.  But not a lot of progress.

House Site 5/8/2016

We do have a new family starting on the property.  The Tree Swallows are starting to nest.  These two little eggs are in the nest box on the machine barn. I have also seen a Phoebe and some Barn Swallows flying around.  I will be interested to see who takes over the other nests in the barn.

Tree Swallow Eggs in Barn Nest Box

As of today, we have a Morning Dove Family, Bluebird Family and a Tree Swallow family in the barn.

The Weather....

...it hasn't does us a lot of favors.  We have had a lot of wind and rain.  I am trying not to complain because we need it but it is slowing down progress at the house site.  Mother Nature, I will make you a deal-you can rain all you want at night if you will be dry and not raining during the day.  I doubt she will take the deal. 

House Site 4/30/2016

The guys spent what time they could work erecting a pretty elaborate scaffolding system so they can start putting up the SIPs when the weather is good.They were able to start putting in some of the SIPs over the great room. SIPs are the things setting in front of the house.  They are a sandwich of 8.5 inches of Styrofoam between two sheets of plywood.

On a happier note, we have babies.  The Eastern Bluebird babies in the machine barn have hatched.  Mom and dad are working hard to keep them fed.  One fell asleep with a bug in his mouth.

Baby Eastern Bluebirds

Someone has a new house.....

....and it isn't us.  They were able to get four major beams placed in the great room and the side walls up this week.  Now that those are up, hopefully we will be able to move forward faster.

House Site 4/23/2016

Now the new homeowners are Eastern Bluebirds.  I had been making bird boxes for the Bluebirds and the Tree Swallows.  I was treating the outside with Tung oil in the machine barn before I put them up.  I left one drying a little longer than usual because I had ran out of mounting posts.  When I went to move it, I found someone had already made it a home.

Nest Box in Machine Barn

Bluebird Eggs

We already have a hatched clutch of five Bluebird babies in one of the nest boxes at the back of the property.  Glad I could provide a new family a home.  There is also a Morning Dove that has decided to nest in the machine barn.  When the Barn Swallows show up, the machine barn is going to be a crowded place.

Look wildflowers

It was another slow week at the house site.  It was windy and it rained.  We could use more rain but the wind is welcome to go somewhere else.

They finished putting the sheeting on the roof over the loft room.  That allowed them to put the ice guard and roofing paper on that part of the roof.  They used a lot of yellow head nails to put the paper down.  They are suppose to help keep the paper from blowing off.  This should be a good test case.  One of the major beams in the great room was placed, and they got the garage floor ready for a concrete pour.

House Site 4/16/2016

The weather was nice, so I went in search of wildflowers.  The cold of the previous weekend took out most of the blooms but there were still a few in bloom and pretty leaves.  Enjoy

Trout Lily Leaves

May-apple Popping Up

Blood Root Leave

Wild Violets

Rue Anemone

Hope the weekend weather carries into next week.

I thought it was Spring

Somethings got done on the house site, but not as much as I would like.  I would like the house done yesterday, but I realize that isn't possible.;-).  This week's lack of great advances was due to weather and supply chain issues.

We had snow this weekend, but before that was the wind that comes prior to the fronts.  David and his guys were going to work on roof over the great room this week, but the wind made it unsafe for them.  Completely understand, so I am glad they didn't risk injury.  Plus, the SIPs for the roof didn't show up until Friday.

So, they spent a day or so doing the little things that would allow them to be ready for bigger things.  They filled the wall cracks with foam and then tapped the joints.  David was joking with us that once this house is built we might have to go outside to breath.;-)  Well, at least we won't have to worry about the wind.

Foamed Panel Joint

Taped Panel Joints

Poured the concrete footers for the garage and installed the metal support posts.

Garage Footers and Steal Support Posts

House Site 4/10/2016

Thing Two is hoping for warmer, less windy weather next week.

Thing Two and His Pink Blankie

We have trusses

The guys finished roughing in the walls of the loft room and getting the support beams in place.

Framed in Loft Room

Then they were able to put up some of the upper trusses.  Not the whole truss system, but the ones over the loft room area.  The upper center trusses will extend out over the great room to the front wall.  There are a some problems with the design of the front wall and David and his guys are trying to work it out.

Part of Top Truss System in Place

They completed the back wall of the loft room.  They also started working on the top seal plate around the rest of the house.

Back of House

It was a very productive week.  It is coming together slowly but surely.

House Site 4/2/2016

Big Doings

House Site 3/27/2016

We have a loft room.  That means we are another step closer to getting a roof.

This week started by putting in some beams and the sub-flooring for the loft room.

Great Room Beams in place

Loft Room Sub-Flooring in Place

 The plywood decking was placed and by Thursday another boom truck was on the job site to place the walls for the loft

Boom Truck Moving Panel into Place

It is a heck of a view from the loft but unfortunately it will be covered up by roof.  However, before that happens, someone enjoys hanging out up there.

View From Loft

View Vulture Setting in Loft

The hopefully soon to be resident jack-legs (me and the significant other) got the last of the back wall rubberized.  Also, finished the drain system and covered it with gravel.  We like to have some skin in the game, plus we are cheap in some ways. ;-)

Here is to hoping that the roof trusses start going in next week.