Our House Project

We're adding new living quarters to the home in Feeding Hills. Jen and Patrick have allowed us to expand and improve. Here's where you can keep up with our goings on related to this work.

Click an image! In the following web pages, images usually link to more images and slide shows.

FYI - Starting with Week 10, we've changed how we generate web pages so the look will be different. We're using a simpler set of tools.

Our Most Recent Week

Week 17-19 - Getting Close To The End

A lot of time to cover in this section; the work goes in in both large and small increments. Small things take time. We have a heating system running, hardwood floors, new walls going up, a bath floor and vanity, and overall painting going on in various stages of development. Oh, and let's not forget our back deck and we finally connected the upper floors with a doorway.

All Our Other Weeks

Week 1 - foundation, trench, plumbing.

The folks from Houle Builders worked hard with hand digging and hand pouring cement. The plumber came in and laid the sewer and gas line extension to the garage. Then it turned cold.

Week 2 - garage support beams

The center support for the 2nd floor requires engineered beams, columns, and strong arms. Also, we had to wait for the building inspector, and later, for the plumber before the trench in back could be covered up. We hoped that would come before the ground froze. Luckily, all that worked out OK. The builder then used a backhoe and we now have our back yard available again...it just looks torn up. Sprintime will bring with it some new patio work, no doubt. The last thing for the week was to pour the footers for the support columns.

We took delivery of some trusses. The goal is to save some of the ones holding up the existing roof. The builder seems to think most can be saved. It's only a few that require replacement.

One last thing. It turned really cold this week. Ouch!

The final push for the week involved completely emptying the garage. We filled the Pod and then used shelving outside of the sunroom for all the tools and some odds and ends. We also had to clean up the side of the barn. That way, work can proceed on the roof next week. The few things we left in the garage will be moved in and out each day, more or less. The refrigerator and freeze may just get moved around. Fortunately, they are on heavy duty wheels.

Week 3 - roof?

The Patriot's started off the week with another amazing football game. During that Sunday afternoon, we did a small bit of work but, mostly, it rained and we were in a holding pattern until...

Week 4 - roof!

The Patriot's won, again, this week but not with the dominance of previous efforts. They are human, after all. A win is a win, though. Oh, and our builders are back.

Oh, and this week we have Christmas. Happy Holidays to everyone!!!

Week 5 - Our New Floor And Roof

It was a short week for the builders, but the managed to complete a lot. As Roger Houle told me, "Big stuff goes up fast".

Week 6 - Moving To The Middle

Other than finishing up some trim work on the new roof over the garage and its 2nd floor (our new space), the builders need to connect the structures. That's "The Middle". What we have going from the sun rooms to the garage has to, more or less, come down completely and then go up, up, up!

Week 7 - Windows Have Arrived

The windows arrived this week and it didn't take long for them to start getting themselves installed. In all fairness, it's cold and it will help with the work if the builders can heat the room over the garage while the rest of the work gets done. We also received the roofing. It's sitting in the garage.

Oh, and what a heck of a snow storm! We ended up with 19 inches in one day. It took two days to shovel ourselves out. The snow blower died, so a lot of the work had to be done by hand. Fortunately, we got enough done so that we didn't impede the contractors and work continued.

We have walls going up, too. We can finally start getting a sense of what this will be like when it's done.

Week 8 - And Now It's Our Stairs

We've had our second major storm in as many weeks. You would think this puts a crimp in our project timetable and, to small degree, it does. But we've managed to keep the driveway cleared in just enough time for the arrival of our builders who, more than likely, are dealing with snow issues of their own!

This week, we seem to be getting stairs. This will make it much easier to get into the rooms above the garage because, so far, it's required a steep ladder climb.

Week 9 - Roof, Electrical, and Plumbing

We've had our second major storm in as many weeks. You would think this puts a crimp in our project timetable and, to small degree, it does. But we've managed to keep the driveway cleared in just enough time for the arrival of our builders who, more than likely, are dealing with snow issues of their own!

Week 10 - Roof, Electrical, and Plumbing

We have had some serious weather recently - that means lots of snow. But, despite that, we're seeing electrical on the interior and the siding is going up on the outside.

Week 11 and 12 - Electrical and Insulation

Things moved inside for the most part. The siding and electrical work had to be finished up before the inspections making room for, after that, a serious amount of insulation work. Of course, we still had all that snow lying about, getting in the way.

We have a lot of repetitive photos here and they're in place as record holders. There's no expectation that we could wow anyone at this point. The big stuff (wow factor material) has already been done.

Next step? Big picture window, heating system. OK, that's a bit of wow factor that's coming.

Our Most Recent Week

Week 13 - Window and Heating

A mixed bag of weather for the week, but steady progress nevertheless. We had a big window installed which made a world of difference in the first floor level. The interior mostly involved placement of holes for heating ducts, installation of the furnace, and the start of duct work.

Our Most Recent Week

Week 14 - Window and Heating

Work continued on electrical, plumbing, and heating and with an inspection, we're finally seeing sheetrock going up. It's getting exciting. Oh, and we got our new door, too!

Week 15 - Heat And Sheetrock

The heating system finally got installed and that meant that the sheetrock could get started and get mostly done.

Week 16 - Joint compound, blue board, sheetrock, tape, men on stilts, what fun!

Joint compound, blue board, sheetrock, tape, men on stilts (no pictures, though), what fun!