Finishing Touches...

While there still remain a few bits and pieces of trim work to do the majority of the renovations are complete. Sure there are a few trim pieces yet to be placed or replaced. And there is a door or two to set, but the finishing of the wall behind the wood stove is symbolic of wrapping this 2+ year project up.

At the top of the wall you might notice my grandfather's lumber saw.  I remember working with him cutting down trees with a two man saw that seems to have disappeared over the years. But this one remains.  While my generation was raised in the 1960s suburban sprawl, the saw is nevertheless symbolic of the traditions and love of the family for the more rustic and rural lifestyle, where hard work endured rather than long hours put in is valued, and personal honesty and integrity mean more than personal connections.

On the bathroom wall is a photocopy (I have stained with tea to look old and framed in a birdseye maple frame my father made) of a brochure for Coe's Screw Wrenches.  The wrenches belonged to one of Carol's great-great grandfathers.  We've decorated the entire cabin with toys belonging to grandparents and other antiques as well as wood carved items from the various countries in which we have lived and worked, as a reminder to our children and grandchildren of whence they've come. But I digress...

 

Back to the woodstove wall. As previously mentioned (in this prior post) we used a faux stone which provided better adhesion to the cement board than natural stone would.  It's called Valley Forge Fieldstone. We used a mortar type of caulk between the stones to mimic the mortar look we wanted and left a smaller space between the stones than is usually the case in such applications.

But another real blessing in all of this was the kindness that capped off our finishing touches.  Just the other day, a local person I've grown to respect deeply dropped a very generous almost 2 facecords load of the most beautiful hickory, cut and split.

The blessing of rural life is how much people care for each other.  Back at the beginning of this post I mentioned the rural lifestyle. There are those that will never get it.  They'll refer to us as hillbillies whether were flat-landers or not. They'll accuse us of living in such places as this to avoid the "real life" of cities and suburbs.

But my response is always a - "Nope. We're not hiding. We're not avoiding. We're living an authentic sustainable life which few city dwellers could EVER endure and will likely NEVER understand. It's culture shock sustained for them. 

We can live on what we get, and rejoice in how the Lord provides without the nonsense of "entitlement." It was 12 degrees this morning.  I lit a fire (greenhouse gasses be cursed) sat back to enjoy a cup of coffee and praised the Lord for His Gracious Mercy.

Hallelujah. Amen!

 

As we enter the homestretch...

 

As we settle in for the winter here at the Halleaday Inn we are reminded of the tremendous blessings that have transpired over the years And yet so too are we mindful of the responsibilities those blessings bring, the primary one being stewardship.

We're entering the homestretch of this gift with which the Lord has blessed us. And we are indeed thankful for the work that we've already been able to accomplish.

After our respite from this work, with travel, we have started back up. Most recently we have gotten more done on the living and dining room ceilings.

As has been mentioned before we maintained the OSB ceiling sheets to keep with the "cabin" look, painted them an oyster white, and added battens to hide the seems.

We still have some minor  work to do, such as this spot (picture to the left) over the dining room table where I still need to add a plate for the lighting fixture before adding the final batten, but since we were entertaining around the holidays we held off...we'll finish this portion off when we address the other and final trim matters...

Next was the wood stove/fire wall.  I'll save you the pictures and just mention that we first installed the cement board leaving an small 3/4" air cavity behind to help mitigate the temperature between the cinder block exterior wall and the  cement board without the use of insulation.  I'm not sure if a professional contractor would agree with this decision or not, but hey, my house, my way, eh? We then used a sakrete quickset mortar mix with an adhesive additive to further quicken the set and applied a Stonecraft Industries faux stone appropriately named Valley Forge Fieldstone. We couldn't be happier with the outcome.  We installed the stone with a thinner than traditional space between stones out of personal preference.  Again, there are some trim pieces that still need to be applied but given our holiday obligations at home and in the community, this will wait until after the new year.

And finally, the Mrs. has added some seasonal decorations as well as some family-related pictures and other decor on the shelves over the windows and some of the walls.

Other additions have include (slightly apparent in the bottom of the first picture above and to the right) in a dark pumpkin or "peppery" color to match the accent walls in the kitchen and near the back door.

 

Upcoming projects include finishing the framing around the doors, building another 12" planked fir (outhouse) style door...yes, we want a "CAMP" look :), and finishing up the trim work to complete the project...all after the first of the year and hopefully before our departure for Africa (see previous post).  In the meantime we pray you will have a blessed Advent (Dec 1-24) and Christmas (Dec 25 - Jan 6) season.  May the Blessings of the Lord be abundantly evident in all aspects of your lives...

 Soli Deo Gloria!

 

 

 

Farewell to Facebook...

(as a reminder all pictures may be enlarged by double clicking on them)  

As I prepared to close my Facebook account and encourage folks to stay in touch via this blog, it occurred to me that it had been 5 months since I had updated it.  Well, there's a lot of water under that bridge so hold on.  I'll try to be brief.

The last posting on this blog found here has, as it's last picture, the kitchen and front entry way with a hint of what was coming.  I had gotten as far as putting some furring strips and foam board insulation on the walls in a portion of the living room.  The living room/dining room areas would be the last major endeavor and that would include putting battens on the ceiling and painting the OSB.  Readers of this blog will recall the manageress/designer's desire to created an ecclectic residential cabin look which maintains some of the more interesting aspects of this former "Snake Pit Rod and Gun Club" property.

So back to the Living Room walls... a part of the issue we faced with this project has been the reality that when it was originally built, it appears that different folks put in efforts at different times and with different levels of motivation.  We found both 1/2" and 3/4" furring strips and 1/2" mixed with 3/4" insulation so that required replacing a number of pieces before adding the second layer of insulation.  With the outside siding work and the inside work we're at about an R-17 to 19 which is sufficient in this application.  As per the rest of the house this was covered with pine tongue and groove.

This treatment, along with the basic cement block construction gives us 9" deep window sills which we both agree really bring it up a notch.

So the almost finished product seems to work pretty well.  We have placed an order for the stone which will go behind the wood stove...

 

 

 

 

     saavy folks might remember these

              doors from this post 

 

I am still a bit flummoxed with the front and rear entry doors.  Neither was installed plumb, although they are level.  It also seems that little thought was given to the finishing of the door jam so there's a 1 inch clearance on the free side and 1/2" on the hinge side...so finishing those will be a challenge, but for now...we can entertain!

As to the next step, we've chosen a manufactured stone veneer called "Valley Forge" Fieldstone produced by Stonecraft Industries. The order has been placed and we're just awaiting pick up. We'll likely use the same color in a "Cobblestone" form for the exterior foundation and the chimney, but that's on next year's project list.

 Next up will be a report on the wood storage shed under continuing construction...it has served to house all of the lumber and will serve, when we're done with the major house renovations, to store the outdoor furniture and Carol's bicycle during the winter months...

I still have a few tweaks, like finishing upon the ceiling battens, but just for review:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mostly, kinda', sorta'...

And the kitchen is mostly, kinda', sorta' done.  Battens have been cut, oiled and installed on the ceiling. The countertops arrived perfectly cut (although the backsplashes were all 4" too long so some onsite cutting took place).  But all-in-all the Kitchen Manageress is quite pleased.  We chose to go with quartz after the laminate was made wrong and a new order was going to cost more than granite or quartz.  The color is called "Sienna Ridge".  We thought it would have a bit more rust coloring in it but are satisfied that it is neutral enough that a beige or a gray paint color will also work with it. (No, I am not repainting...yet.)

 

The  Manageress-Designer wanted to maintain an eclectic sort of camp/fancy look so we used rough cut 2"x2" white pine lumber for the structure and OSB for the open shelving.  (The open shelving is really nice for accessibility.)

Today was spent hanging pictures and other such important finishing
touches.  I used a couple of drawer slides for the garbage bin/compost bucket shelf so that it slides out and in for ease of access.  I still have to add another one for the dog food.  And the Manageress-Designer still has plans to hang a curtain in front of the section immediately under the industrial sink.  So as I said at the beginning, its mostly, kinda', sorta' done.  

The one more significant change (in my mind) was a resizing of the island counter top.  The former butcher block was 38" deep by 8' long and the new piece of quartz is only 25" by 8' long so we'll have to see how that goes next time we serve buffet style.  I think there will be sufficient space.  The positive side of shrinking the depth of the island counter top is that it gives us more room in the kitchen for folks to stand around and talk which is always a good thing.

With the open concept kitchen/dining/living areas it's helpful to have different conversation areas.

Saavy folks might also have noticed I have done some more painting on the ceiling. That involves two things: 1. the Manageress-Designer being gone for the day; and 2. moving furniture. So, it's a bit at a time.  The glossy bright white and the fluorescent lights were just a bit much! So we're going with a Oyster White eggshell finish.  And I was able to tweak the budget a bit to get the first wall of the living room's furring strips and insulation in place, so...

Now that March has come and a new "budget season" has begun, it's time to do some living room work.  Stay tuned!

 

Hurry up and wait...

So after three months of material back-ordered, confusion on the style, etc, the counter tops finally arrived at the local "Big Box" store...and were made incorrectly.  A part of the order included 2, 2'x4' sections with 90 degree straight edged end caps and a half-round bullnose edge on each of the 2 long sides to be used for the kitchen islands.  They came in with the half round bullnose long edge on one side and an unfinished edge on the other...

After another four days the Big Box store through which we ordered the items still has not received a call back from the manufacturer.  And because the custom project had to be paid in full in advance, we have no option but to take a full refund and cancel the order (not a choice we want to make) or we wait...

In the meantime I put some fancy-shmancy OSB covers together for a work surface... as we "hurry up and wait." (HOPEFULLY,to be continued, soon.)

The Camp Kitchen...

Simple, neat, tidy, and a bit drab...positively functional and stunningly not too masculine.  And so it began...

Cupboards and counter tops, were relocated to the workshop and the former horse run in, now the garden shed.  The airport landing strip fluorescent lighting fixtures were removed and some relocating of electric supply for outlets and fixtures was done, AND the appliances were all replaced. This has left the kitchen in something of a continual state of dysfuntionality.

But kudos to Carol who continues to champion the work, work amidst the challenges, and meet the challenges of the project. She managed to organize the kitchen in such a way that little to no momentum was lost in the preparation of meals, entertaining of family, and general functioning of the household.

I had picked up some nicely dried rough cut 2x6's (again from Jake West at West Branch Lumber) and ripped them into 1 3/4" square posts and cross members, gluing and screwing them to make the shelving support structure, when all of the work was suddenly interrupted by one of those memorable "Oh yeah!" moments. It occurred to me that before setting those shelving/cabinet units, I would have to finish the floor since that was to be a full 1" rough cut pine, all my measurement would be off.

So to work on the floor I went and hence am just getting back to the kitchen project which I had intended to have finished by the end of September. (Note it is now the end of November...)

Upon finishing the floor we were at least able to move back into place the shelving and pantry cupboard that had taken up so much space in the "Bible Study" (as my grandson calls the den).  I really love the way my wife makes simple things look great.  The open shelving and the cupboard were both brought back from Ghana and remind us that even this is not our "home".  It's simply a place that reflects who we are and where we've been. Our home is still ahead of us...Maranatha!

I also have to applaud my wife yet again, for her strange love of things I consider to be rough, basic, and almost classless. Such as OSB (Oriented Strand Board).  It was her idea to keep the OSB ceilings, paint them and add some 1x3 firing strips for a gridwork look.  And when she decided to opt out of closed cupboards and for open shelving in the kitchen, she again suggested the use of OSB (which is always a treat for the checkbook when compared to other options)!  

And so back to work on the 1 3/4" square framing, glued and screwed (to maintain the "camp" type rough look. We're still waiting on the countertops which were estimated to take 5-6 weeks. (We are currently at the 4 week mark and are sincerely hoping they will arrive before Christmas.

I have added a platform for the recyclable bin to sit on (under the sink) and will likely balance that with the same on the other side where the dog food is kept. Carol will then finish the sink treatment with a curtain to cover the front, camp style, to hide that stuff!

I had a couple of scrap drawer slides in the shop which I used for a floor level shelf so that the trash and compost bucket were more easily accessible.

And now most of the structural work is complete. Just waiting on those countertops.  We opted for a laminate type for ease of cleaning and "no worries" maintenance.  The particular pattern is a Wilson Art HD Laminate called "Golden Romano."

The countertops will be right and left of the stove and sink, and replace the butcher block on the center islands. It goes remarkably well with the "Peppery" colored accent wall.

So, all in all, hopefully by God's grace, and before Christmas the kitchen will be completed and after the first of the year I'll start into the homestretch which is insulating, hanging, and oiling the pine tongue and groove in the living room/dining room, painting the lr/dr ceiling, and adding the battens.

By spring the house should be completed (only 6 months behind the original estimated time frame), a maintenance plan in place, and I will once again be bored...hmmm wonder what the good Lord may have in store???

**Update Countertops due Dec 6, delayed until Dec 19th, now delayed until at least Jan 19th...

Mike's Tree

I sometimes feel like I am planting trees under whose shade I may never sit.  That's a part of growing old.  It's a part of understanding the uncertainty of our days.  It's a gifting for the future.  I think of my children and grandchildren when I plant a tree.  Our long term goal is to leave a substitute "lake house" for them.  (Our children will understand the allusion.)

But digging holes here on the mountain is always a challenge.  A hole like the one to the left can easily take an hour or more.  There are stones which have wedged in together sideways and any other way the water table may move them. There is a prying, and leverage, a heavy lifting at times that almost defies understanding, at least for those of us less used to this loamy type of soil.

Today I planted two trees.  We usually wait until Martin's Landscaping has their end of the season "Buy One Get One Half Off" sale and pick up two.  We also have taken to planting trees in memory of departed loved ones, friends, and/or neighbors.  

This hole belongs to a Crimson King Maple, that wonderfully shaped, deep purple leafed kind. (And "no" it was not named after the rock group King Crimson for you twisted musicians.) This particular specimen has lost most of its leaves at this point in the season, but it will remind me of one at the end of 3450th Rd, Waltham, IL on a lot owned by Charles Hagenbuch, a lot I always wanted to own and build a home on.  And it will be a reminder of a beloved family and congregation.

But there is also the occasional surprise in digging these holes (as I also have previously reported).  This time there was a stone that barely showed above the ground.  It was only slightly raised above the surface so I never dug it up.  The mower passed over it with inches to spare on clearance. And it was only 10 inches or so in diameter, or so...BUT...

After three hours of digging and prying, and sliding, I managed to get this multiple hundreds of pounds stone out of the ground, proving yet again, that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" There were two pieces of motivation for me in this endeavor. 1. I'm stubborn and stupid. And 2. This tree's placement was important.  This was where the Scarlet Oak was going for Mike.  My "neighbor Mike" (as my grandson referred to him) recently passed and his friendship needed to be recognized.  He was a man of few words, one who largely kept to himself, but a man's man, the kind of man that normal men like.  And his dad used to own the piece of ground on which we live. So, MIKE GETS A TREE!  It will look onto his property.  His horses will graze in the background. And, hopefully, it will be a reminder and an encouragement to his wife, Carol, his sister Sue, and his children as they turn up the hill to the house.  Here's to you Mike - Soli Deo Gloria!