More Stairs, Insulation and Starting the Stone

What a difference a few days can make.  In a few days our new home has continued to take shape in so many different ways.

First, the stairs from the main floor to the second floor have been installed and one can truly see how things will be in the new house.

The stairs are open in the bottom, as seen above, and allows for the beautiful view of the backyard to be seen from the front entrance way.

As well, the whole house seems to be painted in pink!!  Rather, all of the room on the first and second floor have been insulated and is covered in vapour barrier.  The floors are now ready for the installation of dry-wall - which we heard will begin next week.  

Although dry-wall, covered in paint, is what we normally see in a house, it is surprising to realize how much is behind those walls.  In fact, upon walking into the house with the insulating complete one could feel a difference in the temperature of the house.

In truth, the mud room here will soon be changed with dry-wall, tape, putty and some paint.

Finally, the front of the house has also be transformed by the work of the crew laying stone.  The stone was choosen to highlight the features and architecture of the house.

Yet, the effect of the stone will truly be seen until the Hardie Plank is installed later this month.  We await its arrival from Georgia - but yet much work is to be done on both interior and exterior of the house.

As one can see Fall has come, the leaves has changed, the rain has begun.  Fortunately, most of the upcoming work will take place inside of the house.  We hope that you will stay tuned to the upcoming changes - which will come very quickly.

Until then...

Something New Everyday

As Summer turns to Fall the leaves are changing, the temperature is cooling and the Wendling house continues to move forward to its completition.

After Thanksgiving there were many trades in the house working on various things - at least my spies who attend the school next door to the house tell me.

However, everything has been inside so it is tough to know what is going on inside until you get the chance to walk through at the end of the work day.  So most nights Kevin, Rosanne and whatever family members are available make the walk up the street to see what had been worked on during the day.

This week we saw the following being done:

a. The stairs to the basement and to the room above the garage:

on Wednesday night we were shocked to see that we had stairs and not just one set but two.

We had stairs to the basement from the main floor and stairs from the garage to the storage area above the garage - which can actually be considered to be the first completed room in the house.

b. In the basement we saw that the rooms in the basement have been framed.  Although these rooms will not be completed - one actually see how the basement will take shape for the future.

c. Door installation in the basement - the doors which move one from the basement to the stairs of the walkout have been completed and makes one feel like the house is totally enclosed

d. Completition of the electrical work - we have a panel, pot lights, switches and can see how things are going to look

Most rooms in the house have something going on

So what is next, ahh indeed the exterior of the house.  Soon stone will be delivered and the "masons" or brick layers will be putting up the exterior along with the Hardee Plank which will complete the exterior of the house.

As well, soon, not quite sure the walls will go up.  That will take a lot of dry wall and alot of work.  As the dry wall will be installed and the taping will have to occur.

Stay tuned.  Much to happen in the weeks ahead with the hope that by Christmas time the Wendling's will be in the new home!!

Windows and Plumbing and Electricity OH MY!!

What a difference a few weeks can make when you are building a house.

Pictured above and below is the Wendling house, under construction, will the window (and front door installed).  The house is now considered to be enclosed and is a major touchstone in the construction of a house.

As you can tell our house has lots of windows.  Rosanne and Kevin enjoy natural light and every room in their house - except one in the basement - has a window with natural light from windows.

As you may also be able to tell many of the windows are extremely large - for example the windows in the middle  of the main house - basically in the middle of the picture is approimately 6 feet wide and 5 feet high.  These windows off of living room and in the loft in the 2nd floor will allow the sunset to be seen and natural light to bathe the house.

As well the plumbing is also complete in the house - as can be seen below with the plumbing for the island in the Kitchen.  It is so easy to forget all of the piping and waterlines that are found in between the walls that will later be covered up...

and of course part of the plumbing are the toilets.

Beside the windows and plumbing our house now contains about 75% of the heating ducts and cold area returns.  Although we are awaiting the furnace  still one can see how everything will connect together.

And what house would be complete without a laundry shoot...5 kids (girls) with 2 of them being teenagers...the laundry shoot is far from a luxury but rather a necessity.

Finally, over the past week our builder poured the final sections of concrete....

...the front porch...

the garage and our steps from the walkout.

Lots of work done...but yet lots to go.  Stay tuned as the exterior and dry wall will be coming.  We as a family continue to get excited as we see things progressing and we await our moved date which cannot come soon enough.