Fun amidst the work!

Since we decided to wait to put all the backfill around the house, leaving soil to cover our sprinklers, it has become a play spot for the girls. Not only is it fun to see the changes on the house, but with a piece of discarded wood, you can slide or just play king of the mountain.

Dual Perspective

Its the transformation that
really draws you in.

• First its a sketch on a paper


• Second its a skeleton


• Finally it has rough skin awaiting color

I mentioned a few posts back that my
father had a bout of inspiration. It started with the stairs and a glance at our backyard view. His thought--a picture window to capture it. That spread to a gable in the back which widen under his capable hands. Even though I lost a kitchen closet I have gained a view to die for...

Top it off!

Dave was able to help again in putting on the trusses. What a job--between a crane that lifts up four at a time, to men & Sara balancing to put them in place. Believe me, I was grateful when this task was done.

The Man of the Hour-- My father...visionary, daring and absolutely wonderful!

I love this shot as the panneling on the roof is half done.

Surround 'Sounds'

One of the best parts about having your father build your home is being able to help. Dave was able to spend a Saturday morning framing the wall and leave his mark or nail on our home.






Now with the walls up, we can imagine
seating in the rooms and looking out the
windows.

Cap it off

What is so amazing that I'm constantly shocked is how quickly a house can come up. We started the digging on a Tuesday and had the basement walls up by Friday. Now its a new week and the floors are on, both top and bottom.

Thanks to my insistent mother and diligent father we have chalked lines on the basement floor and can walk around from 'room' to 'room'. It even feels large, and the best part is finally going from the paper plans we drew up a year ago to walking around on it!

I'm always pleasantly surprised at how what seemed like a simple drawing is more complex and wonderful. These stairs are not only great but they led my father to a wonderful change (to be posted soon).

Small details, big difference

While it might seem like small details, the next week gave us a stable base for construction. Pipes were set for plumbing...

Backfill around the foundations (black tar is the weather proofing process). Notice the huge window wells--we were fortunate one day to find a great deal on windows saving is tremendously and at the same time nearly doubling the size and style!!

Pouring the basement floor was the crowning event--its functional and completes this phase. As we watched the laborers it was fun to see them "skate" around with boards strapped to their legs and held in their hands--a dance of sorts.

Footings & Foundations or We have a Basement!

Although my father has built homes for years, I have never followed the process step by step and so closely. I'm learning each process as well as a bunch of new vocabulary words.

The footings establishes the base for the wall. Did you know they are also wider than the walls and include a base for the stairs and bearing wall ?

With a crew of about a dozen men, the foundations are erected and then filled to create....

WALLA!! A Basement

Just as quickly as the hole was dug, the basement popped out of nowhere! We were surprised, but even more so with how tall it was. My father clued us in to the fact that we actually gained a few more inches making our basement ceilings higher than the main floor...and the reason for the height out of the ground was to match the neighbors driveway.

Our new home begins

After waiting for what felt like years, (okay maybe just one year) we got a suprise call one morning stating that they were digging.







Our drive by on the way to school in the morning was exciting with machines and noise...














but the real thrill was seeing the hole dug on our way home from school!