July has been hot and busy so far. This month the interior work began in earnest. The sheetrock crew started hanging the gypsum wall board on Tuesday the 2nd and boy, did they ever make a mess. There was dust and scrap pieces of wall board everywhere. They began hanging the sheetrock on the ceilings and worked their way down the walls. For the most part they worked in pairs because no single person could have held the board overhead and fastened it into place without help. There were also men working singly marking the electrical boxes and cutting them out with an electrical tool much like a router. In about four or five days they had every wall covered and filled the dumpster and another small trailer with their scraps.  |
| Upstairs Game Room and Alcove |
Brenda and I spent several hours cleaning up their mess in hopes of staying ahead of the ever increasingly cluttered house. I doubt it will make any difference in the final outcome, but it makes us feel more involved.
Then beginning on July 8th another sheetrock crew which specialized in Tape, Bed, and Texture began their work. Some of the workers had stilts strapped to their legs so they could work on the upper reaches of the walls.
The outside corners of the walls have been curved to soften the look. The walls were lightly textured to resemble an orange peel.
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| Looking through Dining into Family Room |
There was also a young man approximately 10 years old named Diego who was the son of primary contractor working on the lower portion of the walls. He was adept at covering the nails and screws. One could tell it wasn't his first day on the job. We complimented him on his work and appreciate the effort he (and his father) are making.
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| The north end has been completed. |
The brick and stone work is also progressing outside. About one quarter of the exterior is now covered and both of the chimneys are finished. This week the work on the interior fireplace stonework will begin.
The stone wall on the front bedroom, as well as one on the garage, master bath, and master bedroom, has a buttress. It has proven to be more difficult to build than originally imagined. Many of the stones had to be specially cut and ensuring the stone face is showing on adjacent surfaces takes lots of planning.
There will be a short wall of stone wainscoting surrounding the house on which the brick will sit. The areas around the front and back porches have been completed.This week more stone work will continue, both inside and out. Hopefully the bathroom and utility cabinets will be delivered and installed. Next week the trim carpenter will begin finishing the doorways and windows, and install the moulding and stairs.
There is also painting and staining to be completed before the flooring and fixtures are installed. While there has been steady progress, there is still a lot to be accomplished before this house is our home.
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| The house as of July 14th |
