April 9: We are back on the West Coast and are extremely pleased to be here. The sun is shining, the weather is mild and the worst of our jet lag is done. The place is beginning to feel like home. There has been lots of action on the house over the last two weeks, most notably, erection of miles, cubic meters, well lots of scaffolding inside and out. What is finished? The first fix is finally done, including the wiring for the home automation, motorized curtains and in-floor heating. All duct work is done and the rough-in for the heat pump/AC unit is visible on the outside of the East side of the house. As noted in the last blog (2 weeks ago) the drywall process has started, and should continue for another 10 days or so - hense the scaffolding inside the house. It is a slow process as we are unable to hook up the large fan/heat units to rapidly dry the mud. BC Hydro has not put us on the grid yet. We have temporary power, but not enough to drive these big machines..... Apparently they came to do the hook up but went to the wrong house. Somehow this is our fault as we have been put in the que for work orders again. You really can't fight city hall, or BC Hydro. That aside.... the dry wall truly defines the space we will be living in! It is best visualized in areas such as the bedrooms and laundry room, as these areas are scaffold free. Outside, the action is at a much faster pace. The carpenters are working on the soffits, and fitting cement board on the facia. It looks amazing!! The masons are here, preparing the walls for installation of the rock accents around the structure, including a pillar on the ocean side and between the garage doors. Our mason Dave, is a stone artist; it is mesmerizing to watch him prep the surface, and choose the right pieces to fit together seamlessly. He is assisted by his father, MIke, who was a contractor before he retired. They are a 'chill' team. We find ourselves just hanging out at the build, enjoying the sunshine, wildlife, and watching everyone work to build our home. Awesome! (We do supply snacks...LOL)
Scaffolding on the road side....
The is the front entryway.... really
More scaffolding on the ocean side of the house.
It is a maze out there! View of the East side of the house.
West side of the house... the surround scaffolding will stay until the soffits, trim, cedar siding and masonry work is complete.
The wood working workshop has moved outside... why not!
This workshop is on the Den roof! Note, the amazing sunshine!
The roof workshop is needed to reach the soffits, etc. on this very tall wall!
Preparation of the walls surrounding the garage doors for masonry work.
Crates of Vancouver Island stone, ready for application. Some of the stone has been cut for corner work.
The masons at work.
Dave working on the pillar
Looks amazing!
Our resident stork..