Laundry Room framing

Jan. 13: I am so pleased to have a real room dedicated to the mundane, necessary task of laundry. For the last 20 odd years, we have done laundry in the kitchen/hallway/family room or where ever. The new laundry room will be contained, with folding surfaces, drying racks and a sink. It is located next to the Master Bedroom so we can avoid hauling laundry up and down stairs. The laundry room ceiling, which started out at 13' high, has been lowered creating a high shelf, accessible from the up stairs hallway, and visible from the front entrance. Thanks Auntie W for the great idea!

Framed laundry room. The ceiling was dropped to 8.5 feet which created the shelf above. A place for baskets perhaps?

The shelf (on the left) is level with the ceiling over the entrance, on the right. 

Hallway outside the laundry room and above the entrance. 

First Fix #2

Jan. 13: Plumbing is one of those trades that you never think about until there is a problem..... you really don't want a problem.... The first fix of plumbing means that pipes are brought to and lead away from critical areas such as sinks/vanities and toilets. The most exciting bit of plumbing (to me) is that which facilitates my soaker tub.... can't wait. Pipes which I have always known to be behind walls, are now visible and I seem to want to have an opinion on their placement. I know what I don't want, and that is to hear the plumbing ... ever. So begins the discussion as to the ensuite toilet waste pipe placement - specifically how it should not be within earshot of the living room.. This has been an interesting discussion (????) but I think we have come to a compromise (using an outside wall) and are now waiting for confirmation from the building inspector. As noted in previous blogs, our "waste" needs to be pumped up uphill to the city connection under the road, which means we have had several (more) discussions regarding holding tanks, pumps, back up pumps and pressure hoses. I have complete confidence that Martin (contractor) will make the right decisions... so I don't have a problem or a whole lot more discussions about plumbing. Sigh.

Ensuite Vanity first fix 

This is were the tub goes!

Ensuite shower with a roughed in linear drain

Laundry hook up in the mudroom

The offending pipe

Discussions surrounding the offending pipe

Pipes in the crawl space -the plumber Rob seems to spend a lot of time here. It is kind of cool

First Fix

Jan 13: Installation of the plumbing, heating, electrical and all things "trades" is moving a a fever pace. Everyone is working within the house at the same time - very busy and noisy but also very productive. The obvious progress is seen within the installation of kilometers of wire that snakes  into (almost) every wall and ceiling. In addition, recessedceiling lights have been installed in every room - more wire & precise placement is required. AND outdoor lighting must also be finalized, including recessed lighting, sconces and possible placement of landscape fixtures. Being an electrician's daughter, I can appreciate the effort that goes into the decisions of how and where the fixtures, receptacles and switches go. The problem is I am having difficulty making final choices of the decorative lighting to complement what is already in place..... Our electrician is a very patient man. 

Ceiling lights in the Dining room, Kitchen and hallway - note the crowd of tradesmen....

Pantry lights and the main floor electrical sub panel - convenient access when I blow a breaker!!

Studio lighting

Master closet and ensuite

Kitchenette in the rooms above the garage.... waiting for cabinets

Second sub panel in one of the bedrooms ... not my favourite placement but unavoidable.... Sigh

Electrical at the Master bedroom entrance

Lights over the front door.

Doors replace plywood.....

Jan. 11: Several of the exterior doors are installed today by our expert carpenters - these doors open into the mudroom on the main floor, the mechanical room below the dining room, and onto the deck from the sitting room above the garage. Exterior face of all the doors is coloured the same as the window trim - a dark bronze. The front door will come later.......

Door into the mud room with mini-blinds inserted between the glass panes.

Door from the mud room to the East side of the yard.

The patio door to the deck above the garage. 

Growing a skin

Jan. 11: Looking a the the house from the street - I a struck by the fact that "lumber" is no longer the dominant feature or colour of the exterior of our house. The house is "growing a skin" that will eventually keep us warm and dry. The lumber is wrapped in a white fabric/paper ( Typar) that acts as a barrier, protecting the build from the elements. On top of the Typar, strips of wood are placed as the foundation for the cedar siding that will cover our home from the bottom up! There is a high tech scaffolding along the West Wall - seems to be holding up well despite the constant wet of a West Coast Winter.

The Build is Back

Jan. 11: We have been busy with holiday fun the last few weeks, but the build has carried on thanks to the team!! There is so much to see and talk about.

Seeing the house from the road for the first time in almost a month was overwhelming. The build itself is an amazing journey - along the way we have met some outstanding people, skilled craftsman and artisans. I love being a part of the build, and know I am going to love living in this home. 

Okay - where are we now.... 

In December, my devoted partner saw the build for the first time. The window installation had just been completed as had the majority of the interior framing - the build looked like a real house. The windows bring in light from around the Bay and the foliage  surrounding the house. We also spent hours with the talented group of tradesmen, making a few thousand decisions (exaggeration??). I am sure we will revisit some of those decisions, but it feels good to be working to move things forward. There is a flurry of activity going on, with plumbers, electricians and carpenters all working at once - details to follow in the next blogs.

Surveying the build....

View from our bedroom facing South East. 

Windows above the front entrance

These windows will frame the fireplace in the living room - light from the West side.

South East windows in the living room. Bi-fold door will eventually be installed where the plywood is now!

Corner windows one of the two guest bedrooms.

On To Windows

Dec. 2: It has been a while since we had big changes in the build. The crew has been focused on finalizing framing for the floor and window installations. The window have been in the garage for a week or so; installation has commenced, and it is very exciting to see the changes in the build. We look forward to more changes in the coming weeks!

Prepping for window installation

Window into the living room with the bronze trim that will be on the outside of all windows.

Windows on the east side of the house, over the kitchen and across from the pantry

Window in the great room with the fir trim....

The Rain Stopped & the Roof is Done!

Nov. 19: The weather has broke - it was a beautiful day here to day; cool but very sunny. The roofing crew took advantage and completed the slanted roof, finishing the roofing job. Cool weather definitely is an advantage for this job. After drying the wood with a torch, the roof is covered with a white paper-like material, insulated and sealed with a peel-n-stick rubber type sheeting. Finally, the asphalt sheeting is placed on the layers, and sealed again with a torch. There are drains in strategic places, and from what I saw the earlier this week, they are working fine. Also yesterday, most of the windows have arrived, for installation next week (I am told). We may be weather tight soon!

Crew working on the slanted roof

All hands "on deck" to complete today

Ready to install

A beautiful day as seen from the master bedroom windows.

More Roof Work

Nov. 16: It has been a slow week on the build. The roofers are working around weather that is intermittent rain to hurricane conditions! The good news is that the flat roofs seems to be done, including those smaller areas over the doors and patios. The slanted roof still needs to be completed and for that we will need a day or so of dry. The excellent news is we are expecting the windows tomorrow - pics to follow.  Oh yes, the city paved the road yesterday - in the rain. it does look good......

Flat roof over the great room

Flat roof over the den beside the unfinished slanted roof from the garage side

Patio over the garage

Looking for a new post on the east side of the patio....

Pavement on AllBay road..... and the hydro is underneath - yeah!

Partial Roof

Nov. 12: We have a partial roof - I am amazed the crew has got so much done on the roof, despite the constant rain - they took a break today as it was a windy downpour. Inside, the carpenters were framing interior walls, and the outside wall beside the back stairs. The front door & side lite windows are also now framed, as is the space under the back stairs that will have a small 'powder room - breath in! I crawled out onto the den roof (also the roof over the front entrance) to see the completed roofing over the front entry and the great room and bedrooms. 

Front door framed... it is 8' tall!

The back stairs - the dark part on the right will be the 2 piece bathroom.

Completed flat roof over the front entry

Flat roof over the great room

A break in the rain

Nov. 10: Thanks for the roofing images Martin! It is cool to see the roof insulation and installation.

Insulation on the flat roof over the great room & bedroom

The membrane over the instulation

Ahsphault sheeting installed on the patio roof

Hydro Intallation

Nov. 10: Before the rain started this week, before the city paved the road and after a 3 month wait, BC Hydro finally came out and dug the trench across the road to bring electrical service to our lot. That was the good news, the bad news came with the estimated cost for the hook-up. I am not a fan of utility monopolies..... The city of Sidney has installed water and sewer, while we are waiting on the gas company to do their thing. All in, the other utilities costs are less than one third of hydro's..... just saying. 

Trench going in before the road is paved.

Prep for Roofing

Nov. 8: Winter in Victoria means lots of rain - I love it, but the rain does complicate the process of putting a roof on our build... The site has been cleared, and all the scaffolding removed - great views of the bay. 

Roofing materials ready for application

Den roof protected from the rain

Roof on the ocean side

Sky lights in covering over patio

no more scaffolding...

View of Roberts Bay from the roof

Heating Headache

Nov. 5: We have struggled over the decisions revolving around the heating and cooling design for the house. There are so many choices - the loud, dusty furnace of my parents home is an historical relic, and certainly low on the list of options. High tech heat pumps, super efficient forced air furnaces and in floor heating of various designs have all been considered. No final answers yet, but I did get the chance to go look at one type of infloor heating within a local home renovation. Raupanel are aluminum panels with built in grooves for the pipes filled with hot water, driven by a boiler, monitored by manifolds..... and whatever! They seem extremely complex to install, but are suppose to be very efficient as a heating system. Unsure about the noise generation from these panels under the wood floors..... lots to think about. 

raupanel 

It gets complex...

Boiler and piping for the infloor heating system

Manifolds.....

The Exterior Takes Shape

November 5: Several days of working on roofing completions has left little for me to see, and publish. Trevor has been detailing the roof, and covering it with tarps to keep it as dry as possible before the roofing specialists show up tomorrow. (Interestingly it is also the same day the township will be working to prep our road for paving.... it all happens at once!) One of the significant roof details is framing of the cover over the patio outside the dining room.  Clean up is happening around the site as well; one set of the scaffolding has been removed from the great room so the wall that will have the fireplace is visible. The outside space is also getting a once over so that the exterior walls are easily accessible for application of the vapour barrier and preparation for the cedar siding. I get to exercise my inner craft kid, and play with stain and cedar slats, to determine the final colouring of the siding......

A view from my neighbour's driveway

Patio roof - note the three spaces for the sky lights

Great room windows - view from the second floor.

Roofing & Wet

Oct. 31: The sun has just peaked out and the rain has stopped in time for ghosts and goblins to trek about the neighbourhoods. Hopefully this means the house will have a chance to dry out a bit... still have small lakes in the framed rooms upstairs and down. There is now temporary stairs to to the rooms above the garage... put in only after I mastered the 2 X 12 lumber walk... ( not as bad as the 11 foot ladder climb). This allows me safe access throughout the build. The concentration this week has been on setting the roof joists, and putting sheets of wood up in preparation for the "roofing" next week. It is cool to see (and understand) how the slanted and flat roofs interface "up top". Inside, the covered roof gives more definition to the spaces. I can now imagine what the completed rooms will be...

Last of the open roof, above the upper hallway and laundry room. 

The slanted roof (from the garage) meets the flat roof, above the den and bedrooms

Major puddles ....

Sis - you must come back; with these stairs we can negotiate the entire house!

Thanks for the Visit

Oct. 29: It was fun to walk my Aunt & Uncle through the house - they love the space and the view. I can't wait to host them for dinner next spring! The utilities connections have started; we hope to have them all in before the city of Sidney paves the road .... 

Thanks for the visit!

And the Rain Keeps Coming

Oct. 29: It is amazing how the carpenters keep moving forward despite a persistent wet Vancouver Island winter. After 23 years in the Middle East, I cannot complain about the rain and still enjoy the fog, mist and wet. I sure I will mould eventually, but I love the rain. While framing a house although, rain can be a nuisance. Martin, our contractor,  project manager and all round amazing building guy, tells me not to worry..... my shoes got soaked walking through my bedroom...... We now have temporary stairs and there is still scaffolding in the great room, as the walls and roof joists are put into place. It is very cool to see the roof across the house, including the slanted roof that extends over the garage and the hallway/laundry room. The completed roofing on the ocean side of the house is covered in tarp to mitigate the risk of rain damage before the roofing begins later this week. 

Roof joist above the master bedroom

Great room wall with framing for the widows that will be on each side of the fireplace.

No more 11 floor ladder climbs. Note the large post that supports the second floor - a big piece of cedar!

Wet bedroom space...

Protected roof

Slanted roof joist over the hallway and laundry room.

Framing with a Roof!

Oct. 25: A walk through the house reveals rooms and a definition of living spaces upstairs and down. The big differences of course are seen upstairs, as the bedroom, closets and ensuite take shape. The I Beams for the roof are also up, "almost" enclosing the entire house. 

View from the Ocean Side..... we are getting a roof!

Looking through the Great Room to the view of Roberts Bay

Wall between the living room and the dining room from the outside..

Studio Roof!

Roof Lines

Oct. 22: At the same time interior framing is in progress, the roof lines are also forming. As noted, there are at least 3 separate roof levels, and the den or mid level roof over the front door has been completed. 

Mid level roof in progress

Completed den or mid level roof

Front door

so far......