The Mason at work

April 28: The house has had lots of progress, but much of it has not been visible to my camera. Inside the drywall has been installed, and that was followed by several days of 'mudding and taping'. Outside the carpenters have been working in the upper reaches of the roof lines, installing cedar soffits and cement board facia. I know this is happening, as the carpenters have set up workshops on the roof, but it is not visible from the ground. (I am not comfortable climbing the scaffolding...) While the carpenters are preparing the house for installation of the siding, David, the mason, is working on the street side walls around the garage door openings. The cedar and dark trim along with the rock work is wonderful - adding a real West Coast feel to the house. 

You must look through the 'exoskeleton' of scaffolding to see the rock work - beautiful. The scaffolding will stay until the siding is complete, and the house has it's final coat of paint/stain. 

West Wall of the garage in progress. The stone is quarried on Vancouver Island.....

West Wall (street side) completed. 

East Wall (street side)

Completed stone work around the garage doors. 

Workshop on the roof - and another image of the rock pillar on the ocean side. And another amazing West Coast Day!

Another Trip to the Live Edge Design Studio

April 9: We are sooo excited to see construction of some of the fine finishings for our home. In addition to the live edge bar, that will be attached to the kitchen island, we have commissioned a live edge dining room table. Today we drove up to Duncan to see some wood pieces that may be be incorporated in our furniture. All the wood used by this studio is that which has been harvested from the forest floor, rejected by the logging companies (as unsuitable) or donated from private land - essentially castoffs. The Live Edge artists make this wood into amazing furniture and other art pieces. 

These beautiful maple slabs of wood will be the basis of our table.

The interesting live edge from this plank will be in the center of the table.

Close up view of the spalting (fungal growth) in the slabs... the patterns are beautiful.

This amazing walnut table is a similar style (called tidal pool) to what we have requested. 

Drywall Images

April 9: There is so much to see as the drywall really changes the image of the house. The boards have been installed, and the team is now 'mudding', taping and sanding the surfaces for a smooth finish. As noted in the last blog, this has proven to be a challenge, as the mud is slow to dry. The drywall team has built scaffolding to reach the upper walls in the great room, den and front entrance way, creating temporary floors upstairs... I am too nervous to tread on them. 

Walls in the garage.

Mudroom & dog shower

Back hallway & stairs

Den roof

Front hallway

Dinning Room

Our big Kitchen!!!

Living room from the lower floor

Upper walls of the living room... and the scary false floor. 

Upper hallway and shelf created by the ceiling of the laundry room (on the left). 

Our bedroom... in the wooden box is my tub!!

Ensuite... with walk in shower

Sitting room above the garage

Other end of the sitting room

My studio/play room at the top of the stairs, and the wall prep'd for application of stone (inside)

We are Back!

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..

The Week's Progress: Drywall installation started

March 29: Where has this month gone! The progress in the house has been monumental! This week the mechanical and boiler for the in-floor heating was completed, and the drywall installation was commenced. I cannot believe how the wall board changes the look of the house.... I can no longer see the great room from our bedroom and the ensuite bathroom seems so large! 

The manifold and boiler system for the in-floor heating complete. 

Drywall in the Master bedroom frames my favorite view!

Wall board and the fireplace on the other side of the bedroom... no more views of the great room from here!

Ensuite drywall installation.

Drywall in the guest bedrooms.

Fireplace in.

March 18: The fireplace for the great room has been delivered and set in place. It is the main feature of the great room, and due to its size and weight, required major reinforcement of the hearth. It is a 62" linear gas fireplace with stone media. It can heat the entire great room, and most likely our bedroom above as well. After sooo many years in the desert,living with constant A/C, I am looking forward to cool nights, with the windows open, curled up beside the fire. A girl can dream........

Fireplace delivered, and lifted inside with lots of help.

Fireplace installed in the hearth. Note the reinforced framing.... Looks amazing!

Ground works grinding on.....

March 18: The yard is being transformed from a general mud pit / construction site to a, well, a yard. The utilities have been connected and several small earth moving machines have leveled the yard, in preparation for building the patio. We have many large boulders on the lot that needed to be moved, and put to use as retaining walls for the patio and beach stairs. It was a wonderful day for the outside work!

Connecting up water, sewer, electrical and gas utilities

Leveling off the East yard....

The West yard filled and leveled.

Moving boulders....

Dave, our landscaper, supervising placement so the boulders act as a retaining wall for the patio. 

The outdoor living space in progress....

Patio area graded and leveled - complete for now. 

Insulation Complete

March 18: The insulation and soundproofing is complete, and the drywall process will start on Monday. I am excited and nervous at the same time... .I am comfortable seeing the house in construction, with open walls, studs and decorated with wire, metal venting and pumping pipes. Now the drywall will cover all that, and the house will start to look ... well like a livable house. It is very exciting, and brings us closer to restarting our lives in Canada. Very Cool. 

The truck delivering the spray insulation foam.

Preparing to begin with the foam installation.

Spraying in the foam insulation in all corners - the house will be warm and cozy.

Insulation and soundproofing in the kitchen.

Insulation in the Master Ensuite - even the closet is soundproofed!

Drywall ready for installation next week - Yeah- it will look like a livable house very soon!

Hardscape preparation

March 15: Along with all the action happening inside the house, there is lots going on outside as well. A couple of small earth moving machines (miniature ones really), have been brought in to start leveling off the yard in preparation for the landscaping. 

The utilities are installed along the East side yard up to the access point at the North East of the lot. 

BC Hydro digging up the road to connect up our house.

Backfill and leveling of the East side yard.

Another smaller earth mover working to level out the yard. 

Working around the tree that was felled prior to construction. We hope the tree will be outdoor furniture one day.....

Leveling out for the driveways.

Completing the rough-in & insulation

March 14: The insulation process has started, and should take about a week. There are several products being used in the house; a fiberglass product on the exterior walls, and a wool product on the interior walls that work as both insulation and sound barrier. Spray insulation will be used in the roofs, and of course there was already foam core sheet insulation on the exterior of the roof. Actually the list of individual products used throughout the build is extensive - our contractor is very detail orientated. Also, the rough in (I believe) is finally completed - the toilets have been roughed in, and the back staircase complete. 

Insulation with a fiberglass product on the exterior walls

Insulating in the great room

Rough in for the wall hung toilets

Galvanized steel pan for under the washer and dryer. A water sensor will be placed here to monitor for leaks - part of the home automation system. Very cool. 

Completed back stairs......

The Front Door is Here!

March 14: We are weather tight! The front door arrived, and was installed late last week. It has been months since I ordered the thing, and I was quite nervous to see the finished product. The door window panes look quite opaque in the pictures, but actually do have visibility through them at close range. I am really pleased with the door and installation!

The front door arrived and is waiting for installation.

The front door installed - yeah! 

Inside reflection through the opaque sidelights and door reveal

View of the door from the second floor landing. 

Patio Roof

Feb. 6: A small detail, but one of my favorite details. Jeremy is completing the patio roof with the rough cedar (unfinished side of the cedar siding that will be installed on the rest of the house) - and extension of soffit finishing around the outside of the house. 

Covered patio outside the dining room - beautiful framing of the sky lights!

In Floor Heating Completed

Feb. 6: Once the heating pipes are all stabled down to the subfloor, a layer of concrete is poured overtop to protect the pipes, and conduct heat. It looks like it was a messy business - but the floor is wonderful! The system is managed by a boiler in the mechanical room.....

Leveling concrete in the kitchen

.... in the dining room

The finished floor in the great room - there are two depressions in the floor for electrical receptacles. 

Concrete poured in the den and bathroom - note the pipes extend into the shower stall for a warm floor!!

Finished floor.

Completing the concrete pour in the front hall.

The infloor heating boiler and manifold system

Our hot water heater. Both boilers are gas fueled. 

In Floor Heating

Mar. 3: The process of installing the in-floor heating has begun, and should complete this week. Long tubes made of recycled PVC are "stapled" to the sub-floor and through a series of manifolds and valves, attached to a boiler that lives in the mechanical room. The main floor is divided into four zones that can be heated independently  (or not) and controlled by the home automation system. Once all the pipes are down, a layer of concrete will be poured and leveled - readied for the wood floor installation. Upstairs we will utilize baseboard heaters and small gas fireplaces to heat the spaces. 

Barry doing the installation of the in-floor heating pipes in the great room - looks like a nice day outside!

More details this week

Feb. 24: As I walk around the house I see new details in many different areas. 

The mechanical room has a permanent door

The holding tank is held in place within the concrete floor of the mechanical room

The gas fittings organized on paper board which will line the walls of the mechanical room.

Lots happening on the garage exterior. The knee brace (cedar struts) have been painted. The soffits are being lined with smooth cedar panels and the garage door opening is framed with thicker planks of cedar. 

The soffit and casement windows over the front door, both clad in cedar.

Multi leveled roofs at the front entrance.

Construction of the drop ceiling in our walk in closet.

Frames for the three pocket doors....

Sunset on Roberts Bay.

Nana Walls are Here!

Feb. 24: One of the key features of our house was installed today - Very Exciting. The plywood came off the main floor window openings, and I was instantly reminded of the reason we started this project. The Bay looked amazing; did I say the view was wonderful? Two Nanawall install specialists were employed to put in the glass walls. The area was cleaned, prep'd and the wall pieces brought in from the garage. Care was taken for placement of the sills  and running tracks to ensure level and easy operation. The window panels fitted together like lego - the two installers dancing around each other to place them accurately. They completed the install today, bringing them to lock up, and will be back tomorrow to tune them up for smooth operation. By tomorrow night they will be encased in plastic, cardboard  and more plywood to protect them during insulation and drywall over the next couple of weeks. It was very exciting to get a glimpse of the amazing wall of windows and the view today!

Plywood off the window openings revealed a beautiful day!

Dining room window exposed, along with sunshine and cool weather. 

Consulting on window installation - note the final wood knee brace is in. 

Window panes ready to be installed - they are clad in powder coated aluminium on the exterior and edge cut fir on the interior... Beautiful.

Sill and runners...

Hardware to attach the first pane to the side of the window opening.

Placement of the first pane in the Nana Wall, south side of the great room.

Pane 2...

fitting pane 2

And on goes pane 3....

Final pane 4 for the great room window wall.

There is a narrow ledge piece attached to the fourth pane to facilitate movement of the wall and lock up. 

Great room Nana wall completed! 

Adjusting the five panel dining room Nana wall

The larger Nana wall, in front of the dining room, has an access door integrated into the wall.

The dining room Nana wall completed... the access door is on the right.

When folded to the side the panes are about 14" - 16" in width.

The window panes roll within a track between the steel sills. 

Detail of the roller assembly  

The new oceanside of the house. 

The new windows really open up the great room!

My new dining room view!

Venting, other details and some surprises!

Feb. 21: We are so close to completion of the utilities..... The venting "guys" worked hard this week to get the HVR and AC systems in. This has meant dropping the ceiling in the master bedroom walk in closet to allow for air distribution and recirculation pipes. Additionally, bathroom fans and kitchen venting rough-in has been installed, as well as the controls for the master ensuite shower. AND there was a surprise in the bathroom - my new bath tub has been delivered! And speaking of deliveries, the Nana walls  have arrived from Germany. They are in the garage boxed up, to be installed at a later date. All very exciting. 

Heat/Ventilation/Recovery pipe installed within the fireplace structure in the great room. The AC ducts exit below the floating hearth on both sides. 

AC and HVR pipes in the master walk in closet. Lots of metal, which I assume will be framed into the walls prior to dry wall. 

AC pipes that exit into the master bedroom

HVR pipes from the closet into the ensuite

Ensuite bathroom fan completes the venting and air systems....

Bathroom fan in the guest room bathroom

The bathroom fan and kitchenette venting rough-in exit on the south wall of the rooms above the garage.

Valves for the shower in our master bathroom.... one for setting the temperature and 3 volume controls..... I may need a degree to figure it all out!

My surprise! Our free-standing tub for the ensuite. 

Revised fireplace rough-in within the sitting room above the garage.....

Revised fireplace rough-in within the master bedroom

My other surprise!! The Nana walls that will eventually provide beautiful views from the great room. 

The column supporting the East side of the covered patio.

Detail of the short fir pillar on the top of the column

The mechanical room door is installed.. We are on the way towards lock up!

Exterior Details

Feb. 18: The cool, rainy week in Sidney has not stopped the team working on the outside of the house preparing it for siding and masonry. Don completed the largest 'knee brace' or strut installed at the front entrance - it is over 12' tall!!. Setting it was a huge job, requiring the efforts of the entire team for most of an afternoon. It seems to float beside the front door, but will eventually have a stone base to rest upon. Concrete was poured on the floors of the garage, and the mechanical room, as well as within the framing for the column on the East side of the outdoor covered patio. The framing was removed, and the Fir pillar was set on top of the column, so it now supports the patio roof.  The column will soon be adorned with stone facade, as will the patio walls, the front of the garage and strategic corners of the house - can't wait to see the masons at work. 

Largest knee brace at the front door.

the ocean side of the house with a new concrete pillar on the East side of the covered patio

West Side of the house... thus far

East side of the house, preparation in progress

Cement floor poured in the garage, and covered with cardboard to protect it during construction

More First Fix Details

Feb. 13: There are always several trades working alongside the Zebra carpenters. Progress now is measured in details, and the following images demonstrate some of those details that were evident this week. 

As noted before, each window and door is custom framed in cedar prior to installation of the cedar siding. this is the West side of the house. 

East side of the house with the kitchen windows and mudroom door framed in cedar.

Martin and Bob measuring for a small access door between the mechanical room and the crawl space (which we can use as storage). Bob is supplying the interior doors (all 24) throughout the house.

Gas pipes in the mechanical room

Piping detail behind the holding tank.

Roughing-in the drop ceiling in the walk-in closet - this is necessary to house the A/C venting. 

Finishing the rough-in for the elevator.

The dog/utility shower base...

View from the Master bedroom - this is why we are doing this! I love this view!!!

Crafting the wood struts

Feb. 13: Don continues to work on the amazing columns of fir, crafting them into the struts or knee braces that are placed on the front of the garage, beside the front door and the West side of the patio. I love the all wood, hand construction of this detail. 

An image of Don's workshop on the patio - facing the ocean - Great place to work!

Cutting tenons with the skill saw

Loves his workshop!

All four "knee-braces" on the front of the garage. They will be stained a similar colour to the siding.

Current street view..... the siding in covered in tarp - there are 4 pre-stained bundles  of cedar 4" panels ready to apply to the outside of the house.