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Posted to Working-Wilton by Barbara in Wilton, NH
on 9/25/2008 10:23:01 AM
Okay, I have been very lax about posting, but with all the work we still have to do, I'm sure you all will forgive me.
We finally got our permanent Certificate of Occupancy (CO) from the Town. We were really looking forward to taking at least a little break, unfortunately our mortgage company wants it done to convert from the construction loan to a permanent mortgage. We currently have a deadline of 11/1/08, but I just emailed them a list of what we have left to do and there is no way the two of us (even with the help we get from friends and family) will be able to get it all done. I have been trying to locate anyone that can help me with hydroelectric, but there is a information vacuum in NH for this form of alternative energy. I did get a quote for solar radiant heat, not too bad. NH just passed a law to help homeowners pay, no funding yet, but hopefully soon.
Our latest project is applying stone veneer to the lower portion of the walkout. If this project doesn't kill us, nothing will. Once we start working over our head, the stone gets heavy and we have been working too late on the weekends putting it up, forgetting that there are hours of grout joint finishing and cleaning to do after the stone has set for a few hours. Found myself with spotlights outside at 8pm scrubbing and brushing and washing down the stone. We just started applying a stone enhancer and sealer to the veneer which brings out the color in the stone and should make it look really nice. I do not have any pictures of that yet, but here is what we have done so far. It is easy to tell where the joints lines have been cleaned and where they have not.
Now we know why masons make so much money, we are saving a ton of money doing it ourselves, but our bodies are definately taking the brunt of it.
Wish us luck in finishing before the cold weather sets in. We have been very lucky so far. Rain for this weekend, so I will be tiling either the stairs or slating the breakfast bar wall. Pictures of that next week : )
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| First day at the stone veneer. Learning as we go. |
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| End of day one, learning the tricks of the trade. Not too bad, we are achieving the look we were gong for. |
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| Day 2 |
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| End of weekend. This took three weekdays and one weekend and we are just about done with 2 sides.
Silly me, thought we would be doing a side a day. WRONG!! Live and learn |
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Posted to Working-Wilton by Barbara in Wilton, NH
on 7/22/2008 9:43:53 AM
Living room floor going in for CO. Kitchen floor all grouted, could barely lift my arms by the time I was done on Sat.
Stairs need to be adjusted and some railing baulesters tightened up, but we are very close now.
Then we will see how tough the bank is going to be on us. I really hope we can just roll the construction into a permanent with where we are at now and take some time finishing up. It really has been exhausting doing almost everything ourselves. Live and learn, that is what it is all about.
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| Medallion at main door |
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| Kitchen Floor |
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| Grouted and done |
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| Wider view of medallion |
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| Looks better with no flash! |
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| see |
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| Closer look at deco tile border |
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| And even closer |
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| The cat is our inspector and she approves |
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Posted to Working-Wilton by Barbara in Wilton, NH
on 7/15/2008 9:52:19 AM
Wow! nothing like some flooring, a few plants, one picture and a bookcase to make it look like a real to be lived in house. This is so amazing, never thought the day would get here. Have to thank the building inspector I guess, he said the living room floor needed to be cleanable, we could paint it if we wanted. I said no way, I have been dying to get the floor down and move all the construction stuff down to the basement, now I got my chance.
Decided to finish the kitchen floor all the way to the stairs. Now we just have to come up with a railing system to finish it off. Our temp one didn't meet code, so that will have to be finished as well.
Les is also working on the breakfast bar this evening to be able to extend the flooring the rest of the way into the hall toward the master bedroom. That will leave just the office to do, oh wow, not to have to go down to the basement to work and have a for real office too!!! I'm unpacking and moving stuff in faster than Les can put the planks down : ) This is so exciting, did I say how totally exciting this was???
Finally a real house to live in.
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| Maggie approves, the rug has to go, but she can stay. We bought the flooring months ago from ifloor, they were having a huge sale and no interest for 3 years. Now we actually get garage space back too. |
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| Gotta love a man cleaning a floor : ) |
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| Ahh, who knew what a bookcase, plant and a picture could do. |
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| Wow look at those lines, looks great everywhere, fits nice and tight up to the gas stove hearth. Les keeps saying the big terra cotta wall cries out for a big screen TV, kinda have to agree it would look good there |
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| Entry way medallion. The tiles are so big, I had to put four small medallions together to make a statement. That's okay, it came out great, can't wait to see it all grouted. Who the hell is going to grout this anyway? Is there a grouting fairy I hope. |
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Posted to Working-Wilton by Barbara in Wilton, NH
on 7/15/2008 9:39:51 AM
Well, we did manage to get away for a couple of days. But spent most of the vacation time working on the house. Hoping to get the permanent CO inspection done next Monday. Les has been hard at work on the decks and trying to decide how he wanted to tie the wrap around sections together. He decided on a sunburst pattern, lots of work and now he is going to have to do that at every corner. I'm so glad he still has creative energy left and doesn't just take the quick way out to get things done.
I have been tiling again, kitchen floor this time and we decided to add a decorative border around the whole kitchen, it has been a lot of work, but we really like the way it is coming out so far. Grouting this whole thing is going to be a hell of a job.
Well, at least this should be the last vacation we have to spend working : )
Also, this work is much more gratifying than framing or taping and mudding. The finishing touches are what makes it all worthwhile.
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| Sunburst pattern to connect all the wrap around deck sections. Lots of work, but looks cool. |
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| New lighting going up for CO inspection. |
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| More lights. |
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| Callie likes the deck tie-in pattern too, she was out inspecting the quality of the work. |
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| Deco tile border. |
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| More creative work, framing in the screen porch ceiling fan. He has the octagon thing going everywhere! |
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| Love the sloped ceiling. Picture doesn't show it well enough, but looks very cool. |
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Posted to Working-Wilton by Barbara in Wilton, NH
on 6/6/2008 10:00:19 AM
Never thought the day would come!! The cabinets went in last week and the granite counter tops went in yesterday. The kitchen has come together amazing. I was very concerned because we had shopped cabinets at one place, granite at another, flooring and back splash at another and then to top it off we added in a deco floor tile to go around the perimeter of the kitchen a few weeks ago.
TABLE OF STONE in Merrimack, NH did an absolutely fabulous job, they were very precise in their fit and believe me our counters were not easy by any means, they had to fit around our posts and beams. The installers Parker and Josh were excellent and very professional, they answered all of my questions and I really enjoyed watching them work, it was very fascinating to learn about granite. I would highly recommend this company, their prices were better than either Home Depot or Lowes, and they had some great colors. We looked for the color we picked from them, but couldn't even come close.
WE LOVE OUR NEW Kitchen. Now I have to get going on the back splash and flooring and Josh (mine, not TOS) needs to get the up and down lighting installed. Les will be finishing off the raised breakfast bar, we selected a remnant piece of absolute black for that, TOS could not install it, because of the tight fit, the wall needs to be built after the lower granite counter was installed. The left the piece with us, and instructions, so Les and I will do that one ourselves. We loved TOS so much that we are going to go look at more remnants for the master bath vanity tops.
The cabinets are Wellborn and we purchased them through Norfolk Kitchens in Nashua NH. I worked with Paula Foley and she helped us along nicely and encouraged us to go with our initial gut and do the lower cabinets the dark coffee stain and the upper ones the natural wheat. Turns out the counter is what tied it together so well giving it has both colors in it. The pricing we very good and believe me we shopped cabinets until we dropped, looked at online-put-together-yourself, pre-assembled online, went to of course Lowes and HD, and a few our local cabinet places as well. Norfolk Kitchens were the only ones that could give us exactly what we wanted at the price we budgeted and they gave us 1/2 off the installation charges, with all we have to do already, having someone else install the cabinets was a blessing.
Our back hallway is also finished, I tiled and Les put in our sliding doors that we got for $50.00 (regularly $250). I'm getting so I can't bring myself to pay full price for anything these days, I shop it like crazy and in the end, with enough wheeling and dealing, if you are patient and stick to your price, someone will make it happen to get the business.
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| Installing the microwave. |
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| Les having fun installing microwave, no really he is! |
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| Just cleaned the fridge had to take the picture - Norfolk sending small filler for gap above fridge. |
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| Will have a black granite raised breakfast bar over these two cabinets. Highly recommend the large pot drawers - Love them! |
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| We saw a raised dishwasher on display and had to have it, no bending to get the dishes in and out, love it. |
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| Wider view. |
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| Luan counter tops - can't wait for the granite. |
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| wide sink view |
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| Now for the granite from Table of Stone in Merrimack NH
Here is the raised DW, the cabinet has no bottom rail, so it opens and is used like an appliance garage. |
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| Love the variations in the granite |
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| Even put the back splash around the posts and did such a great job. |
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| Love the colors, it has a lot of mica so it sparkles. |
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| Our sink is a black Moen and looks great in, Les just needs to practice his plumbing skills for awhile before hookup. |
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| The sink is the finishing touch, hopefully tonight. |
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| Only one small seam in the middle of the sink area, everything fit like a glove when they went to install, very impressive. |
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| Love the close ups. |
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| Stove view. |
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| Another close up. |
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| Cutting in around these angled posts was very detailed. |
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| Real close up of the breakfast bar area. |
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| Look at that fit - amazing.
Don't look at the cat scratching pole - Darn cats, maybe now that it is not just a big pole in the middle of the room they will stop getting a good run and competing on who can get the highest!
Looks like I have a little sanding touch up work to do. |
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| Again, cutting and fitting these angles so tight was amazing. Nice job highly recommend Table of Stone in Merrimack, NH. |
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Posted to Working-Wilton by Barbara in Wilton, NH
on 5/22/2008 9:43:38 AM
The finish work is much more rewarding than the framing and sheetrocking. Les is hard a work on the decks, screen porch and going a little nuts with the octagon stuff. We have put in some bargain pocket doors we got at Home Depot, regularly $250-$350, paid $50 - $125. Love bargain hunting. Cabinets due for delivery Friday morning to be installed Tues and Wed. Granite counters will be measured late day on Wed. It is really all starting to come together, this is so us, so our house, good thing it will be the last one.
Next week will be lots of pictures and updates. Temp CO expires on June 15th and bank will be looking to close by end of June, so the push is on. Can't wait until next month is over so we can relax and really spend some time enjoying it all.
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| Bargin Pocket door |
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| Love a bargin |
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| Les and the crazy octagon stuff - looks awesome, really love the detail he puts into everything. |
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| Screen porch getting railings |
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| Screen porch other side. |
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Posted to Working-Wilton by Barbara in Wilton, NH
on 5/12/2008 1:55:43 PM
Here is my latest project. The slate was a lot of work, but we are very pleased with the way it came out.
The stove is a Heat N Glo Paloma - found it at 1/2 off it had been special ordered and customer couldn't use it where they thought they could. It's on a programmable thermostat so it will meet our bank requirements for heat. Nice this time of the year not to have to start a fire before work to take the chill off, this kicks on just a little before we get up and no chill.
Here is Les' latest project
When we were skiing in VT a few years ago we saw deck rails very similar to these and thought they were very cool. Later on while reading a Fine Home Building Magazine came across a plan to build these. Les has done some amazing work, we even had a little deck building/birthday party last weekend. No gifts, just lending a hand. It went really well and we got a lot done, thanks everyone who pitched in.
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