tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39014848101116036172024-03-21T20:45:24.090-07:00Cabin Construction Bob Buckwalterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12077682214681984057noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901484810111603617.post-37977639441490516502013-11-11T17:58:00.000-08:002013-12-11T11:56:22.591-08:00Complete<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello! Welcome back to my cabin construction blog. It's hard to believe, but construction is complete enough to obtain the Certificate of Occupancy, which was issued last week. It's been an amazing ride. Still a bit of trim painting to finish up, and a few other minor details, but the cabin is totally livable! Actually, we've decided that it is not a cabin. We've decided it's a cottage now, just so you know. <br />
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A few quick thank you mentions are in order, and then onto the photos.<br />
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*Our friends Tim and Pam who own a beautiful house in Margaretville, NY (about 30 mins from our cottage) were kind enough to allow us the use of their home for lodging the past couple of years throughout this whole process. When you combine the number of trips we made Upstate in the year leading up to construction for planning purposes, and all the trips up during construction, their kindness saved us thousands of dollars in lodging expenses. Thanks, Tim and Pam!<br />
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*My dad, having a great deal of woodworking experience, was the guiding force behind the construction of the kitchen cabinets. We worked on them over the course of about a year, spread out over several different weekend sessions. I would not have had a clue how to build them on my own. It was a "sweat equity" project that saved us thousands of dollars worth of custom cabinetry, but more importantly, it was a lot of fun working with him. And the cabinets look amazing! Thanks, Dad!<br />
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*Our General Contractor and building crew (three people total) were the most skilled, professional, and pleasant people we could have ever hoped to work with. Seriously, they were amazing. One anecdote: In August, I was up there for a couple of days by myself doing some work and our contractor, who was also onsite doing some work one day, asked me if I had plans later that night. I didn't, so he invited me to the county fair with him and his family and crew to see a demolition derby in which he sponsored a car being driven by one of the crew members. It was my first ever demolition derby and it was a lot of fun. I won't mention the contractor's name here, but if anyone is in search of a contractor in the Western Catskills area for construction, renovations, etc, please feel free to contact me. You won't find anyone better. <br />
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Here's some pics:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfj2sQZkb-eoVghHcD3cwgkqI1hl3aE9nbehhd9AqZS5_Ak0Q9OcDSzzf5xUABDfpGus_nHZ9HsTd3yM32A6PzGOlDVBaQA4CNbaVOQwuFryTYkZHxF4gZxOViMHzuvfvFwYnF4knRQcc/s1600/final_front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfj2sQZkb-eoVghHcD3cwgkqI1hl3aE9nbehhd9AqZS5_Ak0Q9OcDSzzf5xUABDfpGus_nHZ9HsTd3yM32A6PzGOlDVBaQA4CNbaVOQwuFryTYkZHxF4gZxOViMHzuvfvFwYnF4knRQcc/s400/final_front.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front of the cottage. The deck runs the length of the house and is 12' deep.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dining area. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The living area.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfs8R2Cf90m5xnzhz0lh7i_BsNMAio92epw5QxChTiKA_Tq8sZYU9zsp1N3JNjK3WPptFnReajgJaPFhny2xmOYPBNHVJjuNfrwUQ8VkVaPnvs2IG0Op2b3xyIZpMS54y_WlOztaMorFc/s1600/final_barn_living.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfs8R2Cf90m5xnzhz0lh7i_BsNMAio92epw5QxChTiKA_Tq8sZYU9zsp1N3JNjK3WPptFnReajgJaPFhny2xmOYPBNHVJjuNfrwUQ8VkVaPnvs2IG0Op2b3xyIZpMS54y_WlOztaMorFc/s400/final_barn_living.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The reclaimed barn board living room wall with Tracey stylin' & profilin.'</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the living area looking into the dining and kitchen area.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the kitchen looking into the dining and living area.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbK0WDjkmdegTcCFnOgfo536C4t9QRYQaEt3FuYkR5pri9Piuq6gfA58vnjSUDIOlBiMFdxEfdlRl4U981-hyL1A4FYHS4yWtQQdxAGw4pAnBIlWNb37nor8uTK2Bzb_Ls4MFLxPTgoOE/s1600/final_kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbK0WDjkmdegTcCFnOgfo536C4t9QRYQaEt3FuYkR5pri9Piuq6gfA58vnjSUDIOlBiMFdxEfdlRl4U981-hyL1A4FYHS4yWtQQdxAGw4pAnBIlWNb37nor8uTK2Bzb_Ls4MFLxPTgoOE/s400/final_kitchen.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The kitchen with open shelving and soapstone countertops. My dad and I built all the cabinets.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from couch with Mom and Dad in foreground. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-DYePbQ18GlJ9LH-6ajH_j8QU8jm_CWTk-MtdASd_APb1OZi-TUcFKpNhRqczUFJ_tKr05p5U-CyPlbOEFiKTJ4RtJw9Xfzeqk3_zdcIseZy390Q3Aitz3jTX1p9rLVZvTfTFX1bfRg/s1600/final_stove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-DYePbQ18GlJ9LH-6ajH_j8QU8jm_CWTk-MtdASd_APb1OZi-TUcFKpNhRqczUFJ_tKr05p5U-CyPlbOEFiKTJ4RtJw9Xfzeqk3_zdcIseZy390Q3Aitz3jTX1p9rLVZvTfTFX1bfRg/s400/final_stove.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The round Morso 7648 wood stove. This thing is awesome! It has a very large glass viewing window and it heats via convection (as opposed to radiant) which allows for an extremely low clearance requirement to combustibles. It heats the entire cottage, upstairs and down, so we don't have to turn on the electric heat when it's fired up.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2VRDd5j_jLVegS4z2oA5ahEImKjl70MVrjVPP_WndbAB9VxiqhrufL6a-OFkZj-qYj58fDzhs3EnuqYc0dfIOvsUnsc5TqYOg5kz5b7iu0e5HFkwvv6lY32IEQiRNH6wKMYb3FT1P30/s1600/final_half_bath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2VRDd5j_jLVegS4z2oA5ahEImKjl70MVrjVPP_WndbAB9VxiqhrufL6a-OFkZj-qYj58fDzhs3EnuqYc0dfIOvsUnsc5TqYOg5kz5b7iu0e5HFkwvv6lY32IEQiRNH6wKMYb3FT1P30/s400/final_half_bath.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the downstairs half-bath, tucked cozily under the stairs. The vanity is only 9" deep and 18" long. It's slightly bigger than an airplane bathroom, but don't worry, guys, you'll only have to duck when standing at the toilet if you're taller than 6', 6." </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDc1y6XVzWuLzAIE867zLBYIqtM5JWl8eoNY-ufmfazb_ExQ5suHJYwx0l86xHa0kfoY2XHlRtDNkZtLGrDCsrJcqzGMY6g9NUpBwHptpi9bnBkYv58bDU-7Sez9fkVBRplO-uHfmre4/s1600/final_downstairs_hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlDc1y6XVzWuLzAIE867zLBYIqtM5JWl8eoNY-ufmfazb_ExQ5suHJYwx0l86xHa0kfoY2XHlRtDNkZtLGrDCsrJcqzGMY6g9NUpBwHptpi9bnBkYv58bDU-7Sez9fkVBRplO-uHfmre4/s400/final_downstairs_hall.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The downstairs hallway that leads to the beginning of the stairs (barely seen in this pic to the right of the window). The barn board wall is the reverse side of the living room wall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdwc4uJMWsMHPwftJajIQD6hZ6wuFrgCnhyP7k2juBj2KvCoZZEfwgsZQ07uavTjgTftwQ2dlFehihpUWHXiYQggs6FAdxtW5_ztaAsgqYYbSk8pEvSaCTuKtZcPlOTMKdxVd1E_ONck/s1600/final_first_stairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRdwc4uJMWsMHPwftJajIQD6hZ6wuFrgCnhyP7k2juBj2KvCoZZEfwgsZQ07uavTjgTftwQ2dlFehihpUWHXiYQggs6FAdxtW5_ztaAsgqYYbSk8pEvSaCTuKtZcPlOTMKdxVd1E_ONck/s400/final_first_stairs.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first few stairs in the back corner lead to a landing, then...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMe3qxZHe0Avo3qGLE-TOfOPHB_89p_LkUiIjm9MhF-K4e39Arv1hQBEujLBuGGQUob5AAu5aS8eTPKssXf-Qe5FobhqXZOSnD24kKBfViFflx8Gg9FTKJA-jeaoVDnGbdNrs03YWO10/s1600/final_stairs_up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMe3qxZHe0Avo3qGLE-TOfOPHB_89p_LkUiIjm9MhF-K4e39Arv1hQBEujLBuGGQUob5AAu5aS8eTPKssXf-Qe5FobhqXZOSnD24kKBfViFflx8Gg9FTKJA-jeaoVDnGbdNrs03YWO10/s400/final_stairs_up.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then the stairs turn and lead to the upstairs hallway.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8fRlE8tygPId9UNDwwYlwE06Au7yhF-SXKQXJQ6xHB6Dyyy4L52BgQWpvOw03BXY2kB5FemICtc9eRVemK3tsRXOOOSNjm_79dIXtpjuQD7MiEIJGt_Gu0irgFDUDm4EBZYD0NBaZwA/s1600/final_upstairs_hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx8fRlE8tygPId9UNDwwYlwE06Au7yhF-SXKQXJQ6xHB6Dyyy4L52BgQWpvOw03BXY2kB5FemICtc9eRVemK3tsRXOOOSNjm_79dIXtpjuQD7MiEIJGt_Gu0irgFDUDm4EBZYD0NBaZwA/s400/final_upstairs_hall.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The upstairs hallway looking into the two bedrooms (the bathroom door is on the right). We decided to go with carpet in the upstairs for noise reduction (and we probably wouldn't have had enough of the reclaimed floor boards that we used for the downstairs floors). </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXghWD-iYJUhZnVhidljkrj-_tgO5AceFmlqEkJQDaYU06n6pNORVGULtSglnAO_tGHYdiVpJR7u6et8bRoad1K0ZiUXQ96VL4hOsFzRrLKycwNcl7hHhoMhSPum2cIkExIsIe4SbYUg/s1600/final_mast_bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXghWD-iYJUhZnVhidljkrj-_tgO5AceFmlqEkJQDaYU06n6pNORVGULtSglnAO_tGHYdiVpJR7u6et8bRoad1K0ZiUXQ96VL4hOsFzRrLKycwNcl7hHhoMhSPum2cIkExIsIe4SbYUg/s400/final_mast_bed.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The upstairs "master" bedroom.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtEinXbM5z5jwrqa07E9g1t1_7qbwiGLW_U0IKgZP6tHKpkE4ToYXXGW9gtNJZhxe8YjDa2aFm4uksyrujzFeQUVJaIqU2bE22UCgzyegaXfzFTj2FssNGFzIkvgBIIjCINcwxeQH4kg/s1600/final_guest_bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtEinXbM5z5jwrqa07E9g1t1_7qbwiGLW_U0IKgZP6tHKpkE4ToYXXGW9gtNJZhxe8YjDa2aFm4uksyrujzFeQUVJaIqU2bE22UCgzyegaXfzFTj2FssNGFzIkvgBIIjCINcwxeQH4kg/s400/final_guest_bed.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The upstairs guest bedroom. Just imagine an air mattress in there. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqZ4nL7LGdH0O6UnVOInR9AyDBKczF-jrdly04S-mvsi4FqDXfV9A-cRngOfEx9y8MwqZoDhjcDxkZVSbVw2Fev1HsIn-8UJrauxUbBjy_WO3sBtQhKiBMMxSC4E4J2txs1D1JkWlpU8/s1600/final_guest_interior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitqZ4nL7LGdH0O6UnVOInR9AyDBKczF-jrdly04S-mvsi4FqDXfV9A-cRngOfEx9y8MwqZoDhjcDxkZVSbVw2Fev1HsIn-8UJrauxUbBjy_WO3sBtQhKiBMMxSC4E4J2txs1D1JkWlpU8/s400/final_guest_interior.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here you can see the built-in shelving beside the closet in the guest bedroom. Because of the size of the guest room, it will be difficult to comfortably fit a dresser in there. The shelving (which will eventually contain woven baskets, or something like that) is meant to provide storage for clothing items that would normally be stored in a dresser. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmYLXAE1uZQWz850fhLerUpSbqbhJNZFXW6cLHm3lZwHovp3-D7JSPWjh3kaJXeb-QOtDXm9shPk5bgTCoRPvU-K4wVRrh4g1Sph9_yyc78VbYipEthnWNMeQKE60nGrklcgsanmi8ls/s1600/final_master_interior.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqmYLXAE1uZQWz850fhLerUpSbqbhJNZFXW6cLHm3lZwHovp3-D7JSPWjh3kaJXeb-QOtDXm9shPk5bgTCoRPvU-K4wVRrh4g1Sph9_yyc78VbYipEthnWNMeQKE60nGrklcgsanmi8ls/s400/final_master_interior.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had originally planned to do the built-in shelving in the master bedroom as well but we decided against it, as you can see in the left corner. Since we have plenty of room for a dresser in this room, we decided that open space would be ideal for a hamper.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifO0zk4CiCZ8KAeG3YVINe50DAf9S58ETHd4hXncW88iiaH_M-W1l6Lzzu8OElsvVpb4ikg6vXYcV8LNVGSAHxSyTQSyWJRiKqhgQJMj7Pv3zP43kdwawv-UGUosqYkOG5bWhrb58bpgw/s1600/sink_complete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifO0zk4CiCZ8KAeG3YVINe50DAf9S58ETHd4hXncW88iiaH_M-W1l6Lzzu8OElsvVpb4ikg6vXYcV8LNVGSAHxSyTQSyWJRiKqhgQJMj7Pv3zP43kdwawv-UGUosqYkOG5bWhrb58bpgw/s400/sink_complete.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upstairs bathroom pedestal sink</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWMlzCclFCqsBO0kxy1VInzH1KwxIYD7ooMay2RFnGzx56x8cf2O0PawOSiO4sgmykOZB-mi3DYBQXoqOoGPhKCAbhy-IBca8GylDgGqBaCreSw-gtOaMzn-J76-zBW1BlfxG3tjcmj8/s1600/final_hall_window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWMlzCclFCqsBO0kxy1VInzH1KwxIYD7ooMay2RFnGzx56x8cf2O0PawOSiO4sgmykOZB-mi3DYBQXoqOoGPhKCAbhy-IBca8GylDgGqBaCreSw-gtOaMzn-J76-zBW1BlfxG3tjcmj8/s640/final_hall_window.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The upstairs hallway window, looking at the wooded hill at the back of the house.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZmITtJSxiGFAFf3nr8VMwRRBSFlSW58mOypQ44m5bVFGLQ79-lnJi5fGrQsM04NCiROPjERvuNXASaF-VqLIOLiGUk7c76GAGk_sPPva5ytTrnHvZyI0Mg9gTUk8cWdurwaI75HcJ-4/s1600/final_back_house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcZmITtJSxiGFAFf3nr8VMwRRBSFlSW58mOypQ44m5bVFGLQ79-lnJi5fGrQsM04NCiROPjERvuNXASaF-VqLIOLiGUk7c76GAGk_sPPva5ytTrnHvZyI0Mg9gTUk8cWdurwaI75HcJ-4/s400/final_back_house.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The back of the house is where the parking area and main entry door is located. With the parking area in the back, cars are not seen from anywhere in the house, though if you wish to, you can see you car by looking out the windows at the top of the door. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4cDQFS-hKB3UP9wL9fzojVzy-35gmzUD-Ig3JanedZPVDjQfIUYQ30ub0i6t0PgZpF997pU_wO7afAerc0WmFJXXOQPrNymO84V5jeKvTlngXUnRvTIQCr0MfpYaQWq77tz1dunLYUM/s1600/from_road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN4cDQFS-hKB3UP9wL9fzojVzy-35gmzUD-Ig3JanedZPVDjQfIUYQ30ub0i6t0PgZpF997pU_wO7afAerc0WmFJXXOQPrNymO84V5jeKvTlngXUnRvTIQCr0MfpYaQWq77tz1dunLYUM/s400/from_road.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the road.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvLYxRogd1anFhif4HMgAt-xqMB7zSt59RIU0TdZPb6oOLG6lyVAjWRSw_DT9hNBV1TWCb1hWAwlhhTFY5t2UKg1f38i61bZJ5tUpTQCo1oCPhqVQtRN0dzEAII8tzb6jTCIeS3si0XI/s1600/final_deck_living.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvLYxRogd1anFhif4HMgAt-xqMB7zSt59RIU0TdZPb6oOLG6lyVAjWRSw_DT9hNBV1TWCb1hWAwlhhTFY5t2UKg1f38i61bZJ5tUpTQCo1oCPhqVQtRN0dzEAII8tzb6jTCIeS3si0XI/s400/final_deck_living.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the deck, looking into the living room</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzl7BNJcNFKtq7pwW6cT9u4GBVe9Ej0NXdwNwLTCrRm3nZKbD49knTSlOdmDal4s7aGrDLq0yKKEbUaMTMCyXOfUIncvR7J3GwMr7odttoVvxuH7F3u0gTTcu-jWMUx8CcNPnsFUiuCBU/s1600/final_deck_dining.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzl7BNJcNFKtq7pwW6cT9u4GBVe9Ej0NXdwNwLTCrRm3nZKbD49knTSlOdmDal4s7aGrDLq0yKKEbUaMTMCyXOfUIncvR7J3GwMr7odttoVvxuH7F3u0gTTcu-jWMUx8CcNPnsFUiuCBU/s400/final_deck_dining.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the deck, looking into the dining area.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiE7OeS__nou1T0-1Rq_0I41ZWASkIexWrwu8OBNffXVOSoCu4rSIXGfJLpFoIbyFmU0cTDKpcbZc0PGOCDXvAfBoX-zco4RkU4237VbYaq4srUWKUe9lbtUFr06EnVUTrBedyFaMrtc/s1600/final_saw_deck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGiE7OeS__nou1T0-1Rq_0I41ZWASkIexWrwu8OBNffXVOSoCu4rSIXGfJLpFoIbyFmU0cTDKpcbZc0PGOCDXvAfBoX-zco4RkU4237VbYaq4srUWKUe9lbtUFr06EnVUTrBedyFaMrtc/s400/final_saw_deck.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this picture. In the final weeks, the crew moved all dirt-producing work outside on the deck. Not exactly a cubicle.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKK4M-Y3MJxIh8JLTDupzdXaPyNe0w7gMx6RAzTe5kaRNRSVw9Yk-cw0vlhxXuYABqiYIFiwelBitMKC02dGn0zj650Wm1KMpZWyaJTJgqqkrc3rA55bumDXdrRB-5wqaWFhN8-nIq3-4/s1600/final_rhoda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKK4M-Y3MJxIh8JLTDupzdXaPyNe0w7gMx6RAzTe5kaRNRSVw9Yk-cw0vlhxXuYABqiYIFiwelBitMKC02dGn0zj650Wm1KMpZWyaJTJgqqkrc3rA55bumDXdrRB-5wqaWFhN8-nIq3-4/s400/final_rhoda.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And finally; Our trusty, dependable 1999 Subaru Forester which has served us remarkably well over the past year. She already had a lot of miles on her when we bought her and we put a lot of miles on her in a relatively short period of time. She has not complained once. We call her, Rhoda.</td></tr>
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Well, thanks for taking the time to read this and thanks to all who have expressed interest throughout this process. It was a lot of work but it's hard to believe how fast and relatively smoothly it all went. For those of you who know me well, I don't have to tell you, I have had a burning desire to build a cabin, or cottage, or whatever it's called for a long, long time. I'm not sure why, nor do I care to think too much about, "why." But, THANK YOU for putting up with the endless talk of this for years. I promise I will talk about other things now. </div>
Bob Buckwalterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12077682214681984057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901484810111603617.post-40215333564595990892013-08-28T13:46:00.001-07:002013-08-28T18:00:25.889-07:00Getting Close<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">Hi there! Welcome Back! A lot of exciting things have been happening at the cabin. They've also happened in a relatively short period of time and I've slacked a bit with the blog so I'm cramming a lot of stuff into this post. Everything has been going smoothly with no major problems. We're very happy about that. So, here's a bunch of pictures with some explanations. I hope you enjoy.</span></h2>
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<u><b>SHEETROCK</b></u></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYIiExdQBsztX9JApXTGtPcMq8ouJQgdpSClE98-Z6dSRxUDuhZEq_WKdknwj49Nl5D5SGXWETZdf7Xjy15QpeO5tVHCT8V8sztnQeu1prvYxSu75EWHVZ4_MPDsNd4A-u3cS_wUju90/s1600/sr_downstairs_e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYIiExdQBsztX9JApXTGtPcMq8ouJQgdpSClE98-Z6dSRxUDuhZEq_WKdknwj49Nl5D5SGXWETZdf7Xjy15QpeO5tVHCT8V8sztnQeu1prvYxSu75EWHVZ4_MPDsNd4A-u3cS_wUju90/s320/sr_downstairs_e.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the spray foam insulation was completed, sheetrock went up in the entire house (and has since been taped, spackled, sanded, and primed; and most of it painted). This is looking towards the dining area of the downstairs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8uO2JiSy6qKM7bmadiLr1O3D9NXShnS-CJ6PYW1T8rJhRtR8WnvCKxfQbEEZaKgtmZ3N9o0EEhOxrX-cag1LHQUbXXIr87Mep1Y_zAY9trYBJn2G6hdacRZQR6mYYrNAyPMeF2YThSE/s1600/sr_downstairs_w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs8uO2JiSy6qKM7bmadiLr1O3D9NXShnS-CJ6PYW1T8rJhRtR8WnvCKxfQbEEZaKgtmZ3N9o0EEhOxrX-cag1LHQUbXXIr87Mep1Y_zAY9trYBJn2G6hdacRZQR6mYYrNAyPMeF2YThSE/s320/sr_downstairs_w.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking towards the living area of the downstairs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSZwuKIzWzqiAfxCfxAyaBdvidYcTLow4BK7TKHrHeL96CbnAp228UziGYKdSn3MOLD_U2WMjMJYCs2CvBCt4oZarjG4NYtlc4mOhpTC6xHS8QOVkjFiibVGmyIzKslikM_mGJjGCI80/s1600/sr_guest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnSZwuKIzWzqiAfxCfxAyaBdvidYcTLow4BK7TKHrHeL96CbnAp228UziGYKdSn3MOLD_U2WMjMJYCs2CvBCt4oZarjG4NYtlc4mOhpTC6xHS8QOVkjFiibVGmyIzKslikM_mGJjGCI80/s320/sr_guest.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Guest bedroom</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaU-sS-598-9Nz8YfQAikp7XTsVKrk33rcgAF0yTDHPM6elaMt6DfBwEWMVqRONCl-d3EJexIYmHXmaQWhD2JKq1WgIL_q1XdSFeGlrVqpEnKWNrsTchm8awCuURFlS9xnvSidL-AciFI/s1600/sr_master.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaU-sS-598-9Nz8YfQAikp7XTsVKrk33rcgAF0yTDHPM6elaMt6DfBwEWMVqRONCl-d3EJexIYmHXmaQWhD2JKq1WgIL_q1XdSFeGlrVqpEnKWNrsTchm8awCuURFlS9xnvSidL-AciFI/s320/sr_master.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Master" Bedroom<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVa5oXwXiIphiuQzlqRw6iChUVHsp4NnNuMnEr07rQoT8YM5LK4XZmTfp54Yh_5M4SNoNdA_AkGCOWYN5kmEfjMI2oogbA9kq8HA-pgo_INb4P_zHUc7GPnFdznu0FAezcZqLvfWFXco/s1600/sr_upstairs_hall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLVa5oXwXiIphiuQzlqRw6iChUVHsp4NnNuMnEr07rQoT8YM5LK4XZmTfp54Yh_5M4SNoNdA_AkGCOWYN5kmEfjMI2oogbA9kq8HA-pgo_INb4P_zHUc7GPnFdznu0FAezcZqLvfWFXco/s320/sr_upstairs_hall.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upstairs hallway looking into the two bedrooms<br />
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<u><b>SIDING</b></u></div>
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Another big thing that has happened is that the Board and Batten siding has gone on the house. Here are some pictures of different phases of that process. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCAWzHdS7dFFNu3KxPwvG7QaQpdzrFb7IINUnpZL-O5hLFcIwx8bU258WnYDJYR4HMtN-d4gNVMjg6U7bSZANJFO4UFLI4Qdqh9JmiXCLLEOMqEqd8ThceJAZ79GRK9BSLiRRVgxF6uw/s1600/siding_east.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCAWzHdS7dFFNu3KxPwvG7QaQpdzrFb7IINUnpZL-O5hLFcIwx8bU258WnYDJYR4HMtN-d4gNVMjg6U7bSZANJFO4UFLI4Qdqh9JmiXCLLEOMqEqd8ThceJAZ79GRK9BSLiRRVgxF6uw/s320/siding_east.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a shot of the East and North sides with the boards (though not yet the battens).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9B_o_xcOinjDRGKJq6ywmmIGXdOVCRvlT5ttBm2Syuwzw7nCWKNvJ1k2Vg3_EqWVB-yaND9me_UyDIDMN1aW0Eky1EwH__r1ZGItPa_ynhZ-i6JhZlQgX2-WCnD0VnB9ENRwzTFull4/s1600/siding_front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9B_o_xcOinjDRGKJq6ywmmIGXdOVCRvlT5ttBm2Syuwzw7nCWKNvJ1k2Vg3_EqWVB-yaND9me_UyDIDMN1aW0Eky1EwH__r1ZGItPa_ynhZ-i6JhZlQgX2-WCnD0VnB9ENRwzTFull4/s320/siding_front.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The final board on the front side of the house is about to be installed. The pieces of wood trim you see at the top of each window are fastened at this point to secure the copper flashing and the rest of the trim was added later.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3HTXhDko_EbDmI5oH5tDfMtmXGkxoGZ8MG2VKIkb8RhM1r4XOtaAKHe128ih2EAAGwhavxZtBwsR0aV0JME1mErrZiC2tsJsBVx25KrP5sL4le-bDp_D2_jyppKm_gkFqnWCiLib9ICA/s1600/siding_battens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3HTXhDko_EbDmI5oH5tDfMtmXGkxoGZ8MG2VKIkb8RhM1r4XOtaAKHe128ih2EAAGwhavxZtBwsR0aV0JME1mErrZiC2tsJsBVx25KrP5sL4le-bDp_D2_jyppKm_gkFqnWCiLib9ICA/s320/siding_battens.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a close-up of the East wall with the battens installed on top of the boards. You can also get a better idea of how the window trim will look in this picture, though it is not yet painted. </td></tr>
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<u><b>FLOORING</b></u></div>
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A few years ago, I found a small wood reclamation company in NJ on craigslist that was selling old reclaimed barn boards for an amazing price. The boards were in a pretty beat up condition -- the perfect look for the rustic wide plank flooring we had envisioned for the cabin. Me and a friend, Tom, who is a professional carpenter (and a great actor), took a trip out to NJ to look at the boards. We spent about 10 hours on one January day, in several inches of snow and temperatures in the 20's, sifting through a huge stack of boards for the purpose of picking out the best ones. <br />
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We were very lucky to be able to store the boards at our friends Tim and Pam's house in Upstate NY who have a huge quonset hut on their property. The flooring we now have in our cabin would not exist without Tom's guidance in picking out the best boards, and our friends Tim and Pam's generosity in letting us store the boards for three years.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYYt14DwJU5BvvjYHHSA7EIu6sNpKkNFMaLVojj23qCXoBFoLBCD5ysChg-cMeb2WuDvH0i-3lxtwtxeKTFoBGycakNgrwQvHjZJGsgvmnYBa5IUUvE4VjO9Sc0qCKGWyCblWYqA0-Yc/s1600/floor_stack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYYt14DwJU5BvvjYHHSA7EIu6sNpKkNFMaLVojj23qCXoBFoLBCD5ysChg-cMeb2WuDvH0i-3lxtwtxeKTFoBGycakNgrwQvHjZJGsgvmnYBa5IUUvE4VjO9Sc0qCKGWyCblWYqA0-Yc/s320/floor_stack.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stack of boards in our friends' quonset hut</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mOR0n-iJmNH95lLX4lGvGmgAIjeseMZqk7DzlVMwDBngMuYyUBvCJ31zY7P0yN8Sgq5gqZzM5IGAXZnpAU7Ew2q98EklKBFh9TJidSMQMxraw76lFZ4RCl2fXscIZLOTS5_w5PxwfTs/s1600/floor_planed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9mOR0n-iJmNH95lLX4lGvGmgAIjeseMZqk7DzlVMwDBngMuYyUBvCJ31zY7P0yN8Sgq5gqZzM5IGAXZnpAU7Ew2q98EklKBFh9TJidSMQMxraw76lFZ4RCl2fXscIZLOTS5_w5PxwfTs/s320/floor_planed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As I mentioned, the boards were in pretty rough condition and required planing before installation. Here is an example of how the boards typically looked before and after a couple of passes through the planer. I planed a bunch of boards while in storage in the quonset hut, and the builders planed the rest before installing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImhwC1dv1hAmkMs1AAtW7BpqnG79qAVP7c3WCbzg_Nd78nUVASc8PaN2xPlGFpiwomxuCX8wo9HoAGgKOvFr4xg-nO3XRfFXCaHQLgt5r5OL187Iyh1B7sCaJXQmPsiUD0imrV6kpdmc/s1600/floor_install.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImhwC1dv1hAmkMs1AAtW7BpqnG79qAVP7c3WCbzg_Nd78nUVASc8PaN2xPlGFpiwomxuCX8wo9HoAGgKOvFr4xg-nO3XRfFXCaHQLgt5r5OL187Iyh1B7sCaJXQmPsiUD0imrV6kpdmc/s320/floor_install.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The builders installing the flooring. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcipBcoyW5o71skBCItWopmdMTc8tcIehdsKu5jCgA4QwS6xdbxZRpJM_Lw9QnqOHDP2MXEUXw7-iZLbpC8gcXAXoq6uauB5Wa1q3N1jDFIkcGD_rlWG_Acs_sMeM7606144kOmivkAg/s1600/floor_install_complete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcipBcoyW5o71skBCItWopmdMTc8tcIehdsKu5jCgA4QwS6xdbxZRpJM_Lw9QnqOHDP2MXEUXw7-iZLbpC8gcXAXoq6uauB5Wa1q3N1jDFIkcGD_rlWG_Acs_sMeM7606144kOmivkAg/s320/floor_install_complete.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the installation was complete, I spent about a half day sanding them with three different coarsenesses of sandpaper. Home Depot has good quality sanders you can rent by the hour for a decent price and they are very easy to use.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexqfjG5-TuHsvXo1tVBhNfu49rMqlz6_yCZrkK_jybmKGCwARoSilPKlb6dLyxS19mzJtu67zg7HG7N1Y_I8z7DpH6ry-m5S1AyfdJLlVVKIa-0EI6XCZoQg9oZCBtN77o60JJWBldx4/s1600/floor_1st_coat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgexqfjG5-TuHsvXo1tVBhNfu49rMqlz6_yCZrkK_jybmKGCwARoSilPKlb6dLyxS19mzJtu67zg7HG7N1Y_I8z7DpH6ry-m5S1AyfdJLlVVKIa-0EI6XCZoQg9oZCBtN77o60JJWBldx4/s320/floor_1st_coat.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then came the polyurethane! Wow, that really made the floors pop with rich character.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QHgK8emdIMv0eSgDR_Mz-JA3FyNW2lvORBKdFE12YYkGBOc7i0weCU5FUboUaxQeNEL87kBuFtTYSRo1Us8UagCODJHymH3k-oUUXPOdtjeQWsgBbRXQROBNg427OBQv-StM4oZbsCk/s1600/floor_2nd_closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QHgK8emdIMv0eSgDR_Mz-JA3FyNW2lvORBKdFE12YYkGBOc7i0weCU5FUboUaxQeNEL87kBuFtTYSRo1Us8UagCODJHymH3k-oUUXPOdtjeQWsgBbRXQROBNg427OBQv-StM4oZbsCk/s320/floor_2nd_closeup.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The weather was a bit muggy so it took around 36 hours for the first coat to dry, before applying the second coat. The rich amber color became even more intense after the second coat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTpz9pCYIGuSv0II00YSIPUj9Lecgik2pgPpfnq8YDeMCG1rudRpPv7w04BrNYIDAehbMmUOPZNbefqxCkjY4XttqjP4Tn5UJdL3-o9ajFZa2vi7CiNYkZdGHMUtuSCZC0NfIgXVwT00/s1600/floor_2nd_coat_complete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTpz9pCYIGuSv0II00YSIPUj9Lecgik2pgPpfnq8YDeMCG1rudRpPv7w04BrNYIDAehbMmUOPZNbefqxCkjY4XttqjP4Tn5UJdL3-o9ajFZa2vi7CiNYkZdGHMUtuSCZC0NfIgXVwT00/s320/floor_2nd_coat_complete.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second coat completed! One note about applying the polyurethane; For the first coat, I used a lamb's wool pad applicator which in hindsight was not the best choice. Even though the boards were thoroughly sanded, old reclaimed boards have imperfections, including old nail holes in our case. This caused tiny fibers to fray and tear off of the applicator at certain places. Ultimately, it's not a huge deal because after all the interior trim and final carpentry is complete, I'll give the floors a very light sanding with a very fine coarseness of sandpaper before applying the final coat of poly. As I did for the second coat, I'll apply the final coat the old fashioned way; down on my hands and knees using a wide brush. It takes a long time and is not too easy on the back but it'll be well worth the difference in quality.<br />
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<u><b>KITCHEN</b></u></div>
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One of the most rewarding parts of this whole process has been the building of the kitchen. My dad and I together built all of the cabinets. My parents live about three hours away in PA so we worked on the cabinets in about eight different two-day sessions in my parent's garage over the course of the past 16 months. I designed the cabinets but I have relatively little experience with that kind of wood working. My father, however, has quite a bit of experience working with wood and was the guiding force in the construction of the cabinets. It was very fun working with him on this. First, we purchased all the wood and made all necessary cuts. Then... </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TLBFOSAjGiBFTvgG_alY2dnzQ76G7uT6SW7Y3PyOi1eZIdyCgNXwQTbCEe4I5HrrZwDAoZ-Ff9BvKLp0orvOZcjvok2NSRo8GNWwieq9xxuLXlUBbig8oEcYnLywMpnCqmb3VW63Wtw/s1600/kit_assembly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TLBFOSAjGiBFTvgG_alY2dnzQ76G7uT6SW7Y3PyOi1eZIdyCgNXwQTbCEe4I5HrrZwDAoZ-Ff9BvKLp0orvOZcjvok2NSRo8GNWwieq9xxuLXlUBbig8oEcYnLywMpnCqmb3VW63Wtw/s320/kit_assembly.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Then, the assembly began. Note: we built all the boxes, facing strips, and drawers, but had the doors and drawer facings custom built as doors are hard to make without professional equipment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINFtbjnm5-gJpdufmFwFL5OpJdscuj_RCEcoMKSrZmcuyWxAtCJ34e9VDaHibpn84mb437AJ6Bg03om3Kzv-U4eoKBKVOLNZ8pnf9CUjj4I81p79-3In0GSz7HuxbnjgRos1II__bDqw/s1600/kit_island_dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINFtbjnm5-gJpdufmFwFL5OpJdscuj_RCEcoMKSrZmcuyWxAtCJ34e9VDaHibpn84mb437AJ6Bg03om3Kzv-U4eoKBKVOLNZ8pnf9CUjj4I81p79-3In0GSz7HuxbnjgRos1II__bDqw/s320/kit_island_dad.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dad standing next to what will be the island counter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoK0KOVqR-F9XXgTTTHsi4AF7JNTIT4RmPl4xV5f-gDKSGFtYqgVcjaJveX5e5EOZmpNg9v7u4SsryqPzVUf52wWXD8cIBXWynRbmhIaB9_vbv24PfxlTA3HD_fZ9gVnXD59whrOVpWU/s1600/kit_primed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoK0KOVqR-F9XXgTTTHsi4AF7JNTIT4RmPl4xV5f-gDKSGFtYqgVcjaJveX5e5EOZmpNg9v7u4SsryqPzVUf52wWXD8cIBXWynRbmhIaB9_vbv24PfxlTA3HD_fZ9gVnXD59whrOVpWU/s320/kit_primed.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When construction of the cabinets were completed, we began priming them.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTHhtZQ-1N-T7VB4yyEY3t4Bz5ChctgqItbNsk9rUogxmJJaqFug9PnVtswqhbLntzV7ANuSsNpk-X2GphvK6WcJqgugc-Y8QnXAiE2RIUv7UhNqiqA3jFtzjXnFU9uWR1giFVFj-k0c/s1600/kit_me_dad_finished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiTHhtZQ-1N-T7VB4yyEY3t4Bz5ChctgqItbNsk9rUogxmJJaqFug9PnVtswqhbLntzV7ANuSsNpk-X2GphvK6WcJqgugc-Y8QnXAiE2RIUv7UhNqiqA3jFtzjXnFU9uWR1giFVFj-k0c/s320/kit_me_dad_finished.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished product! Tracey and I knew we wanted something in the green family and Tracey found this "Kennebunkport Green" which we like very much!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXrV2ehV53eb_A0NUuUHXuwsVKEgyr-mB707axrdB986kh1sFOyjRY4Jbo_xff-BWaTItIacKt2wTxuK50dCEW3tfnTPUXg8ZzykbGnG_GXPWOMeS-mS3-m-ARtz_7Tyn2aqxcXvnq5Q/s1600/kit_installed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBXrV2ehV53eb_A0NUuUHXuwsVKEgyr-mB707axrdB986kh1sFOyjRY4Jbo_xff-BWaTItIacKt2wTxuK50dCEW3tfnTPUXg8ZzykbGnG_GXPWOMeS-mS3-m-ARtz_7Tyn2aqxcXvnq5Q/s320/kit_installed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brothers and I installed the cabinets last week! They will soon have soapstone countertops. The opening on the back wall is where the stove will slide in. The sink will be in the island counter. We will be installing open shelving on the back wall (rather than cabinets) for a more rustic feel. Note about the refrigerator; it came from the factory with only one option re: the side on which the doors open. We will simply have the doors reversed to be on the right side for better flow when working in the kitchen. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here, the soapstone countertop maker is making a template which he will use to cut the stone to size at his shop. He will be returning soon with the countertops ready for installation!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1cLXRGXOZ0Kfg3yVnaWTY0IRCQIbwMfIz0As_00vhYX898QIEfprUu9FHLTSrZHVK18NcReX5ScQKV8ltrJ0Oj6mFjnEwZrMhjUZm4KF6V-JJA0W6SBA2OdRn6dYgjoUm_Zym-aMj9A/s1600/kit_storage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ1cLXRGXOZ0Kfg3yVnaWTY0IRCQIbwMfIz0As_00vhYX898QIEfprUu9FHLTSrZHVK18NcReX5ScQKV8ltrJ0Oj6mFjnEwZrMhjUZm4KF6V-JJA0W6SBA2OdRn6dYgjoUm_Zym-aMj9A/s320/kit_storage.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because the building of the cabinets spanned 16 months from start to finish (often with a couple of months between work sessions), working out of my parents garage, we stored the cabinets at a storage facility about a mile from my parent's place so as not to take up their entire garage. </td></tr>
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<u><b>DECK</b></u></div>
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The deck was built last week! The deck runs the length of the house (26') and is 12' deep. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpNrgZGCj1NZPj3xEmPPUMgTHUwjMSs37_Av1PSJBC9UySwIW0XRxiK_x_Sch0Bu9fxiu6mAno6_3cR0lx9nHyGfQ9u3JO41INbeUwe26cGM8zqKkL_8EXBP1mrpVUfjE0QnOmQg1gDk/s1600/deck_post.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggpNrgZGCj1NZPj3xEmPPUMgTHUwjMSs37_Av1PSJBC9UySwIW0XRxiK_x_Sch0Bu9fxiu6mAno6_3cR0lx9nHyGfQ9u3JO41INbeUwe26cGM8zqKkL_8EXBP1mrpVUfjE0QnOmQg1gDk/s320/deck_post.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first post going in. Holes for the post were dug 4' deep with a cement footing pad placed at the bottom.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qDbmvyRhFEW5sxtBXC42pbTP_3okdZXjC3oQ_VGJSid5TbAY8RLjHZyJYPyICYTiRSNeDuHWQYjy2YqgHeL4_1cfcOAAaDYK5xvH3zeFCBHZP4aRLVRNbBI2YlN-VnzNEWS2GiHiDaU/s1600/deck_framing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2qDbmvyRhFEW5sxtBXC42pbTP_3okdZXjC3oQ_VGJSid5TbAY8RLjHZyJYPyICYTiRSNeDuHWQYjy2YqgHeL4_1cfcOAAaDYK5xvH3zeFCBHZP4aRLVRNbBI2YlN-VnzNEWS2GiHiDaU/s320/deck_framing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All posts are in and sawed to correct height. Here, the front part of the deck is being set.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUX50Y3SWMeij7wUr6_tykv-o800NGpZuc9m6SmMV9qrg6o4l-OzknOo_iV3IsXGQuK7vepkP5vQzkHyk4o3619OvCxMZVgRXpAeRugQGtjF26KsWJM15ub9HD0ziRtT8IUQRWrvMAbY/s1600/deck_framed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUUX50Y3SWMeij7wUr6_tykv-o800NGpZuc9m6SmMV9qrg6o4l-OzknOo_iV3IsXGQuK7vepkP5vQzkHyk4o3619OvCxMZVgRXpAeRugQGtjF26KsWJM15ub9HD0ziRtT8IUQRWrvMAbY/s320/deck_framed.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perimeter framed out</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhrU7kou528pQFbUvJi26e_fFdD2OoRooFMaSoWKBGxq5oG4bRWDCDfsvnR48mKxpT9bNrJzvqvsVWtohvRSCG8KBtOxUeL-fTVoV_zxS6qCmzY3q1H8dLV9fllGz9EbKhOZr4ZfW6IU/s1600/deck_complete.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnhrU7kou528pQFbUvJi26e_fFdD2OoRooFMaSoWKBGxq5oG4bRWDCDfsvnR48mKxpT9bNrJzvqvsVWtohvRSCG8KBtOxUeL-fTVoV_zxS6qCmzY3q1H8dLV9fllGz9EbKhOZr4ZfW6IU/s320/deck_complete.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deck complete!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh87MwzZPNfCOnAaqOTnq2QaCXCPaar6hDgwwWUjg03tmUMyoyZsXt-iKKhzk4iAYHcVVUXqCApP4dg6COM7QC8io9kgsE10i9crC7eTlrGya55UWt5Mo1821GaKOkFCGGaAwSYM4dx0g/s1600/deck_tim_rick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh87MwzZPNfCOnAaqOTnq2QaCXCPaar6hDgwwWUjg03tmUMyoyZsXt-iKKhzk4iAYHcVVUXqCApP4dg6COM7QC8io9kgsE10i9crC7eTlrGya55UWt5Mo1821GaKOkFCGGaAwSYM4dx0g/s320/deck_tim_rick.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brothers, Rick and Tim on the newly completed deck. They were up for three days helping with the kitchen installation and a lot of painting. It was a great time!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjLdoq0oUs1jaYl07CULf9erioopay-q2zLfd5rGe2D8WQJeULG7Mthe15JH9lkD8RWWe3WJRwtZAl7UDIlqmj5m3hgGglSudnEd9TXW8qJ0lM8Z8mVcdTGUajvn344OEhQXP_n9WwOM/s1600/upstairs_painted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjLdoq0oUs1jaYl07CULf9erioopay-q2zLfd5rGe2D8WQJeULG7Mthe15JH9lkD8RWWe3WJRwtZAl7UDIlqmj5m3hgGglSudnEd9TXW8qJ0lM8Z8mVcdTGUajvn344OEhQXP_n9WwOM/s320/upstairs_painted.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upstairs guest bedroom primed and ceiling painted.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStVhAUuPFYUJxj05LZDiIWtVRQLTqFdpDvHaho8pbZ7J1GTogRO7cCR_IIT3nnvx823Qc_kHmxQgT5tNI30RRD0DonlSwZiV2MuS059CSHOpwAbkPtyhT_ntLuLvbJXuGUiTjV7RPf3A/s1600/upstairs_painted_master.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjStVhAUuPFYUJxj05LZDiIWtVRQLTqFdpDvHaho8pbZ7J1GTogRO7cCR_IIT3nnvx823Qc_kHmxQgT5tNI30RRD0DonlSwZiV2MuS059CSHOpwAbkPtyhT_ntLuLvbJXuGUiTjV7RPf3A/s320/upstairs_painted_master.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upstairs master bedroom primed and ceiling painted. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8Xf2TyErle78Kh5xTLIdRVOkmC4uAsvU-mG5udnQ57bvWQUX9ZIsB61uwjUEcvDyQR7e4Ne0jqMfl_bL1ZUJ2mcU6B25yu4KA_3x7IiztjR3hhxUa7yHwnpc_Z1Z4osCTR7OuMvQr3c/s1600/paint_w_floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8Xf2TyErle78Kh5xTLIdRVOkmC4uAsvU-mG5udnQ57bvWQUX9ZIsB61uwjUEcvDyQR7e4Ne0jqMfl_bL1ZUJ2mcU6B25yu4KA_3x7IiztjR3hhxUa7yHwnpc_Z1Z4osCTR7OuMvQr3c/s320/paint_w_floor.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downstairs living area painted beige.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_1F1UTuQNOiLJBcM8w64WB8BcT88cL6XLZgbw54cEQerzsDf6lTD65o7MFxvbDpC7f3d8qkQ8CZCNdw1UxS-Hlyavu4sOPblUb_gcZOG381F7bVYvgIAxCM5nOxraMvjUZ-vfGoHD3c/s1600/inside_wide_view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN_1F1UTuQNOiLJBcM8w64WB8BcT88cL6XLZgbw54cEQerzsDf6lTD65o7MFxvbDpC7f3d8qkQ8CZCNdw1UxS-Hlyavu4sOPblUb_gcZOG381F7bVYvgIAxCM5nOxraMvjUZ-vfGoHD3c/s320/inside_wide_view.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For the most part, all that remains is the installation of interior doors, moldings, trim and baseboards; bathroom tile; final plumbing and electrical fixture hook ups; installing the wood stove; a little more painting, staining the deck, and one final coat of poly on the floors. Things that should hopefully be wrapped up in the next few weeks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPE6it8wtzwcIA9mdvl8NLn3Bav542BgsbWF-AnUhBYr9Z3H5Kp7j7iwnl4qQblRHeSwbMKGHSqisBKyMe_dfnZVzwUtMLPSWiCtH_E97qlzUtQwfDVkB1gijIA2nTspQ7NpBrz8WV95s/s1600/deck_three_of_us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPE6it8wtzwcIA9mdvl8NLn3Bav542BgsbWF-AnUhBYr9Z3H5Kp7j7iwnl4qQblRHeSwbMKGHSqisBKyMe_dfnZVzwUtMLPSWiCtH_E97qlzUtQwfDVkB1gijIA2nTspQ7NpBrz8WV95s/s320/deck_three_of_us.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A well deserved sit on the deck after a very productive three days of work. </td></tr>
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Well, I guess that'll do it for now. Thanks for taking the time to have a look at this rather lengthy post. The next post will probably be the final one as we are fairly close to completion. Very hard to believe. This whole summer has had a very surreal feel to it. Everything has happened so fast that it's often hard to process things as they are happening. All good, though. Very good. </div>
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Bob Buckwalterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12077682214681984057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901484810111603617.post-51715398248849233162013-07-20T12:27:00.002-07:002013-08-08T18:36:51.898-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2>
Insulation and Siding Preparation</h2>
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Hello! Welcome back to the blog! Here's a few pics with descriptions about what's been happening at the cabin. <br />
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As I had mentioned in one of the previous posts, the siding we're going with is a "Board and Batten" wooden siding. Boards and Battens can vary in size. The combination we chose consists of 10" wide vertical wooden boards with 3" wide wooden battens. Battens are essentially strips of wood that will be fastened over the seems where the boards meet. All the wood is rough-cut pine. If you have a hard time imagining what that looks like, you can Google Image "Board and Batten" and you'll get an idea.<br />
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We decided to stain the boards before they are installed onto the cabin for two reasons. First, it's better to stain them beforehand because with rough-cut lumber, there will often be some "movement" in the wood after the stain dries. If the boards are installed first, then stained, it's possible that the movement in the wood during drying could pull the boards apart at the seems. So, if the boards are installed after this movement takes place, it's easier to "manipulate" the boards with even spacing before fastening. The second reason we decided to stain them first is that is saved us some money from having to hire a painter to stain the house, because, there ain't no way I'm going up 27' ft on a ladder to stain the upper part of the house.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqXIraqnqeWTi6zzSM7a7b86Qdi3N7VepZ7JUyqTZvDtaJRboFZDCi0k_-sOnpG4QhJdCR95MNZgv7gUDdXYW_bkQOGgBVHFhn5v5v8O3iIyJfHieYixy7gND-dNcmmAckhQaPPlyOdA/s1600/pic_board_closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqXIraqnqeWTi6zzSM7a7b86Qdi3N7VepZ7JUyqTZvDtaJRboFZDCi0k_-sOnpG4QhJdCR95MNZgv7gUDdXYW_bkQOGgBVHFhn5v5v8O3iIyJfHieYixy7gND-dNcmmAckhQaPPlyOdA/s400/pic_board_closeup.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is a close-up of the stain color we chose. It's a semi-transparent bluish-gray that has a nice rustic, slightly weathered look. Semi-transparent basically means that although the stain has a "paint-like" color to it, you can still see the grain of the wood beneath the color. We think it will go nicely with the gray "Standing Seam" metal roof.</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9E4DWwzOYwlNypQS0bGaPh124px-suZ4nigjcg7U42luBxAx3X721W0dG6Xj9e_aRGG7RxV0TjVe7zaJCLWQVK2OFixYf98eTT0zF5wM78IuAvlIombHbu8OMnsKkQ_XDvcsot4oyJE/s1600/pic_tracey_spacers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH9E4DWwzOYwlNypQS0bGaPh124px-suZ4nigjcg7U42luBxAx3X721W0dG6Xj9e_aRGG7RxV0TjVe7zaJCLWQVK2OFixYf98eTT0zF5wM78IuAvlIombHbu8OMnsKkQ_XDvcsot4oyJE/s400/pic_tracey_spacers.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We stained the boards outside (in the shade) and stacked them inside to dry in case it rained before they were fully dry. Here, Tracey is placing spacers on the boards to allow for stacking on top of each other. Each morning we'd carry all the dried boards outside and stack them in a different pile, then begin staining another batch of boards to be stacked inside. It was a three day project in all.</span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNZevbWYB15PjD6prszWmiYZGWHb2Ubah9F1M0xyrOQjYW31glttxLUfAGno5RYiDihTI7BSU57ZC0ZQWNXYD-aisjpq9Sk1-Nj2Q6NlUglnm0Dsa-RWHM4djN8vAuHYrkmdZx0HtnxQ/s1600/pic_battens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGNZevbWYB15PjD6prszWmiYZGWHb2Ubah9F1M0xyrOQjYW31glttxLUfAGno5RYiDihTI7BSU57ZC0ZQWNXYD-aisjpq9Sk1-Nj2Q6NlUglnm0Dsa-RWHM4djN8vAuHYrkmdZx0HtnxQ/s400/pic_battens.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The battens stacked, drying.</span> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGchXqyn1vn-_lC0wq9vBFp-XDW4d8Vgw5rc92C7zO-FrhD3xDlJc9V-QqY58AYOdmAvd4WmGk-aQ02dY_hwFFuspX5nbjZrd0_Y4dNGnpcgOloM0Xw91Y1Z_g5onc3tySHyDXgjCY9w/s1600/pic_stack_outside.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGchXqyn1vn-_lC0wq9vBFp-XDW4d8Vgw5rc92C7zO-FrhD3xDlJc9V-QqY58AYOdmAvd4WmGk-aQ02dY_hwFFuspX5nbjZrd0_Y4dNGnpcgOloM0Xw91Y1Z_g5onc3tySHyDXgjCY9w/s400/pic_stack_outside.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The stack of stained boards outside after drying inside.</span></td></tr>
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Another big thing that happened recently is the insulation has been applied. We decided to go with Open Cell spray foam insulation. It's more costly, but it's R-Value is superior to standard fiberglass and it will certainly pay for itself in short time considering how cold the winters can be in the Upstate NY mountains. <br />
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When comparing spray foam to fiberglass on a flat surface (wall), spray foam generally has a slightly higher R-Value. But where spray foam greatly outperforms fiberglass is in all the nooks and crannies of the exterior of a structure. When using fiberglass in those tiny crevices, corners and odd spaces, the fiberglass often has to be scrunched and packed into place. When fiberglass is scrunched, it significantly looses R-Value. Spray foam can be sprayed into all those nooks and crannies and expand to create a tight seal. Most of a home's energy loss happens in those areas that are hard to insulate.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The foam is sprayed in in liquid form then immediately expands out. Whatever foam expands past the wall studs, is simply sawed off with a large knife to make the foam flush with the studs. Below is a short video of the foam being sprayed. The video is short because I actually wasn't allowed to be in the house while they were spraying because breathing masks are required during the process. I wanted a document of it though, so I held my breath, ran into the house, shot it, and ran back outside.</span><br />
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Thanks for taking the time to read this! The sheet rock will begin going up this week and should be completed, including spackle and sanding, within 10 days. </div>
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Bob Buckwalterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12077682214681984057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901484810111603617.post-9908816166380906732013-06-14T05:28:00.000-07:002013-06-15T11:56:43.123-07:00Enclosed! Hello! I've been a bit neglectful with the blog and a lot has happened in the past couple of weeks so here's an update on where things stand. All the exterior framing is complete, and all the windows are in which means the house is officially "sealed." Because the roof and wall sheathing are water proof, the electrician has been able to proceed with the rough-in electrical work, and is now finished. The plumbing rough-in began yesterday but I don't have any pictures of that yet. Here's some pictures:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Al the windows are in. View of the South side of the cottage. Those sliding glass doors will soon open onto a deck that runs the length of the front of the house. The house will eventually have "Board and Batten" wood siding and a light gray "Standing Seam" metal roof.</span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">From inside, taken about from where the island counter in the kitchen will be located. </span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">A bunch of wires in the fuse box.</span></h3>
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Here's a video of the electric cables being pulled in through the foundation and up into the house's fuse box from the "pedestal," located about 50 ft from the house. The electric runs underground from the road into the pedestal, and then underground from the pedestal into the house. </div>
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As the cables are pulled closer to the box, the weight is too much for the machine to pull them. As you can see in this video, they have to then be hoisted by hand up through the fuse box entry tube. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Here's a picture of our tub and shower unit which had to be installed before the upstairs framing was complete or it would not fit into place. </span></h3>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Thanks for taking the Time to read this. When the rough-in plumbing is complete, we will soon be on to insulation and sheet rock. Kind of crazy how fast everything is happening!</span></h3>
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<br />Bob Buckwalterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12077682214681984057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901484810111603617.post-84708245330354702312013-05-23T19:29:00.001-07:002013-05-24T07:07:14.772-07:00FRAMING<br />
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A lot of framing happened last week, with some more to come next week (this week was a scheduled down week). I'll let the photos with the captions do the explaining, but I will say this: It is a pretty cool feeling seeing what we designed on graph paper come to life. Being involved in theater, I can only imagine it being similar to something a playwright experiences when hearing a first read of a play they wrote. <br />
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Anyway, I had a great time being involved in the framing process and I can't wait for it to resume next week.<br />
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When I say "involved" with the framing process, for the most part I mean things like, carrying lumber around and handing someone something when they needed it. The big highlights, though, were helping to raise the walls and helping to lift the support beam into place which used muscles I haven't used in a long, long time. <br />
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Here's some pics:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">On Monday, the floor was framed out on top of the foundation.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When the floor was complete, they laid out the first wall (also on Monday), the East wall. We raised it the following morning. See the video here:</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Shortly thereafter, two walls were up; the East and West walls.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Soon after that, the South wall went up (the wall towards the view). This was actually the heaviest wall to raise which may seem counterintuitive due to all the window openings. The headers across the windows and sliding door weigh a lot!! Here, the builders are securing the wall into place</span>.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The first floor framing is complete! This is still Tuesday.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Zl45DyKcVDO8Gh7qz8okGq0zddOYMaEbg1z18Gze37isc6BwiNTXHnxw6FbY6aStKqNBo7Auno9bwkqyP0rysVgnGr6pfdBqVX9m9dAiCuggb84-2cHIq91cjtEsnkHZFDC-kW03dBw/s1600/pic_joists-over_beam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Zl45DyKcVDO8Gh7qz8okGq0zddOYMaEbg1z18Gze37isc6BwiNTXHnxw6FbY6aStKqNBo7Auno9bwkqyP0rysVgnGr6pfdBqVX9m9dAiCuggb84-2cHIq91cjtEsnkHZFDC-kW03dBw/s400/pic_joists-over_beam.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Support beam is in place with second floor floor joists running over it, with "blocking" between the joists. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A quick note about the support beam: If you can't tell in this photo, this beam is quite ugly. That's because the lumber yard delivered the wrong beam. The beam they delivered, shown here, is a beam that is NOT meant to be seen (somewhere where it is not exposed). The beam in our cabin is going to be exposed. We were not there when it was delivered on Wednesday which was a rain out day for us. So, when we arrived on site first thing Thursday morning, John, the builder, took one look at it and said, "that's the wrong f#!*ing beam!" I was glad to hear him say that right away because I was thinking the exact same thing. He placed a call to the lumber yard telling them we needed a replacement beam a.s.a.p. They said they would try to get one out but couldn't say when. Seeing as we were planning on beginning work on the upstairs floor joist that day, it would have put a huge wrinkle in our plans if we didn't have a beam to put in place. We then began sheathing the first floor. A short time later, the lumber yard called and said they no longer carry the beam we had ordered. Wow! Now what to do? There really wasn't a whole lot for us to do without that beam. As John was relaying his disbelief with the guy on the other end of the phone, and I was beginning to feel my stomach turn in knots, I heard someone in the background say, "you could always box it out." </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Long story short; I asked John while he was still on the phone, can we box it out in barn board, or something like that?" "Sure, he said" "Let's keep it'" I said. "Perfect," he said, "that's the beauty of having the owner on site." We were able to use it and continue on with the day.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDG-1DNNO62MMFXN76joQ_GnPXDG2qLi7pmoBlz873-ed4RxP9varU4-MDIpCgBBeihFCCznTRsydinXXeyettFlStrSaK1rERXri2H2-wrWxSG48yoIfLI-d2yQv39tLcGZijpv8ViG8/s1600/pic_joist_fasteners+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDG-1DNNO62MMFXN76joQ_GnPXDG2qLi7pmoBlz873-ed4RxP9varU4-MDIpCgBBeihFCCznTRsydinXXeyettFlStrSaK1rERXri2H2-wrWxSG48yoIfLI-d2yQv39tLcGZijpv8ViG8/s400/pic_joist_fasteners+.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Steve nailing the joist hangers. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUvRxZQABkpn-MxSnCeUyHzb5NFOzlyEDYeHqu7XZgmuIpcQZWErC12iq6ZoZkr29-FEqc0Q_gUUS83dIEhEgOwT71hWYZP7906EGiTZAIHzaLdcg17tGZwOcDgDC7LZfJYHx1qlSM88/s1600/pic_calculating_stairs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieUvRxZQABkpn-MxSnCeUyHzb5NFOzlyEDYeHqu7XZgmuIpcQZWErC12iq6ZoZkr29-FEqc0Q_gUUS83dIEhEgOwT71hWYZP7906EGiTZAIHzaLdcg17tGZwOcDgDC7LZfJYHx1qlSM88/s400/pic_calculating_stairs.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Most of the upstairs subfloor is in place and John is calculating the stair case layout in the back corner</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAKsJF86pDZU3k7AONSxCze9AsT2ZwoH9Q5Ef4FJwlajG0cvNad3K5fdP8pOHogvdJ7QzTsUDqCWaJB7J7ZZp2bjqwyYH1-wOQBoWEWBGgax9AwV1ZyQNmFmDdCqj9aZCRpdBpaDuu-o/s1600/pic_working_on_rafters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIAKsJF86pDZU3k7AONSxCze9AsT2ZwoH9Q5Ef4FJwlajG0cvNad3K5fdP8pOHogvdJ7QzTsUDqCWaJB7J7ZZp2bjqwyYH1-wOQBoWEWBGgax9AwV1ZyQNmFmDdCqj9aZCRpdBpaDuu-o/s400/pic_working_on_rafters.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Working on installing the rafters (taken from the back of the cabin). </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NdYud-Zu4hMR7nLax6lA6fMm9R0xrl8TN65G3l6u8xYB5OdD1OlxqPAI-nnXV_fI9Lh9SnfVMT8m8496ZzS539X5dg7xaLTA3oWZW0mDrWxJhyphenhyphenRT2_136H3y8JpwWjOBArbeW4-Cuus/s1600/pic_from_road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NdYud-Zu4hMR7nLax6lA6fMm9R0xrl8TN65G3l6u8xYB5OdD1OlxqPAI-nnXV_fI9Lh9SnfVMT8m8496ZzS539X5dg7xaLTA3oWZW0mDrWxJhyphenhyphenRT2_136H3y8JpwWjOBArbeW4-Cuus/s400/pic_from_road.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">How she's looking from the road. </span> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQ16B-W2TlN8Dqa8J0uwfRXcNec4NdvewUJAoekwl6HsGz_j2886hiOQVId2O8UuJYw3PXaSRm-HvfGIsJdh0TqgameWc4ET8TneLhQe-lTVs2VcDeLlzBcft8Zx41AA6WllohCzPfb0/s1600/pic_front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUQ16B-W2TlN8Dqa8J0uwfRXcNec4NdvewUJAoekwl6HsGz_j2886hiOQVId2O8UuJYw3PXaSRm-HvfGIsJdh0TqgameWc4ET8TneLhQe-lTVs2VcDeLlzBcft8Zx41AA6WllohCzPfb0/s400/pic_front.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pic from front yard showing the front of the house. It's not going to be green in the end; that's just the sheathing color. 8x8 sliding glass door in the middle with two large windows on either side (living area on the left, dining area on the right). Below is a video taken from inside those windows from the living area.</span></td></tr>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzlwIW4StZp_RMDkSGhWI3pWtY3Z4DiktFogsGfnV8yTFxkxOvBQOyROLYPGpRKNmCRAizICODSasDMF0p6sw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
Thanks for taking the time to look through this! Most of the framing should hopefully be completed by end of next week. Bob Buckwalterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12077682214681984057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901484810111603617.post-17150509173115201982013-05-12T12:51:00.002-07:002013-05-23T16:39:02.423-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">
The Plans</span></h2>
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<br />
Hello! Since starting this blog, several people have expressed
curiosity about, and interest in seeing the actual plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seeing as we are now starting the
framing process, I suppose this would be a good time to share the plans and
some thoughts behind the design and layout (see below).<br />
<br />
Several people have also asked how we were able to obtain a
building permit without plans from a licensed architect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In rural areas, regulations around
these sorts of things are a little more lax, and in our town, owner designed plans are allowed for any structure under 1500 sq ft. as long as they’re up to
code, of course. Our cabin comes in around 1150 sq ft, depending how you count it, so, my
graph paper drawings were sufficient enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And we have a licensed General Contractor heading up the
project which made obtaining the permit much easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the permit was approved two days after I submitted
the plans and application.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">If you're thinking of designing a cabin in this size range, and have questions about building code requirements (maximum floor joist spans, weight bearing loads, etc), it's actually fairly easy to research all that stuff on the internet. And, seeing as code requirements vary somewhat from region to region, you can always contact your local code inspector; ours was quite helpful with several questions I had during design. </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Ultimately, though, you're going to want a builder who knows all the local code requirements so I'd recommend going with someone as local and reputable as possible. You can always ask the local code inspector to provide a list of builders in the area. Code inspectors are not allowed to "recommend" someone, and ours didn't by any means do so. He did, however, make it clear that the builder we wanted to go with was known for doing good work and that he has inspected several of his homes. I would also highly suggest that in addition to finding a qualified builder, and there are many out there, it is equally important to find someone you trust and have a good working relationship with. Actually, the easiest part is finding a "qualified" builder, meaning someone capable of building a cabin to code. But like any business relationship, you will find the whole experience less stressful if you find someone who is attentive to your questions, returns your phone calls, and is someone you generally enjoy working with. So far, we have been extremely happy with how that aspect has been going.</span></div>
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So, here is a scanned copy of the complete set of plans I submitted for
the building permit, and to the builder, with some explanations for each image. It's a fairly simple: 26 X 26 foot print with an open living and dining area downstairs with a half bath tucked under the staircase. There are two bedrooms with a full bath upstairs. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PLd7DqXZi3M7nYKTnlktByoImAqdj5qfUYyJ7yclA8RxDhZHTG2bCa96DSxnheNMbChjrH8aqBywwgtC8UaFYm-EIw5AsidhXpREU069LzQL_giQxD55O8ZFQW8wXAi20pvWG9wvqd4/s1600/draft_house_front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PLd7DqXZi3M7nYKTnlktByoImAqdj5qfUYyJ7yclA8RxDhZHTG2bCa96DSxnheNMbChjrH8aqBywwgtC8UaFYm-EIw5AsidhXpREU069LzQL_giQxD55O8ZFQW8wXAi20pvWG9wvqd4/s640/draft_house_front.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'll start with how the cabin will look from the front exterior. It's your basic, cottage/chalet style design. Because the house faces a nice open view, the obvious goal was to capture the view from as much of the inside of the house as practically possible. The open floor plan downstairs allows for a "wall of windows" in the front of the house, made up of a large sliding glass door in the middle, flanked by two large windows on either side, all spaced very closely together. There will be a wooden deck (not shown here) that runs the length of the house and about 10 ft deep. Both bedrooms upstairs are in the front of the house as well. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfZiVsRBDwE1TbiBp61XvrPS0-5DVGaQBwPVRxnCs7IMrjrVnhGD4eB9Q-zgwyhpwZUYcQcdRzitAAEiMb5HSn4KIfPwh-m0fYToDMo1LREL9qP2XmSQK2j0RpgqbIXIC7YN5F8jQCXY/s1600/draft_first_floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfZiVsRBDwE1TbiBp61XvrPS0-5DVGaQBwPVRxnCs7IMrjrVnhGD4eB9Q-zgwyhpwZUYcQcdRzitAAEiMb5HSn4KIfPwh-m0fYToDMo1LREL9qP2XmSQK2j0RpgqbIXIC7YN5F8jQCXY/s640/draft_first_floor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the downstairs floor plan. It"s an open plan with a support beam as shown (dotted lines) to allow the kitchen, dining, and living areas to be essentially, one room. The staircase wraps around the closet and passes over the half bath.<br />
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What's a little unusual (but not entirely uncommon in cabin design) is that the "front door," or the main entry door, is actually in the back of the house. We wanted the parking area to be in the back so that the cars will be out of site from all living areas. <br />
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That round thing in the corner is a wood stove (Morso 7648 model). Wait! A round wood stove? Yes, we're going for a little mix of contemporary and rustic charm. And, that particular model has a built-in heat shield that allows for incredibly low clearance requirements from combustible materials (walls) so we can place it as far into the corner as possible so as not to take up valuable floor space. And, it has a large glass front for viewing the fire. <br />
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That little "bump out" in the floor plan in the living are next to the wood stove will be a recessed entertainment center with built-in shelving, again, so as to take up less floor space (you can see how that "bump out" will look from the outside from the exterior house drawing above). Also, you'll notice a window in each front corner of the living/dining area. That is meant to act as a bit of a wrap-around continuation effect of that front wall of glass. Basically, the front of the house will feel like one big bay-window. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMP4kjy_I6P5hWUFBMdaBwqJ4t3LliXZdODl9ywAPl9oXRl_-RQ6gpuAxDHZnoiR37GGdYpIEzgF8ST0dZGnGBa4EcJ1Ude_lnB4N0xuNVyPSvdgfXMW-ESDGyiaKvBS9c7E9Lqh8Tb2Q/s1600/draft_kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMP4kjy_I6P5hWUFBMdaBwqJ4t3LliXZdODl9ywAPl9oXRl_-RQ6gpuAxDHZnoiR37GGdYpIEzgF8ST0dZGnGBa4EcJ1Ude_lnB4N0xuNVyPSvdgfXMW-ESDGyiaKvBS9c7E9Lqh8Tb2Q/s640/draft_kitchen.jpg" width="548" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a drawing of the back wall in the kitchen area. There is also an island counter with the sink (not seen here). The slim-line refrigerator takes up less floor space but has as much storage as standard refrigerators as it is extra tall. As you can see, there will be open-shelving which should provide plenty of space for day-to-day glasses, dishes, etc. There is also a pantry closet for kitchen storage and we'll have a hutch in the dining area for extra plate/china storage. Between the base cabinets shown in this drawing, and the base cabinets in the island counter, there will plenty of storage for pots and pans, etc. A really nice thing about this whole project is that my Dad and I have been building all the base cabinetry over the past year. We live three hours apart, so we've been working on them gradually over time. They are nearing completion. I will eventually do a post on that process more specifically. <br />
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On to the second floor:</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQb3Jc-TbPw1hgFFylgdaURT3xtJAtkAk1LYpHGH5ytHLzjgdXek2lb7AzsMvE9rGx44Ie-yxMWfrtzpy_bF4loQN11mUoDD_Q-keZqD-X92suz81kX377ZgVKN9dSGQyXT9NrpW_hws/s1600/draft_second_floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQb3Jc-TbPw1hgFFylgdaURT3xtJAtkAk1LYpHGH5ytHLzjgdXek2lb7AzsMvE9rGx44Ie-yxMWfrtzpy_bF4loQN11mUoDD_Q-keZqD-X92suz81kX377ZgVKN9dSGQyXT9NrpW_hws/s640/draft_second_floor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the upstairs floor plan. As you can see, the stairs will end at the back of the house into a hallway that accesses the bathroom and two bedrooms at the front of the house. At the top of the stairs there is a "closet" for the stackable washer and dryer and a little linen closet beside it. Also, you can see we will have a decent sized room for storage. I tried as hard as I could to make that big enough for a third bedroom but as they say, "for every action, there is a reaction," meaning, trying to expand that room (adding space) simply means taking away space from areas around it. We decided we'd rather have two bedrooms of comfortable size than three tiny bedrooms, and an uncomfortably narrow hallway. <br />
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If you're confused about what appears to be an inner wall running the length of the house with the word "storage" behind it, those are the knee walls. I'll explain those in the next image; the cross section.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeG3CiXPpR-nkZV-WxP8EiOMnvh_YliGVFLBQ7aSw-KdVeBmfiZ53sWg08pnWc43ve4XGTDk_9faOkeTSmYIbDZMx-97SfW0GQ31ipghMFiDtlFaPuPaOD7o8LFPvOAzOYTMlQ4JkHog/s1600/draft_cross_section.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeG3CiXPpR-nkZV-WxP8EiOMnvh_YliGVFLBQ7aSw-KdVeBmfiZ53sWg08pnWc43ve4XGTDk_9faOkeTSmYIbDZMx-97SfW0GQ31ipghMFiDtlFaPuPaOD7o8LFPvOAzOYTMlQ4JkHog/s640/draft_cross_section.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a rather crude drawing of the cross-section but it captures what is required for a permit, which is, the key elements of the structure and what the spacing of things like floor joists, studs and rafters will be. <br />
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So, on to those "knee walls" I mentioned in the upstairs floor plan: As you can see, the exterior walls of the house will be 12' high. The downstairs ceiling will be 9' high. That leaves 3' left over. Subtract about 1' more for the 2x10 upstairs floor joists, and floor coverings and there is just 2' left over. Seeing as 2 feet is not high enough for a wall in a livable room, we have to build the upstairs walls "in" a couple of feet. Our roof's pitch is 12/12. That means for every foot we build "in," that wall gains a foot in height. As you can see, we will build "in" 2 feet so the starting height of the knee wall in each bedroom will be 4 ft. This means the headboard in each bedroom will go into the knee wall. I know that doesn't sound very high, but think of it this way; the next time you are getting into bed, observe how far from the wall you are standing. It's about 2 1/2 feet. That means the ceiling height will be about 6 1/2 feet where you are actually standing when getting into bed. The height for most of the bedroom's floor space will be 7 1/2 ft. The knee wall arrangement is very common in the upstairs of small cottages/cabins with pitched roofs and will definitely give the upstairs it's own cozy feel, whereas the downstairs, with higher ceilings and openness will have it's own feel. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtofGTQnzcdEn_PbNYfsjre0TqkC1jfH4iFav0A77X2y5QsDxTAaKIdCThMTCLx20IUAdu2uTCQ4Z7Xqd44jMmc6tPNPEXr0muuTPGCK4vVvWavQTiQ-2rTEIhE7R-fZxZ6p-biVSnPI/s1600/draft_built_ins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtofGTQnzcdEn_PbNYfsjre0TqkC1jfH4iFav0A77X2y5QsDxTAaKIdCThMTCLx20IUAdu2uTCQ4Z7Xqd44jMmc6tPNPEXr0muuTPGCK4vVvWavQTiQ-2rTEIhE7R-fZxZ6p-biVSnPI/s640/draft_built_ins.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are some drawings that were not required for the permit but they illustrate how the shelving units will work. I wanted to include them to again illustrate the knee wall effect upstairs, in regards to the built- in shelving (I'm a big fan of built-in shelving). The upper middle drawing shows how the built-in shelving will work in each of the bedrooms as they start from the knee walls (reverse angle for bedroom 2). The top left drawing, by the way, is the recessed, "bump out" built-in entertainment unit seen in the living room floor plan.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5kB_WCMjxs2bfocfonrqhYzz5YaVqGt9rWuiOkGOpTSYmuetgu5h2NP6l61fmLDFcjEdeJszO3cxbmPH3LY6nwVl4p8qC99XwXBnWnu8Il7OmEJBNuAc7M503bFUzuF5uLpwebeS9U4/s1600/draft_window_elev_first_floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5kB_WCMjxs2bfocfonrqhYzz5YaVqGt9rWuiOkGOpTSYmuetgu5h2NP6l61fmLDFcjEdeJszO3cxbmPH3LY6nwVl4p8qC99XwXBnWnu8Il7OmEJBNuAc7M503bFUzuF5uLpwebeS9U4/s640/draft_window_elev_first_floor.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">This is a very simple way to illustrate the interior elevations for windows, ceilings heights for the builder. The same idea exists for the second floor with different dimensions, but I think you get the general idea. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikeXb9r2M2SWz6R4dtlsJqk6niJn_mzG48HuNdjDV8leeyBKazDVrA-9nCYFjdIGaekpgqyjmuKSgzpFNUAe_-Myl_nTrZUkX7al-Icrwfamiz4XDLwjwl3lMvwT8RUirwdanLeirPm6U/s1600/draft_north_elevation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikeXb9r2M2SWz6R4dtlsJqk6niJn_mzG48HuNdjDV8leeyBKazDVrA-9nCYFjdIGaekpgqyjmuKSgzpFNUAe_-Myl_nTrZUkX7al-Icrwfamiz4XDLwjwl3lMvwT8RUirwdanLeirPm6U/s640/draft_north_elevation.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a drawing of the North side/back of the cabin where the main entry is located. It looks a lot more sparse than the front of the house. The parking area for the cars will be in this location and because the house butts up against the back of the property, and the floor plans are the way they are, there is no need for additional windows in this part of the house. Those two bare walls on either side of the door will look a little less bare when firewood is stacked there. <br />
<br />
I tend to be a bit obsessed with symmetry when designing. That off-center upstairs window is placed where it is because it is centered in the upstairs hallway, at the top of the stairs. It took me a while to accept the fact that it would have to be off-center from the outside. But, this is a part of the house that will not be seen much, and the front of the house will be the first thing seen, thus first impression when driving up the driveway so I was able to get over it. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHZzbW0OWCveBmAJ_iF_DA6kUHnixLHHZHnzSi8fvk2GIObwwKHQppkA4vu9M7rtE25cSzmWmrmLTjcHjO46FGK7HnFl2gsmFUDwyaQ76twHFtEDNa0pQZY5KieK4MkjEQH1VpI5tN7M/s1600/draft_east_elevation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbHZzbW0OWCveBmAJ_iF_DA6kUHnixLHHZHnzSi8fvk2GIObwwKHQppkA4vu9M7rtE25cSzmWmrmLTjcHjO46FGK7HnFl2gsmFUDwyaQ76twHFtEDNa0pQZY5KieK4MkjEQH1VpI5tN7M/s640/draft_east_elevation.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The East side of the cabin. The window on the left is the corner window on the front part of the dining area. The window on the right is the kitchen window. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCZKtsyygKf2Nk0bnUXV8cUDlg9P0_l6vPW4UIPZGYxkoZVEyloz_29cEO1ABnzoYFkfF4flgnzNBtuGRWPs3rA4n_T5FkDqvrHHQb9z3IHyFTozl3JRXxeBMvK2pTH8hIrEGDp12YNE/s1600/draft_west_elevation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCZKtsyygKf2Nk0bnUXV8cUDlg9P0_l6vPW4UIPZGYxkoZVEyloz_29cEO1ABnzoYFkfF4flgnzNBtuGRWPs3rA4n_T5FkDqvrHHQb9z3IHyFTozl3JRXxeBMvK2pTH8hIrEGDp12YNE/s640/draft_west_elevation.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the West side of the cabin. The window on the left is the hallway window where the stairs case begins. The window on the right is the front corner of the living area. </td></tr>
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Well, that's pretty much it for the plans. I really appreciate your taking the time to read this! We are heading up to the property this morning. The lumber was delivered on Friday and the framing begins today! We are terrifyingly excited! <br />
<br />Bob Buckwalterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12077682214681984057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901484810111603617.post-59714338317015632462013-04-30T08:18:00.001-07:002013-05-03T04:42:36.315-07:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Infrastructure! </span><br />
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A lot has happened since my last post, mostly still related
to the excavation/infrastructure side of things, as shown in the pictures at
the bottom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here is what has
happened:<br />
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**The foundation is now complete and has been backfilled with drainage swales graded out.<br />
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**The electric pole has been installed in the lower, South East corner of the property, receiving electric from a neighboring property.<br />
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**The trench has been dug, and electric lines installed that carry the electricity underground from the pole up to the house (the electric will temporarily “run” into a pedestal up near the house that the builders will use during construction. It will eventually “run” from there, underground into the house.</div>
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**The entire septic system has been installed and passed inspection from the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection). <!--[if !supportLists]--><br />
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One interesting thing that happened when the trench for the
electric was being dug:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon after
they started digging, they hit a water pipe near the road, breaking it
open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It gushed water for a couple
minutes, before trickling to a stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The excavator then went into town to research with the town clerk’s
office what the pipe could possibly be (there are no public water utilities in
our area).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turns out, that pipe
used to feed water to the nearby town of Hobart, probably from a spring or an
old reservoir a long time ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Long enough ago that it didn’t show up on the initial “utilities check”
he did before beginning work on the property.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The local code inspector told him to simply cap it since
it’s been out of use for many decades. You can see the capped pipe in the
picture below.</div>
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One note about our septic system:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I mentioned in a previous post about the driveway, our
property is located in the NYC Watershed region of the Catskills, and because
of that, stricter guidelines are in place for residential and commercial septic
systems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That means our septic
system cost us more than it would have in a location outside of the Watershed
because of the advanced design requirements by the DEP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re lucky though; it could have cost us
a lot more than it did. Soil tests (perc tests) performed on a few different
areas of the property by an engineer and a DEP rep before we purchased the
property, detected one “sweet spot” where the soil was most ideal in terms of
it’s fertile ability to handle a “shallow trench” system.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were also very fortunate that that
spot happened to be in an ideal location for the septic system in terms of where
the house was going to sit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
saved us thousands of dollars compared to what a “deep trench” system, commonly
required in the area, would have cost us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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So, what’s next?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The well is being drilled this week and Framing is due to begin in a
couple of weeks! I plan to be onsite to “help” the builders for the framing
process for as much time as I’m able to take off from my job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m really looking forward to that!
Thanks for taking the time to read this!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here’s some pictures:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIu-uIkBdHLmenDQVOi7JZJLZccsGswSLoWtpTx6vlcNzQHT6gf39475n-TXxocnlckejd359Q54CPaUrrcHgrJ33sUe7VKAeXnDvCy-0iiMzh4wQad6j9rx58_O3YFrhRpa2tmfygF0/s1600/back_fill_swale_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEIu-uIkBdHLmenDQVOi7JZJLZccsGswSLoWtpTx6vlcNzQHT6gf39475n-TXxocnlckejd359Q54CPaUrrcHgrJ33sUe7VKAeXnDvCy-0iiMzh4wQad6j9rx58_O3YFrhRpa2tmfygF0/s320/back_fill_swale_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backfill is in place around the foundation with a nice "drainage swale" surrounding the site.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHFmdab_IP1v7CNL7iTP-yH9CqngHC-JcXKNXGsr_CVzMVmVeq8_veW23kAm65OsYx2mKDErlRY43z7k4YSNDZTvIe_et6jKZw1N8aH3wjZITXJwziFFtIzAfSNGGFk-pBsvRa0eZ1T8/s1600/ditch_with_pole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSHFmdab_IP1v7CNL7iTP-yH9CqngHC-JcXKNXGsr_CVzMVmVeq8_veW23kAm65OsYx2mKDErlRY43z7k4YSNDZTvIe_et6jKZw1N8aH3wjZITXJwziFFtIzAfSNGGFk-pBsvRa0eZ1T8/s320/ditch_with_pole.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The electric pole installed at the bottom corner of the property, next to the road. The electric lines going in to that pole will be mostly out of site from the cabin. If you look closely, you can see the capped water pipe I talked about in the trench. The trench goes all the way up to the house site and will run the electric inside conduit as seen here. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgug9wD8HsqbOdn8naqLuW2C6M1LxWyL4NCjSS4JGFA0KlPl4FXyroqzCBqv8p_r-Z6BBhhiWnBk1SEDenjrfvu7RDebWiLHO30mDsbRpZLDjdIiKylbEBQmaaHAk_DGcXbKMr4YRKpbvY/s1600/pic_tank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgug9wD8HsqbOdn8naqLuW2C6M1LxWyL4NCjSS4JGFA0KlPl4FXyroqzCBqv8p_r-Z6BBhhiWnBk1SEDenjrfvu7RDebWiLHO30mDsbRpZLDjdIiKylbEBQmaaHAk_DGcXbKMr4YRKpbvY/s320/pic_tank.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cement septic tank being installed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO82ZLSvq1ulbg4aE9H_to7vAo54y5iVGTrO8zmobWcwMejuD3mvxunsYZHYzNXoG5tkRMs5fed0OMi0fDlhwflUDvygw9zcquP0A39nxmyQLJ1hSEOMd3bcF2U2cOuuxFMH7DotX5mU0/s1600/pic_line_from_box_to_leach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO82ZLSvq1ulbg4aE9H_to7vAo54y5iVGTrO8zmobWcwMejuD3mvxunsYZHYzNXoG5tkRMs5fed0OMi0fDlhwflUDvygw9zcquP0A39nxmyQLJ1hSEOMd3bcF2U2cOuuxFMH7DotX5mU0/s320/pic_line_from_box_to_leach.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The line going from the tank to the distribution box.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGJn5ub6anwLtdB9gC2XsnXHhKnlrDl-zWDWda9645hQbmIs3yh6Frs4WEKqtOIfDOwNsNHXrLEFw2lXQSPRA7Ta7OUPST1sYWPCenSj5DOOYplv9xc3NyeRoGxVPPPm8GVKbOAA95qM/s1600/pic_leach_field_lines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGJn5ub6anwLtdB9gC2XsnXHhKnlrDl-zWDWda9645hQbmIs3yh6Frs4WEKqtOIfDOwNsNHXrLEFw2lXQSPRA7Ta7OUPST1sYWPCenSj5DOOYplv9xc3NyeRoGxVPPPm8GVKbOAA95qM/s320/pic_leach_field_lines.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several pipes leave the distribution box and drain into the area called the leach field. The driveway, seen here in the background, will get a final layer of gravel as soon as soon as all site work is completed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_AAYKOiCV4oXDjrR2kmJ6SJu63gyOd3Uzx88OqsAVmxVdB6QaZUFU0sf7r9MApGZ51Xqs6Qm2tytHAsUpFKWMHLJL6qhA7kJJqEar5hEhnnofozWtdxZjai7W7ekQH0bVE0dyMNovh4/s1600/pic_dep_inspector.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2_AAYKOiCV4oXDjrR2kmJ6SJu63gyOd3Uzx88OqsAVmxVdB6QaZUFU0sf7r9MApGZ51Xqs6Qm2tytHAsUpFKWMHLJL6qhA7kJJqEar5hEhnnofozWtdxZjai7W7ekQH0bVE0dyMNovh4/s320/pic_dep_inspector.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The DEP inspector's truck. A DEP inspector is required to be onsite during the septic system installation. <b>It passed inspection!! </b> Another thing you can see in this photo is the electric "pedestal" I talked about sticking out of the ground behind the truck. That's where the builders will tap into for electricity during construction. Eventually, the electric will be routed from there underground and into the cabin.</td></tr>
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Bob Buckwalterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12077682214681984057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901484810111603617.post-446473914694087062013-04-18T19:38:00.000-07:002013-05-02T18:25:31.144-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">
FOUNDATION</span></h2>
<br />
Wow, the driveway rough-in is complete and work on the foundation is nearing completion! This excavation crew moves fast! <b>(</b>See pics with captions below<b>). </b><br />
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<i><b>A few thoughts about the foundation:</b></i></div>
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We decided a while back, during the designing phase, to go with a 4' high poured concrete crawl space, as opposed to a concrete slab, or a full basement, for a few reasons: <br />
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* The soil in our region, the Catskills, is very rocky. When excavating, you never know how far (or how shallow) you'll have to dig before hitting"ledge," (rock too big to remove with standard equipment, requiring explosives which can blow your budget to pieces). <br />
<br />
But we wanted some below-floor storage space, so:<br />
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* A poured concrete crawl space 4' high felt like a reasonable compromise/gamble in terms of mentioned "ledge" and is high enough to store things and does not require a staircase down which would take up living space in the cabin. It can be accessed via a hatch-door in the floor. <br />
<br />
* A 4' high crawl space is high enough to house the hot-water heater ( a "Low-Boy" model) which again, takes up less living space in the cabin.<br />
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Now, a very common sentiment against a crawl space is this:<br />
<br />
"<i>You have all the equipment, cement and manpower already on site, why not just spend a few extra bucks to dig a few feet deeper and have a full basement? </i><br />
<br />
This is a very good question. What's misleading, though, about that sentiment, is the implication that the additional costs for a full basement are simply related to digging, cement and manpower (as significant as they are). As I mentioned above, a basement would require a staircase to access it. In our floor plan, that would require removing the closet and pantry, or, the half bath on the first floor. Neither of those is an option for us. So, to then add a staircase for a basement, we would have to expand the total footprint of the cabin by four feet, thus adding an additional 300 + sq ft between the two floors of the cabin, as well the foundation. Building costs are generally based on a Per Sq Ft ratio, so between the foundation and upper floors of the cabin, the additional costs become multiplied. <br />
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If this were our primary residence, we'd probably spend the money, expand the footprint, and dig deeper for a full basement. But for budget minded cabin builders, I'm personally sold on the 4' high crawl space as a foundation. And hey, we were successful in not hitting ledge! We'll be able to store a lot of stuff down there too! <br />
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Thanks for taking the time to read this! Check out the pictures below showing the progression of the foundation installation! Framing is not too far away! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnh1GqcH0qt7-rxMA1G7ZeS_ZfJScOav4ueYytGAMJdEnX9QGKnR9P-nTSrZPSTiWSQ4FMNegX1FQHM4ELCy9Adx6tp6aRQqShJMe68H6SMCxNad8pUdoS0hI0s3OS8rguG9t-LTG8z4/s1600/pic_footers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhnh1GqcH0qt7-rxMA1G7ZeS_ZfJScOav4ueYytGAMJdEnX9QGKnR9P-nTSrZPSTiWSQ4FMNegX1FQHM4ELCy9Adx6tp6aRQqShJMe68H6SMCxNad8pUdoS0hI0s3OS8rguG9t-LTG8z4/s320/pic_footers.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poured concrete footers are in place.</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzJHf8s0RhH6vBXHXdz2T4DwsUQAXT5w3Pw4tdU7hDg4usR5NgQjTekfbzVvbwNhIgY5QVhBll7njsKXJrlPADllPjCjPJCuwvBKt9dSreFM8-FTqLfvHqQw7p25WFuxUR5ysPIgmsXM/s1600/pic_foundation_forms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzJHf8s0RhH6vBXHXdz2T4DwsUQAXT5w3Pw4tdU7hDg4usR5NgQjTekfbzVvbwNhIgY5QVhBll7njsKXJrlPADllPjCjPJCuwvBKt9dSreFM8-FTqLfvHqQw7p25WFuxUR5ysPIgmsXM/s320/pic_foundation_forms.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Forms" being constructed 4' high for the poured concrete crawl space foundation ("Forms" are the temporary walls that contain the poured concrete. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OpzDf7LzrVIVw2GKTslwqP6UQ4GX_OoT9PbcfsYPatREM2YGbDW3EATlYmoO-YP-VXubsSuT_f58VEKIuJXkcBLIa7HZkTAmsnbN-9HcdA2Ep3ya-5QfgOh-YnqhV2cB3SIF1z1VFwI/s1600/pouring_floor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7OpzDf7LzrVIVw2GKTslwqP6UQ4GX_OoT9PbcfsYPatREM2YGbDW3EATlYmoO-YP-VXubsSuT_f58VEKIuJXkcBLIa7HZkTAmsnbN-9HcdA2Ep3ya-5QfgOh-YnqhV2cB3SIF1z1VFwI/s320/pouring_floor.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Concrete walls have been poured, inner forms have been removed, and foundation floor is being poured. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Bob Buckwalterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12077682214681984057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901484810111603617.post-45081093242584393792013-04-11T18:15:00.000-07:002013-05-02T18:26:06.463-07:00<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">The Earth is Moving!</span></b><br />
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The snow is finally gone and work has begun on the driveway! The picture below was taken yesterday by our excavator (opposite angle from earlier pics showing the view). One of the downsides of living three hours away from the construction site (and weather being the main determining factor of the start date) is that Tracey and I were not able to be there for an official groundbreaking. Guess we'll just have to Photoshop something later. <br />
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When the final rough-in of the driveway is complete, a couple of layers of crushed stone (gravel) will be added and impacted into place with a "vibratory roll" -- a gravel roller that vibrates. You can actually see the Roller waiting in the wings in this picture; it's the furthest right piece of equipment next to the Spruce trees. Also, a culvert pipe was installed to allow drainage along the road as there is a ditch between the road and the property. The stones surrounding the pipe is a nice touch by the excavator. <br />
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Generally speaking, for driveways with a slope, gravel works better than asphalt in high snow areas like Upstate New York as they provide better traction in snow and ice. And hey, it's also cheaper. It's also our only option. That's because our property is within 200 feet of a stream and because our property is within the New York City Watershed, we would not be allowed to have an asphalt driveway for water run-off issues. <br />
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I'll address the NYC Watershed issues in further detail when we get to the septic system installation, but briefly: NYC's drinking water is piped in from huge reservoirs in Upstate new York. The region where those reservoirs are located is referred to as, the New York City Watershed. In order to preserve the purity and cleanliness of those reservoirs, stricter guidelines are in place, such as the one I just mentioned about the driveway, than in areas outside of the Watershed. I think that's a good thing. As a resident of NYC, I want clean drinking water. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCN76tfTx8JrbthVFmPn7MIwD06_v7c4Yk4XtMcnK9o1Duq8SDo2gbZv13-AEirlv2ZOkBETDNxCDvXBiyetvljvfs42J8_DZXQx-DbZTcAEnPZfF6Sjob9Q4ivniFxCeTWEcjKFmRcI/s1600/driveway_rough-in.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCN76tfTx8JrbthVFmPn7MIwD06_v7c4Yk4XtMcnK9o1Duq8SDo2gbZv13-AEirlv2ZOkBETDNxCDvXBiyetvljvfs42J8_DZXQx-DbZTcAEnPZfF6Sjob9Q4ivniFxCeTWEcjKFmRcI/s320/driveway_rough-in.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Well, I think that's it for now. Thanks for taking the time to read this! When the driveway is complete, work will begin on the foundation. Whoa! <br />
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<br />Bob Buckwalterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12077682214681984057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3901484810111603617.post-30235006115294557842013-04-06T11:17:00.001-07:002013-05-02T18:27:12.570-07:00<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<h2>
Introduction</h2>
<br />
Hello!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Welcome
to my cabin construction blog!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
wife Tracey and I will be building a cozy 2 bedroom, 1 ½ bath cabin/cottage
this summer near the Western Catskills town of Hobart (population: 436) in
Upstate New York.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple of years
ago, we purchased a 1.7 acre property on a lightly traveled “back road,” about
two miles outside of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
property sits up off the road with a gentle slope all the way up to the back of
the property which will provide a nice perch for the cabin, facing South, with nice mountain
views to boot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“But Bob,” you might say, “Do you have the necessary skills
to build a house?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“No, I don’t” I would respond, and that’s exactly why we’ve
hired a highly respected professional builder in the area as the General Contractor.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will, however, be investing a
bit of sweat equity into the project, which will be discussed and illustrated in
future posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One other very exciting thing: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I, with helpful feedback and input from Tracey, designed
every square inch of the cottage which has been an enormously, rewardingly creative process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thought of
watching what we've designed on paper slowly taking shape in the coming months is an amazing feeling .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Drafting has been a secret passion of mine for a long, long time. The
final plans for this cabin we’re about to build is the result of a long
evolutionary combination of various aspects of plans I've been working on that contain everything we
want inside of 1150 sq ft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And since
purchasing this property a couple of years ago, significant adaptations have of
course been made to achieve the best possible design in regards to how the
house will sit on the property. Hopefully,
everything will come to life as we imagine it. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mostly, this blog will be a mixture of photos, descriptions
of photos, with thoughts and observations occasionally mixed in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also intend to include some thought
processes behind various aspects of decision making that go into designing and
building – and there are thousands of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, while the purpose of the blog will primarily be to keep
anyone who’s interested in the project up to date on how things are
progressing, I also hope it will provide useful information to anyone considering
a similar endeavor -- in the years we’ve been preparing and planning for this (which
has required a good deal of online research), architectural and construction
blogs/forums have been extremely helpful to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> However, any commentary or opinions I offer up in re: to decision making around building and design should not in any way be taken as professional advice. </span></div>
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Well, thanks for taking the time to read my introductory post!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Building a cabin in the mountains has
been a life-long dream and I look forward to sharing the process with you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Building permit is in hand and weather is beginning to break --</span> stay tuned: things will be getting
underway shortly!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">A couple of photos of our land, as yet untouched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtx80fCL00lNJX8zzJk_JNRSrsZCBB720vMuJkoqQ8Ah9sp59SwTFpbnKHcGXVB-h7g9bUhqA7n_gsMoLyTraa_Z9aPNM5Et1ZZ5HIzToWcrmHnO1CKUk7jfc3pBfExNYMwYzPRwEFAs/s1600/land_autumn+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCtx80fCL00lNJX8zzJk_JNRSrsZCBB720vMuJkoqQ8Ah9sp59SwTFpbnKHcGXVB-h7g9bUhqA7n_gsMoLyTraa_Z9aPNM5Et1ZZ5HIzToWcrmHnO1CKUk7jfc3pBfExNYMwYzPRwEFAs/s200/land_autumn+.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the future site of the cabin (photo taken in late Autumn).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_H1Ya1SX28Nbb3623Px4y8j3wO-orROiGwycccBhIxxE1q0YJEWyDwXTmuwujL3m6GiNU41AGxSYtDG8p6s3FXZPZ6xoMNFrBckkVaQkA-H26QCe2dZetDMfQrpYpK6hbJqJ2983J4m8/s1600/land_winter_truck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_H1Ya1SX28Nbb3623Px4y8j3wO-orROiGwycccBhIxxE1q0YJEWyDwXTmuwujL3m6GiNU41AGxSYtDG8p6s3FXZPZ6xoMNFrBckkVaQkA-H26QCe2dZetDMfQrpYpK6hbJqJ2983J4m8/s200/land_winter_truck.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several trucks have been on site, waiting to start cutting in the driveway. The snow has kept them idle but it's looking like that's about to change shortly (photo taken a couple of weeks ago).</td></tr>
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</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Bob Buckwalterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12077682214681984057noreply@blogger.com1