All Over But . . .

Friday morning the moving company hauled all of the furniture and boxes from the storage bin to the house. It took them 2 1/2 hours.  We spent the rest of the day settling things in and started unpacking.  By the end of the day, we had arranged the Great Room and were able to watch the news. 

It is all looking pretty good, including the library.  Yet, much more still needs to get done.  Today, we spent the day hauling up boxes stored in the basement storage room.  Boxes full of dishes and china, glassware, tea pots, cookware, kitchen utensils, cookbooks and so on.  But there is much more, since the storage area is only half empty.  We haven't dug out the two more sets of china, spices, canned goods, and who knows what else.

We spent the night last night, the first time in nine months.  It was good.  However, the condo in DC is still full of all of the artwork, photos and albums, and lots more to take back out to the house.  So it is not over yet.

Starting to Move In

Maybe it looks like a bare room, but look at that piano!  That has been wrapped up in an old quilt, then plastic in the basement for the last nine months.  Three men came on Friday, rolled it from the basement up the hill to the front door.  The soil had been dug up for the septic tank, so they used plywood sheets under the dolly to keep it from sinking. 

David spent another two hours cleaning up the piano, which still had collected construction dust.  Now we need to get a technician into check it out and tuning it. 

I also put our new rag rug in the bedroom hallway.  We first saw Claudia Mills' rugs at Chautauqua last summer, and I fell in love with her colors and her different patterns.  I told her about my Grandmother Destiny who made rag rugs, several which I still use.  Destiny would have loved having those colors available!

So when she came to a craft show in Baltimore, back in February before everything changed, we went up to see them again.  Obviously I bought this one.  I am tempted to buy more rugs, or to get a custom sized one for my office.  But money is still tight buying essential things for the house. 

We have approved the final payment to our contractor.  There are several small punch list items before we give him a final check for the last change order.  We need to schedule moving the furniture back from the storage bin. Hopefully this week?

New Location for Shed

We spent another day getting the house ready to move things back inside.  Outside the shed had been moved to its new location away from the house. It used to sit behind the decorative block retaining wall in the center.  If you look closely at the bottom of that wall, one bright green top of the new septic tank is visible.

The Parrotia Persica had three of its lower branches cut off for the backhoe. I am very unhappy.  I will need to figure out how to balance the other side.

This is the view from the kitchen window, at the top left of the photo above.  Moving the shed has significantly improved the view so that the labyrinth garden is easily seen.  If you look closely at the base of the wall you can see the black cable wire that still needs to be reconnected.  Hopefully it will get done tomorrow.

Finally, the front of the house with four new bushes and one relocated shrub in place.  That is just the beginning of a new garden area. 

Burying the Green Monster

This morning the new fiberglass septic tank was lowered into a deep hole.  Fortunately it is all sand, so it was not difficult digging.  Here they are adjusting the tank to be sure it is level. 

After getting it in place, and the soil/sand was packed around it, they attached the line from the house to the first of three tanks.  Soon after they asked me to flush a toilet with toilet paper a couple of times.  They wanted to be sure the line was open.   It was.  Then the electricians put in all the electrical components. 

I stayed with the crew as they re-positioned the garden shed, and helped with regrading the soil.  We were almost done when the backhoe operator caught the electrical and cable wires and pulled them off the side of the house! Thankfully, no broken wires.  The guys working inside didn't know it had happened.

We left them waiting for the power company and drove back up to DC.  We wanted to arrive well before the curfew.  The electrical inspector needs to check the wiring, but that should complete all the major work on the house and allow the final inspection to be done.

Septic Tank Arrives

Arriving at the house today to work in the basement, we were surprised to see new lawn decorations.  The new septic tank sits waiting for installation behind a big backhoe loader.

The old tank will have to be broken apart and removed, then this new one will go into that location.  However it will need a much bigger hole!

Stationed near the edge of the ravine is a small backhoe. The shed used to sit behind the decorative concrete block wall, but has been moved out of the way.  It will eventually be put where the small backhoe is sitting.

We appreciate that Calvert County approved paying the cost of the tank by the Bay Restoration Fund.  Our property is in the Critical Area, within 1,000 feet of the Chesapeake Bay, so it is a top priority to reduce the amount of nitrogen going into the Bay.

Watering the new plants, I looked into one of the basement window wells and was surprised to discover this turtle sitting in the bottom.  It is big, I would guess about 14-15 inches long.  When I picked it up, it was definitely angry, opening its mouth wide and glaring at me.  So it is not surprising that it is an Eastern Snapping Turtle.  That is a new one for my list.   

Getting Close to Finishing?

Today was the first day without rain this week, so we went to the house to begin catching up on the gardens.  The orange mesh fencing was the first thing taken down.  We no longer need it to protect the labyrinth.

The view from the garden to the front porch looks good.  The cedar planks are now on the pillars.

While we are in the garden, the second major project was replacing the large catch basin at the lower side of the labyrinth.  The three front downspouts now feed into a pipe that empties into this catch basin.  A large pipe goes through the berm under the juniper bushes, and out the other side and down the ravine.

When there are heavy rains, as in one of two inches an hour, a 2-4" sheet of water runs through the labyrinth.  Hopefully this catch basin will handle the flow.

Going inside, the bathroom is almost finished.  The cedar shelves have been installed along with the medicine cabinet. 

There have been varying problems with electrical switches in odd places, three way switches not working properly, and a couple of the fan switches not working.  I hope everything gets worked out soon.

We have ordered a house number sign online, and it is traveling from North Dakota on UPS as I write this.  We need it installed before the final inspection can be done.  But there are still lots of hook ups needed, such as the gas stove and the cable line.

Speaking of the stove, it is finally in place, even if the gas line is not connected.  The dishwasher is also installed and working.  We used the microwave today to warm up our lunch today, and it worked!  I need to move on to the next picture so you can see that.

David has wanted a drawer microwave so he doesn't lose counter space.  So there it is at the far end of the island. You can see the refrigerator is also installed, and working. 

You may see the top of the stove covered with dirt.  It was in the basement, and everything down there has a layer of fine dust.

Here is a view of the kitchen end of the Great Room, with the French Doors out to the Library, previously the Sun Porch.  The floors were stained and varnished two weeks ago.  This is just the first coat of polyurethane. 

Finally, a view the other direction with the media wall and fireplace.  See all the dust on the floor!  It is on the walls, window glass, and cabinets.  Everything will be thoroughly cleaned before we start moving back in.  Hopefully in a few weeks.

Tiles, Bookshelves and Office Door

The tilers have finished their work. They had started with the floor tile in the entrance hall, bathrooms, office and sun porch. Then moved on to the shower and bathtub. The backsplash for the kitchen was the last to be done, and looks great.  There is a surface texture for the kitchen tile which is visible in this photo.

At the same time the carpenter has been working on trim for all the windows as well as the recessed bookshelves that are built into the sun porch.  Maybe we will need to change our name for this room to "library?"  There will be adjustable bookshelves, and enough depth for really big books. I think I know the new home for my downsized collection of garden books.

But what I am most happy about is seeing the new office door installed.  The large window shows the view through the office to the Chesapeake Bay.  This will be a very welcoming entrance for people who are coming for spiritual direction. 

I look forward to seeing it finished with the trim and the indirect lighting up in the beams.

Paving Done

The paving was finished by last Saturday when we went down to the house to check-in with our contractor.  The parking pad now has room for a big van or the big pickup trucks that are so popular in Calvert County.  Or if we park our two cars close to the front edge, there is room for a car to park across the pad behind them.  These are all things we have to think about with limited room for parking.

Here is the front porch and walk.  There will be cedar planks covering the posts. The porch light is also in place with some adjustments needed. 

Our contractor filled in the low areas with top soil, and scattered grass seed and straw.  I didn't have the heart to tell him I don't want a lawn there. 

The tile has continued to be installed.  Most exciting is to see the marble tile for the fireplace.  It looks wonderful, with a wonderful grain to it.  Hidden by all the junk is the tile on the floor. 

You are wondering what those square black things are.  They are metal posts screwed into the framing behind the wall which will hold the two mantels.  There will be holes drilled into the back of the mantels, which are then slid onto the posts, and a screw from the bottom to lock them in place.  The mantels will be cut out of cedar slabs, with the lower one as wide as the marble, and the upper one several inches in on the sides and shallower.

Here is a view of the Great Room from the Sun Porch, currently the carpenter's workshop, with lots of saw dust and scattered tools. 

We had no problems driving down to the house and back.  We were not sure how aggressive the police would be challenging people moving around.  Hopefully there will be no need to stop work since there are usually only 2-3 people working at the house at any one time. 

Kitchen Island and Window Trim

The carpenter has started the stained wood trim around all the windows.  This is in the master bedroom with a view of the garden.  The color is nice.

The walls are much deeper than most houses, because they are 8 inch cinder block.  Then 2x4s were added on the inside to add a layer of insulation with an R19 rating.  So the window sills are about 12 inches deep.

We are contacting the contractor because the trim around the window looks too narrow.  It needs at least another inch or two in width to look in proportion to the deep sills.

The kitchen island is in place.  This view shows how there is an open hallway space from the front door down the side of the kitchen.  Once the top is in place, there will be room for two people to sit at the island.

There will be two cabinets with glass on both sides over the island. They will have under-cabinet lights.

This shows the working side of the kitchen.  The refrigerator is behind the camera, the stove in that space to the left, and the sink in the cabinets directly ahead.

That cabinet in the foreground with the big open box area is for the drawer microwave.  David wanted that so the microwave was not taking counter space.

Kitchen Cabinets

The kitchen is taking some shape with the installation of many of the cabinets.  This is looking into the kitchen from the front entrance. The cabinet with the half-wall behind it will hold the sink, the dishwasher will be to its right and a bookshelf will be on the end.  Notice the hardwood floor is installed.

Looking back from the other side, the row of shallow cabinets along the South wall are visible.  There will be a small bar sink in front of the window.  The glass, which is not yet installed in the upper cabinets, had a small irregular pattern.

Past the tall floor to ceiling cabinets are the French Doors for the Sun Porch.  They need to be stained.

The North wall has the stove, with the vent for the hood hanging down. There will be another cabinet to the right of the cabinet on the right side of the stove.  But the wall needs to be built out another 6" for it to fit.  An easy fix.


The door opens into the bedroom area.  Left of it is the alcove for the refrigerator.

Almost Ready for Paint

Starting outside, the siding is almost done.  Our contractor made the subcontractor take off much of the back siding because it was done so poorly. It looks much better.

The gutters and downspouts are installed, with a downspout visible at the far end.  That blue box below the window is for an electrical outlet.

Going inside, this is a view of the living room wall opposite the window in the picture above.  The large shallow box is for a large screen TV, and the smaller, deep box on the right for various AV components.  On the left you can see the half wall corner of the kitchen, which will hide any clutter on the counter. 

Here is a view of the sun porch with sun actually coming in, a rarity for the last several weeks of rain.  On the right side under the windows with a view out to the street are cavities which will have built-in wood bookcases.  They will be stained to match the rest of the wood trim around the doors and the deep windows. 

Looking in from the hallway is part of the bathroom.  The vanity hangs on the wall over the radiator on the left. It was the only wall where we could fit the radiator!  The toilet will be behind that, and my Jacuzzi tub is visible under the window.  Behind the wall on the right is the shower - larger than I would have liked, but that was how the spaces worked out. 

No, the walls will not be purple.

Inspections Completed

I wish I could finally say that all of the siding is done.  I cannot. They ran out of batten strips, and are waiting for the delivery of more. However, the South side is done, as well as two sides of the sun porch.  We are pleased with the results.  Eventually the foundation will be painted the same color as the siding, so it all blends together.

The columns for the front porch were being completed during our visit. The bases, which are being left as red cedar to match the cedar in the joists overhead, have a Craftsman look without being massive. I haven't decided whether I prefer the central section to be left white as they are here, or painted to match the color of the siding.  Your thoughts?

But more importantly, the county inspectors have signed off on the rough-in electrical and plumbing. Here is the view of the lines for the vanity and toilet in the master bedroom wall.  The big 2x6 is there to hold up the vanity which hangs on the wall.  At the floor level in white is the baseboard heater, which is the only available space for it.

I won't bore you with all of the pictures I have taken to document the location of pipes and wires. Hmm, I can hear my siblings thinking, "Just like Dad would have done." But here is one more. 

It is the business end of the Jacuzzi tub I have wanted for 20 years. I need it when I come in stiff and sore and tired from working in the yard.  I can call it a Jacuzzi because that is the manufacturer. This our third. The first had a scratch. The second had all of the pumps and motors on the other end. You can see the chimney in the back, which would have prevented access to do maintenance. So we had to switch it for this version.  There will be a removable panel in the guest bedroom to allow servicing.

The framing inspection yesterday had some minor issues, which should all be resolved by Monday.  Then insulating can begin.

Siding Started

After rain last week, the crew arrived on Tuesday to start putting up the siding.  They worked until shortly after Noon, when another wintry mix storm began shedding its load of rain and wet snow.  Much of the front and sides of the house received the large sheets of Hardie Board, such as the front wall in this picture. 

They did the South side of the house and the sides of the sun porch.  We are expecting them to finish up the remaining sides today.  That will include putting on the vertical batten boards.  We are pleased with how the "Cobblestone" color of the siding matches the "Clay" color of the window frames. I will get a picture with the roof so you can see how it blends in also.

Inside the electrical and plumbing work is continuing, such as the wiring in the half-wall side of the kitchen.  While we were at the house, we asked the electrician to move two of the recessed ceiling lights, and add one directly over the kitchen sink area, and other minor adjustments.  There is a lot being done, just not very exciting.

The other exciting project is the installation of the new gas fireplace.  I know it doesn't look like much here, especially since the cardboard covers the front of it, but we are excited.  They still need to run the new gas lines for the stove and the fireplace. 

We have asked them to include a line to the furnace area, so that in the future we can replace the oil furnace and electrical water heater with gas ones.  We have asked for a quote to convert to gas now, but are already spending $35,000 on change orders above the cost of the contract.  

Getting Ready for the Siding

There was a lot of small detail work done over the last week.  The electrician has put in switch boxes, ceiling fan boxes, recessed lighting boxes and is starting to run the new wiring in the walls and ceiling.  The carpenter has put linseed oil on the exposed cedar on the front porch and office door portico. 

The most visible difference are the lath 2x4s to nail on the Hardi Board siding, a low maintenance cement board plank.  They provide the support for the siding, which will hopefully be installed next week. The siding will be a vertical board and batten style, so you can begin to see how the outside will look.

The picture on the right shows the street side of the sun porch.  We have reduced the size of the windows facing the street so they are a "transom" style.  This will provide us more privacy while also reducing the hot, late afternoon sun. It is also the utility area, with the meters, propane gas tank, HVAC compressor.  So, not a pretty view.

On the bay side of the house, you can see the arrangement of the sun porch windows.  The lower windows open out to let a breeze through, while the top windows provide a big open view of the Chesapeake Bay.  We both expect that will become a favorite place. 

"There's a place for us . . . Somewhere. Sometime."

Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

During our visit last Friday, we were able to see progress, though much of it is not obvious.  The plumber did get the baseboard radiators installed and connected into the furnace, as visible in this picture of the sun porch.  With temperatures dropping into the 30's at night, the thermostat set at 55 will avoid any frozen pipes.

However, the windows for the West side of the porch were wrong.  If you look carefully, you can see the two left windows have cranks to open and the two right windows are stationary.  That is not what we ordered.  Our contractor has notified the company and replacements are expected this week.

What is very different with the new radiators is how much shorter they need to be.  Here is the new radiator in the Master Bedroom.  The old radiator ran the length of that wall, turned the corner, and ran the length of the wall next to it.  The addition of 4" of insulation inside the concrete block walls and 8" in the ceiling will make a big difference.

In addition, the plumber began "roughing in" the plumbing.  Here are the pipes for the half-bathroom.  There are water lines for the sink and toilet, the toilet flange, and the vent line.  However, nothing has been done on the main bathroom.

We recently decided to place the TV on the wall above/beside the stairs to the basement.  Talking to the contractor, we decided to do a change order, and they inset a box into the wall, so the TV will be set back into the wall.  There were lots of other things affected which we are still working out, such as where to put the DVD player and other potential hardware.

The final picture is looking from the guest bedroom, through the wall that will have the TV, into the living room. The big 2x6 will hold the TV bracket.