As much as I kept up with my log during the first two years, but I just couldn't force myself to make the time to publish an update when the was so much to do.
I just gave a new friend a link and opened the blog to check to see if I started a post earlier and realized a year went by.
"Life is to short to not share it" ... so I have two update entries to catch the world up to where we are today.
Since it's important to keep my friends and family updated, I'm making time tonight to update. I'm going to break it up into two post, so you don't get too excited.
Since drywall arrive you can imagine what has happened in a year.
I threw in the towel and decided that it was time to put a sump into the crawls space (in which I tied in my radon fan into it and drafted moisture out of the subbase). Obviously, when I did this in the late summer of 2012, the drought came, which dropped the water table and my sump pump that ran every 11 minutes, doesn't run at all (and hasn't ran all winter). I doubt my radon fan made that much of a difference..... but no water is good.
Also during the summer, the solar panels were installed. Thanks to friends John, Jeff and Dale, we got the job done and only had to remove the panels 2 times to get the job done exactly right. The solar array is made up of (20) 250 watt Helios solar panels with Enphase micro inverters for a total of 5 KW. We have been on line for 4 months and "Netzero Electric" to date (so no electric usage bills). We can't be a true "Netzero Home" unless we get rid of 2 our high efficiency gas furnaces and natural gas. With the cheap cost of gas, this was the most carbon responsible value.
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| Beautiful cabinet job Joe!.. We'll miss you. |
As we got to drywall, my wife Cherie came through as the champion as we headed for the home stretch. I stuck to the dirty and mechanical type jobs and Cherie played carpenter/ painter. After drywall, Cherie and I worked together on painting. I did a good amount of the priming and Cherie did all the painting (see photo of Cherie on the scaffold painting the arch). In order to save money we painted the whole house with a Wagner Paint Crew machine using Pure Zero VOC paint from Menard's (a Sherwin Williams/ Conco product). This was the best zero VOC paint and at a great price. We thank Jordan at Menard's for working out some great bulk pricing for us.
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| Cherie installing a Schluter System |
Once the painting was done, it was time to install the 3/4" wood floors. Steve Hopp, our carpenter, Cherie and my self did 95% of the install for approximately 1,000 sqft. of 1st floor Oak floor that came from a Sustainable Forest. Duration too about a 4 to 6 weeks to install. See photos of Cherie installing the Schluter Shower system as we takled one bathroom shower.
With the wood floor complete, the cabinet were right behind it. Steve Hopp and Cherie installed Adler custom cabinets provided by J & J Cabinetry. All stains and sealer were water based and the particle Board was formelerhye free to meet LEED. We did not use FSC wood however (it was too costly and too hard to find). I think we had some FSC mixed components.
The saddest part of the entire project is our cabinet guy Joe Phiefer of J & J Cabinets died a month after the installation. We were so pleased with the final product, we decided that to have him make the proposed serving bar in the adjacent dining room. We he called, we got the bad news from his wife that he passed away 3 weeks prior of a fast spreading lung cancer. Unfortunately , he did not see the cabinets fully completed, so we a posting a photo of his beautiful work in memory of Joe.
As the cabinets finished the doors hanging, floor trim and window trimming started with the team of Cherie and Steve Hopp. At his point Cherie and Steve became attached at the hip almost 2 days a week, while I did the Solar panel install, HVAC duct work and framing of the fireplace (see photo of Cherie framing). I appears that Cherie is really picking up the load when we needed it most. I also took care of the exterior work and 5 acres.
With the cabinets complete the granite counter tops were installed within a week. Although we considers, a recycled type product, the cost was to high and we really had our heart set on granite (so at least its a natural product).
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| A bit of wild life |
Although we didn't live in the house during the construction period, we kept a huge garden and enjoyed the benefits of fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, eggplant, green beans, carrots, lettuce, and gourds that you can not eat (thanks to Mike's planting mistake). There was always enough fresh vegetable to eat as long as we watered the garden. We share our harvest with friends and family. The summer drought took a toll on our garden output, our virtually no fall pears on our one tree that produce 1,000 last year, and our pine trees suffered badly along the road . The only good news is the grass barely grew and Mike didn't have to cut it.
Part two coming within 24 hours.
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| Life is a bowl of Garden Cherry Tomatoes (they taste as good as they look) |
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| A strange mushroom in the yard |
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