LIGHTS, CURTAINS . . . ARCHES!!!

The fine details are starting to take place. Columns, final porch trim and gable ends are next.

HAINT PAINT DAY

Pre-Haint Paint

Today Tim and I applied the first coat of haint paint to what tongue & groove ceiling has been installed. We had cut our order short of the ceiling material to keep us from having excess materials left over. I am very pleased with my final decision on the haint paint color. It is a very subtle and calming color. Over the next few days we should be able to finish just the porch ceiling . . . last strips of pine installed, applying the second coat of paint and get the new light fixtures installed.

Starting of Haint Painting

Tomorrow we should receive the remainder of our materials for the ceiling and also most of our trim boards to finish the final work on the front porch. Next we will be working on bulking the columns, decorative column trim and making the arches between each set of columns on the front porch. One nail at a time . . .

First Coat of Haint Paint

MOVING FORWARD

The last three months have been busy. Due to holidays, Airstream trips, work and colds the house projects have sat on hold for two of the last three months. There has been great progress however over the last month. FINALLY the drywall work has been completed. It was a long tedious mess to get through. Installing, taping, sanding, texturing & painting. Now both the drywall and painting in the closets are finished and we have started back on what needs to be done on the front porch. The closets will sit idle for now until we get some work complete on the front porch . . .

We've also spent some time finishing the re-build of the interior of the bay window. The interior bay window had been put on hold from its re-build about three years ago. Knowing we were going to be doing all the drywall work on the new closet additions we wanted to do both these drywall portions at the same time to keep the drywall dust down to a minimum ... one time deal. The base boards still need to be re-done and installed and my drapes can be re-hung soon. It's going to be nice to get this room back.

The last few days have been focused on the front porch. Tim has started installing the ceiling while I have been painting the interior projects, exterior of house & priming all the ceiling pieces to be installed. We decided to go with a 4" tongue and groove pine. And I am going to paint the ceiling with a haint paint. Haint paint is more common in historic southern towns. It's been said it keeps the haints (restless ghosts & bad spirits) from entering your home. The paint represents water and haints don't cross water ya know. But I hear it also can keep the bugs from taking up residence due to thinking the paint color is the sky. Anyone who has spent time in Charleston, Key West, Savannah and New Orleans, to name a few places, you've seen this done on many great historic front porches. If you want more history and beautiful pictures of porches with haint paint check out the following link:

http://mudpiestudio.blogspot.com/2011/08/haint-blue-painted-porch-ceilings.html

The porch ceiling will really add some character to our home. There is plenty still left to do in order to complete these projects. Stay tuned. We are soooo getting closer. One nail at a time . . .

INSULATION INSPECTION . . .

Passed! Last Thursday, November 3rd we were signed off on the insulation inspection of the "shoe" closet. Stay tuned for the installation of the drywall phase of this project.

The last five months . . .

Have been so busy it seems like it's been only a few weeks since my last post to update everyone on the additions. Tim & I have been non-stop between work, the additions and other 'wonderful' projects that just like to rear their ugly little heads when we least expect it . . .

We’ve gone on our long summer vacation that took up half of May and part of June.

As you know we are adding an 8x18 closet and a 10x20 front porch. We are doing all the work ourselves (except the re-shingling of the entire house) . . . Tim has now installed all the furring strips on the interior of the closet. Not knowing what the final racking will be on the interior of the closet he covered every possible scenario.

Tim ripped out the old door & framing that went from the master bedroom into the old master closet. This was to make the doorway 14” wider. There will be no door hung here but we will eventually install a sliding door in the new entry going from the old closet into the new closet. (I’ve already have the stainless steel sliding hardware)

We’ve had our first electrical inspection. And we passed!

The house was tented for termites last month. Or STD’s as we are calling them . . . the Social Termite Disease. If only I could have had a pony, balloons and a few more yard carnies we would have been the talk of the town. But at least this pushed one neighbor to be tented as well and another will be soon to follow. We are finding out that most have just been ignoring their situation and NOT talking or doing anything about it. Not a good thing to do when your home is (for most) the biggest investment you will ever have. But at least we were able to camp in the Airstream in the yard while we were tented. Do you think anyone noticed? That we were tented that is . . .

I got a new VEHICLE. Woo-hoo and a yiiipppeee ki-yay!!!! My old Ford Explorer was 14 . . . It gave me 12 great dependable years. I gave it a little hug as I was moving all my stuff into the new one. Originally I was going to get a Tahoe or an Expedition but in the end decided on an Explorer Limited with the new body style. I’m still not use to it. It’s going to take a while I’m sure . . . I LOVE IT . . . It’s hot!!!

Then the house sprung a leak on the inside of an exterior block wall of the garage. Uuuugh. This took more days away from working on the additions.

We have decided what to do about the roof cap on the bay window. Tim has just framed the roofline for it and we will cover it with cedar shake shingles. We had thought about metal roofing or copper shingles.

Tim & I helped start a community garden in our Town of Oakland.

We are about to get our second framing inspection on the new additions.

What we have left to do on the additions:

Tongue & Groove Porch Ceiling

Finish Porch Trim Work (columns & arches)

Drywall on Closet Interior

Flooring in New Closet

Flooring in Old Closet

Flooring in Master Bedroom

Insulation

AC Duct Work

Closet Racking & Shelves (Tim will build these)

Install Stainless Steel Sliding Door Hardware

Final Closet Trim & Baseboards

Final Light Fixture Installation (Closet & Porch)

Paint

Final Inspections

Phewwww . . . that’s enough.

THE PAST 48 HOURS . . .

And we are shingled. The crew from Collis Roofing arrived yesterday at 7:15 AM. They began the process of tearing off all the old shingles and tar paper. Today another crew arrived and started laying the new shingles down. By 6:50 PM this evening all the shingles were installed, the clean-up was finished and today's crew was pulling out of the drive. We've waited a very long time for this day and we are very relieved to be completely dried in.

GOT SHINGLES?

The house will set idle for a few weeks while

we work on getting quotes to re-shingle the entire

house. At least the blue FEMA tarp is gone for now

BUT we just have tar paper on the new construction.

Is there any rain in the forecast?