Construction Fatigue

After a vacation, we came back to our mostly-done house and proceeded to...go back to regular jobs, school, everyday life like other people. 

We had been working to get through construction fatigue for a long time, but we finally succumbed. 

When a fellow told me long ago "don't move in until every last thing is done or you will have bare bulbs for years," he was right. You shouldn't move in until it is all done, and I am proud to say that the only bare bulbs are in the attic and the crawl space where they ought to be. But, other things were left undone. Trim, for instance. Drawers and closet doors. At first, this was partly because lumber went up in price. That alone probably slipped us from barely hanging on to the project, to letting go of all construction.

When we got back from our little vacation, our "volun-told" builders plunged back into their schoolwork with a dedication I'd never seen before. You couldn't budge them until they graduated (and they got jobs that were NOT in construction). 

I never wanted to pick up a paintbrush again, and my husband had one big bad work deadline after another, with other non-house things that needed to be done in-between. 

Now that we had a solid roof over our heads, and a floor that did not bounce on wheels, and running water, we all wanted to do the things that we had put off during construction. Go to the events that we couldn't go to because "it was the weekend and we needed to be working."  Go on trips, have tea parties, play in the river on a Saturday, and tackle lists of personal goals and enterprises.

We did all the home-y things, such as baking,

preserving,

enjoying holidays,

 filling our stove to capacity.

We spent the weekends exploring, 

hiking, 

  

and enjoying the flavor of our area. 

Personal projects and hobbies could now be pursued by construction-worn kids who had lived through the world's longest shop class. 

Exercising in the snow is preferable to shoveling it off of construction materials. 

Who cares if there are no drawers in the kitchen, when you can obviously still make feasts in the space?

It was faster to build lego houses, and plant gardens, than to think about how the kitchen backsplash is going to work out. 

But not all construction was halted that winter of freedom. Shelves in the closet were a happy thought indeed, once they had been found, purchased, cut, and installed (the cost and installation of which was not quite a happy one for the builders, but they soon saw the value of my logic when they had a place to put their hats). And the attic access needed to be finished up so that no heat left the building out thataway.

We also took one more step to make sure there were no bare bulbs in the house. 

 But then, back to other things...

... such as enjoying spring... time to go see the migrating birds!

That long-awaited plan to float the river? Check.

No longer snowed in, we could go visiting. (No, it's not Italy. It's Oregon.)

During any one of these weeks (cough- months)  I could have gathered up the paint supplies and finished the doors. Plans were always in the back (the very far recesses) of my mind as to how to stain the stair treads now that we were moved in and using the second floor constantly. But life goes on without these luxuries, and no one seemed to notice the lack. As spring turned into summer, we were drawn out-of-doors to other projects which I will post about next time. 

I think I have more pictures of clouds in my photo account than I do people.

I'd rather watch this kind of Painting any day!

Fireworks

The fixes were quickly done and the inspector called again. Approved!

Did we hug the inspector and all fall in the floor in tears of gratefulness? 

No. We just went about our normal day.

I went and made dinner in the new kitchen. We got on the phone and bought an insurance policy. Insurance went into effect at midnight, they said.

About suppertime a thunderstorm rolled in, lightning struck out back of us and smoke started to blow in the gusty wind. 

We packed backpacks just in case, as the wind was blowing it our way. Thankfully firefighters had the fire out by 10 PM.  It sure made a memorable day more memorable.

Cleaning up the site! 

And so what did we do after that? Did we go down the list and methodically finish the house in the next few weeks? Did we go buy furniture?

No. We did what every sensible person in our situation would do. We went on Vacation.

Fix it and Call Again.

Many a night I had lulled myself to sleep in the RV dreaming of that moment of the Occupancy Declaration from the county Building Inspector. We would cry, we would dance, we would clap, I would wring the Inspector's hand and tell him how much it meant to us. All the kids would hug each other. So I had a nervous but exciting flutter in my heart when we called for the "last" inspection. 

The minimums were done, and somewhat beyond, and the moment was here. 

The first floor, all inspection ready!

No need for backsplash, cupboard doors, extra trims, shelves or drawers for occupancy inspections. 

Baseboard not required. Stair backs not required. 

 

 Bay window seats/drawers, closet doors not needed. 

Everything structural, plumbing, and electric was finished. 

Well, not much we could do about this. We didn't build a garage. Renting a storage unit was out of the question for frugality's sake.  Just scoot boxes away from the walls so the Inspector can see the outlets. Upstairs? just stack the totes in the middle. Boy, the attic is going to be a bit difficult to navigate... 

And after going through all the house, what did the inspector say?

Something like: "You've got the wrong outlet here" and "Get that hydrant outta there." Fix it all and call again.

The Electrician/Tile Guy helps the Plumber/Carpenter Guy with the hydrant removal.

Changing the View

 It was time to wrap this project up! Here the Tile Guy is installing some lights, for he was also the Electrician at this point. This and that were "wrapped up" to get ready for another inspection.

 

This was one of the preparations! Railings on the porch are not in the blueprints, but it sure is CUTE! This project was another "temporary" install, in case Code called for it. Boy, was I glad about this one:) I prefer it with railings;)

 

 

It changed the view. It framed the view. I'm sure it is better looking from the street as well.
 

 

Taking a break to see the Sunset over the Ochocos

 

mutiny?

A note I found on a construction task list. Every family has a comedian.
 

Getting the kitchen to code finish.

 

Seen on a drive: Do you see that old house out in a field? Old hotel maybe? It looks like someone set a dollhouse out there! Will our house be that old by the time we finish it??

 

In time the kitchen was "finished" as far as code was concerned, and even a bit farther, but it needn't be finished finished for the occupancy certificate. 

 

Lifting the fridge and freezer on a platform was not necessary for occupancy, but it made the Tall People of the family happy. Bonus: when the cabinetry is done, I will have some drawers under there for sheet pans. 

This photo is good for scale! The upper cabinets are really tall, and I keep the little construction step-ladder in the kitchen at all times.

We painted the face frames and outside of cabinets, too, though that was not necessary. Say it with me: Oh that I had used Benjamin Moore paint!

I found some  gingham print shelf liner in just the right color. I snatched up as many as I could get, so that i can replace it when the time comes.

Extra countertops were used between the kitchen half-wall and the dining room. There is room for a bar-stool or two.

After some discussion about metal brackets, searches for ready made and fabricators, etc. it occurred to the builders that wood would look just fine! And it does!
 

 

Extra counter pieces installed, sink and stove lights installed, oven leveled, we were on our way.

Looks like we started to use the kitchen immediately, eh?

Ta-Da! No, there are no doors or drawers. Not necessary for the occupancy certificate (just the sink, stove and counter were needed). No center island yet, Open shelving is fine, "temporarily." And thus it stands, still "under construction."

A glimpse of the Strawberry Mountains, during an evening drive.

The Countertop Saga

If one could only pull materials out of fancy pictures and paste them into the house! When it came to countertops, it turned out that we had expensive tastes. We crossed off the most expensive and explored products that were cheaper per square foot. 

More affordable choices had some undesirable quality or other. Tile was not an option anymore so we didn't have to go find any! Epoxy showed up and then faded away as way too much DIY. We liked the warm wood look, but would it be a lot of trouble to waterproof and maintain?

One day my husband had been to a local hardwood place and just happened to be told about some interesting remnants that would be perfect for a countertop. It just so happened that these remnants were just the right amount that we would need, and at a good price! And thus our countertop decision was suddenly made. 

I read somewhere recently that "teamwork is dreamwork," and I can say that even if this wasn't a dream (maybe it was a nightmare), it sure is nice to have someone on each corner when you have a task like this...  add thick countertop slabs to the list of backbreaking items that have been carried up to the house! 

Introducing: BauBuche. It means "building beech" and is a laminated veneer lumber from Germany. Yes, it looks like a lot of plywood ends glued together. We have made a lot this house out of plywood, so it goes with the theme I guess! It certainly had a modern look to it.

 

We did some design work and came up with something we all liked, that integrated that sink surround idea we had had when we were exploring tile. We had decided that the sink part was best left to professionals. After many visits to view many beautiful pieces of stone, we chose another remnant and had the pros cut and polish it. Of course it had to be carried up the hill, too. Add quartz to the list (at least it had a hole in it!).

The BauBuche had to be glued together in a few places, dry fit, and carried about, as you will see.

 

MONTH ONE. Guess who got to put the expert finish on the countertops? Moi, that's who. I wish we had taken them to a pro shop to have a hand-dipped, blow-dried, mirror-like finish applied (or whatever they do), because I never did get the hang of it.

 In the meantime, no one waits for me and construction must go on. Our Carpenter was putting in "uppers!"

 

Using "natural" stain and varnish, I did the best I could to put coat after coat on. I quickly found out that brush strokes were the bain of my life. And the more coats I put on, the oranger it got. Fail!

In the meantime, construction must go on. Looks like it was back to ladders on scaffolding outside.

I quickly learned that a hand-sander will make very smooth dips all over the surface. We actually went to rent the Fun Machine (see floor posts) and sanded 'em down to bare materials again, and started over with a clear finish. 

Construction must go on. Sink is installed and plumbed...

...Uppers finished and installed.

MONTH TWO. It rained. I had been putting coats of finish on all sides evenly. The boys had to do the flipping between coats and now they had to carry the project inside out of the weather. I don't know how many times we rented the Fun Machine so we could strip it and start over.  I finally learned to sand with an even hand with the handheld power sander, it saved me the embarrassment of going back to the rental shop.

 

As you know, construction must go on. We had after what seemed like weeks of research, found a light for the bays. They were ugly and inexpensive, but were "temporary" so we could get occupancy.

They turned out to be so perfect, so exactly the functionality we wanted, that I don't think we'll ever replace them. They turn every which way and hold whatever position. We can point them down for a reading light, up for ambiance. They look great in the bays. One of our best purchases for the house!

The Carpenter finished the uppers with shelves. Painting would start soon. Hey, you got those countertops done yet?

MONTH THREE. Enough is enough. I give up. Take them away! I'd sanded, coated, sanded off, started over. I'd bought different brushes and applicators, and watched videos on marine finishes for boats. Just take them away, brush marks, drips, dips and all.

Seven coats per side on the last go-round. Did it make them waterproof? Not really. The "natural" stuff was a fail and after a short time started to peel and flake. They'll have to be redone someday with toxic chemicals. Maybe I'll send them off to the pros to refinish...

They look good in the kitchen, though, and with the sink surround! It is sort of a reverse of an old-fashioned set-in enameled sink. With the BauBuche being so thick, my already-high counters got higher (can't rebuild the cupboard boxes to accommodate), but I really like them slightly higher. Though I am not a tall person, I find it more comfortable for working.

Thanks for hanging in there this long, next time I'll take you on a spring walk!