Photos

So you know I was not lying in the last post.
Work IS being done, albeit slowly.

Door overhang 1

One down, one to go

Both done finally... and it snows.

First window in

Door in

More to come...

The dome is done!

Not. April Fool's.
Just had to do that.


I haven't posted again in ages. Not because the dome is done or work has come to a standstill but because Facebook is easier on which to post photos. Sure, I can write more here but, because of the amount of work to do still, I'd rather spend the time working on the dome than writing about it. Well, ok... I admit, sometimes I would rather be writing about it because it's hard work out there. But today, as crazy as it is because it is a beautiful day outside, I am taking a day off. It's spring break, Ed is golfing and I am beat from yesterday.

So, where was I when I last updated on the dome? Getting a roofer. Roofer obtained but not started yet. The weather was so cold and snowy there was no way to work on it for a while. And besides, the guy had another job to finish up. He was to start this week but looks like he had to go help his son move back to the area after getting out of the army. Glad for him and his son to be out of the army (and Iraq) but disappointed that my roof is still waiting to be shingled. Next week - it will be next week. I hope.

Other updates - in no particular order...

• door and windows are in - Windows were not so hard to do but the door? Yowza. Had brother Andy here to help us and it's a damn good thing. I was sick with a sinus infection so Andy had to think for both of us. Sorry Ed, but you don't think construction. You grew up with a chef for a father, not a contractor. Anyway, we almost lost it at one point - the door, not our minds. (Although lots of folks probably think that has been an issue as well, especially regarding yours truly.) Long story short, what was to be an hour or two project turned out to be a 7 hour one. More of the same fudging that we've done all along because the slab is out of square.
  

• got the pre-siding inspection approved - hip-hip-hooray! The county building inspector that we have is a great guy. All the horror stories we'd heard about building inspectors have not come true in our case. This guy has come out for numerous consultations and has just been an incredible help.
  
• overhangs built, wrapped - How I figured those out I will never know, but I did - must have had Dad here guiding me along. Thanks Dad. I love and miss you.
  
• sealed the bottom edge where water was leaking in under the sill plate with the most awful stuff to use in a caulk gun - OHMYGOD. My arms and hands are still sore from working that gun; that stuff was SO hard to do. Industrial stuff that should have been done with a pneumatic caulk gun (did you even know they make such a thing?!). But it worked. No more water leaking in. Yay!
  
• grading - Working on it now. Well, actually that's why I am taking a break today because my arms feel like they would fall off if I came within 10 feet of a shovel. We need to create a slope away from the foundation. Shouldn't be too bad but, remember, this was once a wooded area. Roots. Roots. Carolina clay. And more roots. Tomorrow is another (shoveling) day.
• siding - After finding out the price of cedar, I hit the internet for other options. Decided on a cement fiber board stuff that is more "green" than Hardi-plank and with a bit more substance. I had considered LP Smartside but read too many bad reviews on it (yeah, you gotta take personal reviews online with a grain of salt but...). It also needs a BREATHABLE weather resistant barrier behind it and the stuff we used is not. The thought of taking all that wrap off and redoing it - well, that is NOT an option. I also determined along the way that I couldn't use a vertical siding like we have on the house. I like the look of lap siding better but initially wanted to have the siding match the house's. But, because of the problems with the foundation bulging out (remember the cement grinding way back?) - I need to lap the foundation and vertical siding won't do it. So, lap siding it is. It was delivered Tuesday - as soon as we get a bit more grading done, we'll start to install.
  

That's all for now folks. I promise, I'll update again BEFORE months go by...