Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Progress for July

Finally, the roof is completed and the 9 solar thermal panels are installed. Most of the basic landscaping has been completed and there are no piles of dirt anymore. There's still quite a bit of work to be done on the outside. The stucco job should begin next week or the week after. The front step landing and steps will be done soon. Some work has to be done on the south side window wells, which have sunk because they weren't installed properly by RockSolid Concrete. I'm putting a short retaining wall on the south side, near the property line, since I had to lower the side yard by about 2 1/2 feet due to errors in elevation by the architect. Otherwise, my basement windows on the south side would have been buried 2 1/2 feet below grade, letting in no air or light at all.
I finally was able to return to work at the end of July after my injury working on the house. I will be in physical therapy for another two months, and won't be able to do a lot of the finishing work I had intended to do. I'm still hoping to do some of it, but it will be difficult with only one hand.
I was going to put in a porch roof over the front door, extending to the bay window, but scaled that down due to budget considerations. Here's the mini-roof over the bay window.
I used Dens-Armor sheet rock, which is paperless, instead of the conventional stuff which has glue and cardboard on one side. It costs about twice as much, but is very mold-resistant, and has nothing to attract bugs. It also doesn't burn. It's a very green product.
This view is looking up at two of the three skylights in the stairwell, which will let in light as well as provide venting for hot air out of the house.
This is the view from the living room looking back towards the back bedroom, with the upstairs bath in the foreground.
Below is taken pretty much from the same spot, but looking through the interior window, which lets in light, through to the rear door.
The front bedroom/office, which will have glass french doors to open the living room up.
The inside looks a lot different with the walls in. Hopefully, the next update will be sooner than later.