Overall: Happy to report we passed a couple milestones this week. All utilities (minus internet) are installed. Water is on in the house and the propane tank delivered and placed. A small setback with propane will be corrected on Monday. The last appliances arrived this week. Marching steadily toward July 7th when kitchen counter tops will be installed.
Monday: Working on interior door prep in advance of painting all 24 interior doors. Took the truck & trailer to Menards to purchase 18′ deck boards which will be used as the deck railing cap. This material is notorious for shrinking as it dries, so I placed the boards in the shop, stacked with spacers between bottom board and the floor and each stacked board above it. Will wait a couple weeks before bringing them out to complete the deck railing project.
Tuesday: The plumber was on site today. Chris hooked up everything for hot and cold water, minus the kitchen and laundry room sinks – both still waiting for countertops. Showers, tubs, sinks, hose bibs, etc. all functional. YEA ! I don’t have to haul drinking water every morning ! Kyle painted all the interior doors using an airless sprayer.
Wednesday: Summer Solstice. Carole at the site, assembling kitchen cabinets. Best Buy delivered the dishwasher, washer and dryer today. Kyle worked on hanging newly painted interior doors. I helped Kyle and worked on kitchen pantry plans and material needs
Thursday: Carole was here today, installing bits & pieces – door & window hardware. Wolford’s arrived this morning with a propane tank. After burying the pipe from the tank to the house and connecting it, began leak check testing and told me there was a small leak beteen the outer wall of the house and the boiler in the mechanical room. Augh ! ! The crew leader said what I was thinking: a misplaced drywall screw, missed a wall stud and poked a hole in the pipe.
Friday: Carole was at the site again today, installing interior door handles, window screens and general cleaning. I set up a pressure test kit – a home made collection of pipe fittings, to include a pressure gauge and a shrader valve. This is a contraption I made many years ago for this purpose. I just needed to adapt it for this application. I removed the propane companies pressure diaphrapm and capped the pipe outside the house. Opened the pipe union at the boiler to connect my pressure tester. Applied 30 psi air pressure, and watched the gauge sink rather quickly, confirming the leak in the house. Decided to check the pipe connection in the mechanical room ceiling first because it was accessible. The pipe is a single piece of aluminum tubing with a plastic outer jacket, going from the mechanical room into the attic, over the Great room, then down the north Great room wall, to an elbow then outside. I put a couple wrenches on the connection fitting, and it moved too easily. Boom ! Plumber neglected to torque the pipe connection fitting ! I went ahead and disassembled the four piece fitting to visually inspect the end of the tube and the connector for damage that might cause a leak. Observed no issues, so reassembled the connector fitting and torqued it. Put 30 psi in the pipe and waited all day for it to drop. Leak fixed ! Will call the propane dealer first thing Monday so they can complete their installation. Having propane to the boiler, means Lucas can commision the concrete slab heating system.
Saturday: Carole and I were at the site all day. She continued her effort, installing window sash handles and filling nail holes in interior trim. I got started with the deck railing project.
Sunday: Slept in (because I deserve it – lol) Got caught up scanning and logging receipts and assembling this week’s blog. Out to Howard Ridge late morning and afternoon. Came up with a long term solution for the west end breezeway steps. Installed the master shower door. Severe thunderstorms in the area brought the day to an early end. Eager to get going tomorrow morning.
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