prairieman

Overall: A week with our plumber, HVAC technicians, and electricians; all working to get their particular system – fully roughed-in.

Monday: Kyle and I installed all 8 windows in the shop building. Ralph & Joe were on site wiring the house.

Tuesday: More of the same, with only Ralph on site. I worked as his apprentice, doing the electrical grunt work while he focused on the more complicated tasks associated with electrician’s work.

Wednesday: Plumber and HVAC guys on site today. They completed their progress and are done until we have installed bathroom fans. Ralph was also here today. I spent a portion of the day answering questions from all three contractors. Most of the day was spent being Ralph’s electrician’s apprentice.

Thursday: Mike the plumber was still here today. Ralph was on site again today – a repeat of yesterday.

Friday: Managed to get our carpenter (Kyle) here and both electricians, (Ralph & Joe) – on site today. Kyle was late, but we installed the final entry door. Ralph & Joe have begun moving their electrical rough-in to the shop building

Saturday: Kyle and I installed deck boards all afternoon. completing 40% of the west deck area. I purchased a pickup truck today from Mike B. Will put it to work tomorrow morning with a long Menards shopping list

Sunday: Purchased a truckload of material in the early AM. Delivered it to the site, and waited patiently for a scheduled visit from friends – Jim, Kathy & Jack. I think they enjoyed my guided tour… Then went home on a rainy day to focus on the administrative side of this project.

Overall: Start of the week brought the coldest weather since April. More windows arrived to be installed. Wiring the house has begun.

Monday: Freezing temps overnight, with a cold wind and overcast skies. Worked at the site for a couple hours, then retreated home to work on the computer.

Tuesday: Another cold and cloudy day, reminding me that winter is just around the corner. One of the electricians arrived to begin wiring the house. The cold weather put a damper on productivity, so not much was accomplished. The forecast for the rest of the week is for warmer and sunny weather. Pella delivered 8 more windows, which are all intended for the shop. Should receive the kitchen windows in a couple weeks, along with the replacement entry door. The custom trapezoidal shaped windows in the great room are not expected until after the new year.

Wednesday: Both electricians (Ralph & Joe) were on site today. I helped them with the grunt work side of wiring a house, so they could be more productive with the skilled elements. The bank sent an inspecter to ensure my request for a loan draw was justified. Was also visited by a siding contractor, who will provide a quote.

Thursday: Worked by myself today, and that was perfectly ok. I still have electrical boxes to install, based on a lighting strategy that is still evolving and developing in my head. It’s a fun and challenging task, and needs to be completed so the Ralph and Joe can continue wiring.

Friday: A return to warm and sunny autumn weather. Ralph was on site for half the day, and I pitched in to help him. Still have significant wiring to be done in the house, but we are easily past the halfway point for that structure.

Saturday: Another day by myself, pleased to have completed electrical box installation in the house. Stated another way; all light fixtures, receptacles, and switches are located and ready to be wired. With that task completed, I moved on to the breezeway to begin the electrical plan for that room. Hopefully the shop will be easier.

Sunday: Working alone, but it’s Sunday so completely understandable with nothing specific planned in advance. Made it to 79 degrees, we are having great weather right now. I spent the morning online doing all sorts of internet BS. Material research, receipt filing, etc. Got out to the site at lunchtime. Spent the afternoon installing electric boxes, and prepping 8 shop window openings to install the windows tomorrow.

Overall: We worked a variety of projects this week. Finally connected with our electric utility, the driveway & parking area are able to support vehicle traffic, continued effort w/electric rough-in, porch roof shingles, entry door handles and locksets installed.

Monday: Kenny arrived with a skid steer loader on tracks. He skillfully smoothed and compacted all of the crushed stone delivered on Saturday. Now we are able to park vehicles in front of the house & garage regardless of the weather.

Tuesday: Threat of wet weather on Wednesday, prompted us to shingle the front porch. We have enjoyed several weeks of dry sunny weather, and didn’t want to risk having thunderstorms tear up the tar paper. A siding contractor stopped by and will provide a quote. Garage door installer stopped by to take measurements and get a check from me for materials. Should have garage doors installed late next week.

Wednesday: I decided to visit our electric utility. I have been calling REMC once a week since late August to discuss permanent buried service – and no one has ever returned my calls. We have been using extension cords connected to temporary power since breaking ground in April. Electricians completed the main panel and meter base work and the Brown county building approved the work over 3 weeks ago – still no replies. I told the receptionist how I have been ignored and she looked up our account and could see my history of calls. She called the engineer assigned to my case, who met me in the lobby. Told me he was in the hospital w/Covid and coworkers were supposed to take up the gap created by his absence – which didn’t happen. He met me at the site about an hour later, put in the order to install permanent power, which is anticipated around Oct 21st. In other news – Kyle and I installed the final 5 posts for the deck. The rainy weather skipped by us, and we are back to dry sunny weather.

Thursday: Another siding contractor visited and will send a quote. Built steps to access the backyard from the west end of the breezeway. Installed handles & locksets for the french doors and the front entry door. Installed additional electric boxes and continued work on a lighting strategy.

Friday: Hauled off an accumulation of trash and cardboard. Worked on rough grading along the house west wall under the deck, in preparation of trenching drain tiles along the house and shop foundation walls. More electric boxes nailed in place.

Saturday: Time spent shopping in town for specific materials and a few tools. More time consumed on the computer, researching a variety of topics, also scanning and uploading recipts to our lender in preparation of a request for another construction draw on Monday.

Sunday: More computer time, looking up techncial information on residential lighting strategies. Also researched additional technical data on my no-start Chevy truck. Spent time at the site with a VOM, chasing and checking specific wires going into and out of the truck’s ECU. Still no root cause…

Overall: Kind of an odd week, with progress made on a variety of tasks inside and outside, but nothing worthy of a headline.

Monday: The Pella representative showed up to look at the quality escape (junk) entry door. Said a replacement would be coming within 2 weeks. Advised him that was too long, please improve that 2 week target. Called the REMC again – still nothing from them to get us permanent (buried) electric service.

Tuesday: Bender lumber delivered a truckload of deck boards. Kyle took the day off. I worked on some minor projects, and contemplated how we will illuminate the house and shop. A daunting task…

Wednesday: Kenny Clark arrived with a bulldozer around 11AM. Kenny constructed the first 100′ of driveway last year, before we had nailed down precisely where the house and shop would be located. The driveway has held up very well with the abuse of fully loaded dump trucks and concrete trucks. The final portion of the driveway in front of the house and the parking area in front of the shop are typical for a construction site – very rough & rutted. Kenny is here to fix that. As for carpentry; we worked on installing pocket door frame kits in the house.

Thursday: By the end of the day, Kenny cut down the grade in front of the shop and smoothed it in preparation of crushed stone. He also regraded the area behind the shop where there was a small mountain of topsoil. Did the same for 2 other topsoil piles. Kenny told me to get gravel delivered ASAP so he could complete the driveway and parking area. Everyone I called was very busy and unable to deliver before Tuesday morning. I eventually found someone who could deliver 3 loads of crushed stone on Saturday morning.

Friday: Working on small framing details that will need to be addressed before insulation and drywall are ready to be installed. Spent an hour or so, working on the red truck, performing some electrical tests provided by a GM truck expert found on the internet,

Saturday: Got to the site early to meet dump trucks and show them where to place the crushed stone. Spent a couple more hours at the site, thinking about a lighting plan/strategy. Possibly the most important aspect of this project. So much new technology, and the type & placement of lights will set the mood in every room of the house. Taking time to try and get it right.

Sunday: More time spent on red truck troubleshooting and thinking about home and shop illumination…

Overall – we continue to have dry & sunny weather with near perfect temperatures; just what we need right now as our efforts are dedicated to get both buildings adequately closed in. Plumbers and electricians are eager to continue their contribution to the project, but need me to provide the necessary details for accurate locations of various fixtures, switches and receptacles. I’m not ignoring them (actually, I suppose I am) – I just need to complete a couple more exterior projects, so everyone is more comfortable working inside when outside temperatures are certain to fall (Fall… get it ?) lol

Monday – Purchased lumber and other materials over the weekend so we could begin construction of the front porch roof. A simple 4-12 pitched, shed style structure. Fantastic weather continues: low’s 40’s overnight and 70 degrees by lunch time.

Tuesday – continued porch framing. Using 2×6 boards for rafters (porch is only 10 feet deep), but selected 2×8 boards for the ceiling joists. We want porch swings and by spending a little more for the larger lumber, we will have greater flexibility for swing locations on the porch.

Wednesday – all but completed the front porch today. Framing is complete, sheathing is installed and covered with roofing felt. All that remains, is nailing shingles. Will keep an eye on the weather and get shingles installed when the forecast warns us of impending wet weather.

Thursday – starting the deck this morning. A large, more physically demanding project. Treated 2x8x16′ boards are really heavy, and the back yard slopes downhill. We finished the day with great progress. Like a few other details we have encountered along the way; the plan didn’t mesh well with the reality of the situation. Stated another way – the concrete pads we poured a few weeks ago as foundations for the main deck posts – are not where they should be located for best results. What to do ? Modify the plan. I came up with an elegant solution the next day, and we are incorporating the change. When you come to visit, let me know if you can see our planning error.

Friday – Nearly completed deck framing. All that remains is installing deck boards and the railing, and… 5 more posts to be purchased and installed (see yesterday’s comment about elegant solutions and changed plans) This deck is certainly a monster; measuring 16′ deep and 32′ wide. Yet, I believe the deck is in proportion to the west wall of the great room with the high vaulted ceiling and windows that fill the west wall.

Saturday – Spent the morning at the computer; logging, scanning and uploading receipts. Now that we have spent our cash obligation, we are making draws against the construction loan. I’m making sure to maintain a current status for this admin task so when I need more $$$$$, I can request a draw with a click of the mouse. Also spent time online shopping a variety of materials, appliances and cabinets. Went to the construction site in the afternoon; just to observe, ponder, measure and take notes of the wide variety of decisions we will be making in the near term. If I don’t write it down (in an organized manner) it will likely be forgotten until it’s too late.

Sunday – More home construction internet searching in the AM, followed by a family gathering at Dad’s house for lunch. After that we all drove out to the site so everyone could see what we’ve been doing. Worked briefly on the truck no start troubleshooting. I finally found a Chevy truck forum w/ a few knowledgable technicians. Posted the issue, symptoms, parts replaced, and electrical tests/checks already accomplished and the results. A reply came back this morning with a couple specific wire chasing tests using a VOM. Posted the results, waiting for a reply.

Overall – moving forward, getting things done every day. Electricians and plumbers are getting their systems roughed-in. Windows ordered in late April have started arriving along with entry doors. Should be able to secure both buildings in another week or 2.

Monday – installing foam board in preparation for window installation later in the week.

Tuesday – visit from a siding contractor today who will be working up a quote. Pella arrived and unloaded entry doors for both buildings and most of the windows for the house.

Wednesday – visits by drywall and siding contractors today to get quotes. Started installing windows and foam board on the shop.

Thursday – Mike B. and I worked on the red truck today, while Kyle continued to install foam board on the shop. I purchased a diagnostic guide to help me isolate the root cause of the – engine cranks, but will not start – problem. No celebration today – still don’t know what is wrong with it.

Friday – Installed 3 out of 4 entry doors. The last door is a quality escape and is mis-manufactured. It is so goofy, we can’t see how anyone let it go to shipping to be boxed up for delivery.

Saturday – spent part of the day getting caught up with logging receipts and updating the excel file I use to keep everything organized. Made a list of material needed for Monday, and will be at Menards when the doors open on Sunday.

Sunday – even with a lack of customers so early on a Sunday, it still took a nearly three hours hours to get everything on the list of material in the store, and… culling through the crooked boards to find straight lumber out in the lumber yard. Spent another hour at the site unloading the lumber and the other stuff. Spent some time while I was at the site to locate additional electrical boxes for receptacles and light switches.

Overall:I have nothing to gripe about; we are enjoying delightful weather, as we continue to move forward. While our pace is slower than a home being constructed with a large dedicated crew, that’s not who we are. I am genuinely pleased with our progress.

Monday: Electricians (Ralph & Joe) visited the site today, measuring the amount of service entrance wire needed for each main panel (shop & house). Kyle worked on framing out the east wall of the great room, while I stripped forms from last week’s concrete work.

Tuesday: Kyle and I worked on the west wall of the great room, rough framing for the large fixed pane trapezoidal shaped windows. Very expensive windows due to the custom shapes, but we think it will be worth it; for the spectacular view of the Hoosier National Forest looking to the west.

Wednesday: Completed west wall framing and installed OSB over the west wall window rough openings, since Pella says the trapezoidal windows won’t ship until the end of the year. Began installing Tyvek barrier paper to the house.

Thursday: Completed applying Tyvek house wrap to the house and south side of the breezeway. ALL framing for the house is complete, down to the last drywall block.

Friday: Installed Tyvek to all four walls of the shop. Managed to roll out the entire 150 by 10 foot roll in one long slow procession. No seams, had to build and tear down scaffolding several times, but ended up with a tight seam-free house wrap installation.

Saturday: Cut down a few small trees and a few dead trees, opening up an area west of the deck (yet to be built) Spent a couple hours working through a diagnostic procedure found on the internet to isolate the cause of my truck’s: starter cranks the engine, but no engine start mystery. No joy (yet).

Sunday: Kevin loaned me his truck, so I could go to Menards and purchase 90 4×8 sheets of 1/2″ thick foam board. This product will be nailed to the exterior walls over the recently applied Tyvek house wrap. The purpose of this R3 insulating foam board is to reduce thermal bridging at wall stud locations. It’s a crap shoot to assess when the expenditure for the foam board will pay back the material coast as a result of energy savings. I would like to think it will make a difference, but cannot provide a substantiated data driven analysis.

Overall: Essentially a 4 day week w/Labor Day and a lot was accomplished ! The roof is done, and so is the concrete work. HVAC crew is nearly done, and plumber completed drains and vents.

Monday: Labor Day. Kyle and I did a 1/2 day. Kyle is still working on interior framing details – hurricane ties, blocking for drywall, etc. I spent the afternoon at the lumber yard getting Kyle more building material.

Tuesday: Arrived at the site early and was surprised to see a very large truck unloading pallets of roofing shingles. Later that morning, several vans and trucks arrived and within a couple hours, roofers were getting after it. Both buildings and the breezeway were done in one very long day.

Wednesday: Same effort for Kyle and myself – working on a plethora of things to do for inside framing. Also worked to get the east breezeway ready for concrete – tieing rebar and bracing forms

Thursday: Kermit and I placed and finished concrete for the east half of the breezeway. Kyle spent the day installing bulkheads to lower the ceiling where HVAC ducts have been routed

Friday: Concrete arrived early as scheduled (which is what we wanted). Not hot and in the shade, meant the wet curing concrete is on a slower pace for finishing, as compared a 90 degree day in the sun, making it an easier task for 2 old men. Turned out great. Thanks Kermit !

Saturday: Kevin loaned me his truck again and dropped it off Friday night, so I could get up very early. Menards opens at 6 AM. I got there at 6:15… loaded a ton of lumber onto my flatbed trailer for several projects yet to be commenced. Why so early ? no knucklehead customers to reckon with. It took over an hour to load all of the lumber, and the same time unloading at the site. Returned crappy pocket door frame kits back to the lumberyard our lumber packages and trusses came from. Finally a visit to Tractor Supply for fence materials. Planning to fence in a portion of the current backyard so we can – let the dogs out – rather than walk them in the yard on long leashes.

Sunday: Spent 7 hours today. sitting at the computer. Scanning 120 purchase receipts, numbering each one to correspond with a column in an excel spreadsheet, showing what that material, equipment rental, or contractor was doing/being used for. Needed by the bank to substantiate that we have spent our portion of this project, and are ready to draw loan $$$$ from the bank. Took a long time to shovel through all of the paper and digital tools. Sent all of the information via email this evening, so the bank will have it tomorrow morning.

Overall: The project is moving forward, although last weeks household relocation continued to steal time from the construction project this week.

Monday: Took a construction day off to get settled into the new leased residence. Kevin helped by providing his truck, to load and trailer my truck from Park Ridge East out to the property. This will allow me to do easily shift back and forth from construction work and vehicle troubleshooting the no start issue.

Tuesday: Kermit and I spent the morning with prep work to pour concrete for the east half of the breezeway and front porch. Left the site after lunch to catch up on project paperwork.

Wednesday: Purchased drywall to be installed along the hallway. Purpose of the drywall is to seal the attic from the living space. The HVAC guys then have an easy task of hanging ductwork to the hallway roof trusses. Finally, wood braces will be installed horizontally just below the HVAC ducting. The slightly lowered ceiling will be completed with finished drywall. This keeps the A/C system in conditioned space (for better efficiency) rather than having the ducting in the hot attic. Constructed bulkheads along the south kitchen wall and the north wall along the great room for the same purpose.

Thursday: More HVAC prep work for Kyle. Mike B brought his tractor with front loader to push my no-start, broken truck into the shop. The very first auto repair project for the shop, and barely a week after getting roof trusses and sheathing installed. Think I will have to remove the fuel tank, which is a lot easier done on a concrete floor… in the shade. Used a jackhammer to bust up a large area of leftover concrete dumped near the house and shop when those 2 slabs were being poured.

Friday: Used Mike’s tractor to scoop up the concrete scrap pieces created yesterday. I dumped all of that material west of the planned deck, to begin raising the grade in that area. It will still be going downhill, but not as severe as the current grade. That area will be part of the fenced backyard for the dogs to play.

Saturday: Visited the site after receiving significant rain overnight. No adverse issues observed with the trusses and decking. Spent the rest of the day, moving stuff around the house to better organize the mountain of moving boxes. Was able to make the spare bedroom operable (although somewhat cramped) to host overnight guests.

Sunday: Out to the site to work on the truck. Fuel tank lowered to access the fuel pump. The fuel pump is getting 12 volts of power. Pump runs with key on and pumps fuel out of the disconnected fuel line at the tank. Disconnected the main fuel line at the tank, midway at the fuel filter and the engine. Used compressed air to blow out the line looking for an obstruction. Air flowed easily through the lines and fuel filter. Reconnected everything turned the key, and… zero fuel pressure. weird. really weird.

Overall: terrific results from the Amish crew, followed by vehicle issues and the pending relocation from our current leased home to another. Lots and lots of precious time expended, (and not on house construction) to make the move of our household goods a success. Not having the truck to use, was an unexpected kick in the balls. A significant number of hours were spent trying to figure out why my truck will not start. It’s Sunday evening, the move/relocation has been completed, and I have a plan for isolating the root cause of the no start issue.

Monday: A 6 man crew arrived Monday morning to set roof trusses and deck the roofs of the house, shop and breezeway. They rented a large crane to be more productive. First truss was up at 10:00AM. The final truss was set at 2:30. A total of 77 roof trusses. Installing plywood roof sheathing commenced and a sizeable area of the shop was completed before they left for the day.

Tuesday: The day began with a no start from my truck. Quickly went to a spare vehicle to meet the Amish crew, who started on time and worked hard all day. 6600 square feet of roof sheathing installed, along with a rain barrier wrap to protect the plywood from damage due from rain. 4PM and they are done. Amazing…

Wednesday: Spent the morning troubleshooting the truck. Thankfully, it died in the driveway and not enroute to the site. It cranks but will not start or run. Tried a couple things, but no success. Spent the afternoon preparing for Friday’s moving crew, but Iam way behind.

Thursday: Spent most of the day working on the truck. The truck is the most important tool I have for our construction project and our relocation. At the same time, I still have a lot of packing to do. Latest effort was not successful, stayed up late trying to catch up with packing.

Friday: Movers were awesome. Hard working, professional, and friendly. Bought enough pizzas to feed all of them and some leftovers. Still a lot of stuff at the Park Ridge East home that I did not have packed in time.

Saturday: Spent all morning, cleaning up the PRE house and packing up leftover stuff. Spent the afternoon at the new house, getting internet connected and moving furniture and boxes to establish a minimum quality living room and kitchen we can use.

Sunday: Spent most of the day final cleaning and packing the last of our stuff from PRE. Had to rent a small Uhaul truck, by not having my truck for work. At the end of the day – 100% of our stuff is out of the PRE house. Everything else is at the Helmsburg storage unit, the current house, or at dad’s. Will be back at the site on Tuesday. Basically lost a week due to our move/relocation.