Moving on up...


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August 15th We're done framing and started on plumbing and electrical.

How do you know a plumber has been in your reno? Shavings everywhere!

We've got the new deck surface down. Tomorrow we'll have to protect it until roofing and stucco are done.

Any guess what this is for? Stay tuned....

After 15 years I finally bought a new chop saw. Doesn't have the great stand Doug's Dewalt does but I like it.

The old oil tank got removed on the weekend so we have some new space under the deck. Now we just need to get the boiler out.

August 26 Another long gap since the last update. My Dad and Kathy were here last weekend and we all took the weekend off for a bit of a holiday. Spent a portion of the week helping with wiring. We have to have it all done for next Wednesday so the insulation can go in. I got to run all the communications wiring, that's yer CAT5 E for yer gigabit ethernet and telephony and yer JG6U (which ya don't want sagging) which you non-electrical types might know as just plain ol' Cable TV. I'm having fun working with these guys from Calgar Electric they're real pros and decent people. I can say that all the sub trades that Ian and Doug have brought on site have been great.

We've now got all our utilities in! These guys showed up at 4:30 in the afternoon and worked past eight to get the new gas service run up the sleeve we put under the driveway and hook up our new meter. The guy from Victoria Tank (who removed our old oil tank) says "go gas, go boom!".

We're officially at lockup! See the lock?

The roofers finished this week. They showed up in a downpour and started putting on the tar paper. They had stout ropes and harnesses but it still takes a lot of intestinal fortitude. We are very thankful.

Then the walls came down. Both exterior walls have been removed in our master bedroom and the living room, very cool. We were completely open for a while but I tarped of the opening to keep the dust down in the existing house. Kinda creates a dreamy vision of the new space.

Just in case anyone is actually paying attention. Here's the answer to the image question above. It's a shingle drying rack! Annie (bless her), Mum and Cheryl have been pre-staining the shingles to go on the gable ends. This was a tip I got from someone else's reno-blog and it works great.

Butt...Butt...Butt... I love this shot. I took it earlier when the guys were framing up the gable end of the living room. Its a great image representing the coordinated effort that our builders put in every day. For those who can't identify them from the rear... that's Billy Kennedy on the left, Doug Sadler in the middle and Ian Baker on the right.

September 1 Another delivery truck with a remote control arm, this time bring the drywall.

Can we possibly need all this mud? That's 32 5 gallon pails!

Free to a good home. This vintage radiator and 5 of its siblings.

The new gas fireplace is in.

The studio is surprisingly bright, The insulation is all in and the drywallers are scheduled to start next Wednesday.

We've insulated all the internal walls up the stairwell to help reduce sound transmission between the living areas. Its already very quiet and the drywall isn't up yet.

Here's a panorama I stitched together from five frames of Mum's suite. It looks like a snowy cottage turned inside out.

Nolan has finished the rainscreen strapping and is starting to work on the siding. We're using Hardi-plank in the narrower profile and we've decided to install it with a narrower reveal. After Nolan had put the first 9 boards up. It means we'll need more Hardi but we feel the look is more "old housey".

Sept 13 Another gap in time. Drywall should finish today as will the scratch coat of stucco. The most significant addition is Ian's custom knee braces. Crafted from cedar, they are Just the right touch.

The drywall is complete and they've even started taping the studio level.

October 11 Well, it's been a while since the last update. We've been painting like mad. There are 8,500 square feet of drywall that has all been primered and painted. Doors are going in now. Most of the new radiators are in but not functioning yet, we're heated only by a couple of electric heaters thoughtfully provided by Doug. The girl at the paint store accidentally tinted 10 gallons of primer a sickly pepto-bismal pink. Only yesterday did we get the last of it covered.

We're nearly done the exterior details. We're hoping the stucco will happen this Friday, weather permitting.

Living room painting nearly complete. Butch (the drywaller) was kind enough to leave us some scaffold.

The new door to the studio. Looks like a little ghost is waiting inside.

August 15th

August 26

Then the walls came down.

September 1

Sept 13

October 11