Electrical

Another contractor we are very pleased with is Erlandson Electric.  Unfortunately, most of the electrical work is covered up. 

As you can see in the mechanical room, the wires are all installed in an orderly fashion.  This was the case thoughout the project, even though no one will see it. 

Holes in the joists are in nice straight lines.

Note the spray foam insulation in the rim joist area.  ~2" of foam was also applied to the ceiling as an air seal.  R50 cellulose will be blown in on top of the foam to complete the insulation.

The well pump is set up to provide "constant pressure" by using a VFD.  The connection of the drive is another example of the professional workmanship done by Don and Chance.

Deck Goes On

There were some delays with the siding.  Turns out the company that offered the color we liked for the siding did not offer prefinished trim. 

We were able to find a close match from a second supplier. However, getting samples from both suppliers to confirm colors before took some time. 

Clafton Builders took advantage of the weather and the delay with the siding to put the deck on starting just before Christmas (yes, the first photo below was taken on Dec. 22nd). 

I purchased rough sawn cedar 8 x 8's then precut and stained them in the garage at Snowball.  Pictures of cutting beams will be posted separately.  

Deck joists are treated.  Ends are trimmed similar to beams.  These were also cut in the garage at Snowball. 

Decking is 5/4 cedar.

Herring bone pattern where deck turns corner by main entry.  Joe routered the ends of the boards to match the factory round-over on the edges.

We wanted a hidden fastener system for the decking.  After much research, I selected "Camo" system.  The tool above is used to "toe screw" the decking to the joists.  By pulling up on the handle, the jaws open enough to fit over the board.  Releasing the handle allows the jaws to clamp down on the sides of the board.  The jaws also space the boards at 3/16".

There are screw guides on each end of the tool (red arrow above) that position special screws at the correct angle and position.  The accompanying driver has a shoulder that limits the depth of the screws. 

Close up of the screw after installation. 

Joe had not used this system before this project, but quickly got the hang of it.  I ended up ordering a second tool to keep the deck moving along nicely. 

Siding Update

Siding is basically complete!! 

The weather has continued to be very cooperative.  Joe Clafton and his crew at Clafton Builders have been doing a great job on this project.  Clafton Builders has been the main contractor, handling all the "carpentry" tasks...framing, sheathing, roofing, deck, siding, window and door installation, etc.  Their workmanship is top notch.  Communication with Clafton's has also been a pleasure.

You will see more of Clafton's work in future posts (of previous steps in the process).

Stone Work

Stone veneer was installed around the main entrance door and garage doors.  Greg Ewen and his crew at Ewen Stone Works put up a temporary shelter and heated the areas during the ~3 days that it took to install and grout the stone. 

You can also see the garage doors that got installed on Monday, January 30th.  Rapid Garage Door sold us the Clopay doors and LiftMaster belt drive openers.  The installation also included a double climate seal that looks like it will work great at keeping out the elements.

Siding progress continues





The weather has been very cooperative.  The back sides were sided last week.  The front of the garage and mudroom entrance completed today.   







Cohasset House siding detail

The new house is progressing very nicely.  The siding is about half done.  Siding materials are from LP, an OSB based product called Smart Side.  We ordered it prefinished.  The windows and doors are all trimmed like this.

Family Photo

Here we are at Eric and Karen's wedding.  Makenzie and Adisyn were the flower girls.  It was a beautiful day!