125 days - from potential to progress

Today marks four months and 2 days since construction started on our dream home.

April 24, 2017

August 18, 2017

Wow!!!  Somehow, the installation of the windows flipped a switch in me – it now feels and looks like a house. But I am getting ahead of myself.  Since my last update on July 27, the team placed the last of the tongue-and-groove planks for the ceiling/roof, fitted the windows, and began the board-and-batten process on the outside of the house and garage.

 

Windows in dining room/kitchen - upper left

Roof/ceiling complete
Boards on basement for board and batten

Close-up of tongue-and-groove

on sun room ceiling

Master bathroom window (left)

Master closet window (right)

Note trim log added to cover up some of the 

foundation - creating a more finished look

Great room windows

Although we have had very little rain in Montana, it's a relief for the whole house to be under roof. 



   

Also, the team installed the custom stairs that lead you from the first floor to the loft.  I love how the light shines through the second set of steps.  And, we no longer have to climb the ladder to inspect the loft!

We've chosen green/gray shingles for the roof, which will coordinate well with the green trim on the windows.

Trim complete on two of the

four windows

Note progress on board and 

batten on basement

Board and batten complete on garage

Are you ready for winter? It's just around the corner!  Our mason applied the stone to the chimney, and the fireplace insert is also in place.

Fireplace

If you’ve built a house, you know that a construction site is always a bit of a pit.  Given my bent for perfection, I have had to ‘overlook’ this aspect of the process.  Nevertheless, I couldn’t help the sense of relief from some significant clean-up that has been completed in preparation for the next phases of the process.  The site already looks more tidy! 

Before clean-up

After clean-up

This month rang in another major milestone in the life of the house - the first Midwest visitors to see it - my Mother, my eldest sister and Number One Son's girlfriend.  What joy to give them a tour and a first-hand experience of our dream.  It is likely the house will be finished the next time they visit; it will be fun to reminisce about how it looked 'way back when'! And a reminder to all our friends and family - you are always welcome!

Never ones to shirk from ‘dirty work’, Spousal Unit and I put our muscle to work for a couple of (dusty) days.  We trimmed some dead branches from the pines along our driveway, and cleared some fallen trees along the way. 

Man with Hat shows off

his muscle

We’ve begun meeting with our landscape designer, and are excited about the overall concept.  Part of the design will include flower beds bordered with rock, and so we have begun to collect rock from our own property that can be used for the beds. 

In the picture to the left, the cart contains a pile of knapweed plants; they are considered a noxious weed in our region and we are required to eradicate them.   In our couple of days of manual labor, we might have touched a tenth of an acre (out of eight) with respect to pulling up the knapweed – this will be a long process!

Below is a healthy-sized woodpile gleaned from the construction site – partly untreated wood that will make good kindling/firewood – and partly the ends of logs from the body of the house.   We have many ideas for these logs – chairs and tables for the fire pit, plant stands for potted plants, material for foot paths – the options are endless.  Let us know if you have any ideas for these rustic pieces! 

Dust around a construction site is almost inevitable, but it is worsened by the lack of rain in Montana.  As you can see in the picture to the right, the dust gave a (temporary) boost to my tan!

After this physical, hot and dusty effort, we rewarded ourselves with some beverages and healthy (not!) snacks.