Moving Weekend

On my birthday last year, August 15th, we started the building of our home.  It actually was scheduled for that day, but because of rain, we didn't start until the 16th.  After only five months and two weeks, we had our final inspection with the bank.  On January 25th the inspector made a quick walk through and proclaimed our house ready for closing and the next day we signed the papers to close the deal.

If any of you have ever built a house, you know quite well that it is highly unusual to complete a custom house in this short a time period.  It was a miracle that things went so well.  But a miracle not without a maker.  We praise God for His guiding hand in the whole process.  We lift up praises to the our Father for being a part of everything we did in this project.  As I started each day of the project, I lifted up our efforts to God and asked that His will be done.  I can say with confidence that He was faithful.

On Saturday, January 26th our son, Steven, and I rented a fifteen foot UHaul truck and proceeded to move every piece of furniture we owned into that house.  I would have taken pictures of the moving weekend, but to be honest, it went so fast I didn't take the opportunity to capture the blur of wood and fabric as we emptied the storage units and filled our home.  It could not have gone better.  The weeks of endless rain we experienced in December and January gave way to a four day reprieve and we had good weather.  We didn't get stuck in the mud one single time nor did the truck tires slip as we made our way up the hill.

Den

Finally getting a fire going

Kitchen

Breakfast Room

Master Bedroom

Staircase my brother, Mark, built

Foyer

Here are a few pictures of the house after we got our belongings in place.  Two weeks later and we still have boxes everywhere but every day brings us closer to a feeling that we are finally moved in.

What's Beneath Our Feet

The last 25% of the building process takes 50% of the time.  I do not know if this is a hard, fast rule but it sure was proven out in our experience.  The foundation and framing were done so quickly but the work needed to dress up that framework and make it livable took so much longer.  At the time of this writing, the house is finished and we are living in it, but over the next several posts this blogger is going to recount the experiences we had in getting the house to the point where we could move in.

In the first week of November, in the midst of ongoing finish work, I placed an order for the oak flooring and trim and plywood material to build the kitchen cabinets.  As I have already posted, the cabinets got built and installed but the task of laying down and finishing the plank flooring and door and window trim loomed large in our plans for the next several weeks.  Our desire from the start was to use natural wood with a stained finish that would show off the grain of the oak.  That process began with the acquisition of 5" wide plank oak flooring from Cline Lumber in Dalton, GA and 1" thick oak lumber that I would use for door and window trim.  After that pile of wood arrived we began the chore of placing 2600 square feet of the planks in the house.  One of the critical steps in the installation of a wood floor is to make sure the material is acclimated to the house before it is nailed down.  The worst thing you can do is nail down material that is full of moisture because it going to dry, shrink and open up large gaps between the planks.  We stacked all the wood in various rooms of the house so it could sit for a month before I started putting it down.

Some of the flooring stacked and waiting

On the third week of December, I laid down the first plank and for the next two weeks, I spent every day walking from the chop saw station to each room as I cut and nailed down this beautiful wood.  it was a tiring experience, but at the same time, so rewarding to see a finished floor spread from room to room.

First room to have flooring installed

Den floor going down

As I got used to the process of cutting and laying the floor, I learned what to do and what not to do in order to get the planks to fit tightly.  As good as the quality of the wood was, it still was not perfect.  Some planks were bowed and twisted and needed to be worked into place.  If you think you can just "throw it down" and nail it in place, you will be grossly mistaken.  The flooring is tongue and groove and is meant to fit together but some of these planks had a mind of their own and just did not want to fit together nicely.

Hall flooring

One aspect of the flooring process that must be bought up is the necessity of having proper tools.  I purchased a used pneumatic stapler and air compressor to nail down the floors.  I already owned a power miter saw so I had all that is needed.  The other necessary requisite is strength and stamina.  If you have a problem with squatting, kneeling and getting on your knees, do not undertake a flooring project.

First room done!

Dining room done!

The week after Christmas, I laid down the last plank in the upstairs den.  Before I finished nailing down the upstairs floors, I decided to go ahead and sand the floors downstairs.  By this time, we were up against a tight time schedule and we had to think about all that needed to be done after the floors were finished.  Thankfully, I had the able assistance of the most willing and capable family one could have.  My mom, dad and son were indispensable in getting the floors sanded, stained and varnished. 

Mom doing what she does best

Each of these wonderful individuals was great at doing what they do best.  My dad was tireless in the gopher department.  I learned quickly in the whole building process that it takes a lot of time to pick up tools and materials.  He never complained when he was asked to "go for" something.  He picked up stain, varnish, sanding equipment and made a trip over to Dalton, GA with a load of lumber to get it planed for use as trim.  My son spelled me in the floor sanding area at a time when my body was about to give out.  After installing and sanding all the downstairs floors, I was ready for relief.  Steven came and sanded the floors upstairs while I moved on to other tasks.   And what can be said about my mom?  There has never been a harder worker in the world!  She was on her hands and knees staining and varnishing every inch of floors.  Her desire to do it the old-fashioned way required that she brush and wipe every bit of material that went down.  My family is great!  I cannot say enough.  Of course I had others help but they will be mentioned in another post.

Just days before our final inspection on January 25th, the last room was varnished and buffed.  We had done the whole house in a little over four weeks.  The results are exactly what we were wanting.  We used a light stain that highlighted the grain of the oak and helped brighten the rooms.  These floors look great, are solid and will certainly outlast anything else in this house.  We are definitely glad we chose to install this material in our house.

Finished floor in den

Ceramics

The use of natural materials in this house includes ceramic tile.  Well, I know, ceramic in the form in which we use them for tile are not completely natural.  They are man-made products but are made from natural minerals, fire-clay and silica sand.  There is nothing more beautiful then the work of a craftsman and the gentleman who did our tile is certainly one.  We had decided from the beginning of our house design that it would handicap accessible.  All of the first floor rooms will be reachable by a wheelchair.  Our bathroom shower was no exception.  We decided to build an open shower that would easy to access and here are shots of the process of building and tiling that area.  I had read an article in Fine Homebuilding magazine about a similar project and I consulted with Steve Prescott at Webb Flooring and he and the tile setter made it happen.

Woodchucking

There is something captivating about wood.  The look, feel, smell, all capture a feeling of earthiness that I hoped one would get from our house.  I intended from the beginning to have lots of wood, both inside and out.  Sure, wood is more expensive than other materials and requires more upkeep but I consider it all worth the pleasure of being surrounded by it.  I have always had a passion for woodworking, though I fall way down the order when compared to so many other craftsmen who work with it.  It is a pastime that requires much time and effort to master.  I have a brother that I would put in the category of a true craftsman.  He does beautiful work and it seems to come naturally.

As I have already shown from some of the outside shots of our house, there is a lot of wood siding, cypress and cedar.

Almost a month ago, I embarked on the project of building cabinets.  I had acquired materials and begun the process working in my shop I put together at our business' warehouse.  Having never built a set of cabinets before, I had little clue how involved this would be.  I certainly have a keen respect for those craftsmen who do this for a living for this HARD work.  I suppose the difficulty, in my case, is heightened by the fact that I am learning as I have had to redo some things that were not done to a high enough standard.  By the time I was ready to finish and install these cabinets I had the floor covered with more boxes than you can imagine and have hauled off probably a ton of oak shavings.

An overflowing "dust" collector after planing a bunch of oak

Just this past weekend, I installed most of the cabinets and I am presently putting finishing touches on them (Wow, there are a LOT of finishing touches to be done).  One of the skills I hoped to attain was th use of hand planes for trimming and finishing.  I had bought a few used planes that needed desperately to be sharpened.  My brother, Mark, spent many hours sharpening four hand planes and they work wonderfully. 

After leveling and fastening the bases first, the cabinets were installed next.  The hanging cabinet in the last picture was a challenge because it took some creative bracing in order to safely get it to hang in place.

Electrifying!

In the work of one's trade, it is always satisfying to see results.  In the building of a house, it is easy to see the work of the framing carpenter as the roof soars to the sky. It is amazing to see the work of the trim carpenter as the wood frames windows and doors.  The art work of the tile-setter, the roofer or the painter all show themselves long after the house is finished.  It is easy to see their handiwork.  How about the plumber's craft, of which we have already considered?  What about the work of the crew putting in insulation?  How about the electrifying wok of the one responsible for making our houses more than a cabin in the woods?  That one with the responsibility of making sure electricity works correctly and stays in its intended conduits?  The electrician is one to whom this post is dedicated.

Of course, the electrician for Through the Woods also happens to be the writer of this blog so forgive the appearance of self-aggrandizement.  When we began the process of building this house, I intended to do the wiring.  Because of my engineering background, I have always been intrigued by electricity and it has been my desire to do this bit of work myself.  So, after learning all I could from a book, I set off in the process of locating switches and outlets and pulling wiring through walls and floors.  With the help of my son, Steven, and after three continuous weeks of work, the house is essentially wired.  In the words of the Alabama Power lineman who installed the meter on the house, "As far as we are concerned, you can move in this house now, because you have POWER."

Unfortunately, our wiring work was not very well-chronicled with pictures.  Trust me, however, there are thousands of feet of 12-2 and 14-2 wires running through this house.  We pulled almost ONE MILE of wire of differing sizes to a variety of locations all for the purpose of electrifying our home. 

It is true, the work of the electrician does not show itself directly.  It is evidenced every time you flick a switch or plug in the vacuum cleaner.  Every load of clothes washed, the cooling of hot, humid Southern air, the warmth of a hot shower; all attributed to the work of the electrician.  And it was all done without one single shock.  I had a few near misses as I diligently wired a switch and forgot that the power was turned on that circuit.  But, in all I think we have done a great job.

Helping the Foundry Industry

I have spent the better part of 30 years devoting my time and energy to work in the foundry industry.  Starting work in an iron foundry at the age of 22 after graduation, I moved at least four times from various companies to assume roles in a wide range of responsibilities.  During a short stay in Charlotte, NC, I worked for a company that made cast iron plumbing pipe and fittings.  Charlotte Pipe and Foundry is a long-standing family business that has made a name for itself in the manufacture of cast iron and plastic pipe and fittings for residential and commercial plumbing work.

Cast iron was once the mainstay in materials for plumbing fixtures, but the ease of installation and lower cost has made plastic the material of choice in most homes.  The drawback to plastic pipe, however, is the noise that is produced when water runs down the drain.  We had a two-story house in Thomson, GA that had a bathroom directly above the den and every time the toilet was flushed or shower was run, it sounded like a flood coming the wall.  It was then I decided if I ever build another house, I was going to install cast iron plumbing.  Cast iron has the unique property of sound dampening so any drain pipes made from this material will consequently be quieter.

The plumbers who did the work in our house had installed cast iron in the past (many plumbers today do not know the first thing about installing it).  So, the plumbers and I planned the areas of our plumbing system that would consist of cast iron.

I am proud to say that we have done our part to help the foundry industry and Charlotte Pipe and Foundry by specifying cast iron pipe and fittings for portions of our plumbing system.

Trimming Out

As I mentioned in the previous post, some of the finish work on the house has begun.  This certainly heightens our awareness that the end is in sight.  I know, many hours of work remains, but it is good to see the finished product beginning to emerge.  With all the rough carpentry work complete, I enlisted the work of Ben Beatty and two of his carpenters to trim out the eaves all around the house.  I had originally planned to do this work myself but the prospect of doing this job alone at the end of a 30 foot extension ladder was not too appealing and I have been so impressed with Ben's work that I know they would do a great job.  So, the work of applying hundreds of feet of stained cypress trim has begun.

More than one person has remarked that they can't wait for the red, white and black house wrap material to get covered up.  Well, hopefully in the next three weeks, the siding will be going on and the house's personality will start to really show itself.  Of course, I have a small detail to address; how to apply stain to 3,100 linear feet of cypress bevel siding and another 800 square feet of cedar shingles.  This is going to take some ingenuity and I am looking for any suggestions on how this can be done efficiently and effectively.