Walton's "Blog" Cabin

Bar Top--Part Three--Final Fitting

2011-08-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

Once we were certain that the bar top would fit as we had envisioned, we made the final cut with the mill and started installing it piece by piece. Lots of sanding, head scratching, and double-checking measurements went on before we got to enjoy that first beer!

Bar Top--Part Two--Alaskan Chainsaw Mill

2011-08-13T08:32:00.000-07:00

The title says it all. My neighbor Bob came over with his gear and we milled the bar top over the course of an evening and another day.

Here's the first slab cut. It's easy from here.

Now we're edging the log, and onto the large slab cut.

Finishing slab cut, cutting it loose from the log, and finally, sanding in the garage before we start fitting it to the bar.

Bar Top--Part One--Logging

2011-08-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Late last year we watched the largest tree on our property start to yellow and die. Fearing that it was beetles, we cut it down. It wasn't easy either since the tree was over 38" in diameter at the stump. My biggest saw has a 20" bar so it took a while. When that big bugger tipped over it made the earth shake.

This was to be the perfect tree for the Pinecrest pub bar top. The top needs to be about 20" wide, 6" thick, and about 20 feet long. There was only one problem. This giant of a tree was still in the bottom of the coulee and unless we were able to get it out, we wouldn't be using it for anything other than firewood.

Armed with 500' of 1/4" cable, two sheave blocks, and a 1954 Farmal Super MTA we drug it up out of the coulee so we could make the bar top.

Oops! Tied one end of the cable off to this tree and it didn't last long! Over it went once the tractor started to pull hard.

Done for now

2010-05-30T22:07:00.000-07:00

We got through almost all of the list. Some of the items were not completed due to lack of materials (paint, trim, and parts) but for the most part, we scratched everything off the list. We're all wiped out and we even had some help. Vince and Noel came out and gave us an afternoon of their time and Noel even brought food. Thank you guys. It was very much appreciated.

And a very special Thank You goes to Bob Pryor. This wasn't possible without you bud.

Here are some pictures of what we got accomplished in our 3.5 day weekend.

Another update.

2010-05-27T23:13:00.000-07:00

So far I've managed to sneak in a 5 hour nap, build all of the window extension jambs, move all of the cedar trim, finish staining the trim, install the extension jambs, some of the trim, and a little more cleanup. Kelly has been painting like crazy and has knocked a bunch more paint projects off the list. Off to bed for now, tomorrow will bring more progress.

1st progress report

2010-05-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

1st Progress update---Did a bunch of electrical work, framed in the stairway closet doorway, worked on cleanup in a few places, and Kelly and Kelsey are painting like crazy. Looking like we are going to run out of the Prairie Grass Green colored paint soon. Probably going to plan a trip to town today or early tomorrow. Check the previous post for items scratched off the list.

The weekend thrash begins

2010-05-27T07:24:00.000-07:00

This weekend is going to be a real thrash session. Appraiser is coming on Monday so that we can take advantage of the low interest rate right now. The list of things we need to get done is huge. I typed it up at work and I had to trim it down to keep it on one page! I'll update the list as we go. My hope is that the bar & library areas are complete except for flooring by Monday. Coming off of night shift now so I have a couple of 5 hour energy shots helping me get this thrash started!! Wooohooo....sleep deprivation rocks!!!

Here's the list:

Structural Work

Install bar door---Done
Square up theater door---Done
Re-caulk exterior by bottom of stairs---Done
Move all cedar trim---Done
Frame doorway under stairs---Done
Remove wood stove (Didn't get any stone so not necessary)
Install stone on fireplace wall
Raise and re-seal chimney
Cover front edge of hearth

Electrical Work
Install bar outlets---Done
Install bar switches---Done
Install bar lights---Done
Install bar fridge outlet---Done
Run additional circuit for bar fridge---Done

Install Bar fridge---Done
Install switch for Library lights
Install front wall outlets---Done
Install tv outlet & signal wiring---Done
Install light and switch for under stairway closet---Done

Painting/Staining
Paint bar walls---Done
Touch up ceiling to sculpture joint paint
Closet door---Done
Utility room door---Done
Kelsey's room door
Spare bedroom door
Garage Door---Done
Entry door---Done
Double door---Done
Bar door---Done
Stain Cedar Trim---Done
Stain extension jambs once installed---Done

Trim work
Extension jambs for windows---Done
Trim Windows---Done
Extension Jambs for doors---Done
Trim doors---Done
Mid-trim front wall---Done
Mid-trim garage wall---Done
Install fresh air return grate
Install a/c grate

Cleanup
Clean out under stairs---Done
Finish clean out of Kelsey's room---Done
Organize and clean up theater room---Done
Get snowmobile out of garage

Repair power steering on tractor (parts didn't arrive)
Move Tractor to back 40
Move Nissan to back 40---Done
Move Subaru to back 40---Done
Clean up and organize garage---Done

A very late progress update

2010-05-21T22:24:00.000-07:00

Been slacking on my blog duties. There has been a ton of work done around here and none of it has been documented. Since the last update, the drywall sculpture around the bar is finished, the bar patio has been poured, roads to the shed and log yard have been graveled, final plumbing in the master bath done, coax cable (rgb-6) is finished to every room, and we've started hanging doors around Pinecrest Pub. I'll throw in some pictures but there's gonna be some gaps. Haven't been taking as many as I needed too so bear with me. I'll fill in the gaps later.

I also have to give a big Thank You to A couple people. My wife has been putting up with my shit and pitching in more than the average person would ever do. The other person that deserves the thank you is Bob Pryor. He's been slaving away on the drywall sculpture and I have to say, I understand why this isn't in everyone's home. There is a STUPID amount of labor in it. Hanging it is easy. Applying 4 or 5 coats of mud, sanding between each, then caulking it, and then looking at re-doing a coat or two of mud before you can texture it makes it a real job. Been 3 weeks or better of mud/sand/mud/sand...repeat. He has way more patience that I do! Looks great though!

Here's the patio slab forms up with gravel and re-bar in place.

Another shot of the same thing
And you can see what I think of this.....mud is on it's way and I need a beer or more.
Drywall progress. All the rock is up, most of the joints have at least two coats of mud on them.
Good shot of the bar and the progress on the drywall sculpture.
Kelly priming the walls so we can paint soon.
The walls primed.
Shot of the wall texture.
"Pryor Stomp" texture on the ceiling of the bar area.
More bar texture.
Wall texture, heavy knockdown applied by the master.
Library ceiling done with the "Pryor Stomp" texture.

Look ma....no doors.
Missing doors again....
Shit...there's a door.....
And another!!
Here's the brains of the outfit. This is called a structured wiring panel. It's the central location for all phone, data, and cable outlets. Inside this box is the biggest mess of wiring you have ever seen, unless of course you are organized and plan it out. We did and it's coming together well. I would like to tell you that it's a work of art inside but we're not quite there. I have to finish up the phone/data end before I reveal what's under the cover.

2010-03-14T21:04:00.000-07:00

With another week of work under my belt it was time to go back to work on the basement bar. The duct work framing needed to be finished, the theater wall needed to be framed, there was wiring to finish up in the library area, and there was some other details that needed finished up before we put up the sheetrock. Once those were complete we started working on what Bob calls a "Sculptured Ceiling". This was one of his trademarks back when he was running his drywall company. It involves adding extra layers of 5/8" sheetrock in a pattern. Might sound easy but it takes some special materials and tecniques to get that heavy sheetrock to hang in places that there is nothing to nail too. The pictures below don't do it justice. I can't wait to see the finished product.

Here's how it looks after all the work...below it is pics of us doing the work.

Pinecrest Pub Progress--Sheetrock

2010-03-03T21:47:00.000-08:00

I think I have mentioned more than once that I feel very lucky to have the friends and family that I do. Truly, this house wouldn't be here at all, and if it was, it wouldn't be nearly what it is today without the help we have received from these special people. Today we add one more to the list.

Bob Pryor is a friend of my fathers. They met in Missoula during school and from the sounds of their many stories, they were thick as thieves throughout their time together. As they went their seperate ways after high school, they lost track of each other and just recently made contact again. I had the great pleasure of going hunting with my father and Bob this last year and it was a real treat. During that time Bob found out that I had a bunch of drywall to put up and he offered to show me a thing or two. Turns out he owned his own drywall company for many years. Today he proved it.

A special thank you to Bob. Our basement has really started to look good.

Here's what it looks like now, and below are pictures of the work in progress.

Pinecrest Pub Taking Shape

2010-02-23T21:22:00.000-08:00

Construction of the Pinecrest Pub has officially started. When finished it will have 4 different beers on tap, a full compliment of liquors, sodas, wines, and a built in ice-maker.

Upgrading the Wood Stove

2010-02-23T20:52:00.001-08:00

After a year and a half of service, our Blaze King gave up the ghost. The intense heat that is created by having a constant fire fueled by pine finally caused the welds to split inside the stove. This left us without any ability to damper the fire and caused a tremendous amount of heat loss up the chimney. After doing some research online I stumbled across the Montana Stove Works website. Truthfully, I found a review of their Cera Stove and then had to search for them. Here is the website for those that are curious: http://www.montanastove.com/ The direct link to the Cera stove is here: http://www.montanastove.com/page12.html

The owner/operator is Fred Seton and he's been building Boilers and wood stoves for 30 years. And as a bonus he is in Montana (Troy). After reading through his website, reading the reviews online, and then finally talking with him, Kelly and I decided to spend the $2600 to purchase the Commercial version of his Cera Stove. He claimed that it would put out enough heat to shut off the furnace. That's a pretty tall order here given the size of the place but he insisted that it would not only do it, but that we would have to give up splitting our wood too!! Woohoo!! The stove has a huge firebox and can take 15" diameter logs around 24" long. The firebox isn't iron like we are used to. It is actually framed with iron, and then poured with a concrete type material that they call "ceramic refractory". The end result is that you end up with a firebox that can withstand at least twice the heat of iron and it has a tremendous thermal mass that will continue to radiate heat even after the fire is out. This is exactly why the Vermont Castings Soap Stone stoves are so popular (and expensive). Another benefit of the construction is that the higher firebox temperatures actually prevent creosote buildup due to a more complete combustion. There are a bunch of fancy words that describe this but the end result is that your risk of a chimney fire is much reduced.

Three weeks later the stove showed up. 785 pounds!! Made moving it interesting and getting it up onto the hearth a bit of a chore. Luckily I have a couple of buddies that are always willing to lend a hand. Pete and Bob helped us make quick work of the stove install and in no time, the house was warming up. Fred wasn't kidding either. Before Kelly and I got it figured out we had the upstairs roasting at 77 degrees. The only time our furnace runs now is when it's really cold out and we decide to sleep in too long.

A special thanks to Pete, Sandy, Bob, and Erna for helping with the install and thank you Fred. Your stove has more than delivered on your promise.

Here's the finished product, and the pictures below it show how we got here.

Staining and Sealing the House

2009-09-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

With Winter fast approaching we had to get the house stained and sealed. To get this done we rented a towable manlift and Kelly sweet-talked Butch into coming back up and helping for a week. Our buddy Vince loaned us a sprayer to make the application go faster too.

Kelly made the most of the time that I was at work. Her and Butch managed to do almost the whole house before I was able to get home and take over. I'm pretty lucky to get to work with these two.

The Stain we used was included with the package from Paramount Log Homes. It is made by Sashco and is widely regarded as some of the best stuff ever made for log homes. The stain is called "Capture" and we elected to get the lighest color they had to preserve the look and color of the logs in their natural state. The sealer is also made Sashco and it's a fancy clear coat that leaves a glossy finish on the logs. This stuff is spendy but the end result is worth every penny. I can see why Ray uses this stuff.

We ended up putting one heavy coat of stain almost everywhere but there were places that required two coats. The sealer went on very fast after that and one coat looked about right. To apply it we used the sprayer (airless sprayer made by campbell hausfield) to apply it to the logs/trim and back-brushed it with some large brushes. We used cardboard to guard the windows while we sprayed around them. We would always wash the windows afterwards but the cardboard made the cleanup lots quicker. There are lots of pictures below that show how it turned out. Thanks again to Butch and Kelly.

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Hammerhead

2009-09-01T17:43:00.000-07:00

What would be the last thing you would expect to see hanging up in a log home in Montana? How about 10' long Hammerhead shark?

Ours finally arrived from the taxidermist in Florida. They did a great job on it and it really looks like a fish out of water on that big log wall! It's one heck of a conversation piece. And for the record, it's not quite 10' long, it's 9'-8" long. Weight was estimated at 450lbs. Finally proof that I caught a fish bigger than me.

Garden Spot

2009-07-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

Kelly has wanted a garden at every house we have owned so far and so far I have let her down on the last three. It was time to make that change.

My Neighbor Bob was wanting to start construction at his place so we came up with a plan to get an excavator out there. My contacts didn't work out so well so Bob suggested renting a backhoe instead. To make a long story short, that's exactly what we did and three of us ended up splitting the rental. We spent the better part of three days excavating for Bob's house and shop, then I started on our garden spot. The plan was to make a rock retaining wall and then fill it with topsoil.

I gathered all the rock I could at Bob's while he was running the backhoe. Kelly and I stacked it up pretty quickly but it was really easy to tip over once it got over about 15' long so we used the backhoe to move all the boulders we had into the wall line. That helped it a lot. Then we filled in the gaps. Kelly took the new 4-wheeler and snowmobile trailer and gathered more rock around the land. I used the backhoe to gather rock and mine topsoil.

Once we saw how rocky the soil we had was we called to get a price on topsoil. It was almost $400 a truck!! Yeah right!! I'm too tight to spend that kind of dough on dirt so we started mining it again. The girls would ride with me for an hour at a time. I ended up making about 60 trips from the bottom of the hill to the garden spot and I burned about 20 gallons of diesel making it happen but it's done now. Enjoy the pics.

Somehow we got started without taking any good before pictures.

With all of the tractor work done it was time to start tilling. That took some time to arrange since we don't own a tiller. My In-Law's donated two to the cause. One needed some work and the other was a "Mantis" tiller that is an awesome machine for making the seed rows. My folks ended up giving us their old tiller in the hopes that we could fix it and use it. When they quite using it we were all under the impression that the motor was shot. It was stored under their steps for the better part of 10 years without an air cleaner or spark plug in it. I picked up a plug, poured a little oil on top of the cylinder and hoped for the best. I tried to start it the next day and on the first pull that old briggs fired off and we were in business.

Kelly did all the hard work though. She tilled and raked rocks for over a week. These pictures will give you some idea of how many rocks were in that "topsoil" that I mined. She's still cussing me. After the majority of the rocks were gone she hauled a load of manure in from the local feedlot. After shoveling it all out she tilled at least twice more. Then I got to do some fencing. 6' tall woven wire. The posts were 8' tall so starting them was interesting. I think I'll go for the shorter ones when we fence the rest of the land.

To say the least the garden has taken off. These pictures were taken this morning. It takes some water to keep it all going the right direction but I think that we are going to have some excellent produce this fall.

Tree Stand...er Tree House

2009-05-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Pete and Sandy came out for a night and the girls (their 2, our 4) all wanted a fort. Pete and I did our best to stack up some logs, firewood, and some other misc. building materials to make them a fort. We decided it was time to make it happen. We had a ton of scrap materials from the house so I started gathering it all up and tried to sketch out a plan. In the end I just started throwing things together.

Here's the start. I got the beam attached across the two trees, a simple square platform framed, diagonal bracing installed, and Kelsey is attaching the flooring which is leftover material from the ceiling.

And here we are taking lunch...Got to get some walls put up so the kids can enjoy this.

Now there's a wall or two. Also made a walkway out of a tree that I didn't want standing anymore. Emily is trying it out.

Here's the view from out front of the treehouse.

A look down the log walkway.

Now it's time to install the roof. As per usual, if there is anything to be done with power tools, wood, and beer, my buddy Pete has to get involved. I think we installed the roof in record time cause there are only two pictures of us actually working. I think we drank the beer in record time too. Fun Day! Thanks Pete!

Master Bath Shower Enclosure

2009-04-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

Today the master bathroom shower enclosure get's checked off the list. The guys from American Glass came out and installed the $1500+ glass and frame in about 2 hours. It turned out great as the pictures below show.

The finished product:

Getting started. The frame must be plumb on the door side and square to the other.

The glass enclosure starts to take shape.

Almost ready for the door

And here's how it looks from the master bedroom:

Looks pretty fancy with the tile and jacuzzi tub. Time for a beer.

Crown Moulding--Thanks to Pete and Sandy

2009-04-16T13:48:00.000-07:00

I am truely lucky to have the caliber of friends that I do. When I started working at Nye on B crew I ended up working with a guy that I had not seen in years. Pete and his wife quickly became friends and drinking buddies. The Old Chicago beer and shot tours will forever stand as evidence of this.

When Pete heard that I had crown moulding to do he loaded up the family and his very fancy saw and made the hours drive to our house. The trim turned out very fancy so thank you Pete and Sandy. There is no way I could have done it without you.

And to further spruce up the place Kelly and I decided to hang up the saw given to us by my folks. It has an oil painting farm scene on it that is really fancy.

A little better detail of the saw.

And to give credit where credit is Due. Thanks Mom. You should have stuck with the painting.

More Trim--Thanks to Butch and Kelly

2009-04-16T13:39:00.000-07:00

With rates at an all time low, Kelly and I set a goal of getting the place re-financed at the lowest rate we could get. When we finally locked at 4.875 the clock started ticking. We would have to get another appraisal and not really knowing what the market was doing we figured we had better have the place looking good. My saving grace is the family. My ever vigilant father-in-law Butch, jumped in the truck and came out to help. Over the course of 4 days we managed to knock out a ton of trim work. Kelly probably had the biggest list of all, which involved getting ahead of the mess that 6 people can make in a huge house. Add on top of that, the mess I can make with air tools, beer cans, and 5 helpers, she had her hands full. Thanks Kelly.

Day one we cleaned up all of the outside areas which included raking and shoveling a truckload of bark from the splitter, moving lumber piles, insulated/chinked windows to be trimmed, hung durarock around wood stove, installed smoke detectors, and we started trimming out the upper living room windows.

Day two we trimmed out 13 windows, 2 doorways, and an attic access.

Day three we trimmed out the stairway, installed crown moulding with Pete, and did a bunch of cabinetry trim work such as kick boards and filler pieces.

Day four we cleaned up and started to recover. The appraiser showed up and gave us the two thumbs up.

Here's a shot of the living room from the front door. From here you can see most of the windows out front with the jambs and cedar trim done. You can also see the crown moulding on the far left wall has been done.

As you step into the kitchen you can now see all of the windows and the fireplace.

Another couple of steps and you can now see the door out to the front deck.

And here is a good look at the door to the front deck. It shows off neat the cedar trim is. It's got a ton of character and looks very nice with the logs.

Kelly and Sandy also managed to get our tv mounted with the adjustable wall mount. It looks pretty sweet hanging up there instead of on the little table we had sitting there before.

Master Bath Trim and Dining Room Window

2009-03-24T21:14:00.001-07:00

After taking a few weeks to recover from our Mexican vacation, we got back after it for a day or two. This 4-on 4-off schedule is nice for resting a getting some things done on the house.

The project for the week was to get the master bath trim done. This involved trimming a door jamb to the correct width for the fancy knotty pine door, building extension jambs for the bathroom windows, and then deciding just how to trim everything out. I decided to rip all of the trim down to get even more out of each piece. This helped me stretch what I had so I could finish the crown trim around the top of the walls, the mid trim between sheet rock and wall boards, office(toilet room) door trim, and both windows in the bathroom. Turned out pretty good for an amateur.

Now it's time for the glass shower enclosure. Hopefully the glass company will show up this week to get it all done.

While I had the tools out I also finished up the dining room window. The trim really makes a difference. Next week I'll tackle the big windows out front. Hopefully my trim supply will last.

Master Bath Project--Tub Done

2009-02-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

With the new blocks cut, I troweled on a bunch of mud, and then Kelly and I set the tub for the final time. Once it was in, we had to let it sit for at least 24 hours. I went back downstairs and finished the drain plumbing and the minor electrical work we needed to do to be ready to use the tub.

And now it's done. One minor leak, repaired very easily, and we have a master bathroom tub fit for a king & queen. I hope the shower turns out this nice.

Master Bath Project--Caulk, Insulation, Sealer

2009-02-09T16:59:00.000-08:00

As with almost all of the house projects, Kelly was heavily involved. When it came time to caulk all of the 90 degree seams she jumped right in. We really wanted to have the tub functional before we went to Mexico so both of us were pretty motivated.

Here's Kelly caulking all of the joints......

And as you probably already know, if you've been watching the blog from the beginning....I am allergic to insulation, it makes me itch. So Kelly once again has to step in.

Time for a test fit. We needed to set it in place to verify the supporting block thickness and we wanted to do it before we sealed the tile just in case we scratched something.

Back out with the tub to fabricate blocks and to seal the tile/grout. Kelly got it done in time for us to watch it dry. Lot's of hurry up and wait.

Pictures of the sealed Tile.

In the mean time, I have been downstairs running the plumbing for the drains and finishing up the access to the pump and heater. Now we are ready for the final install.

Master Bath Project--Tile done

2009-02-09T16:56:00.000-08:00

And this is the finished tile work. Looks great and I think that we got one hell of a deal from Randy and Tim. Thanks guys.

Master Bath Project--Grouting Tile

2009-02-09T16:49:00.001-08:00

Randy and Tim grouted the Tile and were gone by noon. Kelly said it was amazing to watch them do this. If you do any reading about how to lay tile, you will read about grouting and how you use a grout float or bull float to push the grout into the tile gaps. Apparently the people that write these books need to watch these two. Two sponges, two guys, and about an hours time is all it takes to do a beautiful job.

Master Bath Project--Setting Tile--Tub Enclosure

2009-02-09T16:37:00.000-08:00

Randy making bull-nose tiles for the edges of the tub and steps. Try this with ceramic tile!!
Picture of the beautiful job Randy and Tim did fitting the tiles to the log wall. Amazing.

Tiled window sill. Pretty nice.

Tim setting the shower floor tiles.....

Finishing up the steps and side of shower seat
Almost done!!
Setting the shower seat side tile....
Adjusting the fit.....
One last tiny tile piece before we're ready for grout.

Master Bath Project--Setting Tile--Shower Walls

2009-02-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

Once the framing was done and the backer board installed, it was time to get rolling on the tile. Randy and Tim wasted no time in making serious progress.

Setting a board to support the large 12"x12" field tiles...

Now Setting the Travertine Tiles......

Checking level.....
Tim running the tile saw in the 30 degree heat of the day.....
Randy working up the wall.....
checking level again....and again....
Setting the soap shelf.....
Starting to add the accent tiles.....
Tim installing the border tiles.

Randy finishing up with the rest of the moisture barrier/membrane...
And now that the first row of accent tiles has dried for 24 hours, the second set of diagonal tiles can start.....

Tim says it cold out there.....
Getting close now.....
All the diagonal tiles now in.
Time to do the shower floor and tub enclosure.

Master Bath Project--Framing

2009-02-09T15:49:00.001-08:00

This was a very intricate framing job. The tub height had to match the windowsill, the shower seat had to be the right height for the glass doors, and the tub steps had to look natural which was pretty tough considering all the angles we were dealing with. We started with a plan, and it changed more times that I can count. I am so glad that Randy and Tim took over when they did cause I turned out great.

Tub on platform, checking to make sure that the height of the tub is correct.

My plumbing job for the secondary shower head on the left, and primary on the right. The bucket is there because I was pressure testing the plumbing.

Here's the tub enclosure ready for backer board.

And now with Backer Board

Randy Setting the Curb and getting ready to pour the concrete shower base.

Shower base poured, ready to install the backer board in the shower.
Backer Board installed.....
Randy Installing the moisture barrier or waterproof membrane.

And now we are ready for tile......

Master Bathroom Project--Before Pictures

2009-02-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

With the fireplace complete, it was time to get to work on the Master Bath. We had purchased a Jacuzzi Jetted corner tub for the bathroom and now needed to build the tub platform (tub sat too low on the floor to allow us to enjoy the view), the tub enclosure, and the custom shower base & enclosure. This was a fairly intimidating project and lucky for us, our Friend Eric, who helped us with the fireplace, knew someone. Randy Zito is one of Eric's buddies and like Eric, was looking for work after the Yellowstone Club construction shut down. He and his Brother Tim run a Tile business called Pro-Tile. He not only had the time, but he had a bunch of Travertine Tile. For those of you that are not familiar with Travertine, it is not ceramic tile, it is actually a quarried and cut stone. Extremely expensive stuff when you compare it to ceramic tile. Randy and Tim had the experience and needed the work so we got a great deal on the whole thing.

Here are the before Pictures:

Fireplace Mantle

2009-01-01T22:38:00.001-08:00

Ohh my god I'm ready to be done with this house......But I digress.

The rock work looks so good up there but a fireplace just isn't complete without a Mantle. I made this mantle from one of the leftover logs. It's Ponderosa pine and it has a bit of rustic detail to it.

I had to rip the log in half, chisel off the tongue's, draw-knife the imperfections, and then sand forever. Once I had it sanded down to about where I liked it, I switched to finer and finer grits until it was really nice and smooth. Then it was time for the poly-acrylic stain/sealer. It took 4 coats (sanding between coats with 320 grit) to make it look this nice.

The mantle is held up by two "Corribles" that were just two pieces of firewood I drug off the woodpile and gave the same treatment. I'd like to think that it turned out pretty good.

All that is left is trim, hearthstone, and a light fixture.

Great Room Fireplace Part 3--Finished Product

2008-12-06T11:23:00.000-08:00

As the title says, here is how it turned out. Help from friends and family made this possible. Thanks to Brandon, Eb, my folks, and Eric. Without you guys it would not have turned out anywhere near this nice. Now it's time for some trim.

Great Room Fireplace Part 2

2008-12-06T10:20:00.000-08:00

With the fireplace in and functional, it was time to put up the rock. I was planning on doing it myself until I found out that a buddy of mine from High School was also looking for work. Eric and I used to party together in High School and since we last bumped in to one another, has gone on to become a Master Mason. Having worked steadily in the Yellowstone Club near Big Sky, Montana, his experience in the masonry field and his availability made this an easy decision to make. It did cost me some whiskey.....

Sorting the rock into simmilar shaped pieces. What a mess.
Masking the fireplace.
Emily spraying the backerboard with water to help with adhesion.
Eric sets the first stone.

Eric designed an arch to match the front of the fireplace. Had to cut a stone to make the "Keystone". The soldiers that stand on either side took very little work.
Setting up for a cut. Eric marks the stone, I cut it. Judging by the saw angle this one that Eric asked me to "Knife edge" to help hide the cut.
The saw is my 10" dewalt compound miter chop saw. It has done everything from cutting decking in Absarokee, cutting rafter boards in Nevada, Cutting wall boards in Alaska, rebar on the foundation, and now cutting stone for the fireplace.

Eric cleaning up and tooling the joints on the low stuff. Ready to go up.
Setting up a platform for the work up high.
Eric laughing at my diamond saw antics, another stone toasted....
It started snowing, so that made cutting the stone's that much more fun.

Eric is smiling, cause this is the last stone.
Done!! Now time for cleanup.
Tooling the joints (scraping away excess mud) and cleaning mud off of other stones.
Putting away tools and cleaning up the mess we have made.

Great Room Fireplace Part 1

2008-12-06T09:54:00.000-08:00

After basking in the glow of the finish in September, it was time to get back to work. Things were not progressing real fast with hunting season in full swing but things were to change. In early November, all 570 employees of the East Boulder Mine were cut loose. This meant I had lots more time on my hands. During the first week I spent a lot of time hunting but reality soon set in. If I did not receive a call back I would need to have things ready to sell.

While I was in Billings I picked up all of the supplies we needed to install and finish the Great Room Fireplace and set out to get it done. The fireplace is made by Vermont Castings, and it sells new for around $4000 without the fancy Roman Bronze Arch front cover, which is another $1200. This was a floor model and the company had discontinued the model so we got it for about $2900. The venting supplies cost another $400 and I think I spent another $50 or $60 on propane piping. The stone came from a company in town called All Stone. 53 total square feet of multi-colored cobble stone, mason mix, and lath cost us another $370. All together it was a considerable expense for us considering the employment situation but if we needed to sell the house, it had to be done.

Once we got the material home I started by building the platform inside the fireplace enclosure and setting the stove in place. Kevin Eberle came over one day and helped me run the propane piping and then Brandon came over on Thanksgiving and helped me install the chimney venting. Once that was complete the fireplace was functional. Time for the rock!

The stove is actually running in this picture.

DONE!!! Done enough that is.

2008-09-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

A house is never really done. It will get done enough. In the words of the appraiser, "A house is never really done until the day you move out." Sounds like the truth to me.

The last three weeks have been a marathon so now we are taking a break. As you can see it turned out pretty good.

Finishing Details

2008-09-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

We're on the home stretch. Appraiser was coming Monday so we were pushing hard on trim, closet shelves, minor landscaping, and lots and lots of cleanup. Here's some pics that we happened to get before the work was all done.

Kelly's Pantry Shelf Project

2008-09-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Kelly once again show's that she has way more talent than she gives herself credit for. She designed and built the shelving layout in the pantry in one night. This is quite the feat once you realize that she built them out of the ceiling board scraps. Each shelf is two ceiling boards that have had the tongue end ripped off of one, and the groove end ripped off of the other. Each edge was then routered, cut to length, and then mitered to match the other shelf in the corner. They turned out really nice. Lots of storage and it looks great too. Good job baby.

Dirt Work--Cistern Feed Line and More

2008-09-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

My Neighbor, Bob, is starting construction soon, and needed to get the power line conduit in under his road before winter sets in. When he told me that he intended to rent a trencher, I went in with him so that I could get the well line to the cistern buried. Not only did we get that done, we got Bob's power done, Ray's pasture cleaned up, David's trenching done, my slash pile moved, and a bunch of cleanup and grading done around the house.

Thanks to my Folks

2008-09-23T20:15:00.000-07:00

My father and mother have been a big part of what we have accomplished lately. They have shown up regularly bearing gifts of goodies, labor, and always lots of love. This weekend was no exception. The trim that my Dad and Butch got done was awesome and the curtains, decorations, and furniture that my mother brought really helped turn the place from construction site, into a home. Thanks.

South Deck Done

2008-09-23T20:08:00.001-07:00

We got started framing the deck last week so it was time to finish this project up. On Friday, Butch and I worked on the remaining framing and got started on the decking. By about 3pm, both of us were totally spent, and I had quit sweating. I guess I pushed it a little too hard cause I ended up spending the rest of the day laying in the shade or in bed drinking water. But we got up early the next day and finished that baby off. The weather was nice enough to hold until we were cleaning up and we were able to go inside and work on trim. Here's a few pictures.

Log Accent #3--Log Stair Rail

2008-09-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

Keeping with the log/wood theme, Kelly found a suitable standing dead tree for the stair rail. She knocked it down, drug it up to the house, limbed it, and used the draw knife to skin it. Then she sanded and stained it. Butch and her attached the black iron hardware and hung it up. Looks good baby.

Siding Finished!!

2008-09-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

While I was at work Thursday, Kelly and Butch worked on Siding. They got the whole front of the house done. That's one more project complete. The exterior is now lacking 1/2 of the deck, stain, and landscaping.

Inset Fireplace Bookcase

2008-09-17T14:53:00.002-07:00

Another small project off the list. Butch and I managed to hammer this little piece of work out on Tuesday night. My mother, always spoiling me, brought us a ton of home decorations and it has really helped spruce the place up. We haven't had much time for the decoration end of things so her help is very much appreciated. Thanks mom.

Siding Progress

2008-09-17T14:53:00.001-07:00

While I was working on the deck, Kelly and Butch were working on the siding. They got a late start too. It's looking really good. 55' of siding to go.

West End Deck--Getting a Start

2008-09-17T14:53:00.000-07:00

Had a few hours to work on the deck. Started at 1pm and ended at about 6pm. Not a bad half day.

Trim--Hallway Done

2008-09-14T21:14:00.000-07:00

After Butch and I finished the ceiling, I started working on trim. I finished the doors first, then I continued on with my Father's trim design for the mid-way trim. Once that was done I had to trim the hallway ends with the 1/8" trim. Then it was time for the crown moulding. We split a 3-1/2" rough cut trim board and installed it. Looks pretty sharp now. This is what it's supposed to look like.

Ceiling DONE!!

2008-09-14T21:11:00.000-07:00

Today we "thumb our noses" at the ceiling. Done. Butch drug me out of bed and abused me with tongue and groove all damn day. Good to be done. Thanks Butch.

Log Accent #2

2008-09-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

When we built the pantry, we intended to hang the pendant light from the vaulted ceiling. I installed the ceiling box and roughed the wiring to account for this. Later, when I had constructed the pantry walls, I could see the ceiling box above the pantry walls, and I really didn't like that. I thought that the ceiling should appear unbroken above the pantry so I removed the ceiling box as we finished the ceiling.
To take care of the light issue I started looking for a log large enough to hold a 4" ceiling box. I found a few but none were very decorative. I wanted something with some character, and it was a windy day that delivered what I needed. A large dead tree was tipped over just below the shed. When I walked down to inspect it, I found a branch that I thought may fit the bill. I wouldn't be able to inset it as I had planned but I thought that I may be able to fit it between the branches. I drug it up to the garage and went to work with my draw knife. I should probably be noted that I have never used a draw knife until this day. I had purchased one the day I built our address sign but had never taken the blade guard off. It was a learning experience and I was happy that I had a good DA sander to help blend my mistakes. Kelly stained it and we used it as decoration until we got around to putting it up. Butch helped me trace the outline on some of the cedar we used here and up it went. Butch's tools once again saved my butt. His "pinner" was a godsend. Cedar is brittle wood and the finish nailer would split it but the pinner put it up easily.

More Exterior Pics

2008-09-08T20:05:00.000-07:00

Kelly and I decided to work on siding. We finished up three sides! Kelly is an animal on the chop saw. Here's the pictures.

More help--Master Bedroom Ceiling

2008-09-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

Another pleasant surprise for us. Vince, his Wife, and his wife's folks showed up this weekend and helped us finish up the master bedroom ceiling. Not only did we get it done, we had lots of fun too. My folks showed up and started on trim and my Mom brought us a new bedroom set. Last pic shows the finished product. Thanks to everyone.

Labor Day Surprise

2008-09-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

I consider myself a very lucky guy, especially when I look at my Family. We had a pleasant surprise on Labor Day. My folks had arranged a "Labor" day with a bunch of the family. Not only did my folks show up, My Uncle Dean, Aunt Dianne, Cousins Jeff, Michelle, & Ashley, Grandpa Jim, Mike Tieg, and my Brother Will, His Wife Mellisa, and my Nephew Alex all showed up for a work party. My mom and my Aunt Dianne brought a ton of food and we all had fun. Butch and Randy were already here from earlier in the week so all together we had at least 10 people working. We got a bunch done too. We tried to get pictures of everyone but somehow my Mother managed to stay out of all of the pictures. I'll get you back mom. I cannot say thank you enough to my family and friends for all of the help. Next year, Labor day is gonna be a big party.
Here's Butch, lining me out again. He's in charge at the moment.
The Supervisors Lounge. Grandpa and Mike relaxing.
Randy, waiting for the action to start. He is one hard working guy. I cannot say enough how much his help has been appreciated.

Dean, trying to figure out what is taking us so damn long to get him some more measurements. He took over the ceiling board cutting operation. I had more comments about how organized he was (and is). Randy was amazed at how quickly he set up shop and started burying us with boards. Thanks for your help Dean.
Grandpa supervising again.
Oh brother, where art thou? Me and Will wondering what in hell I have gotten myself into.

Jeff, waiting on me, again. This is a common theme.
And here is what they are all waiting for. I'm hooking up the bathroom fan.
Now we have progress. Ceiling boards done in the bathroom and we're coming over the wall into the bedroom.
Jeff, taking measurements.
Master Bathroom Ceiling done.
Michelle, waiting patiently for me to finish up. She ran all of the boards back and forth. Thanks for all of your help Michelle.
Kelly, Mellisa, and Dianne, relaxing after finishing up the drywall, paint, and staining logs.
Will and Mellisa, with Maddie.
Kelly's drywall is all done. The fireplace, ready for rock now.
Dad, smarting off to Kelly at the dinner table.
Alex hanging out with Maddie.
Kelsey and Ashley.
Butch, wiring up the entry and closet lights.
Entry and closet lights done. Nice looking ceiling!

Exterior Pictures

2008-09-06T09:22:00.000-07:00

Ray, from Paramount Log Homes, requested a few shots of the outside of the house. He has bent over backwards to help us out on many occasions so it's the least we could do. Thanks for all of your help Ray.

Get Decked!! Finished Product

2008-09-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Pictures of our two day deck project. Couldn't have done it without the help of Butch, Randy, & my buddy Brandon. Thanks guys.

Get Decked!! Day two

2008-09-06T08:59:00.000-07:00

Brandon showed up today and kicked us into overdrive. Not only is he a nice guy, he aint afraid of work. Thanks for your help buddy.

Get Decked!! Day one

2008-09-06T08:55:00.000-07:00

With the weatherman calling for rain by Monday, we decided to make an attempt at getting the rear deck done. Even though it isn't a condition of closing, it is required for insurance (secondary egress), so we figured it was probably something we should have done. We got off to a slow start on Saturday. We had to do a little design work and determine where to start. Once we got underway, Butch, Randy, and I made pretty good progress. We got the entire frame up and started installing decking by the time it got dark.

Carpet Done

2008-08-29T14:31:00.000-07:00

What a treat!! The color goes really well with the green drywall, logs, and the T&G. The girls love it. It feels like we have a home finally. I've not had a sliver in my foot for a week. I can't believe it. Ollin and his crew did a great job. It's too bad that the carpet that was ordered wasn't quite enough to finish. The stairs, the master closet, and a small part of Isabella's bedroom still need to be finished so we'll see the boys again.

Carpet Pictures Part 4

2008-08-29T14:29:00.000-07:00

Carpet Pictures Part 3

2008-08-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

Carpet Pictures Part 2

2008-08-29T14:26:00.001-07:00

While I'm Away--Carpet Part 1

2008-08-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

The running joke is that Kelly does it all while I'm at work. I am going to have a hard time disputing it after you see what happened to the house while I was in Oregon (it wasn't a vacation!!). Kelly arranged to have the carpet installed while I was gone. And it turned out AWESOME!! Her eye for color is amazing. Here's the first batch of pictures. The purple is the thick pad going down.

Kelly's Drywall

2008-08-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

Kelly keeps saying she hates drywall. Doesn't look to hard to me. That's easy to say since I haven't touched the stuff. (I'm gonna pay for that) She has finished almost all of the drywall and I'm happy to report that it looks awesome. She had to invent a way to finish the 45 degree corners. Most people will just mud the corners but you will end up with a line that is far from straight. Kelly is making her own steel corner bead by bending a standard 90 degree corner bead. If you don't get it bent just right it will take lots of mud to make the wall look right. One of the walls has 8 or 9 coats of mud on it, which really helps display how committed she is to making this place right. Thanks baby.

Good Friends=Great Help--Stairway and Ceiling

2008-08-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

You only get to have a few true friends in your life and I have had the great fortune of having Vince as a friend. He and I met in Nevada and have been raising hell together ever since. He is one hell of a hand. he showed up Last Saturday and helped me knock out the rest of the ceiling in the great room, frame the back of the fireplace, and install the T&G in the stairway. I won't lie, there was a lot of beer consumed, but the job turned out great. Thanks Vince.

And none of it would have been possible if Noel didn't give Vince the permission to hang out with trouble like me. And she showed up too to help Kelly. I think she likes to spend time with the girls too. Thanks Noel.

Finishing Fireplace--Butch's Wainscoating

2008-08-29T13:54:00.000-07:00

I gave Butch a quick idea of what I would like to see on the fireplace and he made it happen. If you look closely, he mitered each angle and shimmed it perfectly, and kept the grain aligned too. You can follow it all the way around the fireplace. He is a genius with wood. I couldn't make this happen without him. Thanks Butch.

Fireplace Sheeting

2008-08-13T22:24:00.000-07:00

Here's how the fireplace ended up looking after a hard days work. Notice the inset bookcase on the near side. We have since made it longer so it better matches the proportions of the fireplace, and it will end up being a very nice touch.

Framing the Fireplace

2008-08-13T22:22:00.000-07:00

After finishing up with the chimney we moved on to more interesting work. Truely this could be called Butch's Fireplace since he did all the hard work. The compound angles on the 45 degree sides and celing joints were enough to make my feeble mind hurt. He managed to work it out very well and the finished product will show it.

First had to frame the front lower portions with the right sized opening for the fireplace. Then we started on the upper portions of the walls. Here Butch is holding the first of the upper walls in place, wishing I would grab the nail gun instead of the camera.

Me working on the ceiling, wishing it was beer:30.....or is it? Looks like there is an open on there.
Butch and I working on the ceiling. One last run of boards till we can finish up the rest of the fireplace walls.
Framing done! Time to roll up the hoses and put on some cement board and sheet rock.

Framing in the Chimney

2008-08-13T22:04:00.000-07:00

We've come a long way from where this first picture shows things.

I was busy lining up the triple wall chimney pipe with the spot in the roof that I wanted to go through. Since then I finished the chimney install and flashing on the roof. But with the insulation now installed I had to finish everything the right way, and that includes a non-flammable walboard enclosure and steel fire stop. Pictures are below.

In addition to the non-flammable enclosure, the flashing has vent holes to let heat escape and I added another layer of protection. I encased the triple wall in another piece of 12" sheet metal pipe.

After that was done, I installed the steel fire stop and sealed everything up with insulation, foam, and silicone sealant. She's air-tight now.

Now it's time to finish the ceiling around it and frame up the new fireplace enclosure.

Kitchen Done

2008-08-04T07:33:00.001-07:00

Here's a look at the semi-finished product. No trim yet but it still looks pretty sharp. We can't wait to be done.

Track Lighting

2008-08-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

With the ceiling done we quickly hung the track light in the kitchen. What a difference it makes there after dark. That's one huge project checked off the list.

Butch says, Enough is enough. Time for bed.

Kelly found some really cool mirrors in town. She managed to get them hung in the master bath. They look really good.

2008-08-03T22:21:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, Butch, Kenny, and I started working on the East side of the great room ceiling. The going was slow but Butch's T&G tools made quick work of the boards that had lots of character. He built a smaller one for tighter spaces and we still have the latest version of the big board bender. We got to the point that we were using both of them on every board and it worked great. By 3pm, Kelly was staining boards as fast as she could to keep us in business. By 7pm, we were done with that side of the room.

Sheetrock and Electricity in the Basement

2008-08-03T22:17:00.000-07:00

On Friday, Butch and Kenny worked in the Basement. While Butch played junior home electrician and wired the basement bedrooms, Kenny was busy chasing him with sheetrock. The utility room is completely enclosed and actually has a door on it now, even though it's not in the pictures. The Basement bathroom walls are also all sheetrocked. Electrically, the north end of the basement is complete now too. Kelsey's Bedroom has been wired and the sheetrock has been started too. Lot's of progress, not much for pictures. Need to clean up a bit before we do that.

Wood Grain Butterfly's

2008-08-03T22:13:00.000-07:00

I don't know what the odds of this happening is but it really looks neat. Two pieces of T&G ceiling ended up matching perfectly. The boards were once part of the same tree. When the tree was cut they were seperated, then milled, and cut to length. Somehow we ended up putting them together perfectly. We noticed this weeks later and love pointing it out to all that visit. It's just amazing that everything worked out that way without anyone trying to make it happen.

Master Bathroom Sinks

2008-07-25T10:16:00.001-07:00

Sunday was a busy day too. Once the laundry room project was wrapped up we went to work in the master bathroom. Kenny and Butch finished the T&G walls while I worked on installing the two sinks. First had to center the template, tape it down, trace it, then cut the hole. Repeat.....Here's a few pictures

With the drain/waste/vent piping done for the master bathroom sinks, we were finally able to install the T&G on the entry and closet walls. The wood on the 45 degree wall in the closet turned out really nice and has a really fancy looking grain to it. That's a good thing to because that will be one of the first things you see when you walk in off of the deck.

Emily's Room Gets Textured

2008-07-25T10:10:00.000-07:00

Pretty self explanatory. Good series of pictures of Butch and I doing one of my favorite tasks. Lee Melrose gave me my first lesson in the art of drywall texturing in Elko and I've been doing it ever since. Texture hides all of your drywall sins.

Washer and Dryer Pedestal--Log Accent #1

2008-07-25T10:02:00.000-07:00

This is only the first of many log accent that we will install in this house. It almost didn't happen though. Kenny overheard Butch and I discussing the best way to frame the pedestal for the fancy new front-load washer and dryer and decided to speak up. He said, "Why don't you make it out of log...wasn't that the whole point of the extra logs?" It was a great idea and it turned out better than I expected. it took Butch and I about 2 hours of cutting, sanding, and staining the logs, and another hour or so of fabrication to finish the rough frame. After that the trim and vinyl flooring went really quick. Then we installed the washer and dryer and Kelly promptly put them to work.

Busy Friday--Lights, Paint, Ceiling

2008-07-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

It was a very busy day on Friday. A buddy of ours came out to help. Rick was a huge help with the ceiling and hanging the light fixture. Butch was once again directing traffic and has become the resident T&G expert. With everything working smoothly we were able to get the ceiling in the great room/dining room down below the fixture box for the dining room. So up went the dining room light. Kelly's taste is proving to be very good. Every fixture we hang just makes the place look that much better. The wildlife theme is really taking hold and is becoming more and more obvious in every room.

Then Kelly finished painting the kitchen and Laundry room. The green color really goes well with the logs and the black appliances.

Wildlife Pics

2008-07-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

Random Weekend Pics

2008-07-13T22:30:00.000-07:00

Just a few shots of the people that make this project possible. Without them I wouldn't get very far.

Light Fixtures

2008-07-13T22:23:00.000-07:00

Here is yet another example of Kelly's good taste. She picked some really cool light fixtures that go with the rest of the decor.

Great Room & Stairway

2008-07-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

Butch and Kenny kicked some serious butt on Saturday. They banged out the master bed/stairway wall and framed the 45 degree wall on the chimney chase. They also got a few more ceiling boards put up. Starting to come together.

Master Bath Cabinets & Countertop

2008-07-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

We are very lucky to have a neighbor as cool as Bob. He is an artist with counter tops, cabinets, and back splashes. Our master bathroom was a bit of a challenge with the middle cabinet being offset. The fancy wood pieces are very expensive so you only get to mess up once. With his expert guidance we sailed right through it.

Vinyl Pics

2008-07-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

Laminate Pics

2008-07-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

It's dirty, but it's done. I have a feeling it will look like this till we get the rest of the sheetrock completed.

Flooring Installation

2008-07-13T21:49:00.000-07:00

Kelly picked a great guy to do the flooring installation. Olin and his partner not only gave us a great deal, they did top notch work and did it quickly.

Getting Ready for Flooring

2008-07-13T21:39:00.000-07:00

Kelly once again has to bust her butt to be ready for the flooring guys that showed up on Tuesday. She had to lay down underlayment in all the rooms that got vinyl or laminate flooring. She did a great job and saved us a lot of money.

Paint and Carpet Color

2008-07-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

Kelly has been busting her butt getting things painted up and ready for flooring. She has managed to pick some really cool colors. So far the master bedroom, master bathroom, girls bathroom, and now the greatroom & hallway have been painted. Looking pretty good too. The last picture shows the carpet sample that she has picked out. Should look really nice.

T&G in Bathroom and Greatroom

2008-07-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

Got a couple of walls done elsewhere too.

Weekend Progress--Hallway Doors

2008-07-07T19:04:00.000-07:00

After installing two of the 6 panel masonite doors Kelly and I decided that we were going to install the really nice knotty pine arch top doors everywhere upstairs. This is a considerable cost increase since the the masonite doors are $65 each and the Pine doors are $180. Nevertheless, we went forward with it and this weekend, with my fathers help, we got almost all of them done. Here's a couple of pictures of the hallway doors and the install in progress.

Even at $180 each there are still quality control issues. In the pictures below my father is chiseling out the hinge area on Isabella's bedroom door. There was issues with almost every door that needed this kind of attention. Either the hinge screws were stripped (rookie on the screw gun) or the hinge was not routed in correctly.

Done with the hallway doors. Now it's time for Kelly to install her fancy door knobs. Also, notice that the T&G walls are done. Finished that up during the door installation too.

Skylights and Stairway

2008-06-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

I cheated a bit and added a few more pics of the skylights instead of posting what little progress I got done. We had to go out of town so I only got a day in on the house. I was able to get the stairway sheetrocked, the kickplates cut/installed, and the stair tread installed.

Trimming the Skylights--Part II....plus other stuff

2008-06-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

Once the interior skylight trim was up it was time to trim the outside of the box. We got that done in record time and managed to use some of the fancy rough cut trim too. While we were doing that, Kelly got the first coat of paint on the master bedroom walls.

And here is a preview of the upcoming deck project. It's close to 1000 square feet of deck.....what have I got myself into....

Trimming the Skylights--Part I

2008-06-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

Since Ray and his crew were coming to pick up the scaffolding soon Kelly took advantage of it to get the cedar skylight boxes stained. As soon as she finished Butch and I installed the interior box trim....on to the next one.

Saturday Night

2008-06-26T18:58:00.000-07:00

Once we made it through the day it was time to relax. Butch brought us a good burn barrel so we tried it out. The sunset was really neat but the real show was the south-eastern sky. The clouds looked really neat as the sun set. And I had to throw in a picture of the cuda, safe and sound inside the garage.

Painting Begins

2008-06-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

Once the texture was done, Kelly and Kelsey masked and primed the master bedroom and the upstairs bathroom.

Busy Saturday

2008-06-26T18:07:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, our new neighbor, Bob, came over to mount the kitchen countertops and backsplashes. What a guy!! While he was doing that Butch and I textured the upstairs bathroom. Then we worked on the ceiling for a while.

Transforming the Master Bedroom--Part II--& Other Progress

2008-06-15T23:47:00.000-07:00

Once the walls were done and the room cleaned out (thanks to Kelly again) we were able to move our bed in and hang the door. Suddenly we have a bedroom again and it is really nice, not to mention big (22x17). If you include the closet and master bath, it's 660 square feet!! The view is spectacular and it seems to be made for watching sunsets. I can't wait wake up and look at Granite Peak and the mighty Beartooths.

Butch and Kenny were able to put up wall boards in the hallway too. There was 4 sections that needed wallboard, now there is only one left.

And in the basement, we set the 10x10 log Cant for supporting the great room ceiling. This made a big difference in how the floor sounded.

Transforming Master Bedroom--Part I

2008-06-15T23:42:00.000-07:00

Since Kelly had finished taping/mudding/sanding the drywall in the master bed and master closet I grabbed the texture gun and sprayed it. Kenny masked everything as I prepped and then knocked the texture down like an expert. It looks great. Then it was time to put up some wall boards. Kelly had stained a few of them in anticipation of just such an event. We are putting one ceiling board (8") on bottom, then 7 wall boards (6"), and then one more ceiling board to make it work out perfectly.

Great Room Ceiling--Part III

2008-06-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

This is where we finished up for the weekend. We have been pushing hard to get the peak area done so that we can give Ray back his scaffolding. We're not quite there yet but it's getting easier now that we don't have to have stools on top of the scaffolds!

Butch came up with a very neat trim piece for the peak and it looks great. We also hung one of the ceiling fans. It looks great and the remote control for the lights (dimmer too) and fan function is really nice.

Great Room Ceiling--Part II

2008-06-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

Kenny took advantage of me being gone and quickly hammered out all of the short stuff between the wall and the skylight. Very nice. Thanks Kenny!

Kelly Hard at Work

2008-06-15T23:04:00.000-07:00

All of the T&G must get stained before it goes up so Kelly has been bustin her butt to get it done. So far she has been able to stay ahead of us so we have yet to run out. She packed all of the lumber down from the master bedroom to stain it, then back up so we could install it, and has since then managed to stain close to half of one whole bunk. This and she has done almost all of the drywall taping/mudding for the last week. Add that workload to the Mom/husband stuff she already does and it makes for one very busy woman. Thanks baby.

Great Room Ceiling--Part 1

2008-06-15T22:59:00.000-07:00

Butch & Kenny, the slave drivers, insisted that we start on the great room ceiling so off we went. Or up is what I should say. This stuff is harder to put on than it looks. Some of these boards really have character. Because of this "character", Butch built a mechanical device from parts and pieces of a studebaker, rambler, chevy head bolts, and some John Deere grain drill parts, that latches on to the 2x4 rafters and forces the T&G into place. Pretty slick device that he should probably patent.