Don & Kathy in Afton, VA 24 entries to date 0 forum posts to date
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Posted to RabbitRun by Don & Kathy in Afton, VA
on 6/26/2008 9:00:29 PM
The past week has been a pretty busy one with a little craziness here and there when everything seems to happen at once! We've continued to pull all of the AV wire and are almost done...hopefully we can wrap it up tomorrow and cross that off the list. We're planning to request the plumbing inspection for Monday, and would like to have the electrical at the same time if we can just wrap up some of the loose ends there...so we'll see how it goes. Speaking of plumbing, we filled the DWV system with water early yesterday morning and it held fine with no leaks--YEA!!!
The fellow who started doing some grading the end of last week was back the first of this week to finish up what we need for now. Just the nicest guy and did a great job. He'll be back when it's time to move the rest of the dirt piles around in the back.
The gas company was here on Tuesday to bury the propane tank and run the line to the house. It was a little unnerving to watch them dig the hole for the tank as it was right where we'd done some grading, but they got it all put back together before they left, except for the trench since it had to be open for inspection the next day (and passed!). They'd only been gone about an hour, when the tanker truck pulled in to fill up the tank...apparently they do it right away so that there's no danger of the tank floating up out of the ground if there's a good rain. I figure they actually just want some $$ right away! They'll be back hopefully next week to run the gas lines inside and to install the tankless water heater.
A landscape designer from the valley was here this afternoon (second visit) to talk about some options for some spots where we need to put some low retaining walls to ensure drainage, etc. She is very helpful and is responding to our sense of urgency, so hopefully we can get that worked out without it being a budget-buster. Not something we had planned on, but it has to be done!
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| Putting in a gutter drain |
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| Grading on the Porch Side |
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| Grading around the front corner |
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| Lucy checks out the grading progress |
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| The gas tank going in |
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| Filling the hole with sand |
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Posted to RabbitRun by Don & Kathy in Afton, VA
on 6/18/2008 6:59:35 PM
We're still plugging along, juggling the myriad of things to be done...some days better than others! Our plumber finished up the first of last week, but we have had a few leaks when testing the DWV system, so he'll be back this Friday to hopefully fix those. The water pipes are good to go, but the DWV has been a pain! We've fixed (or tried to) and tested several times, but still not to 100%. Hopefully this weekend! Don did the acrobatic work of getting on the roof to put in the vents while Kathy nervously watched and tried not to watch at the same time. We bought a 20' extension ladder from someone in Lynchburg who was advertising on Craigslist and that was really a monster to try and maneuver into place. As Don put it, "this is a two-man job and you're not a man"... that sort of says it all!
We spent the weekend installing a central vacuum system which really wasn't too difficult once we figured out where to put everything. The only pain was trying to work around the ducts, plumbing, etc., but it worked out pretty well. The kit didn't come with enough low voltage wire though, so we still have to get some of that to completely finish it off. Seems kind of odd that you wouldn't get the same length of wire as you do pipe in the kit!
Our electrician who is doing a few things for us after his regular workday is here as we speak, wiring the generator. That will be a big item to cross off the list for sure. Now the only cables left to pull are for the telephone, TV, AV and thanks to the extreme helpfulness and generosity of an old friend, we should be able to get that all pulled by the end of the week. Talk about a small world, one of Kathy's childhood and teenage buddies (who she has not seen in about 30 years), happened to read this blog since he has just started his own OB project, and after reading that we were starting to think about AV stuff, emailed to offer his help. Kathy put two and two together, and could not believe the coincidence! Although we're very thankful for the help of course, the greatest blessing is reconnecting with an old friend. THANK YOU, VICTOR!
We found someone to help refine the grading on the driveway side of the house... Don called him this morning, he showed up an hour later and after talking it all over, said he'd be right back with his backhoe... and he was! He did a fabulous job and will be back on Monday to do grading around the front. The timing has worked out really great on this, since the gas company is coming next Tuesday to bury our propane tank and run the line to the house.
We've also been getting some bids on the insulation and drywall this last week, trying to get that lined up. Hopefully those bids will all be in within the week so we can make some decisions. Just trying to stay ahead of the 8-ball...
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| Mr. Cash checks the pressure on the water line |
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| Don the acrobat on the roof |
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| Don works on the vent |
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| Grading between the house and the driveway to make a swale |
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Posted to RabbitRun by Don & Kathy in Afton, VA
on 5/23/2008 4:24:09 PM
The past week has been a busy one...the septic guy actually showed up early (last Friday rather than Monday) and got started. He has several jobs in our area, so is moving around between them every day to keep it all on track. He's about done with us (passed inspection!) and has also used his backhoe to do a little grading for us on a swale we need on the left side of the house. He'll be back tomorrow to do some clean-up work at the road entrance. Our plumber started on Tuesday and we are counting our lucky stars that a) we found him, and b) that he was willing to be more than part-time to do our job. His business is Al's Part Time Plumbing, but apparently he is really working full time most of the time. He's the greatest guy and says he'll wrap it up the first of next week after the holiday weekend. Don has been his assistant (doing the "grunt work" as he calls it), and Kathy keeps them fed and watered with coffee and treats every day. So things are perking along, and we're especially thankful for the beautiful weather of late...the temps have still been kind of cool, but we're warming up to around 70 during the day this week--perfect!
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| Septic Tanks Arrive |
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| Working in the Trench |
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| Septic Field |
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| Our plumber's license plate |
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| Plumber's Helper Don |
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| Plumbing Handiwork |
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| Lucy & her baby hang out on the job site |
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Posted to RabbitRun by Don & Kathy in Afton, VA
on 5/15/2008 3:56:33 PM
Our well company came today to install the well pump and run the pipe and wire to the house and to the garage. They also installed the pressure tank under the stairs (last minute decision to put it there rather than in the crawl space). Our plumber is lined up to start on Tuesday, and we are really thrilled about that. He is actually retired and has a part-time plumbing business (which sounds like it has turned more into a full-time proposition). Originally he was just going to lay out everything with Don doing the actual work, but he has agreed to do the job for us...and Don will help him by doing the "grunt" work! The septic guy is supposed to come next week to put in the tank and run the lines, and someone from Crutchfield is coming out next week also to give us a consult on AV wiring... so looks like next week will be a busy one.
P.S. A couple of these photos are duplicates of ones posted last time of the power work... don't know how they popped up again, but so be it!
Photos
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| Digging Trench Between House & Well |
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| Dad Mows the Pasture |
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| Pump, Pipe & Wire |
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| Pump, Pipe & Wire |
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| Trench to Garage |
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| Pressure Tank Under the Stairs |
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Posted to RabbitRun by Don & Kathy in Afton, VA
on 5/5/2008 7:34:46 PM
It's been a while since we've had time to post some new pictures... that, and apparently there's not much photogenic about electrical work! We've continued to plug along with that and are about to wrap it up. Hopefully the generator will arrive in the next week or so and the electrician "consultant" can come back to get that wired up and get the breakers in the box. Don has started the plumbing work, cutting all the holes, etc. The siding is done (except for the decorative bracket detail and the painting), so that's marked off the list. The guy from the power company came by last week and marked off the trench for the underground power line, and lo and behold, the crew showed up today to dig the trench and lay the conduit, etc. The foundation drain is in, but grading has not yet been done (still working on getting it figured out in some problem spots). The kitchen and laundry room cabinets have been ordered, as well as some other fixtures that were too good of a deal at the time to pass up, so we're crawling along!
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| Foundation Drain |
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| Bay Window |
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| Power Company Digs the Trench |
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| Conduit |
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| Filling in the Trench |
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| Lucy Hangs Out |
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Posted to RabbitRun by Don & Kathy in Afton, VA
on 3/25/2008 9:08:56 AM
Our siding guys just about killed themselves working from dusk to dawn last Saturday to get the porch ceilings up. All that's left for them to do is the bay window routing and trim work, which hopefully will happen this week. We're still deciding on the trim pieces to use, and have yet to finalize the bracket decision for the decorative part on the gables, but guess that will be all in good time...
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| Wraparound Porch Ceiling |
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| Wraparound Porch Ceiling |
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| Wraparound Porch Ceiling |
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| Breezeway Ceiling |
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Posted to RabbitRun by Don & Kathy in Afton, VA
on 3/19/2008 12:42:45 PM
We've been plugging along despite some cold temps, but thankfully have had a few warm days in the last week -- hurry up, spring! The siding is almost finished -- all that's left is the detail work on the bay window to rout out the panels, do the moulding, etc., and completing the porch ceiling (tongue & groove pine) and trimming out the posts. The guy who made our metal roof panels came on Saturday to form/cut them, and then the roofers came yesterday to put them up. They still have to put up the snowguards, but hopefully we won't have to worry about snow any more this winter! Don's parents came back this week so that his dad could give him a hand again with the wiring. They are plugging along... last week we actually passed our first electrical inspection of the porches and breezeway which had to be done before we put up the ceilings. A big step and a sigh of relief!
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| Siding Almost Complete |
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| Don at work wiring the porch |
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| Kat fixes the closet mistake |
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| Making the Metal Roof Panels--fascinating! |
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| The Metal Roof goes up! |
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Posted to RabbitRun by Don & Kathy in Afton, VA
on 2/22/2008 6:35:13 AM
The siding work has begun! Our siding folks started last Friday, and have worked every day but Sunday since... nice guys who seem to know what they're doing. The don't speak much English, so that is a bit of a challenge! It's been rather cold this week, but they don't seem to mind, arrving early and working until the sun starts to set each day. Don continues to work on the wiring, and Kathy's brother Mark has been a big help, pitching in with that when he has some spare time.
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| Mark helps out with the wiring |
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| Siding Work Begins |
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| Siding |
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| One Complete Wall! |
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Posted to RabbitRun by Don & Kathy in Afton, VA
on 2/12/2008 5:48:25 AM
The past few weeks have continued to be busy...we found a roofer to do the shingles, so they are now finished! It took them about two weeks, as we had some rainy days and a few days of extreme wind and they couldn't work. We'll wait to put the metal roof on the porch until after the siding is up. The heating and air folks are now on day 7 of their rough-in with the duct work, etc. They're doing a fabulous, neat job and couldn't be nicer. We hope to get started on the siding next week, so things continue to move along. And the best news is that all of the recessed lights are almost in place! Those are a real bear, and we have LOTS of them...
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| Roofing Begins |
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| More Shingles |
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| Shingles |
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| HVAC Work Begins |
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Posted to RabbitRun by Don & Kathy in Afton, VA
on 1/20/2008 8:46:39 PM
Don's folks spent last week with us so his dad could help get the wiring in process... they were able to get a good bit done before they left yesterday. Our plumbing consultant has also been by to get us started on that, and hopefully we'll make a final HVAC decision this week and get that in gear... many balls in the air...and the air is COLD!
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| Don & his Dad at work |
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| Don's mother trying to keep us clean... |
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| Blue Boxes everywhere |
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| Nephew Jay gets into the act |
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| Jay checks out the crawlspace |
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Posted to RabbitRun by Don & Kathy in Afton, VA
on 1/20/2008 8:36:15 PM
The framing is finished! Well, almost... we're still waiting on a transom to arrive so we can get that in with the kitchen door. And the nail fin missing from a patio door arrived a few days ago, so that is ready to go in. Our framers will be back once the transom comes in to finish up those details -- we missed them this past week!
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| Breezeway between house & garage |
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| Bird-catchers... |
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| Front View |
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| Rear View |
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| Our wonderful framers! |
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Posted to RabbitRun by Don & Kathy in Afton, VA
on 1/9/2008 5:21:26 PM
Our mason has been great to work with and has done fabulous work... we waited until Friday to have him start on the chimney since warmer temps were expected... and he and his crew worked through the weekend, finishing up on Monday afternoon -- beautiful!
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| Almost to the Top! |
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| Alonso & Crew |
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| Don gets advice from Alonso |
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