I've been a lurker for a few months now, reading all the wonderful information about owner-building on this site. Bob in Round Rock, TX

Don's Forum Posts: 1
Journal Entries: 24
Interview Answers: 28
Average Forum Rating: 4.00



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March update

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 3/20/2007

Well we survived another winter and are looking forward to spring. The staining and finishing is coming along slowly but surely. As you can see, most of the doors don't have knobs yet, but they are bought and ready to be installed after the poly is put on. Once the outside temps get into the 60's we will push to get on to that project.

We really like this house. It was very comfortable all winter inside. This in-floor heat is the only way to go.

The garage did not get below freezing till we had two weeks of below-zero temps. Next year I will have the in-floor heat hooked up so I can spend some time in the wood shop.

That's about it for now. The Goldwing is whining, so come on spring! Sorry about the doubles.

Photos

Posted by Lisa in Onalaska, WI on 4/14/2007 Lisa's Forum Posts: 8 Interview Answers: 64 Average Forum Rating: 4.06 Randomly Selected Image 4/14/2007

Hi - I've enjoyed your journal - your house looks like it has turned out beautiful - Congratulations! We met your builder, Bill, at the La Crosse Home Show a few weeks ago and I recognized your house in the Extreme Panel display. Thanks for posting your progress in your journal. We live in La Crosse, and it is really informative to see how someone "locally" has gone through the process. Thanks again - Lisa

Move in

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 11/22/2006

Well after a long month of hard work and long hours we have moved in.
On Nov.19 we hired a moving company to load and haul the large stuff down to the new house. That was money well spent. We still have a lot of other stuff to move but we have till the first of Dec.
The house is about 90% done. Base board and door frame trim is done.Windows are not done but we can do them over the winter. We stained and put finished all the trim first. that took some time. There are a lot of pieces.
The floors are all in and look great. The snap down laminate went in without a hitch. We decided after doing 4 rooms
we were experts.
Later

update

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 10/8/2006

Well I finally sat down to send pictures and give an update.The upstairs walls are painted and all the switches and plugins
are operational. We did have to pull a new thermostat wire. It took a little thinking but it's a good thing we left the
closet ceilings unsheet rocked. This gave us access to all the utilities that are in the floor trusses. The kitchen cabinets are up. so now we can order the counter tops. Next on the list is putting down the vinyl floor in the upstairs bath. Ted and his crew crew came and layed the slab in front of the garage. Boy that is nice The next day they came back and pored the walkway around the side door. It looked good till the dog from down the road decided to walk across it, Good thing Ted came back. He fixed it up so you can't see the tracks. That was nice.
  Seven rooms are painted only five left. The trim  and the carpet is ordered.

Photos

Downstairs

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 9/15/2006

It's been a long 3 weeks. We finally gone the downstairs wired and plumbed. It took alot of time and in did not seem like  we got anything done. All the insulation in the rim joist area is also completed.
Joel has also completed the taping and spraying of the upstairs. Let the painting begin.
The Drywall hangers came in and completed the downstairs, Them guys can fly!  Joel will start taping today.
The power company came and transfered the power to the main box. We now have water into the house. But I have not  hooked it up to anything yet. Soon I think.
We made a trip to Menards, one of many and got most of the paint for the interior walls. The van was loaded down. The fun
can now start.

Photos

Dry Wall

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 8/23/2006

The installation of the drywall has started. They started the upper level on Mon. The HVAC was also started
Things are still moving along nicely. Seamless gutters are also done

Photos

Porch

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 8/18/2006

The front porch is done.
Bill came to install the missing siding Thursday. While he was there he also installed the ceiling. It looks
fantastic. We were going to use bead board siding up there but decided to use solid sofit material instead.
Like I said it really looks good. Bill and his crew are done now. They did a very good job.
The sheet rock comes today. They start on Monday. We have some TV & network cable to run yet, Then
the upstairs should be ready

Photos

siding is done

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 8/8/2006

Well almost. We are short 2 boxes. Bill will come back when the siding comes in. Then he and his crew are done.
They did a fantastic job. We are now trying to get the water and electric done so the dry waller can get started.
Things are moving alone nicely

Photos

Grade

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 8/6/2006

Ted was out Sat. to grade the yard.He did a very good job. We worked on cleanup and wiring,  trying to get
the up stairs ready to start rocking.Bill and his crew should be done this next week. Can't wait to see all the
siding installed.

Photos

Siding

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 8/2/2006

Bill and his crew really went to town today. They installed the windows in the sun room and got a good start
on the siding. As we were cleaning up we got some company. A little deer came right up to Jon.
That was a something.

Photos

SunRoom

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 8/1/2006

It's been awhile but here goes. The HOT weather has slowed everything down. Bill has the house ready to
install the siding. I took a couple of days off to get the porch, sun room  and garage ready for Ted and his cement crew to pour cement on Friday.  The in floor heat will be nice. Jon was home all week and was a great help.He started a new job on Mon.
The new cement looks good. That is the cleanest that garage is going to look for a while.
Back later.

Photos

Windows

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 7/25/2006

The windows have been installed,  the sunroom is almost framed.Bill and his crew have been very busy.
The siding is on site and ready to be installed We can't wait til it's on.The shower came today so that will
need to be install and our pressure tank is here.We are getting closer.

Photos

Wrap

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 7/20/2006

House wrap was started today. Gordy is almost done with the shingling.This weekend we are going to finish
installing the plastic for the drainage system around the  house so Bill can get started with the windows Mon.

Photos

Almost

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 7/18/2006

We are getting closer to getting the house enclosed.Went down this evening and picked up around the place.
The waste has not been too bad Added more photos of the new stairs and sunroom

Photos

Roof

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 7/17/2006

We had a busy weekend. More wire was pulled upstairs and the rough in plumbing is almost done.
Gordy has started shingling. It's very hot and humid so things go a little slower.That's OK with me.
Bill has started framing in the sunroom and porch. The house is really starting to shape up now.

Photos

Roof trusses

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 7/11/2006

As I drove by on the way to work this morning I saw that the crane was there. Even with it drizzling
Bill and his crew got the trusses up on the 2nd floor.They sure do nice work. We hope the weather
holds so we can get some paper on the roof before the weekend. One of the photos show part of the drain field.

Photos

Plans

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 7/9/2006

Thought I would post some pictures of our plans. We are going with a Craftsman style house. Over the weekend we
got more of the wire pulled. Our son and son-in-law got on to pulling the wire though the Sip panels in no time.
It was not at all difficult.

Photos

Drainage

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 7/6/2006

We started marking out where the electrical boxes will be. Also we installed the plastic on the uphill side of the house.
2" rock was then put over the drain tile. Bill and his crew got a good start on the 2nd floor walls.They're doing a fantastic job.
Today we'll keep plugging away at the electric system.

Photos

2nd floor deck

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 7/5/2006

We took a short road trip to the mouth of the Mississippi over the weekend.When we got back Bill and his crew
had the 2nd floor decking installed.Now it's time for us to get busy. We'll get  started on the plumbing and electricals  for the bottom floor. Hew Haw let the fun begin
 

Photos

Walls&Trusses

Posted to candlepower by Don in Lansing, IA on 6/30/2006

We now have some walls and Garage trusses installed.Everything is going good.But the space is getting smaller as the interior walls go up.

Photos