The following log of activities and milestones is in reverse chronological order, with the most recent events and/or web site changes being at the top.
The House is Finished!
Move-in is well underway and will be complete by end of April. p>
Final plans for layout are the next priority.
Kitchen (and bar) complete.
Library wall erected and about 75% complete.
Final Inspection by County passed on 25 March.
First truck of "stuff" from storage moved in.
Anticipate "completion" date of 31 March 2005
Final grading and driveway completed.
Back splash for bar/island needs rework. This is last item holding up kitchen completion - and final inspection for occupancy permit. Should be installed on Monday....
Blinds delivered and installed.
Door hardware installed.
No word from "cabinet guy" on library wall.
Next weekend we start moving "stuff" in.....
Kitchen countertops delivered and installed.
Bar construction underway - brass foot rail placed, still waiting for cherry top.
Screens installed and blinds scheduled.
Basement essentially "complete" with finishing of concrete floor.
Appliances delivered and placed. Still waiting for countertops before they can be connected and finished.
Basement lighting complete, ceiling tile installed.
Carpeting installed.
Library wall estimate is still "a couple of weeks".
Second coat of polyurethane on all trim really makes it sparkle.
First test of basement lighting - needs more work.
Large stones from the quarry over the mountain installed as steps to front porch.
Still waiting for counter tops.
Kitchen cabinets installed.
Island/bar still being built up.
Stone counter tops being cut from template (4-5 week estimate).
Plumbing finished except for kitchen.
Final polyurethance coat going on wood trim.
Basement ceiling grid complete, light troffers installed.
Hardwood flooring completed in Great Room and Kitchen areas.
Kitchen cabinet installation scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.
Final plumbing and electrical installations scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday.
Snow prevented contractor trucks from getting to job site 3 days out of 5 this week.
Computer desk in loft completed.
Stereo, CAT5 and security system wiring completed.
Great Room cleared and preped for hardwood flooring.
Lighting fixture installation about 50% complete.
3" Styrofoam insulation installed under garage slab.
Suspended ceiling grid installed in basement.
HVAC Unit turned on and functioning.
Final trim work is going very slowly. This is holding hardwood flooring, kitchen cabinets and library wall cabinetry.
Ground ids too hard to do final grading.>
No new pictures needed to show this week's status.
Trim and cabinets in Loft complete, waiting for countertop.
Master Bath complete except for lighting and plumbing fixtures.>
Utility room complete except for lighting fixtures.
Trim and interior door work continues in Master Bedroom and Great Room.
Kitchen cabinets on-site, waiting for installation of hardwood flooring in Kitchen/Great Room area.
Hardwood flooring delivered, waiting for completion of dusty trim work before installation.
Final design of library/electronics wall approved.
All tile work completed.
Fireplace and mantle complete.>
Pine ceiling in Great Room complete.
Trim work continues.
Cabinet installation started in utility room and bathroom.
Wallboard for layout backdrop installed in basement.
Trim work continues.
Pine ceiling installation about 90% complete.
All tile work in progress.
Fireplace stonework about 50% complete.>
Trim work continues.
Pine ceiling installation about 50% complete.
Master bath tile work started.
Fireplace stone delivered.
Trim work started
Gutters installed
Porch columns set.
Lumber for ceiling (pine) and finish trim stained and varnished.
Stone work on front porch finished (by working over weekend).
Man-made snow laid, ski season officially opened this week.
Interior painting completed.
Rain has delayed front porch stonework and exterior grading and driveway.
Ready to paint.
Tested first color choice on one wall. Too yellow. Will switch to a paler, browner tone.
Garage and utility room painted.
Siding completed.
House connected to power grid, cable and phone connections established.
Tape & float proceeding slowly due to high humidity and slow drying times, but should be complete by 1 December.
Siding almost completed, but rain all day yesterday kept us from finishing up this week.
Propane tank installed and gas line to house run.
Absolutely no progress inside due to hunting season. Crew should be back next week. Maybe they'll bring us some venison.........
Tape & Float, Tape & Float, ....Slow, slow, slow.
Siding has been delivered and sits in the garage, waiting for the "siding guys" to bag their deer limit.
Installed shelving in storage room, at least we have someplace to put "stuff" now.
Almost all the leaves are gone from the trees after this week's "big blow" frontal passage. All shingles ar on. The wallboard almost complete (but not taped/floated), but now it's "hunting season" and the work crews are getting scarce. It looks like progress will slow considerably until next month.
Insulation complete. Deck is complete, screen room is complete except for shingles. Wallboard is being installed.
Computer network, security, TV, stereo and phone wiring installed....minutes before insulation team showed up to start filling the place with fiberglass. Deck is complete, screen room floor is complete. Next week should bring completion of "basic construction" with addition of screen room roof and walls. Wallboard is due to arrive on site early next week.
A glorious Virginia Fall weekend started off with a frontal passage and a spectacular rainbow! Wiring, plumbing, and HVAC rough-in is complete. Deck is under way nicely. Basement wall framing for NYS backdrop and perimeter 110VAC circuits for layout power are in. Computer network, security, TV, stereo and phone wiring set for installation next week.
Garage slab finally poured and deck on rear started. Concrete must "age" 60 days, making Dec 11 first possible date to paint garage floor, a precursor to moving heavy tools to their new home. Roofing, Electrical, HVAC about 75% complete. Plumbing drain side complete, supply side not started.
Shingles delivered, rough electrical started, HVAC started, deck started. Rebar for garage slab in place and approved by county inspectors.
Front porch roof completed, framing ready for rough sheet metal, plumbing and electric.
Survived major rainfall from hurricane Ivan. Sewer line to bottom of mountain complete. Stairs to Loft installed. Basement floor and front porch poured. This is gating item for first layout preparation task: painting of floor. Concrete must "age" 60 days, making Nov 18 first possible date to start. Started framing of front porch roof.
Not a lot of visible progress, but rear doors and windows finally installed, interior framing nearly complete, and basement floor rebar laid. Basement and front porch concrete, decking, and sewer line trenching down the mountain should be next big items. No sign of sheet metal, plumbing, or electrical work on upper floors yet.
The leaves have begun to turn on Bryce mountain. We had our first batch of rainy weather (courtesy of hurricane Francis). And progress will be becoming more subtle as we begin to depend on the "trades" (plumbers, electricians, etc.) But there has been some progress...
Windows are installed, external waterproofing is applied to basement walls, and the rough grade has been backfilled. A significant amount of new fill will be required to complete grading. Preparations have begun for the sewer line "down the mountain" and the back deck/screen room........
Roof structure and sheathing complete, sans shingles. The Valley has been parched all summer which has let construction progress steadily. Now, with a full roof overhead, we can hope for rain again.......
Roofing well underway, with all trusses in place and wings decked.
First floor framing complete, second floor loft started, roof trusses on site, steel floor pan for garage slab installed.
Interior partitions started.
23% Complete. Framing started. Basement is now enclosed and covered by first floor subflooring. Garage slab not yet in place. West wall erected.
Steel beams placed (to support garage floor and keep cars off the trains)
Foundation walls complete
Foundation started.
Footings poured.
Now estimating completion date in Nov, 2004.
All permits and approvals received.
Excavation started.
Approved final blueprints
Site clearing started.
Approved overall design, budget.
Signed construction contract.
In an unabashed stroke of greediness, extended design space for basement under garage, adding 23' by 23' to available layout space.
Basic footprint of Dunbasye finally established at 32' by 86', including attached garage.
Available layout space is basement under house with interior dimensions of 30' by 60'
The decision is made: we will build retirement home in Basye, VA. It will be known as "Dunbasye".
Began "New" NYS layout design and new home plan finalization.
Returned to US in May, 2003.
Put old New York Southern in storage, sold Manassas (Va) home, and moved to London, UK.