Day 54

Between the regular downpours we've been experiencing over the past few weeks and the fact that our builder quit on us rather suddenly (because we were off schedule), we've fallen just a bit behind on the house project. Not hugely behind, perhaps just a couple of weeks. The good news is we don't need to rush since we're happily settled in our current home, but we can't help but get a little anxious. We've had lot of people have been asking when we expect to be able to move in. I hate to put a date on it in case the project gets bogged down any further, but for now we are still hoping to be in by the end of the year. I really don't want to move in the middle of winter!

Even though the framing hasn't started yet there still has been plenty of work going on. We had to finish the foundation details which included bringing in fill for the garage and foundation, grading and compacting the basement floor and installing R-10 foam insulation and piping for our radiant heating system that will heat the lower floor of the house. The schedule for the next week (if it ever stops raining) is to get the basement floor poured at which point we'll be ready for our new builder to get started on the framing by the end of the week. I'll have plenty of fun pictures to show you at that point because the place will really start looking like a house in no time at all.

Dad and James filling and grading the foundation

Me pretending to know what I'm doing


Dad running the compactor


I work too! It's just hard to find someone to take my picture!


Laying out the floor insulation and grid for the radiant floors


The pink stuff is energy saving insulation to prevent energy loss through the floors


Laying out the piping for the radiant floor system

Yesterday we placed our order for the windows and exterior doors of the house. We ordered energy efficient, low emissivity, argon filled windows. These windows can reduce energy loss by 30-50% and the Anderson 400 series windows we bought are Green Seal approved.

It turns out there are a lot of details when it comes to windows. Sizes, shapes, hardware, grills, screens...so many decisions! And did you know the rule about matching the window hardware to every light fixture in your house...say what?! It makes perfect sense to me now that I think about it, but if someone didn't tell me that I bet it would have gone right over my head and for sure, our window hardware and our light fixtures would not match. Dang, there's so much to think about!