plumber's helper

Here, put this in your pipe...
So the rough-in plumbing is 1/2 done, and we have water at the meter. Which is good, because the boys have been playing in the mud for fun, and Rob bathes them in a puddle.
There are all these decisions that affect all these other aspects - like deciding on a propane tankless heater. Inside or out? What size? And the plumber needs to know now because he is running the lines. Okay, put it in the laundry room, because it is a direct vent and will suck air from outside. Via a vent, which has to be ordered. Great, who is going to design and install the special venting? Not me, says the propane guy. Hopefully the AC company. And the propane - mostly we are going propane because of our O'keefe and Merrit stove, but it has to be certified as having been converted from gas, which it has not. Who will certify it? Not me, says the propane guy. So how do I get it to pass inspection? What if it won't? Then there's the plumbing - since I didn't have stuff picked out, the plumber used Moen valves in the tub and shower, so now I either go all Moen, or try to make matching sets using less expensive brands. We don't have a vanity picked out, but we still had to decide where to set the pipes.
The hard thing is knowing the repercussions of a decision. And I'm sure the electrician brings his own set of domino decisions when he comes in...
In the last post I said we weren't stressing about much, but today I feel all about stress. I guess it feels like other people need real, technical answers, not just 'where do you want the porch steps?', but 'where should I run this water line/gas line/electrical wire?' And I don't know even what to base an answer on, or what that answer will change further down the road.

back siding

The house from the back, with siding!
Rob had the week off from his regular job, so he's been at the house putting up siding. We got a bid of over $6,000 for labor alone on this. Rob did all of it, except for the shake style Hardie siding that will go in the peaks.
I got the foundation exposed and one coat of sealant on. Tomorrow, if it's not raining, I'll put on the second coat, mix some cement to cover some ... oh, don't ask. Rob has started one of the sheds and will work on that.
I think we have a plumber who will do the rough-in and check the set-in before final inspection, (which Rob would be doing - putting in fixtures and the like), as long as we release him from future liability. Nice guy, went to school with our HVAC salesman, whose dad lives down the street from the house and drives for our supplier. Maybe one of them has a brother who does drywall...
Oh, the temporary electric got sorted out, and we have power! After 3 weeks of running a generator, I'm sure the neighbors were cursing our name. Two poles - one at driveway at the road, and one most of the way up the driveway toward the house. From there right now it goes to the t-pole, but at the end it will be buried to the back of the house.
We got an update from our material supplier, and it has given us some sticker shock. Our first monthly bill was under $6000, these invoices add up to over $12,000, and don't include the siding or the material for the sheds. whew. We were seriously talking about just painting the plywood flooring for now to save a few thou. Did you know a box of nails costs $100? How many nails does it take to build a house...?
So probably rough plumbing next week, HVAC week after, then rough electrical. In those weeks I hope to get a railing on the front porch, dig a lot of dirt up against the house (its really good exercise), Rob will finish the shed and maybe start thinking about the septic, and get the roof shingles on.
Overall, we're not stressing about much, not in a hurry, confident the right people are coming our way, and best of all we're in almost total agreement about each step and able to talk about all the issues so far. But don't let that stop you from sending Care packages... cookies, chocolate, pizzas...

trolling

Like a troll, I was under the deck steps yesterday, in the mud. 'Cause I dig it, baby - creating flow... Its going to take me weeks at this rate, to dig out the foundation so I can waterproof it. Oh well, what else have I got to do?
The PA electric guy got canned. He's going on vacation instead. Sailing and whatnot. However, times are getting tough around here as the building industry seems to be skidding to a stop, so we have an electrician who finds himself with a week off who will be hanging around our place, making a few bucks doing the rough electrical. I think our plumbing is going to happen that way, too. It is unsettling what is happening around here - it seems so sudden that people are finding themselves with time off that they didn't ask for. Even Rob's shop is slow right now. I guess a lot of the people we know, and of course the people we are dealing with right now, are in the building trades. Or in a business that is related. A nearby boat builder just closed, laying off 240 people. So on one hand, we have to watch our personal finances very carefully, but on the other hand, we have these funds which we are using to hire people right when they need it.
Personally, I'm digging a ditch...

pieces of progress

So even today, in the slow times, things move ahead. Today I was at the house, cleaning up the site some more, and I met with another HVAC salesman. He beat the other bids by a magic amount. His dad drives for our material supplier (he delivered our first load) and lives just down the street, so he told him to give his new neighbors a good price. I'm pleased. I'll call him tomorrow and get that going.
Yesterday the guy from the electric company came and marked the spots for the poles. We'll have one pole at the end of the driveway, and another most of the way up. Then we can bury the line the rest of the way to the house. Not too bad. Rob is there tonight setting the temporary pole, and putting locks on the doors. Mr PA Electric is going to come NEXT weekend, so we have another week to prepare, and he'll be able to stay a few hours longer. See how things work out?
The picture is from just inside the front door, looking toward the kitchen, at about 11 am.

as the sun sets...

This was the end of yesterday. All the windows and doors set, all the framing ready. I'm really pleased with the windows - for having bought them in three different places, I don't think we could have done better if we had custom ordered each one.
So now, we have an electrician on order from PA. Rob's brother is coming down next weekend, and will help us with the skilled parts of the electrical. Because, you know, he'll be here for HOURS and will have so much time on his hands - what the heck, let's wire the house! I'm teasing, but I'm not mocking his gift to the Habitat for Larkins - we're very appreciative of the offer.
So this week, Rob will buy materials and apply for the electrical permit. I'm going to dig the foundation back out and apply waterproofing to the bricks. And then we will trench it properly.

trailer-ish

This picture makes it look so like a trailer, all white with no windows, long with a deck... Anyway, this is the backside. The deck is really nice. Much nicer than I expected. Roberto did the railing himself, and did a great job with cutting the deck boards to fit around the posts. I think all the porches are going to be very pleasant and special spaces. The final decision on the surfaces is kiln-dried 2x6's on the front, and eventually tile on the screened. The front should be fine as far as feeling like a wooden floor instead of a deck, and tile on the screened will be practical and maybe I can pick a fun design.
Roberto expects to be done tomorrow. The windows from the lumber yard and from Habitat are onsite, and the new ones should be delivered this afternoon.
Newest on the electrical - one guy will set the pole, but we need the electric company to come and tell us where. The this guy will do the house electric, but as a side job. I got another bid that was not much higher from a full-time electrician, but we're hoping to find someone that will do the schematic and let Rob do the labor. Same with the AC. If we can buy a unit, or have someone buy it for us, Rob runs the duct work, then we get someone to come hook it up and charge it. It will come together - we'll find people, we'll find the money... That seems to be the Larkin way.
My friend and I are taking our kids to the site after school to see how much havoc they can wreak. These are the same kids that found it entertaining to stamp on fireant hills yesterday...