Nine Months Later

I'm sorry that it has been so long since I wrote a new blog.  I've been so busy moving into the new house that the blog got put at the bottom of my to-do list.

Or not.......

OK, the truth is the house is not finished yet.  I could come up with a lot of excuses for not writing a blog, but I'm sure you'd rather read about the project itself.

My last blog was in September when the containers were placed.  That was definitely the most dramatic step of this process and was the most fun to document.  While we have made a lot of progress since then, it has been very slow going.  Occasionally the place is buzzing with lots of workers, but there are more days without any work being done at all.  When you see the latest photos, you will see a lot of progress, but for me it isn't so dramatic.  It is similar to the way we see a child grow and develop.  When you see them every day, the changes aren't as noticeable as they are to someone who hasn't seen them in a year.

Here's the progress in pictures and a few words.

Once the containers were in place, work on the garage slab began.  The concrete also helped to secure the posts in place.

After the foundation was poured and cured, the metal framing was installed.  This included the framing for the garage and decks.

The metal framing also included the roof rafters and interior walls.

As well as the hybrid section between the containers.  

Inside the hybrid section is the staircase.

By now it is the middle of November and there is a rush to get the house enclosed before the rains come. The roof is insulated and covered with decking.

OSB is put on to enclose the garage and stairwell.

Some windows are installed.

But the rains didn't wait until we were ready.  

The rains came before all the windows and doors were in or caulked.  And water entered the house from all directions.

Tyvek was added over the OSB between rain storms.

Plumbers did much of their interior work in December.  It was challenging work.  They had to cut many holes in the floors of the containers to run their lines.

In January a sewer line was put in to connect to the line in the street.

Trenching for plumbing and electrical was done in February.

Electrical work began in December and is just now being completed.

In March the kitchen cabinets were delivered.  I had been paying storage fees for 8-9 months.

In April the siding finally went up on the garage

And on the stairwell.

Next, the deck railing went up.

In May, the exterior stairs were placed, but still needed adjustments.

It is now June and the final spray foaming is done.  We've passed final inspections on plumbing, electrical, and fire sprinklers.  Now we are finally ready for the interior finishings--insulation, drywall, paint, cabinets, etc.  I'm busy struggling with ordering supplies.  I spend hours researching products, trying to find the best sustainable ones, but when I finally settle on something, I find out it is no longer made, is not sold around here, or is not in stock, but that's a story for another blog.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!