Street Side Wall

While I was looking through the blog last week, I realized that we do not have any pictures of the street side wall from the outside after removing all the windows.  It looks funny for right now, but we hope to have the new windows in this summer some time.  We still have the plumbing inspection, insulation, drywall, floors, trim, windows, sheathing and siding to do.

Lake Side Wall

We had a gorgeous weekend, so I went up to the cabin to get the final push on the framing done.  When the lake side wall was replaced, there was a gap between the top of the header and the cap on the top of the wall.  So the trusses  come down on the cap which does not carry that load all the way to the ground.  So today I put these blocks in under each truss to fix that problem.

Water Heater

The water heater is finished and ready to be used this spring.  After this picture was taken, the line for the pressure relief valve was run through the floor and out the side of the house.  The old sealant was also cleaned up on the flew about a foot down from the ceiling.  After hooking everything up correctly, I had to drop the chimney down almost a foot from the roof down through the ceiling.  That turned out to be a good thing, it was pretty tall.

I have attempted to put the drain system under pressure, but I have a leak somewhere.  So I will have to fill it all with water in the spring to find the leak before I call for my plumbing inspection.

Plumbing

The drain lines and vents for the washer and utility sink are mostly complete.  One of the lines didn't turn out quite right under the house, It has a slight uphill slope...  Oops!  I will need to redo it before the inspection.  Right now I'm working on the drywall behind the water heater so I can get that permanently installed.

Water Heater

I finally got around to plumbing in the new water heater.  Because this is in the girls bedroom closet, we had to use a mobile home unit.  They have a sealed combustion system that draws air in from the outside and exhausts everything out the roof.

I still need to add the drain pan, air intake kit on the bottom and the final touches on the venting out the top.  Just out of the frame is the vent pipe that goes out the roof.  I just need to get a couple 45s and some straight pipe to hook it all up.

The HVAC inspector told me if we didn't have the mobile home approved unit, we would have to seal the closet doors and add springs so they were self closing.

Floor Support

The main cabin was built with 2x8 floor joists spanning the 18' wide cabin 24" apart.  That does not make for a very solid floor.  There were cinder block columns under every 3rd joist, but that didn't help all that much.  There were some pretty good waves in the floor.  This new beam has not only flattened out all the waves, but the floor has far less flex as well.

Floor Joists

When the addition was built back in the late 60s, the lighter colored 2x10 was simply nailed to the darker colored 2x8 and the floor joists were nailed to the 2x10.  Over the years, both the 2x10 and the floor joist have sagged.  I added some bolts to strengthen the joint between the 2x10 and the 2x8.  I also jacked up all the joists and added hangers on each one.  Things are much more solid now.

At some point there were lag bolts added through the 2x10 and into the end-grain of the joists as well as some 2x4 joist hangers.  Since the joists were not jacked back up before these things were done, the floor was still in pretty rough shape.  Here you can see the joist has been jacked back up with the new 2x10 joist hanger attached using structural screws.

Lake Side Foundation

I finally got the steel cut and welded to finish off the 4 new columns on the lake side wall.  Before I could do that, I had to clean all the pine needles and leaves our from under the deck so they didn't catch fire while welding.  I think we are going to try to do a couple new columns and a beam under the middle of the floor to level it all out before winter comes.

Dock

For the second year in a row, Terry came up and helped me get the dock up on the beach.  This year I took the ladder off and we brought it up closer to the stairs.  By doing that we were able to use the tree up near the kitchen as one anchor.  The other anchor was the new gangway support that is built into the retaining wall.  Next I need to rig up a power winch to make this even easier.

Electrical

We passed our electrical rough-in inspection!  Now we need to finish the plumbing so we can call for that inspection.  We are getting close to being ready for insulation and drywall!

Gas Line

The gas inspection passed!  The fireplace is functional as well as the stove.  The water heater can also be hooked up, I just didn't have time to transfer the water lines from the old electric tank to the new gas one.  We also need to get the parts to convert the BBQ from liquid propane to natural gas.  I have most of what I need, so hopefully tomorrow I can find the rest and we can start using the BBQ again.

Grounding Rods

I got the grounding rods installed after work.  I used 3/4" x 10' rods and installed them 10' apart.  I started off using the butt end of an ax but that was a ton of work swinging that from the top of a 6' ladder.  So I wound up using the rotary hammer and just holding a drill bit on the top of the rod.  It worked pretty well.  As soon as I hook up the wire I can call for an electrical inspection.

Electrical

The electrical is done!  In addition to the 16 recessed lights we did in the kitchen, living and dining rooms, we now have 2 ceiling fans, 3 pendent lights over the kitchen sink and power for lights under the kitchen cabinets. 

Both refrigerators are on dedicated circuits as well as the dishwasher, garbage disposal, microhood and fireplace.  We even ran the 220V 50 amp line for a dual fuel range in case we ever get one. 

We also ran the line for the boat house, so we can have power and lights when we get around to building that in a couple years.

Now that its done, I'll pull the permit and get it inspected as well. :)

Gas Line

The gas meter was installed almost a year and a half ago but this last week we finally got the line into the house and all the appliances connected.  We hoped to get the meter unlocked for the weekend, but we had a few corrections to make before the inspector would turn on the gas.  We've made most of the corrections already, so with any luck it will be on this week.

Chimney

We didn't get a lot done this weekend, but we did get the chimney for the fireplace through the roof.  The flashing is all sealed but I need to put a little high temp sealer around where the stack goes through the flashing.  We also picked up all the materials for running the gas line as well as the electrical for the range and dryer.  The range is already wired in and the dryer is 1/2 done.

Recessed Lights

All the recessed lights in the kitchen, dining room and living room have been installed.  Kelly did everything from the switch through all the lights while I did all the work from the breaker panel to the switch.  We still have 2 ceiling fans, 3 pendant lights above the sink and the under cabinet lighting to run.  Then we can start on the outlets in the kitchen and living room.

Electrical

So it turns out the breaker panel that was installed after the wind storm in 2015 was just too small for all the changes we wanted to make to the house.  So after several trips to Home Depot and the hardware store which took almost all morning, I finally got the new 100 AMP sub-panel installed today.  I'm honestly surprised they make an 8 position 200 AMP panel.

Windows

All the windows on the street side of the cabin as well as the east wall of the girl's bedroom are being moved and resized.  The framing for all the new windows is done and the old holes are covered with plywood until we replace siding.  That should happen next year, but we had to do the framing now so we could run the electrical.  With the record high heat it took a while to get all  6 windows done.

Utility Room

The plumbing supply lines for the sink, washer and second refrigerator are all done.  I still need to do the drains.  I also go the hook-ups for the washer and dryer in place but the electrical is not done and the dryer vent does not go anywhere yet.  The electrical for the refrigerator is done though.  We picked up the new stacking washer and dryer set, so it won't be long and we can do laundry up there.

Fireplace

The fireplace showed up on Thursday, so we worked on installing it over the last couple days.  The framing around the insert, the book cases and around the chimney is all done.  We also have the wiring run to support the fan.  We still have to get the gas line and the vent pipe done but I need some materials before I can start on those.

Front Door

We got the new front door installed this weekend, but we had  a few challenges.  First, we had to straighten the wall.  I'll add a post on that later.  Then we had to move the door to the left to make room for the light switches on the other side because we changed the swing.  Finally we had to drop the door in the jam 1/4" because it was not hung correctly.

Gangway

We finally got around to fixing the retaining wall at the top of the gangway.  We had company coming and we didn't want anyone to hurt themselves by falling in the hole or tripping trying to get to the gangway.  So for now, we just put the top block back on the wall and filled it all in.  Eventually there will be a landing here and the dirt will all be grass.

Gangway

Kelly got all the deck boards for the gangway cut, pre-drilled and stained with almost no help.  I got them all installed and it looks awesome!  The plan is to do the same thing with the approach, but it has moved way down on the priority list.  We still need to get another barrel under the gangway as well to give it a little more flotation.  That is also down on the priority list a ways.

Sliding Glass Door

While Kelly was working on the boards for the gangway, I pulled the old 6' wide slider and installed our new 5' door.  We went with a narrower door to allow room for light switches on either side of the door.  This will also allow us to install hanging lights on either side of the door rather than the single light over the top like what is there now.

Gangway

Kelly has gotten tired of using the gangway as a balance beam, so the project for the weekend is to get the deck boards installed.  The plan is to stain the sides of the approach and gangway an orange/brown color to match the pressure treated material around the skirt of the dock and the deck boards tan to match the decking on the dock.

Utility Room

We got the rest of the framing in the utility room done today.  The ceiling is flattened off and the doorway is roughed in.  We also finished the framing above the girls bedroom door.  There is a little bit left to do above the bathroom and over our bedroom door, but it does not need to be done until we start to hang dry wall.

Utility Room

Tonight after work I went up to the cabin to get some work done while it was still cool.  I got the 2 walls that form the utility room done.  I still have to do the doorway that leads into the room and flatten off the ceiling, but it is starting to take shape.  We have figured out which fireplace to get, so I can rough in the opening for that and the book cases on either side of it as well.

The Girl's Bedroom

We got the last 2 trusses finished and the rest of the load bearing wall torn down.  That allowed us to start framing the entry into the girls bedroom.  We still need to carry the framing to the ceiling in the living room, but up to the 8' mark is done.  The closet in their room is also done, but it does not show in this picture very well.  Next up is the utility room walls.

Gangway

We got the concrete pored around the steal frame.  It took 25 bags of 80 lb concrete mix as well as a bunch of rocks we picked out of the dirt while digging the trenches.  With the weight of the steal there is roughly 3,000 lbs on the shore side.  That will hold against wind and waves, but we will have to pull the dock and gangway out of the water to prevent the shifting ice from crushing them.

Gangway

While Kelly was out picking up concrete for the landing on the shore side of the gangway, I built new pivots on the lake side.  When this was originally built, the pivot was too low so the gangway sat about 6 inches higher than the approach on the dock.  I also built some spacers to keep the gangway from walking side to side on the approach like it did last year.

Gangway

We decided its time to get the gangway in the water.  The problem is the water is still so high that we have no beach.  So we had to build the landing on top of the retaining wall to hold the shore side of the gangway.  This is the steal frame that will allow the gangway to pivot up and down but prevent it from moving side to side.

New Trusses

After a year and a half of planning and a solid weeks worth of measuring, cutting and driving nearly 2000 structural screws, all but 2 trusses are complete and most of the blue wall has been taken down!  We have 2 more trusses to do over the girl's bedroom and entry to the bathroom.  Once those are done, we can take down the rest of the wall.

After we finish the last 2 trusses we will frame in the utility room which will be on the left when you walk in the front door.  We will also change the entry into the girl's bedroom and frame in their new closet as well as a couple new windows.  The big challenge we are facing right now is where do we put all the light switches.  There is not much wall space available.

Sandpaper Ceiling

Yes, you read that correctly.  Keep in mind this place was originally built during the depression.  The ceiling consisted of picture frame material that was nailed up to form 2' x 4' rectangles.  Then large sheets of sand paper were nailed up from the bottom, grit side towards the roof.  The paper side was then painted.  Later on a drop ceiling was added but the old sandpaper ceiling was left in place.

More Demolition

In order to get the ceiling down in the kitchen and utility room, the wall separating the two had to come down because the wall was put up after the ceiling.  Most of the wall was going to come out anyway, so it was not the end of the world.  We did run into another mouse nest though.  I can't wait until the demolition is done and we don't have to worry about that any more.

More Demolition

Today started another week of vacation working on the cabin.  This is finally the week we start on the trusses.  The first step is to get the ceiling torn down.  The living room and dining room were first.  Like everything else in the cabin, there were at least 2 layers.  Luckily there was not much evidence of any rodents up there.

French Drain

We spent Sunday morning filling in the trench with the rest of the gravel and then grading the dirt a bit.  We're going to let it settle for a while before we remove the whole pile of dirt surrounding the garbage can.  We also got the bottom piece of siding back up just to fill in the giant holes in the wall.  We are just about ready to start working on the trusses now!

French Drain

In order to keep the water from washing the dirt out from under the new foundation, we put a French drain along the street side wall.  We used the old dry well to collect the water and disperse it into the ground.  On Saturday we got the gravel base and the pipe in place.  You can just barely see the T under the far left window where the drain connects to the dry well.

Street Side Foundation

On Wednesday I went up to the cabin to check on things and found that the jacks under the house had leaked and the house was sagging, a lot.  I jacked it back up and decided to put the blocks under it yesterday to keep that from happening again.  I still have 1 more block to place under the corner, but I have to cut it first.  Next up is the French drain.

Street Side Foundation

When we bought this cabin the inspector told us the most difficult part to repair would be the foundation under the street side wall.  I've spent the last year trying to figure out the best way to tackle it, which really means putting it off.  Yesterday I got some help and we got the footer pored!  All that is left now is to place a row of cinder blocks and set the house back down.  Thanks a ton Brian!

New Rim Joist

This afternoon, I ripped the old rotting siding and rim joist off and put a pressure treated rim joist in it's place.  When the original cabin was built they did not use a sill plate.  The addition that was put on in the 1960s did have one though.  The way they did it left room for me to add one under the original cabin and not have a step in the foundation.  I'm sure that was not done on purpose, but it was awfully nice of them.

Street Side Foundation

It took a good portion of the day today, but the foundation, stairs, walkway and concrete pad at the bottom of the stairs have all been removed.  Tomorrow I will level the cabin and start compacting the dirt where the footers will be pored.  I still have to replace the rim joist and sill plate.  If all goes well, I will have the footer in place by the end of the weekend.

Street Side Foundation

After getting the weight off the foundation wall, I dug a trench the entire length of the cabin.  This will allow me to access the foundation with a jack hammer.  After the new foundation is in place, this trench will become the French drain so we don't have this problem again.  We are going to use the old dry well to collect the water from the drain.

Street Side Foundation

Next up is to fix the foundation on the street side wall.  There was no water management done, so over the last 90 years the dirt under the foundation has eroded away.  Step one in fixing it was to jack the house up and get the weight off the foundation.  I used a couple pressure treated 6x6s that I had laying around and some bottle jacks that we bought just for the job.

New Appliances

We've had the stove and microwave in the cabin for a while now.  The microwave is plugged in so we can use it, but we don't have the gas line run for the stove yet.  Until today we were using the fridge that Amit gave us last year.  It has been moved into the utility room as the backup and we picked up a nice counter depth French door stainless KitchenAid off the Facebook Market Place.

Fresh Paint

Kelly spent the last 2 days scraping and painting the street side of the cabin.  She did below the 2 windows next to the door last year because the insurance company complained about the pealing paint.  After the work over the last 2 days, this whole side of the cabin is freshened up.  I didn't really have the heart to tell her we are tearing it all off in a year or two. :)

Lake Side Foundation

My concrete footers have cured for almost 2 weeks now, so I got most of the blocks stacked yesterday.  But of course, I ran out of mortar with only 2 blocks left.  You can see just how crooked the original piers are.  While I have been doing this, Kelly has been working on painting the street side of the cabin.  We'll get a picture of that up today if she finishes.

Demoition

We decided to go up and finish tearing out the old bathroom today.  We got the floor pulled up and found it was completely packed with pine-cone bits.  When we pulled the dry wall down we found a family of dead mice...  That was fun.  We used the siding from the bathroom to patch the hole until we do the rest of the outside, probably next year.  Kelly may go up and paint it this week so it does not look quite so bad.

Demolition

Kelly and I worked on taking down the old bathroom today.  This thing was rotten and had all sorts of critters living in it.  We'll work on taking the floor out when I get back from Raleigh.  We're talking about building a little seating area in its place.  Kelly wants to put a pergola up as well.  We'll see what happens...  We also took the boat for a spin!