| Home Improvement Project 2006 |
| Phase 3: Exterior Page 2 of 2 |
Wednesday, July 26, approximately 12:30am --
I arrived home in the wee hours of the morning, shortly after midnight, not really expecting the work on the house to be finished. Jason had
predicted that he might be finished by the end of the day on Tuesday, July 25, weather permitting, but I had been watching Vermont's weather
all week on Intellicast, and I knew it hadn't been cooperating. Therefore, I wasn't surprised when the headlights illuminated staging on the front
and east side of the house. I unloaded the car and went for a tour of the worksite courtesy of my huge 4-cell flashlight. For some reason the
pictures I took didn't come out so well. <G> But the scenery was pretty much the same later that morning around 8:00am.
I arrived home in the wee hours of the morning, shortly after midnight, not really expecting the work on the house to be finished. Jason had
predicted that he might be finished by the end of the day on Tuesday, July 25, weather permitting, but I had been watching Vermont's weather
all week on Intellicast, and I knew it hadn't been cooperating. Therefore, I wasn't surprised when the headlights illuminated staging on the front
and east side of the house. I unloaded the car and went for a tour of the worksite courtesy of my huge 4-cell flashlight. For some reason the
pictures I took didn't come out so well. <G> But the scenery was pretty much the same later that morning around 8:00am.
The back and west side of the house are completed, and look simply stupendous. The
back steps and the gable end of the porch haven't been put back together or worked on,
but those are the types of "finish up" tasks that can wait until the bulk of the work is done.
back steps and the gable end of the porch haven't been put back together or worked on,
but those are the types of "finish up" tasks that can wait until the bulk of the work is done.
This is one of those nitnoid details that
makes the difference between average
work, and really great work. The utility
boxes, formerly scattered all over the
side of the house, are neatly arranged.
makes the difference between average
work, and really great work. The utility
boxes, formerly scattered all over the
side of the house, are neatly arranged.
Sunny, but hazy, hot, and humid.
Work is under way by 7:35am.
Work is under way by 7:35am.
The first thing I noticed when I did my
middle-of-the-night walkaround is that
all the prep work was completed on the
front of the house. It was ready for the
siding.
middle-of-the-night walkaround is that
all the prep work was completed on the
front of the house. It was ready for the
siding.
Midmorning. It progresses quickly
once all the scut work is done. This is
my first view of what the front of the
house is going to look like when it's
done. Weeeee. Gorgeous!!!!
once all the scut work is done. This is
my first view of what the front of the
house is going to look like when it's
done. Weeeee. Gorgeous!!!!
These pictures aren't showing anything specific, except the progress on the house. I must be driving the guys nuts at this point.
Every time they turn around, I'm out there with the camera.
Every time they turn around, I'm out there with the camera.
Again, the quality is in the details.
They made sure that the final course
of siding under the eaves will be 4
inches to the weather, just like all the
others.
They made sure that the final course
of siding under the eaves will be 4
inches to the weather, just like all the
others.
Since that final course of siding is a
little narrower than all the others, which
would change the angle at which it
kicks out from the house, they put a
narrow filler behind it. Details.
little narrower than all the others, which
would change the angle at which it
kicks out from the house, they put a
narrow filler behind it. Details.
Everything gets sealed and glued and
caulked. The fiber-cement siding does
not expand and contract like wood so it
won't pull away from the trim, creating
gaps.
caulked. The fiber-cement siding does
not expand and contract like wood so it
won't pull away from the trim, creating
gaps.
More details. (Yes, I'm ecstatic about
how good the house looks!) Note the
row of siding to the left of the window
and how tight and even it looks.
how good the house looks!) Note the
row of siding to the left of the window
and how tight and even it looks.
One thing I hadn't thought about
ahead of time is getting the courses of
siding on two sides of the house to
match up. Notice how well the top
course on the right fits above the trim.
ahead of time is getting the courses of
siding on two sides of the house to
match up. Notice how well the top
course on the right fits above the trim.
This shows two things. One, how
carefully Jason is planning in order to
use up scraps and minimize waste. (All
of the joints have to land on a stud.)
Secondly, how each joint gets a scrap
of Typar behind it so if any water gets
in, it will get routed right back out.
carefully Jason is planning in order to
use up scraps and minimize waste. (All
of the joints have to land on a stud.)
Secondly, how each joint gets a scrap
of Typar behind it so if any water gets
in, it will get routed right back out.
Details. Because of the thickness of
the siding versus the trim, that corner
right under the edge of the eaves was
going to be a problem if Jason ran
siding out there. His solution was to fill
it in with the Azek trim material. Looks
nice now; it'll look phenomenal once it
has been painted.
the siding versus the trim, that corner
right under the edge of the eaves was
going to be a problem if Jason ran
siding out there. His solution was to fill
it in with the Azek trim material. Looks
nice now; it'll look phenomenal once it
has been painted.
On the left, my house. On the right is a picture of how the gable end peak used
to look (but it's actually a picture of my neighbor's house). Jason filled in the
gap behind the fascia boards. It gives him something solid to nail the fascia
boards into, which will keep them from warping and pulling away from each
other, but it unfortunately deprived several hundred (possibly thousand) wasps
and hornets of their lovely dry, warm homes. Poor little homeless wasps!
to look (but it's actually a picture of my neighbor's house). Jason filled in the
gap behind the fascia boards. It gives him something solid to nail the fascia
boards into, which will keep them from warping and pulling away from each
other, but it unfortunately deprived several hundred (possibly thousand) wasps
and hornets of their lovely dry, warm homes. Poor little homeless wasps!
Friday, July 28 -- When I reluctantly headed off to work yesterday afternoon, the front of the house was almost finished, and Tom and Brian
were taking down the staging. When I came home, they had finished installing the outlets, the water spigot, and they had wired and attached
the new carriage lamp beside the front door ... and had left the light on for me, which looked very warm and welcoming as I came up the street.
(These guys are severely wonderful.) What remains at this point is the upper 1/3 of the east side of the house, the gable end of my porch
where I asked Jason to remove the golf ball prone chunk of plexiglass with the big golf ball hole in it and replace it with wood, and all the small
jobs such as putting the rain gutters back together and finishing up some work on the trim.
were taking down the staging. When I came home, they had finished installing the outlets, the water spigot, and they had wired and attached
the new carriage lamp beside the front door ... and had left the light on for me, which looked very warm and welcoming as I came up the street.
(These guys are severely wonderful.) What remains at this point is the upper 1/3 of the east side of the house, the gable end of my porch
where I asked Jason to remove the golf ball prone chunk of plexiglass with the big golf ball hole in it and replace it with wood, and all the small
jobs such as putting the rain gutters back together and finishing up some work on the trim.
Bright and early ... okay, just early on
Friday morning, and they're hard at
work. You can see how little of the
house needs siding.
Friday morning, and they're hard at
work. You can see how little of the
house needs siding.
Tom and Kevin stay up on the staging,
while Brian (who would prefer not to be
caught on camera) does all the cutting
below. Tom has just brought another
piece of siding up on the rope.
while Brian (who would prefer not to be
caught on camera) does all the cutting
below. Tom has just brought another
piece of siding up on the rope.
The guys are moving fast ... but once
again they are in a race against the
weather. Geeee, a thunderstorm! In
Vermont! How unusual.
again they are in a race against the
weather. Geeee, a thunderstorm! In
Vermont! How unusual.
This is a before and after shot of the front of the house. It's not quite fair because
the storm door hasn't been put back on yet, but it's close. The item I was really
concentrating on when I took the new picture was the new carriage lamp to the right
of the door. That old one was sooooooo unattractive.
the storm door hasn't been put back on yet, but it's close. The item I was really
concentrating on when I took the new picture was the new carriage lamp to the right
of the door. That old one was sooooooo unattractive.
Details. Nice, new, ultra weather-proof
exterior outlet boxes. I can run the
cords out of the box while it's closed,
which I couldn't do with the old ones.
exterior outlet boxes. I can run the
cords out of the box while it's closed,
which I couldn't do with the old ones.
Here comes the last piece!!! Check
the fit ...
the fit ...
... put in a nice gooey bead of the
caulk/adhesive ...
caulk/adhesive ...
... and they're done!!!
Well ... almost. There's the gable end
of the porch that still needs some
siding, but the big job is done.
Well ... almost. There's the gable end
of the porch that still needs some
siding, but the big job is done.
And at this point, just as the guys stop for a coffee break, the rain moves in. It's still sporadic at this point, but the radar shows a huge
system moving this way, so I think they plan to call it a day.
system moving this way, so I think they plan to call it a day.
Monday, July 31 -- Last day of construction! Most of what is left to do can be classified as "scut work" -- remove the staging, put the storm
doors back on the house, wire up and attach the outdoor light on the east side of the house, do some work on the more badly weathered
window sills, and the really fun part (yes, I'm being sarcastic) ... clean up. The only substantial piece of construction that remains is to remove
the huge triangle of plexiglass from the gable end of the porch (also known as a golf ball magnet) and replace it with framing and siding.
doors back on the house, wire up and attach the outdoor light on the east side of the house, do some work on the more badly weathered
window sills, and the really fun part (yes, I'm being sarcastic) ... clean up. The only substantial piece of construction that remains is to remove
the huge triangle of plexiglass from the gable end of the porch (also known as a golf ball magnet) and replace it with framing and siding.
Remember my "homework assignment"
way back on the first day of
construction?
way back on the first day of
construction?
Here's where it wound up. That
triangle used to be plexiglass with a big
golf ball hole in the left side.
triangle used to be plexiglass with a big
golf ball hole in the left side.
The exterior, which has been covered
in the same siding as the rest of the
house. Much better!!!
in the same siding as the rest of the
house. Much better!!!
Exterior, supposedly weatherproof
outlets that used to look like this ...
outlets that used to look like this ...
... now look like this. I suppose it's a
little pathetic to get so excited over
outlets, but I love these!!
little pathetic to get so excited over
outlets, but I love these!!
And at long last ... the front and side
storm doors are back in place, all the
fixtures are installed, the shed is empty
and cleaned, and Jason and the rest
of the guys are gone.
storm doors are back in place, all the
fixtures are installed, the shed is empty
and cleaned, and Jason and the rest
of the guys are gone.
And now, since all the construction is finished, and the poor, abused lawn has been fooled into thinking that it can start to recover from the
battering it has suffered, that means ... IT'S TIME TO PAINT!!!
battering it has suffered, that means ... IT'S TIME TO PAINT!!!
Monday, August 14 -- Scott, the painter, arrives bright and early. The house is looking pretty darned good by this time, so the natural
question most people (including several of my neighbors) would ask is: Why paint it AGAIN?!?!? The fiber-cement siding already has two
coats of factory-applied paint on it, so it might seem like a waste of time and money. But the Factory FInish comes with a ... (are you ready for
this?) ... 25 YEAR WARRANTY ON THE PAINT, provided it gets a third and final coat once the siding is on the house. Plus, the house is going
to be a very subtly different color when Scott is finished, and all the trim needs to be painted.
question most people (including several of my neighbors) would ask is: Why paint it AGAIN?!?!? The fiber-cement siding already has two
coats of factory-applied paint on it, so it might seem like a waste of time and money. But the Factory FInish comes with a ... (are you ready for
this?) ... 25 YEAR WARRANTY ON THE PAINT, provided it gets a third and final coat once the siding is on the house. Plus, the house is going
to be a very subtly different color when Scott is finished, and all the trim needs to be painted.
This photo is kind of fun only because
it provides kind of a nice before and
after view of the porch, separated by
the ladder. (It wasn't intentional.
Better lucky than good.)
it provides kind of a nice before and
after view of the porch, separated by
the ladder. (It wasn't intentional.
Better lucky than good.)
Not much to tell about this picture.
Painters painting isn't the most heart
stopping thing in the universe to watch.
Painters painting isn't the most heart
stopping thing in the universe to watch.
All done!!! (... with one small exception).
The windows and front storm door will remain white because the windows are vinyl,
and the storm door is finished aluminum. The front and side doors were painted (by
me) long after Scott had finished the rest of the house because it took several weeks
and a number of tries to find a color I liked.
The small exception is the outdoor light beside the back door. It took more than a
month and lots of hunting to find a light similar to the one on the front of the house
that has a motion detector in it so it will turn on automatically when I get home from
work at some ungodly hour in the morning.
The windows and front storm door will remain white because the windows are vinyl,
and the storm door is finished aluminum. The front and side doors were painted (by
me) long after Scott had finished the rest of the house because it took several weeks
and a number of tries to find a color I liked.
The small exception is the outdoor light beside the back door. It took more than a
month and lots of hunting to find a light similar to the one on the front of the house
that has a motion detector in it so it will turn on automatically when I get home from
work at some ungodly hour in the morning.
This was my first glimpse at how the
house would look with the new paint. I
was really kind of sweating out my
choice of colors up until this moment.
house would look with the new paint. I
was really kind of sweating out my
choice of colors up until this moment.
