Today the well was started. Spafford & Sons wells set there rig up and got down to 60ft. They hope to be completed by tomorrow. They say the water table should be about between 60-80 ft.

Work has started on the main roof system. At this point the back half was started first. The front of the log home with the prow will be the next step. John & his crew need to install the main beam before the wall and roof rafters are put in. One of the pictures taken inside the 2nd bedroom show the area where the bathroom will be, the loft is to the right. The picture taken from the loft down towards the dining/kitchen. When the roof is completed this view will have a dramatic change.

We had our first inspection today for the Bank. Even though it went well it seems like they hardly know what's going on. They did not contact me and ask any questions about the project. At this point it seems like a waste of money for what they actually do and the short time it takes. Enough on that subject. I talked to Spafford Well this week and they said we are next to get our well drilled. They said hopefully this Thursday which is tomorrow. Today's pictures are the latest pictures taken late this afternoon. John and his crew hope to have the roof completed soon. Yea!

December 12 th Update

Work continues on the log home. Here are some interior pictures that we taken today. Work on the other roof area above the main house continues. Notice in the picture that another beam was installed.

We Now Have A Roof

After a week without work being done because of the generator breaking down, we now have a roof over the kitchen/dining area. With good weather and some hard work we should have most of the Roof structure for the complete home by next week. If everything goes right the well should be drilled next week. I also talked to Verizon they are the ones that set the pole for CVPS. They said it should be done by January 8th. It's been hard to deal with these people because every time I call it seems they set it back a month. Lets hope they complete it soon. Most of the windows will be arriving on the 11th of January. They should be ready for them when they arrive. The windows for the walk out basement will be coming soon. We have to pick out a different front door. We are looking at different options most likely one with a window. The door will be fiberglass. We are also checking into Urethane Foam for the home. This should give us the best R/value for our bucks. Price is the only factor at this point. We appear to be on budget at this point but with any building project it's always going to cost a little more.

Second Floor Is starting to come together

The second floor is on and the walls are the next to go on. The last two days were great weather for the builders. They completed the flooring and started the walls. Ploof excavating has completed the landscaping and planted grass seed over the leach field. Final grading will happen in the spring. We also rented a lift truck. It takes alot of planning to put together a house like this. It might seem easy, but you have to think of every step before it happens and always be prepared for the next.

Logs Completed 2nd floor going up

The Logs are completed. Due to rain, snow and Deer season the work has slowed down. The studding for the first floor is going in so the 2nd floor can be put on. If the weather clears up the second floor should be completed by the end of the week. Ploof excavating completed back filling last Saturday. They also put hay down over the leach field. A small retaining wall on the south side was also added. We are still waiting for the power and the well to be started. Hopefully that will happen soon.

The Logs Are Going Up

John and his crew were working hard to complete the placing of the logs. It generally takes about a week but with the precut logs it has helped John complete the task earlier. The weather on Thursday was bad. It rained hard most of the day with some snow flurries. Hopefully the logs will be completed today. The windows were ordered yesterday and we should have power soon.

Floor Decking

The floor decking was completed on Friday. The logs start going up on Monday. I had to buy a generator for the construction because the power is still not connected.

1st Floor Deck Framing - Basement Walkout

The first floor was laid today the plywood decking will be completed tomorrow. The logs will be started on schedule Monday. Today I bought a 6200 Watt generator for the construction and for emergency back up power. In two of the pictures you can see from inside the basement looking out. Notice the steel beam in the Prow area of the basement. A side view of the home shows both rock walls completed.

The Framing Has Started

The framing has started on our long awaited log home. In the pictures you can see the walk out area with our new rock retaining wall next to it. The flooring should be done by Monday and the logs will be going up on Tuesday. The weather will determine if they will work or not. Let's hope the weather holds up. If everything goes ok the logs should be up in about a week, then the roofing can go up.

Septic System

Today the septic system was completed. The pipe was laid down and insulated. A support pipe was also put around the 4 " pipe so driving over it will be safe. The inspection will be on Monday so the rest of the system can be filled over. Wink, myself and one of Ploof's men helped put in the sonic tubes for the support of the decking. Each hole was dug to 4 feet. All 11 of them. It took most of the day but it's now done. The cement will be done on Monday afternoon.

Retaining Wall

Ploof Excavating was building a retaining wall for the new home. This will allow us to walk out on a level surface from the basement and will also keep the dirt where it should be. As you can see it looks awsome and will be a strong wall. He is also working on the septic system. We now have a septic tank. Today he will be digging the hole to the leach field. This will have to be inspected before it can be covered.

Basement Floor

KW poured the basement floor last week. The floor has two drains that Patti & I put in ourselves. Yes! we did dig the holes and put in the PVC pipe. It was hard digging but we managed with only a few cuts and scratches and or aches & pains. Anyway the floor looks great, nice and smooth. Construction was suppose to start this last Monday but they had to finish the last job they started while we were waiting for the bank this summer. I did talk to John from HS Construction and he gave me a list of materials to start for next Monday morning. Jim Ploof will work on the retaining wall in the front of the house tomorrow. Spafford Well drilling came out and checked out the area for the well. They said it will be soon!! The power poles will be set soon, possibly another 3 weeks. This will make it hard for John and his crew using generators. The weather seems to be holding out for us lets hope the bad weather comes after the roof is on in about 6 to 8 weeks. Ploof has also back filled around the foundation so it will be easier for John and his crew.

Electric Power Update

I talked with CVPS today and they will go out and mark the location of the power pole. The metal beam will be delivered this week most likely tomorrow.

Foundation & Drains

Hello:

Patti & I went out to the site this afternoon to put in the two drains we will have in the basement. We will have one on the side under the bathrooms and one in the utility room. It took us about 30 minutes to dig the holes and put the pipe in. The back filling will happen on Wednesday or Thursday. Hopefully the tar will be sprayed on Wednesday before the back filling. Also the basement floor will be poured next week.

Logs Delivered

Hello Everyone

The logs were delivered today and with more than a few problems they are safe on the new home site. One of the first problems was the fork lift arrived an hour late. The logs were too long to go down the road so they were taken off the tractor trailer and stored on our neighbors front lawn on Rt 53. We just met them today and they saved us more headaches. We also met another neighbor on Istimus Rd. which was very helpful and took many pictures for us. We are lucky to have such great new friends and neighbors. Anyway the fork lift kept on breaking down and they had to call the mechanic to fix it. Another 2 hours wasted. They had to go back to Bristol and pick up another trailer to move the lumber from the neighbors lawn. The driver of the fork lift was just a truck driver and was slow moving. He was not use to the equipment. HS Construction had two members to help with the logs for the day which was good. Rick & Kate the Lincoln logs dealer were also there to help and count the building materials coming off the truck. K W Foundations was also on site to remove the forms of our new basement walls. We had a beautiful warm day in the 70's with the threat of rain all day, but with only a few drops of rain to speak of. After all work was completed it was 5pm. Patti ordered a port-a-potty which also arrived today. She also kept everyone happy with food and drinks. I'm so lucky!! The contractor talked to the foundation and excavator on the phone which was real good for communications for the rest of the job. Patti also ordered the foundation to be sprayed tar for a sealer.

Frost Wall

The frost wall was poured today. I have also updated the floor plans with the new final drawings. If you get a chance check out the new pictures.

We Now Have A Solid Base to Build On

Yesterday the footings were poured. Wink and his crew did a fantastic job. Everything seems to be going fast now, and I hope it stays smooth sailing. The basement walls will be put in on Thursday. The back filling is also scheduled for Thursday. The logs will be delivered on the 19th of October. Anyone that wants to come and watch is more than welcome. In the picture with the cement truck shows the first cement going into the forms. There will be a walk out basement on the lake side. A steel beam was ordered on Monday at Mac's Steel in Rutland. I took a trip with the plans in the afternoon. Construction start date is October 21st. I will give a list of materials for the first floor decking to RK Miles Lumber when we get back from Washington on Tuesday. Keep looking for new updates!

Paul