Weekend Wrap Up

So after The Husband's meeting with our concrete guy we decided to skip the concrete staining. He confirmed what TH and I had already suspected, that the staining was going to add weeks to our already delayed schedule. This wasn't something that TH and I were willing to wait over. Especially considering the fact that we didn't really like the stains we had selected to sample. TH also learned at his meeting that we can purchase tinted sealants that we can apply later on down the road. I am not sure I want a color, I am fine with the concrete color, it just needs to be sealed. Whichever way we choose to go can be decided later on so we chose to keep moving ahead with the basement.

This weekend we tackled the framing in the basement. We are only finishing part of the basement, a bathroom and my gym. The rest of the basement will remain unfinished and closed off from the finished part.

Gym walls in progress

Bathroom walls in progress

The basement walls are completed I just don't have any pictures of the finished product. Framed walls are pretty hard to comprehend in photos anyways, or at least I find them to be.

I know it might seem a bit weird that all of our upper levels are drywalled but our basement wasn't even framed yet but that's what happens when you build over winter. The ground was too frozen for the plumber to do his ground works when we were working on the framing of the rest of the house. This delayed when we could pour our slab, which then delayed when we could frame the walls in the basement.  We were planning on just moving ahead with the upper levels (the main living spaces) and then drywall the basement when we do the garage but the drywaller wanted to do the whole house at once to save setup time on his end. We moved the basement walls up on the schedule hoping to satisfy the drywaller but all of our trades are on vacation this week, scheduling fail. We'll have to see how things play out in the next couple of weeks, it might end up still working out with the drywallers schedule. If not we're just out a bit more $$. Not the end of the world.

We did get some other trades lined up for the week. The water meter and water pressure tank are going to be installed later on this week. That sounds so boring but it is one step closer to having running water. Seriously, I am jealous of all you who can just walk to a faucet and turn the tap on and having a never ending supply of water ( I am going to assume that's all of you).

Our sewer guy (hey, every house needs one) is coming later on this week to finish hooking up our sceptic tank and sewer mound.

The crew is still on schedule to start mudding and taping the drywall in the house.

We met with our painter, who isn't coming this week but, is really flexible and is able to come as a soon as we need him to and it will only take 2 days to do our prime and first coat. Yay for something happening quickly! Then we'll be able to move onto cabinet install. (sooooo excited about this. We picked up samples of our cabinet doors the other day and they look amazing.)

Now for the bad news. We had heard that booking tile setters can be challenging here so we called 4-6 weeks in advance. We contacted the 2 best tile setters in town and they are both busy for at least 2 or 3 months. No bueno. (Hey, those Spanish classes paid off after all!) So right now it's looking like we are going to attempt to do our tile work on our own. It looks so easy on TV. Right? Right?

I kid, I kid. We really are going to attempt to do our own tile, just with a bit more guidance than from the crew on Holmes on Holmes. If it works out with my parent's schedule (who knew retired people would be so busy?!) they are going to come and help us out. My dad is really handy and has experience tiling and one of tile setters that is too busy to do our house offered to teach us Tiling 101 for Dummies. Hopefully with all of their knowledge combined we can lay down some decent looking tile.

Lots happening on the house building front this week! I think once we get the house painted, things are going to start moving really quickly. Or at least that's what I am telling myself....