Posted: December 1st, 2009 | Filed under: Building Materials, Exterior Siding, Landscaping, Our Projects | Tags: landscaping retaining walls modern | 2 Comments »
Well, I’ve been avoiding this hot mess post because I wasn’t sure how to bitch about it without sounding like a brat. Impossible. So here it is. It would appear that I won’t have a front door by Christmas. The Plan was not followed closely enough and now, our wooden stairway has to be rethought. Currently, the way it is designed will drop you on the first concrete step, rather than at the pad on the gravel patio…thus forcing you to step over a wall to get to the patio. I don’t think so. We’re screwed by about 16 inches. We may have to zig zag a bit to make up the difference which REALLY BLOWS. I think it will look weird and awkward and poorly planned…YA THINK?!
Just to make sure I get kicked when I’m down…the tree rats are getting a little revenge. Remember that new paint job? There’s about 4 boards of cedar left on the entire house since we haven’t replaced the door to the crawlspace behind the house yet. They’ve been going for it. Bastards.
I’ve never had a renovation surprise beat me before and I’m working hard to make sure this one doesn’t either. I’ve been a bit depressed about this development since I usually have an “aha” solution to these things by now. I know there’s been a lot going on…distracted…denial.
Today I walked around, looking at the old staircase lying in the mud …(my God all the mud…everywhere)…and realized it was time to walk away….at least until after the holidays. Stick it on the shelf…even though every time I come up the driveway it will scream “failure!!” to me…Talking to the CC, I was reminded of the big picture.
CC: Does it look better than it did…even unfinished?
ME: Sigh….Yes…
CC: Does it add value to the property?
ME: One would hope!
CC: Well, then. Whatever it ends up being, it will be miles ahead of where we were… AND we’ve added value despite the problems.
ME: You’re right. You’re ALWAYS right…..
That’s why he’s a keeper.
Bratty pants here is taking deep breaths and will revisit with a solution at a later date with a fresh mind. In the meantime, we need to fill the beds with topsoil, finish the patio with a layer of crushed stone and basically spend a lot of time shoveling and hauling. I’m still sore from Sunday and I barely made a dent.
So, do I put a wreath on a door you can’t get to?
Posted: August 10th, 2009 | Filed under: Building Materials, Exterior Siding, Our Projects | Tags: exterior paint | No Comments »
The house exterior is officially done. The windows, foundation and garage door (until we figure that out) have all been painted, so now we can really start to focus on this hot mess of a yard. It’s pretty humid here right now and the idea of tearing out rotten railroad ties isn’t appealing…at all.
Grey Paint on Foundation
Exterior Paint on Windows
Posted: July 27th, 2009 | Filed under: Building Materials, Exterior Siding, Our Projects | Tags: galvalume siding modern, residential galvalume siding | 3 Comments »
I WIN. Tree rats can eat it…or at least eat something other than my house from now on.
It only went about a month over schedule…mainly due to Nashville Electric’s inability to communicate within its own departments…but it’s done. What a difference!
We are better insulated, tree rat free and looking a helluva lot better to boot. The final guttering etc.. was done while I was away so it was exciting to come home to the finished project. There is one tiny piece of guttering to be fixed and some scraps of metal to be dropped off, but that will take 10 minutes, so in my book..it’s done.
Dale Portman and Barry Choate aka The Coupe did a really fantastic job and brought an awesome crew. They understood what we were going for and did us proud. They stayed on top of things, communicated everything clearly and that is hard to come by these days…Thanks guys!
Now that I have this nice siding…it’s time to paint the windows, foundation, garage door…find some affordable outdoor porch lights….get rid of that nasty lattice….rebuild/stain decking….start rolling change to save up for some serious landscaping..those old rotten steps are crumbling more and more every day…..phew….onward!
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Front Before
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Front After
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Before
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After
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The Way We Were
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After
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Before
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After
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After
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Next Up…Hazardous Stairs
Posted: June 30th, 2009 | Filed under: Building Materials, Exterior Siding, Our Projects | Tags: burnished slate galvalume, galvalume siding, galvalume siding modern, residential galvalume siding | No Comments »
My life in the fishbowl is, thankfully, almost over. Let’s be clear, I am not ungrateful for the hardworking men who have brought me this amazing transformation…but with no window treatments anywhere here and 12 people crawling all over your house at every window and door…it’s a bit unnerving after awhile. I KNOW they don’t give a rats ass what I’m doing, but…you know…it can be creepy.
The panels are all up…now it’s just trim pieces, new gutters and a few soffits left to do so I’m hoping by the end of the week, we’re done.
Posted: June 22nd, 2009 | Filed under: Building Materials, Exterior Siding, Our Projects | Tags: burnished slate galvalume, galvalume siding, galvalume siding modern, residential galvalume siding, residential metal siding | No Comments »
Metal finally arrived late Thursday, so Friday the first panels went up….what a difference. To be honest, just the house wrap and the edging already made the house look better so this is indeed progress. FINALLY, I’m really able to visualize the whole thing done now and I’m pleased as all get out about it.
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Wrapped and Ready
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Wrapped and Ready
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Contraption for Bending the Metal
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How Many Dudes Does it Take….
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My Heroes…Dale and Barry at the First Run of Metal
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The First Corner
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Chew Proof Edge
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Try and Gnaw on THAT Tree Rats
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Wowee!
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Kitchen Side…Sided
Posted: June 11th, 2009 | Filed under: Building Materials, Exterior Siding, Our Projects | Tags: burnished slate galvalume, galvalume siding, galvalume siding modern, residential galvalume siding | No Comments »
Things are really moving along….The metal sheets are due to arrive today and beacuse of the prepping done during these past 2 weeks, the transformation will be instantaneous. I hope by this time next week I’ll have photos of a metal house to show you!
Posted: May 29th, 2009 | Filed under: Building Materials, Exterior Siding, Our Projects | Tags: burnished slate galvalume, galvalume siding modern, residential galvalume siding | No Comments »
I thought I’d start off the new site with the first day of the galvalume installation mentioned here and here. Alas, not to be. Materials were delivered today….right color…wrong profile. We ordered the 12 inch striated rib in burnished slate and we got 12 inch minor rib.
The reason we chose the striated was for it’s more forgiving profile. The flat profile of the minor rib shows imperfections that are less obvious with the striated rib. The photos below show the differences in the 2 styles.
Kills ya to look at all that beautiful metal sitting in the yard that you can’t USE.
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Galvalume Rib Profiles
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Striated Sample
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Color Sample
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Wrong Stuff
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Truckload of Wrong
Posted: May 16th, 2009 | Filed under: Building Materials, Exterior Siding, Our Projects | Tags: burnished slate galvalume, galvalume siding, galvalume siding modern | 1 Comment »
As I wake this morning…like many mornings, to the jaw clenching sound of steady gnawing near my head…I am somewhat comforted. It’s almost over.
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My Nemesis. Photo State Library of NC
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Barn Siding in “Burnished Slate” Galvalume via ACB Metals
We’ve made a decision on the siding problem. After many quotes. many meetings, and a little professional encouragement from an architect friend – (Thanks AKK!) We are moving forward with Galvalume: 26 gauge, 12 inch rib in Burnished Slate. Deposit paid, (*gulp*) materials ordered…we should get rolling in about 2 weeks. I’ve included a photo of a barn done in the color we have chosen to give you some idea. The theory is that the dark shade will help the house disappear into the woods.
Posted: April 22nd, 2009 | Filed under: Building Materials, Exterior Siding, Our Projects | Tags: galvalume siding modern, Metal siding NOT A BARN, modern hardie vertical panel, replacing cedar siding | 2 Comments »
When our house was built in 1977, it was sided in a beautiful Western Cedar. If it were not for all the animal and water damage, it would still be beautiful, alas, it is not. It is their playground and they taunt me.
It has become apparent in our 9 months of living here, that our battle against the squirrels will never be over as long as the cedar is still on the house. Indian chili pastes and sprays wash off and only last a short time. I think they are probably developing a taste for the capsaicin buzz by now anyway. As soon as we’ve patched up all the holes, they conspire in the woods and attack again….sometimes a new hole, sometimes right next to the old one….my personal favorite: just pick the highest, most difficult to reach hole and eat right through the patch to the hardware cloth, then chew just far enough around it to access the old hole. I have a metal plate in my hallway ceiling where one overzealous nester decided to try and chew through the sheetrock to greet new horizons. Looking up and seeing that beady eye looking back at you is enough to send any sane homeowner into a frenzied, irrational tailspin. As I frantically jab and scream at the hole in the ceiling with a coat hanger attached to an extension rod, my children must wonder, “What’s happening to Mommy?” Tree rats are turning me into Joan Crawford. That’s what’s happening to Mommy.
There is no way we can DIY this one. It would take years. We just can’t lift panels that heavy, that high by ourselves and so we are at that place we hate to be….having to hire out labor. I think T-111 will look cheap and present the same maintenance level. We’ve had a quote for Hardie vertical panel (smooth with trim piece battens) and are awaiting the one for Galvalume (12 inch rib in 26 gauge). As much as I love the look of the cedar, I just think the maintenance has already proved to be too much. Our house backs up to a state natural area and the wildlife is plentiful. We’d just prefer to admire the wildlife out the window as opposed to shaking our fists in the air like old farts every time we see a squirrel come near the house.
Our budget is, of course, the primary concern. No Ipe rainscreens here. We need an economical solution.
Front of House
Latest Breach
Siding Chewed
Siding Up Close
1977 Cedar Siding
Holes Before Patching
