We went out to Gloucester on Saturday.  I had a church meeting that didn’t end until 11:30, so we got a late start.  It didn’t help that it was more than 95F.  We ran into a little traffic around 93 so we got off and wandered through Wakefield and got back on 128 in the Peabody area and finally made it to Gloucester.  It was only 91 there with a little breeze.  Our goal for that day was to deliver the hardware for the drawers and cabinets.  It was too hot to paint.  We got to meet Anita’s brother up from Atlanta.  He said the weather in Georgia was pretty much the same every day.  Ugh!  At least in New England, it only lasts a few days before it breaks.  Can’t wait until Monday!

Anyway, what we noticed was that the electrician had been in and had started to install the outlets and switches.  The bathroom tile is complete, the floor and shower wall look fantastic.  The plumber will come in once the kitchen counter is in (which is hopefully this week).  The rain garden is in (that’s the rectangular depression near the edge of the house).  The downspouts will fit into PVC pipes that will channel the water to the rain garden.  There’s also a new depression behind the boulder.  Don’t know what that is for.  Lastly, the trench for the propane pipe is there.  Don’t know why the delay in installing it.  The propane company was quick to come out for the initial visit and contract.

The deck materials are there but still no progress in getting it started.  It’s not needed for the occupancy permit.

They also placed a large granite rock on top of the old cesspool.  A nice spot to sit and enjoy my coffee.

 

 

 

We made another trip out to Gloucester.  The weather was absolutely perfect.  We were there mostly to accept the delivery of my bedroom set.  Jordan Furniture said they would be there between 7am and 10am.  That meant leaving Nashua around 5:30am.  We got there about 6:45am and were met by Anita.  We sat on our new granite steps and chatted for a while.  The furniture guys showed up around 8:30 and were gone within 30 minutes.  Michael and I then started to paint.  I managed to get the bedroom ceiling painted while Michael worked on his bedroom upstairs.  My friend Gail and her daughter Debbie arrived around 10:30 and we showed them the house.  The last time Gail was here was when the old building was still there and nothing had been started.  Around 11:15, Michael’s friend Mitra and her husband Rockne arrived.  They last saw the house when the foundation was poured.  They got the nickel tour and then we talked about lunch.  Gail and Debbi had brought Max (the dog) so that limited us to where we could go.  We decided on the Lobster Pool.  Before leaving, they got a tour of Mr Duffy’s house by Anita.  We then went on to the Lobster Pool. We decided to sit out back.  There were already 2 dogs there so we knew that Max would be welcome.  We got 3 tables in the shade and had a leisurely lunch.  I had a burger while the others had either lobster rolls or the fisherman’s platter.  There was a nice breeze and the view was outstanding.

Afterwards, we went back to the house to clean up and the others went home.  In the pictures you’ll see the new granite steps, the footings for the deck were dug and filled, the trench for the propane tanks was dug, PVC pipe was laid for the gutter downspouts and a bunch of brush and tree trunks were removed.

I also went out this past Thursday to meet with the granite company countertop installer.  He spent about 30 minutes measuring for the granite countertop.  It’ll be installed in a 1-2 weeks.  Once that is done, the plumber can come back and complete the water hookups and hopefully finish the bathroom.  The tile for the shower is almost complete as is the flooring.

 

 

We decided to go out to Gloucester on Saturday to start painting.  Home Depot had a $10 off per gallon through Sunday, so we bought 6 gallons of wall paint and ceiling paint.  I started downstairs while Michael worked upstairs.  I started on the living/dining area ceiling.  We started at 9am.  By 1pm, I had most of the that ceiling painted and the hallway ceiling.  I didn’t want to touch the kitchen area with all the tools and materials laying around.  We finished by 1pm.  We had a graduation party yo go to at 6pm so we got home and rested a bit.  It’s a lot of work painting.

The builder came over and said he hoped that the interior work, bathroom, bedroom floor and trim would be done by the end of the week.  Work on the outside will continue but the deck is not required for an occupancy permit.  After the inside is done, the plumber, electrician and HVAC guys can come back and complete the work.

Last week we painted the in ceiling spot lights.  The paint we use is pink when applied and turns white when it dries.  The builder had remarked to a friend that our ceiling was going to be pink, how interesting.  When he came by the next day, it was dry and was white!

On Sunday, we went to Gloucester again, arriving at 10:30am.  We had left everything as it was on Saturday so we could start painting right away.  Michael continued upstairs and I started on the walls.  I had to mask all the trim and ceiling areas which take time and means I have to go up and down the ladder, which is difficult with my knee.  I managed to get all the walls painted where the ceiling had also been painted the previous day.  I got 1 wall of the hallway done all the way to the stairs.  I couldn’t do the other wall since I had no place to put the heavy door plus when I was painting the 1 wall, I kept whacking the wall behind me.  If it had been wet, it would have left a mark so I stopped at the 1 wall.  I also painted some of the exposed corners with the metal showing.  That will take a couple of coats to hide them.

My bedroom furniture arrives on Saturday.  We hope to get that bedroom ceiling painted and maybe start the wall before the furniture arrives.  If Michael does the edging, I can quickly paint the ceiling since there are no light fixtures to go around.

We also had some visitors, the wild turkeys!

It’s July 4th, hot, and we had nothing to do until late afternoon, so we left early for Gloucester.  Michael is getting a new work vehicle that’s smaller than the current one.  We picked up 2 recliners a couple of weeks ago and we were worried they wouldn’t fit in the new car, so we decided to bring them out today.  There was also a couple of other reasons..read on.

Early in the week, a backhoe was delivered, on Monday afternoon.  I noticed late last week that the work trailer had been moved.  So, the backhoe started to work on the back of the house where the deck is going.  I saw at least 1 truckload of something being removed, most likely stumps and other brush that had built up back there.  On Wednesday morning, the work trailer left.  We thought that, maybe, work was finishing up.  So, that was the main reason we went out today.  We also thought about starting to paint.

We got there a little after 8:30am.  We thought to stop and Willow Rest but they were closed.  We got to the house and went in.  Not much had changed since last Saturday.  The hardwood floor has been completed in the kitchen and living area, and the hallway.  About 1/3 of my bedroom was completed.  Also, the stair treads to the upstairs were in. The bathroom still was not complete.

The granite people are supposed to go out next week to make the template, cut the stone and install it.  No one seems to be in a hurry, except us.

On the way back we stopped at Pottery Barn at the Burlington Mall.  We have lots of lights to buy and it’s hard to imagine how big/small they are by looking at a web page.  PB had a light we are considering to the entrance hallway.  It’s big but would fit perfectly.  Now I have something to compare it to.  The entrance hallway ceiling is about 14′ high so we need something big.

We might go back on Saturday and start painting.  The living/dining area ceiling and walls could be painted.

Not much has happened this week.  The stairway nosing I ordered came in Monday night.  I picked it up on Tuesday afternoon.  Then on Wednesday, I got up at my usual 3:00am, got ready, ate breakfast and headed to Gloucester to drop off the nosing.  Driving on Rt 95/128 is interesting in the dark.  In Peabody stretch, the road curves and twists so I had to slow down.  There were not too many cars on the road at 4am.  I dropped the nosing off and headed back to Burlington, to work. I got there a little before 6am, my usual arrival time.  Just a lot of driving.

The kitchen appliances got delivered yesterday.  Home Depot arrived a little before 2pm and were gone by 3pm.  I caught a little of the action on the web cam.  Today we went out to see them in place.  There are pics in this post.  They also started the bathroom.  They are using a tile system called Schluter.   It is applied directly to the wallboard and provides a waterproof system for installing the tile.  As you can see by the pics, most of the bathroom wall has been completed and part of the floor.  Hopefully by the end of the week, the bath will be finished and grouted.  Then we can call to have the shower door measured and ordered, a 4 week process.

I’m still waiting for the granite place to call to schedule a time to do the template.  I called them yesterday and the guy who does the templates is out on holiday.  So, it looks like the earliest they could come out is the week of July 8th.

They were supposed to start the posts for the deck and dig the trench for the propane tanks.  Nada!

Our next visit isn’t until Saturday, July 13th.  Jordan Furniture will be delivering my bedroom furniture and mattress.  We did pick up the 2 recliners last week from the Joran Furniture warehouse.   They sit in the garage all wrapped in plastic.

 

We went to Rockport for lunch.  We found a handicap spot on the wharf.  We ate at the Red Skiff Restaurant.  I had a grilled cheese with tomato on marble bread.  It was yummy!  There are a couple of pics of Rockport harbour.  The last time we were there was New Years Day, Jan 1 2018.  If was 5 degrees with a viscous wind and the harbour had ice on it.  Today it was cloudy and upper 70’s with a nice breeze.

We took another trip out to Gloucester to try to start painting.  The builder ran into problems with the amount of moisture in the flooring.  They got about 1/2 of the first floor down and then had to stop.  The remaining boards (as you can see in some of the pics) are lined up against the wall.  He has a portable A/C running and a dehumidifier running to try and dry out the rest of the flooring.  He hopes to continue the floor installation next week.  Also coming up is the tile in bathroom, digging the trench for the propane tanks and landscaping.  He’s going to dump several loads of loam and grade the property.  Gloucester requires that you keep the water that falls on your property on your property.  If you look back at the earliest entries of the blog, you’ll see something called a ‘Rain Garden’.  That’s been laid out.  Gutters on the roof will redirect the water to this rain garden and then into the ground.  We do have 1 corner of the property that does form a large puddle so I’ll be hoping that this rain garden will prevent that.

We also had a discussion on where should the island be located.  If we put it in the center, we have about 37″ on each side and it sort of monopolizes the kitchen.  So, we decided to push it against the wall, in between the 2 windows.  So now we have a peninsula.  You’ll also notice that the cabinets and drawers installed.  The appliances get delivered on Friday.

We also saw 2 deer on the property behind us.  They didn’t stay long enough to photograph them.

When’s is it going to be done?  Maybe by this time next month?

 

We went out to Gloucester again today.  We had planned on starting to paint but the upstairs is still too wet.  We did go out last night and bought paint, painting tape, brushes and rollers.  Gail and Debbie lent us a ladder and a bunch of painting trays and roller handles.  If we get the OK, we’ll go out next Saturday, early, to start painting the upstairs.  I really want to paint the 1st floor, first, but I’ll take the 2nd floor if that gets us started.

The washer and dryer were delivered on Thursday.  They sit in the basement for the moment.

In the upstairs, the internal doors have been installed.  Some of the door and window moldings have been put on.  The hardwood floor was started in the kitchen and the biggest surprise, the kitchen cabinets were installed.  Not bad for $9700.  The appliances come on June 28th.

Still to go: finish hardwood floor, install the outlets, switches and lights, finish door and window trim, put on stair treads, dig trench the propane tanks, get the tanks installed, tile the downstairs wall and floor tile, add the toilets and sinks, add the deck, install the granite front steps and finally (unless I’ve forgotten something) install the controls for the STEP system (sewer system).  Once the cabinets are install, I can get the granite ordered and installed.  Once the bathroom tile is installed, I get order the glass wall and shower door.  What a list of things to be done.  And finally, grade the yard, add more dirt and hydro seed.

Well, compared to the last 3 weeks, progress has been made.  The plasters have been in all week doing what they do best, plastering the ceiling and walls.  We went out today to see the progress.  I believe they have 1 more day left.  The 1st and 2nd floors have been completed.  The basement is almost complete.  I rescheduled the appliance deliveries to the end of month.  Cabinets go in soon and the hardware floor installation should begin soon.  We met with the builder and picked out the color of the material for the deck.  We are using a product called Trex which is practically maintenance free.  The railing system is called Feeney.  It will be white rails with cables between them.  The decking color is grey.

And we have water.  During the past couple of days I saw what appeared to be a hose to the 2nd floor.  I couldn’t really see clearly but it moved a day later to the 1st floor.  So, it wasn’t a shadow.  When we got there, we saw the water meter!  We have the water hooked up and the electric.  Next is a trench for the propane tanks and the footings for the deck.  Fingers crossed that it all progresses quickly.  I guess there’s a lot of construction going on in Gloucester and the surrounding area that makes scheduling the subs tricky.

Like our new ‘chandelier’?  Still searching for just the right one.

Nothing to report this week.  As far as I can tell, nothing happened in the house this week.  We are waiting on the plasterers.  After that, the electrical work can be completed, the cabinets installed and floor laid down.  The bathroom still has to be tiled.

I did manage to get to Jordan’s Furniture last Sunday.  They have a deal where if the Red Sox play a no hitter after July 31st, all the furniture is free.  So, I bought a bed and nightstand and 2 small recliners for the living room.  They have delivery dates in mid-July.

According to the builder, the plasterers should be in by end of week.  Then the trench for the propane pipe will be dug and the footers for the deck and something to do with the front steps.

Michael invited his Chinese friends to see the house.  I was disappointed when we entered the house.  Last Saturday, we noticed that most of the dry wall had been done.  This week, very little seems to have been done.  They dry walled the utility closet in the basement and made room for more storage in the closet in the bathroom on the 1st floor.  I didn’t go upstairs but was told nothing was done.  The kitchen cabinets were delivered but I think they have to wait for the plasterers to finish before they can be installed.  I’ve delayed the appliance delivery for another week.  I don’t want them there with all the clutter.  Besides, it would make plastering the kitchen area more difficult.

They did install the vent for the kitchen stove.  Fortunately, the 2nd floor rafters were in the same direction, so the pipe is completely hidden in the ceiling.

Anyway, his friends were impressed with the design the the layout of the house.  Our neighbor, Anita, was gracious enough to show his friends her house and the cottage known as “Mr Duffy”.

Afterwards we went out for lunch at the Azorean and then they wanted to see a beach.  We took them to Good Harbour Beach.  The tide was almost low but you could walk to the water line.  There were some people in the water, but not swimming.  There were a fair number on the beach sunbathing.  I had just put my beach sticker on the car but they haven’t started to collect the parking fee.