Decking Installed

The 5/4"x6" pressure treated decking has been completed on the back of our Nelsonville new build.

PEX

Manablock manifold

After much consideration, the home owners and I chose PEX Tubing for the water suply in our Nelsonville new build.
There are several good reasons for using PEX tubing for water supply.

1.High temperature capability, pressure-rated up to 200° F
2.High pressure capability/stability (reduced creep)
3.Smooth wall, excellent flow characteristics
4.Quiet operation
5.Reduced heat loss and condensation
6.Flexibility for design
7.Proven long life, rigorous certifications, highly tested


A PEX installation requires fewer directional fittings. Since most plumbing problems occur at joints, fewer fittings reduce the chances of leaks. The homeowner saves in the cost of the installed system, fewer callbacks, and reduced utility costs when home-run manifold systems are utilized in conjunction with PEX.

Manifold or home run plumbing systems are much like a breaker box for the electrical system in the home. The manifold provides a common location from which all the plumbing fixtures are supplied. Some high-end manifolds also feature fixture shut-off valves allowing the user to shut off the water to individual fixtures from one location. Others are semi-home run manifolds or termination manifolds, which may feed the plumbing requirements for a room or set of rooms and reduce the number of fittings required in the plumbing system.

Back Deck

Today we began the framing on the Back Deck. The deck will be 12' x 42' with 12' x 22' under roof and screened.

Cricket

When building a chimney on a house, a major consideration is in diverting the water running down the roof from the back of the chimney. On a house where the chimney is located on the side or near the top of the roof, flashing is all that is required. However, to divert the water on a house where the chimney is near the bottom of the roof, we build a small roof called a cricket. The photos show how the water will be shunted off to one side and away.

Chimney Completed

The weather has finally broken and spring is here. With the rise in temperatures our masons have been able to complete the block on the chimney. The masons poured the concrete cap on the top of the chimney and removed their scaffold so now we can start to build the decks and the screened porch.

D W V

Today we completed the majority of the drain waste vent pipe (DWV) system.

The drain waste vent pipe is part of a home's plumbing system that is specifically used to carry waste water down and away from the home, and allows sewer gases to be pushed out through the roof. Drain waste vent pipes are typically plastic.

A specialized building code strictly regulates plumbing systems. A specialized plumbing inspector checks the installation when the pipes are being put in, and again when the home is finished, right before closing, to ensure all codes are followed and the plumbing is safe for the occupants.

Kitchen Beams

Today we applied the stain finish to the rough-sawn pine beams in the kitchen of our Nelsonville new build. Before we stained the beams we wanted to distress them to give an older hand-hewn look. Carving on them randomly with hand planes, chisels and sandpaper gave the pine more character, and will make them look like they've been there a long time.

Odds and Ends

Over the last few days I haven't posted because we've been working to finish up some of the various stages that I've already talked about. I thought I would take this opportunity to share some pictures for those of you interested. The Wall Sconces came in and were installed, the drywall in the kitchen has been hung and taped, and we've began to install the siding on the back of the house.

Porch Ceiling

We have not been truly satisfied with the look of the post and beam porch ceiling since it was built. The design called for the underside of the metal roof to show between the purlins, but the underside of the green metal is white and does not fit with our color scheme.

The tongue and groove pine on the inside exceeded our expectations so we decided to use the same material on the porch.

Ceiling Day 11

The tongue and groove pine is virtually completed on the inside of the house. Tomorrow we will begin installing pine outside on the porch ceiling.

Ceiling Day 10

The tongue and groove pine was completed on the bay window and the gable above it today. One more day of installation should finish up this portion of the project.

Ceiling Day 9

We have finally finished the high ceiling at our Nelsonville new build and have began to start the living room walls and bay window area. We are really starting to achieve the hunting lodge aspect that we have been looking for since we began the design process.

Security System

Because of the remote location of the home we're building in Nelsonville the owners decided that they would like to have a Security System installed. The system they chose is from Brinks Home Security and it is monitored 24 hours a day for both security and fire. The sensors on the doors and windows as well as the smoke and heat detectors were hard wired to the master control box before the insulation was installed. Now that the furnace is up and running and some of the dry wall is hung we are able to activate the system and provide peace of mind for the owners (and the builder who has a lot of equipment on site).



For more imformation on Security Systems go to http://www.brinkshomesecurity.com/