Rico Renovation

September 5th - We Have Moved In!

2007-09-05T12:59:00.000-06:00

We arrived back in Rico sometime in mid-July. Our hopes were to move into the 3rd level of the house but not much progress was made while I was back in Iowa. We temporarily moved into the Kreutzer house that we purchased upon our return. The accomodations were quite nice but we were anxious to get moved in to our new space.About 6 weeks of hard work paid off & on August 29th we spent our first

March 29th - Back in Rico

2007-03-29T20:49:00.000-06:00

I have been trying to get back into the swing of things as I returned about 2 weeks ago; just a little too busy with lots going on. I spent several more days than I expected at my sisters in Denver and was quite ill with the respiratory thing that most everyone has had.Before I left Iowa, I managed to fill a 40' ocean container with enough material to finish the house. It included polished

Jan 29th - News from the Boys

2007-01-29T11:37:00.000-07:00

It's good having some guys you can trust and Pat and Greenbay have been doing a great job keeping progress moving as well as keeping me posted with pictures on the progress. All 3 posts I made today will have photos of the progress.Thanks to our dear friends Cody and Anica who have been such a big help in seeing that my financial obligations move along by seeing that my checks are received by

Jan 29th - Moving Material

2007-01-29T10:19:00.000-07:00

I am residing in Florida currently and have really been enjoying the warm weather although it is cold by Florida standards, down in the low 40's at night...not bad with below zero in other places.Right before I left Iowa, I had spoken to a retired woman that I hadn't seen in several years. I remember she had an a lot of granite sitting in a field near her house and now it was time for me to go

Jan 29th - Checking In

2007-01-29T08:25:00.000-07:00

It's been over a month since I've made a posting and I wanted to give an update on our progress.Pat and Greenbay continue to make headway on the various projects on the house. Greenbay has completed the installation of the entire stairway and landings and has now begun the process of framing the walls in and around the stair wells. The stairs look great as you will be able to see by the photos

Dec 22nd - 2 Feet of Snow

2006-12-22T10:09:00.000-07:00

We got out just in time as old man winter has dumped 2 feet or more of snow in Rico, Denver has their share too. Just rainy, drizzly and damp here in Iowa. I stopped in Kansas on the way in and picked up a big load of beaded board, window and door drim and plinths and rosettes. I have arranged for the stripper to strip most of it sometime after the first of year. I heard from Greenbay and also

Dec 14th - Final Day

2006-12-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

Today is our last day in Rico for some time and I am busy laying out details for Greenbay and Pat.Bob Akey has also come buy and I have decided to hire him to help Pat complete the electrical rough in while I am gone. At least the hard part of drilling boxes and stringing wire into the logs is completed. Cody has come by and helped me unload the doors out of the tall crate. Greenbay, Cody and I

Dec 13th - Electrical Progresses

2006-12-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

Greenbay has helped me pull wire up from the crawl space into the boxes in the living room. I have had to drill more holes for boxes for the outlets on the north wall. I have also had to fabricate an upright log to go in the opening for the wood storage area to the left of the fireplace. I manage to cut a channel and a box into the upright and install it. With some more wire we will have the

Dec.12th - Log Boxes

2006-12-13T21:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a long day and all I have done is drill holes so I can install square electrical boxes in the log structure that has become the living room. Because the walls are around 5" thick I have to be very careful to not drill all the way thru the logs. I had the foresight to predrill the logs when we were stacking them last summer so we could fish wire down the channels. Now the time has come

Dec 11th - Stairs Begin

2006-12-11T21:05:00.000-07:00

It has been snowing since yesterday, so Pat begins by shoveling snow around the house and the walkways we need to maneuver around the house. Greenbay and I move sheets of foam inside the garage so Pat can complete the insulation on the concrete on the first floor. Pat completes the framing in the downstairs bath and several miscellaneous areas.Greenbay begins the landing for the first floor

Dec 10th - More Electrical

2006-12-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

I've spent the day running more wire and installing boxes in the sunroom. It includes installing a 2x10 horizontal board to complete the rim joists overhead in the sunroom. I've also installed the remaining automatic plumbing vents at various places on the 2nd floor. I've run the 4 wire cable from the logs at the garage inside entrace all the way down into the crawl space for wiring the switches

Dec 9th - A Little Excitement in Rico

2006-12-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

Last night was the 2nd night this week that the cops have been called to Rico for a disturbance. Earlier in the week, someone was reported to be walking around on Glasgow Ave in his stocking feet. Trying to get into folk's cars and stopping traffic on the highway lands him in the clinker...Last night at the Enterprise all hell breaks loose. One guy gets cut by a knife across the eye and a 3 inch

Dec 8th - Electrical Begins

2006-12-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

Pat completed the interior details for the framing in the master bedroom today. The oak is so hard, very unforgiving and heavy to work with. Most of the material left is never quite straight and must be ripped down. I've given him a hand installing the final piece. We have more blocking to take care of, but it will require insulation to be installed between the rafters on the exterior

Dec 7th - Fishbowls and Fire

2006-12-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

Greenbay has nearly completed the framing on the third floor and has also reorganized the lumber out back as well as the garage.I spend a portion of the day preparing the water filter for installation and also hooking up the main shut off valve in the crawlspace. Pat has loaned me his torch and I do what little soldering I need to do to prepare the valve. I am a bit discouraged to find that

Dec 6th - Plumbing Rough-in Complete

2006-12-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

Today I've finished running all the water lines to their location from the manifold. Pat has helped me in the crawl space pull pipe into the old cabin. I've also completed the drain lines on the 3rd floor while Greenbay works on the framing for the 3rd floor loft. Pat has been working on finish framing in the master trying to prepare it for drywall as soon as the electrical and insulation are

Dec 5th - Lumber Run

2006-12-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

I spent the morning making a list of items we need in Cortez. Lynn and I take off for Cortez with several stops along the way. We stop at Val's place in Dolores and Lynn takes the truck to the market while I search out the lumber I need to build the stair stringers and landings. Wider dimension lumber is scarce in Val's yard and so it takes me a while to find what I need. One piece I find is dry

Dec 4th - Crawlin' in Space

2006-12-04T22:01:00.000-07:00

I've spent 4 hours in the crawl space this morning drilling through floor joists. I have a number of PEX water lines to run in the crawl space. While there is enough space to crawl around it's still not an easy job and my knees aches from the gravel. I also had to pull my boots off quickly a number of times when my feet cramped. Pat comes down into the crawl space now and helps me pull pipe

Dec 3rd - Plumb Crazy

2006-12-04T21:48:00.000-07:00

Today I've spent most of the day drilling and pulling the PEX tubing thru floor joists and walls. It's freezing in the house most of the day and the old pot belly barely keeps up. Using a right angle drill can be tough as the drill bits and hole-saws have a tendency to catch and when they do, you had better be hanging on, but letting go of the trigger. On more than one occasion the drill catches

Dec 2nd - Fireplace Details

2006-12-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

Greenbay has showed up for a few hours to work on more framing up on the 3rd floor.Today I have to prepare the old cast iron clod buster wheels that I have cut up in sections and get them ready to bolt up to the masonry structure of the fireplace. It's difficult to attach the odd shaped iron brackets to the masonry wall, but I manage to using Tapcons and a masonry bit. I also have a short

Dec 1st - It's A Small World

2006-12-02T19:57:00.000-07:00

Last night we got a knock on the door from Lynda who runs the hotel. She informed me that someone who knew me was in the restaurant and wanted to buy me a drink. I met Todd and Nadine Webber in the restaurant and while I had never met them, they have been customers of mine for a number of years. The question came up on how they found me. On their way back to Prescott, AZ from Paonia, CO, they

Nov 30th - Warm Board - Cold Night

2006-12-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

Today Pat, Greenbay and I started and completed the installation of the warm board on the 3rd level loft. The left over warm board was to be used on the original cabin floor but since we needed the warm board in this area to complete the framing, I've decided to use the remaining sheets and scraps up on the 3rd level. It takes some careful planning on my part and after making a sketch we are

Nov 29th - Cold, Cold, Cold

2006-11-30T19:12:00.000-07:00

The temperature has been steadily dropping into the single digits today. We can at least work inside. Pat has been up in the master framing the loft area over the hallway and installing blocking for the vertical siding to go up on the house at a later date.Greenbay and I have been working on the floor framing and have been installing the rough sawn exposed rim joists. These you will see from

Nov 28th - Blizzard

2006-11-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

It has been snowing all day with blowing snow. We have at least 12" on the ground and it is drifting and blowing everywhere. We haven't had much wind lately but today is exceptional and anywhere the snow can find a way in, it does. When we walk into the house our plastic drapes have let a ton of snow pile up in the house. Greenbay works only a few hours to make some temporary OSB doors. We use

Nov 27th - Let It Snow

2006-11-27T22:56:00.000-07:00

The sun was shining this morning but there are predictions out for a big snow storm. There are some things I want done before the snow comes. Pat is up on the roof between the chimney and the master installing some trim boards above the metal siding. It's a tough place to get into with a dry roof, but with snow coming we have to complete it. Greenbay helps him cut the necessary trim boards he

Nov 26th - Roof Completed

2006-11-27T22:06:00.000-07:00

I can hardly believe it but today at 5:30 Pat and I completed the roof. We started this morning by completing the fascia on the front of the cabin and then Pat and I installed the necessary flashing. Pat has been on the roof all day and once again I can't say how thankful I am that he loves being on the roof. Soon we are installing the final roof panels on the south side of the roof and we

Nov 25th - Dried In

2006-11-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

Pat and I have spent today completing the drying in of the cabin roof. Once the thin layer of plywood has been applied to old roof spaced sheeting, he has applied the felt paper over this and completed the vapor barrier. Next the 2 x 10 rim joists are applied on the south side of the roof and these will create the border for the insulated panels. I spend most of the day cutting the insulated

Nov 24th - Cabin Gets A Roof

2006-11-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

Pat and Bill have come today and we have started on the cabin roof again. We first complete the insulated panels on the north side of the roof. We have also added the main fascia board on the north side of the cabin. Pat has cut the steel for the north side of the roof. Bill and I begin the fascia for the south side and then apply the plywood on top of the space sheeting. I have to notch the oak

Nov 23rd - Thanks-giving...er I mean roofing..

2006-11-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

It's Thanksgiving day and we will have dinner at the Rico Hotel. Lynda and Aemon run the restaurant which opens tonite for the weekends. We always look forward to one of his famous 5 star chef meals... but in the meantime work goes on at the house. Only Greenbay has come up today and we get in a few hours of work before a neighbor asks us to be quiet around noon. With an open roof it is

Nov 22nd - Roof On

2006-11-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Pat has completed the entire roof over the master bedroom with all the steel needed. It is indeed a relief that the weather has held and is still holding with warm and sunny weather continuing.I have gone up on the road by the mill to get a small 4' piece of lodge pole pine to use to patch two of the rafter upper ends that had been cut out for a brick chimney years ago on the old cabin. Up on the

Nov 21st - Roof Off

2006-11-21T22:19:00.000-07:00

I have helped Pat move steel up on the roof. He will be close to finishing the roof today. How he can continue to stay on the roof all day is still hard to understand, but he seems to love it. By tonite the roof is completed except for the ridge cap.Bill and Greenbay have completed tearing off all the old tin and cedar shingles from the old cabin. We have had to remove one piece of the skip

Nov 20th - Errand Boy

2006-11-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

I have had numerous errands to run in Cortez, Dolores and finally Durango where I've gone to pick up Lynn at the airport. We have returned home late.Meanwhile, Greenbay and Pat have completed the fascia on the master and installed the neccessary flashings. Everything is ready for steel now.

Nov 19th - Man-a-bloc

2006-11-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

I've begun the installation of the water lines today. I have had to complete the foam insulation on the walls where the Manabloc will be mounted. This device distributes water to each appliance with the same pressure. Without the use of branch lines and in-line tees, the Manabloc is a great improvement over copper water lines. Not only does the pressure remain constant, but installation takes a

Nov 18th - More Roof Panels

2006-11-18T22:48:00.000-07:00

Bill has completed the bituthane around the south master windows and Greenbay helps him get the aluminum scaffold moved to the north side. Pat, once again spends the day on the roof, while Greenbay and Bill prepare the roof panels to go up on the roof. By the end of the day, Pat has completed the installation of the roof panels on the north side of the roof.I have been completing the rough cut

Nov 17th - Skylights

2006-11-18T22:37:00.000-07:00

The skylights have arrived today and Pat and Greenbay hoist them onto the roof. Pat continues to apply steel and build all the flashings around the skylight. It's a tedious process that requires attention to detail to make sure that the skylights on the metal roof don't leak.Bill has been completing the framing for the floor system and installing the TJIs upstairs over the 2nd floor. The

Nov 16th - More Steel

2006-11-16T22:52:00.000-07:00

It's warmed up to 50 degrees today and time to tackle more roofing. I've moved 6 24' sheets to the edge of my trailer and started the gas powered cut off saw to cut through the stack. They need to be cut twice as the sheets are a bit too long. Pat and R.D. are once again on the roof completing the fascia on the south edge of the roof. They have managed to complete about 1/2 of the south side with

Nov 15th - Digging Out

2006-11-15T20:29:00.000-07:00

I have had a ton of paperwork to take care of this morning and afternoon and it seems like I haven't done much today. I have been working on proofing the new Vintage Power Wagon's catalog last night until midnight and didn't get my quota for sleep which doesn't help.R. D. has come back for a few more days of work before he leaves for the holiday. I had him stop at Timberline Hardware in Telluride

Nov 14th - Let it Snow...

2006-11-15T20:20:00.000-07:00

The snow has been coming down most of the day and by evening we have nearly a foot of snow on the ground with blowing and drifting snow around the house nearly 2' deep in places. Luckily we have the wood stove fired up and the first floor is very warm, but above on the 2nd and 3rd levels, it's still breezy and cold with so many air leaks unplugged.Bill has been installing blocking all day on the

Nov 13th - Inside Framing

2006-11-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

It is snowing again this morning and there isn't any way we can work outside. Greenbay and I have shifted the work to laying out the master walls for the bath and closet. We make some headway and then after lunch Greenbay is MIA...I guess we will find out where he was tomorrow. I have finished setting up one of the walls where plumbing will be installed inside the wall. Knowing where the pipes

Nov 12th - Snow Bound

2006-11-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

It started snowing during the night and then snowed off and on this morning. By noon the sun is out and the snow is starting to melt. We received about 6". This is the most snow little Max has ever seen, being a Florida dog. He's like a little snow plow pushing his way through the snow drifts. Being a little dirty, his white hair stands out against the snow.I've spent the day at the house, with

Nov 11th - Fire It Up

2006-11-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

This morning is cold and when I show up at the house, I decide to fire the wood stove up. Within minutes the smoke is pouring out of the new chimney and the old Cub pot belly stove is putting out the heat with only a small amount of wood. By now all the wood scraps have created a large pile of at least a full cord of wood. I also have a huge stack inside the living area waiting to keep the place

Nov 10th - Green Bay Bridge

2006-11-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

It's time to bring up the insulated panels onto the roof which has proved challenging. Before, when we were installing the panels, we simply moved them up onto the master suite floor and then hoisted them up onto the roof. Now, with the walls on the master suite up and the roof enclosed, we have to figure out a way to get the panel up over the overhang and onto the roof. While not too heavy, they

Nov 9th - Getting Closer

2006-11-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

R. D. and Greenbay have completed the dry in on the roof over the master. Greenbay continues cutting two holes in the roof as I have decided to add to fixed skylights to allow more light in the room.R.D. and I have added some bracing for the aluminum scaffold on the south side of the master. R.D. is on the roof again, along with Greenbay, and near the end of the day they have nearly completed

Nov 8th - Master Suite Ceiling

2006-11-08T21:02:00.000-07:00

R. D. and Greenbay have begun the task of nailing down the ceiling liner or decking that will be exposed in the master suite above the oak rafters. These are the heart pine slabs we had been working on straight lining. While Greenbay cuts, R.D. nails the panels on and when enough courses are completed, he rolls out 30 lb. felt paper on the top.By evening, the south side of the roof is complete

Nov 7th - Before and After

2006-11-07T22:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get discouraged and feel like things aren't going quickly enough but when I view some of the photos taken 3 1/2 months ago, I don't feel so bad. I thought you might like to see the progress during that period by comparing these two photos....

Nov 7th - Up On The House Top...

2006-11-07T22:10:00.000-07:00

Hagen has completed the stonework on the chimney and it looks fabulous. I am thoroughly pleased with the way it looks and Pat has done a fine job of installing the flashing under the stone. R. D. has spent a good part of the day helping Pat tear off Hagen's work platform from the north side of the roof. Pat had sturdily built it himself to hold a stone mason and a lot of rock. Now it's time for

Nov 6th - Leaded Glass Windows

2006-11-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

R. D. has opened up the crate that has been sitting for months and removed the first leaded glass windows from the crates. I remember months ago my neighbor Mark and I building the crates and then crating the windows in Iowa for the long journey to Colorado. At last they are ready to install and I am anxious to see how they look. First up is the octagon shaped window going in the 2nd floor bath.

Nov 5th - Cut Away

2006-11-06T21:33:00.000-07:00

Another Sunday of Cutting. Pat is with me today and we start by unloading all the nice 1 x 12's I picked up in Dolores. While Pat prepares for more steel on the roof, I begin straight line cutting all of the heart pine decking. By noon I have quite a pile which now has one side of each board nice and straight. I've chosen a nice long 16' straight 2 x 4 as a straight edge. Using some grabber

Nov 4th - A Very Full Day

2006-11-05T08:42:00.000-07:00

I've left for Cortez and Dolores at 7:30 am this morning. I've stopped off at Mary Jane Millard's place at Stoner. I drop off my photos for her to enjoy looking at today while I am doing my shopping. I will also pick up some groceries for her and drop them off on my return trip.I've stopped at Val Truelsen's place in Dolores. He was referred to me by Corky McClain, the plumber who had come to

Nov 3rd - Rafters Up

2006-11-05T08:32:00.000-07:00

Bill left yesterday for a trip to the Grand Canyon and will return on Monday. R.D. and Pat install the skylight in the morning, so Pat can run the bituthane around the skylight as well as the flashing for the metal roof.R. D. and I move downstairs and tackle the two windows in the north cabin living room. It doesn't take us long and the windows are in. R.D. takes off early to head out for a

Nov 2nd - Roof Begins

2006-11-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

This is our 7th day in a row for sunshine; something I have come to really appreciate and be thankful for. What a relief to not have to deal with the weather during this time of trying to get things dried in.R. D. has continued on the windows with Bill and they have sealed up the edges of windows nicely with bituthane strips. These will keep the moisture out. The final large windows in the 2nd

Nov 1st - Roof Steel Arrives

2006-11-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

I had the great fortune this morning of instant messaging my good friend, Surin, in Thailand. If you haven't checked out the Western Forest Conservation Club's (WFCC), please click on the link on this blog. This small group of Thai men and women does an amazing job in protecting one of the last and largerst great forests remaining in all of southeast Asia. It's called Thungyai and it is part of

Oct 31st - More Windows

2006-11-02T07:31:00.000-07:00

Pat is up on the roof a good part of the day preparing a work platform for Mike Hagen to finish the chimney and get the stone work completed above the roof. It amazes me how comfortable he is and how much he likes being on the roof.R. D. is preparing window openings by firring out each opening 1" which is how thick the siding is. We install the bay window into its opening as well as the north

Oct 30th - More Progress

2006-11-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

This morning I have the job of getting the plumbing run through the bay window roof and into the area that will supply drain lines to the laundry and shower areas on the 2nd floor. My hole saw has just cashed it in and so I revert to using a sawzall to cut holes through the rim joist and into the bottom plates of several walls upstairs. The plumbing must be contained in an area above the bottom

Oct 29th - Restack & Plumbing

2006-10-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

In the last few days we have disassembled several piles of lumber to try and find a few straight long 1 x12's we can use for the fascia. Lumber is spread all over the yard and needs to be restacked. Today I start by cutting up any scrap lumber to stove size and cover the huge pile of firewood on the north side of the house. I have restacked the piles of barnwood and they are ready to cover.I've

Oct 28th - Fascia Up

2006-10-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

The roads have been clear for a couple days now & Lynn heads off to Iowa, leaving Max & me alone in the haunted hotel.Pat has gone hunting today and so our main roof man is gone. However R.D. is just as versatile on the roof. I do my small stint on the roof, but I confess it's not my favorite thing to do. Greenbay has been cutting the fascia and now it's his turn on the roof as I am meeting with

Oct 27th - Fascia and Interior Walls

2006-10-27T21:34:00.000-06:00

Greenbay and I continue on the framing on the 2nd floor and our goal is completed at the end of the day including around the masonry chimney.Pat and R. D. have begun the fascia on the south roof, which is nearly free of snow this morning.The eaves get a 3-piece fascia which consists of a reclaimed 1" x 6" to cover the rafter tails, then a 1" x 8" nailed to the 2" x10" rim joist holding the

Oct 26th - Windows Arrive

2006-10-26T21:50:00.000-06:00

This morning it is snowing and blowing and really cold. Pat has gathered up several heaters and long gas hoses and attached a small regulator to the main propane tank. We now have a way to run heaters when the need arises.Pat has completed the the diagonal braces on the west wall of the kitchen and the fit is superb. I have once again cleared the snow from the master bedroom floor. Today, just

Oct 25th - Another Fall Day Blizzard

2006-10-26T10:13:00.000-06:00

Tropical Storm Paul has mixed with a cold front coming down from the north and Colorado is getting dumped on today and tonight. I don’t think we will get as much as other areas of Colorado . We’ve had snow, sunshine, rain, thunder, lightning and a blizzard this evening…typical Rico weather. Lynn is waiting for the roads to clear to leave for Iowa. Bill worked on completing the framing and

Oct. 24th - Dried In

2006-10-24T21:56:00.000-06:00

I've spent the day completing the north window and garage door oak frames and the garage is now ready for the garage door. I've ordered it and all the windows and doors to be delivered on Thursday.Bill, a local carpenter, who joined us yesterday has been a big help in getting the roof panels on.Pat has returned today and thank God he is on the roof and right at home. We work until dark completing

Oct. 23rd - North Roof

2006-10-24T21:34:00.000-06:00

Pat has taken the day off to chase an elk he shot on Sunday.R. D. and Greenbay are cutting rim joists for the insulated panels we will apply to the north side of the roof. They have marked the hole in the roof that will need to be cut out for the fireplace chimney. I have helped Greenbay haul some of the panels up onto the staging area we have set up on the master bedroom floor. While not heavy,

Oct. 22nd - Errand Day

2006-10-24T21:22:00.000-06:00

We have to go to Cortez today to do grocery and plumbing shopping. We stopped at Stoner and dropped off some nice oak kindling for Mary Jane Millard. Also dropped off some of her favorite candy bars and juice. She was happy to see us...After we returned home, I've gone back to the house to unload the plumbing materials. I work until dark, cutting the openings in the garage log cabin. I have to

Oct. 21st - Firewood

2006-10-21T21:26:00.000-06:00

Today I spent the entire day cutting up scrap lumber that has been building in a huge pile on the south patio. I have stacked a full wall of firewood in the north cabin and hopefully soon we will have the wood stove hooked up. Once the windows and doors are in we can at least work inside, even with the cold weather coming.I have cut a lot of the oak strips that we staightlined off the roof

Oct 20th - The Ice Man Cometh

2006-10-21T08:19:00.000-06:00

Today is insulated panel day and a day for cutting the large styrofoam panels to deck the roof with. Greenbay has called the large panels "ice" and he is the ice man and chosen ice cutter. Our new tool, called a SIPS groover, heats up quickly and by setting the depth correctly, you can easily notch the edges of the panels with heat to fit over the 2' x 10' rim joist; it's a quick and styrofoam

Oct 19th - Chink It In

2006-10-19T20:43:00.000-06:00

R. D. and Pat have completed the gable end of the sun room framing and the overhead barge rafter and lookouts. By noon the decking is completed in that area and the planks are up on the pump jack scaffolds. They have cut a hole in the roof for a skylight and framed above it with 2' x 10's preparing for the installation of the insulated panels. Also, the 2' x 10' framework around the perimeter of

Oct 18th - Pump Jacks

2006-10-18T21:00:00.000-06:00

The snow is piled up and this morning I spent several hours shoveling and sweeping snow off lumber piles and the master suite floor. At least 4" accumulation and more on the way, but today the sky is a crystal blue and a welcome change.Today Pat, R.D. and I erected the scaffold jacks. I had brought 3 with me and Pat had 4. The pump jacks are terrific scaffolding that you pump with your foot while

Oct. 17th - Chink it out

2006-10-17T20:07:00.001-06:00

Snow, snow and more snow. It started this morning and is still going and will be through the night. It makes it tough to get much done, but we continue on. This will be the last day we have the material handler and material we need at the back of the house gets moved around and restacked. From here on out, we will need to move things by hand and so we want to get everything as close as possible

Oct 16th - Closed In

2006-10-16T21:16:00.000-06:00

Jack and Lynn left early this morning, we miss them already.Pat has begun the process of completing the OSB installation all over the front gable and west walls. R. D. shows up at noon and between them they complete the cutting of the overhanging decking on the west gable. Using the material handler Pat lifts R.D. up near the top of the gable to complete the nailing and installation of the OSB.

Oct 14th - West Gable

2006-10-16T20:38:00.001-06:00

It's raining, snowing and sleeting; a wet, soggy and dreary day. Greenbay and I decide to work under the cover of our new decking which is covered with 30 pound felt. This is the first time I've seen the floor actually dry! We decide to work on the west gable and while Greenbay cuts, I install and nail the framing on the gable. We have had to move the location of the uppermost gable windows up as

Oct 15th - Stoner

2006-10-16T20:38:00.000-06:00

The sun is breaking through the clouds this morning. It's been nearly a month since I have had any time off, but I decide to put a couple of hours in this morning adding more of the plumbing needed in the garage. I install the neccessary fittings for the laundry tub that we will install in the garage.Jack and Lynn ask to go to lunch and take us down to Stoner to the little restaurant there.

Oct 13th - Dried In

2006-10-16T20:12:00.001-06:00

R. D. and Pat spend all day nailing decking on the north side of the roof. The boards have to each be brushed with a wire brush that was Pat's idea. This will save a ton of work since we won't have to brush the decking down between the joists. The inside exposed decking looks great and will become the actual ceiling of the upper floors. With the reclaimed beams, rafters and now decking, it truly

Oct 12th - Rip Guide

2006-10-15T18:45:00.000-06:00

Greenbay has picked up an older commercial table saw and after cleaning up the table top with a portable grinder and fine paper, we've set the table saw up to finish ripping down the material for the roof decking. Pat has been up on the roof nailing decking down and it's coming together nicely. What a treat it will be to get dried in.Pat, along with R.D., continues nailing the decking up on the

Oct 11th - Good Weather Welcome

2006-10-14T10:46:00.000-06:00

Finally, a day without some precipitation and we take full advantage of it. Brian, from Colorado Fasteners, has stopped by with my order for 2 new fiberglass ladders; these are the heavy duty ones and I pick out a 24’ extension and 10’ step ladder. Pat can’t resist the temptation of the tool house on wheels and decides to purchase a new Hitachi nail gun…Greenbay and I are both jealous of this

Oct. 10th - Sawing, Sawing, Sawing

2006-10-10T21:48:00.000-06:00

It snowed about 2" of wet, heavy snow last night and the weight of the snow has collapsed our tent over the garage. I crawl up on the decking which is like walking on grease to sweep the snow off the platform.Greenbay and I have spent most of the entire day straight lining and ripping down all the 1 x oak material I have had stacked out front. I like his system, much more efficient than my way

Oct 9th - Partial Roof On

2006-10-09T20:24:00.000-06:00

Greenbay and I have managed to install the barge rafters with Pat's help. Pat cuts the 1 x 6's of oak planks to length while Greenbay and I nail them up. We have concentrated on the short sections of the roof over the west bedroom. Up on the roof is no picnic, but I am suprisingly okay off the ground at 30' . Pat clambers up on the roof like it was no big deal and helps me get the roofing felt

Oct 8th - Moving Day

2006-10-09T20:06:00.000-06:00

We are moving today from the Rico Motel to the Rico Hotel. What a beautiful place we have now and what a relief to have 4 times the room we have had for the last few months.Pat and I have laid out the floor joists over the garage. While Lynn and I are moving, Pat has installed all the joist hangers and TJIs over the garage. After lunch we finish nailing the joists in place and begin the

Oct 7th - Last Log

2006-10-07T20:04:00.000-06:00

I have removed the black plastic over the garage which is now in tatters and full of holes. We want to build a more durable tent over the garage area and by building a temporary ridge pole over the garage and 2 on either the south and north walls we are ready to install another piece of the reinforced plastic. Pat has the great idea to attach one gallon water jugs with bungy cords to the bottom

Oct 6th - Monsoon

2006-10-07T19:34:00.000-06:00

It has been raining all night and water is pouring through the floors; discouraging to say the least. I meet with Barbara Walker, who is a specialist in log chinking. She has a ton of work to do here and hopefully can start on doing the exterior chinking on all 3 cabins. She informs me that it will require 40 gallons of chink just to chink the outside of the garage cabin due to the massive size

Oct 5th - Rain, Rain Go Away!!

2006-10-07T19:21:00.000-06:00

It has started raining in the night and continues on and off all day. Pat has come by this morning to attach some plastic as there is a lot of rain coming in the next few days. I have had some business to take care of this morning and it isn't until afternoon that I bring the first stack of oak around to the alley. We have a temporary black tarp over the garage that serves as a a simple sheleter

Oct 4th - Getting Closer

2006-10-05T07:34:00.001-06:00

More Progress today as Greenbay and R.D. continue the roof framing over the 2nd floor. All of the rafters are up now with most of the lookouts for the barge rafters cut. If the weather holds the roof framing should be completed by the end of the week for the 2nd floor. We're not far away from decking the roof with the rough cut oak I have stacked out front. The problem with oak is that it warps

Oct 3rd - Log Jam

2006-10-03T22:08:00.000-06:00

I woke early this morning to the sound of thunder and rain on the roof. We aren' t covered with plastic since I had chosen to ignore the 30% chance of rain. The upstairs floor is wet and leaking through the ceiling liner, but not much we can do about it at this point. It clears mid morning and Pat and I are back on the logs again.We have all full length logs to deal with and at much higher

Oct. 2nd - A Full Crew

2006-10-02T20:22:00.000-06:00

Today was an amazingly productive day as I hope the pictures will show. Joe showed up with R.D., a great guy whom I met several weeks ago. He has agreed to give us a hand to get the roof framed and dried in. It's obvious after several minutes, that he is quick, conscientious and loves the work.Between Joe, Greenbay and R.D. they kick butt and the progress is incredible with rafters and blocking

Oct 1st - Clean Up

2006-10-01T21:21:00.000-06:00

I spent the morning peeling logs with the draw knife. Most of the remaining logs are full length and so heavy, they are nearly impossible to turn on edge to peel the bark. We have two more logs to cut and then the balance of the logs will go up in one piece without cuts. I do what I can with the logs and then attend to cleaning up the entire lot and floor area.Numerous piles of plastic tarps are

Sept 30th - Stackin' Logs

2006-09-30T18:50:00.000-06:00

Pat and I have spent the day putting more and more logs up and now we are up high enough that the material handler is crucial in getting the job done. With a heavy nylon strap, the log hangs from the end of the forks and we guide the holes we drill in the logs onto the all thread. It works well and the fit on the dovetails on the corners of the building is nothing short of a miracle. For being in

Sept. 29th - Rafters Up

2006-09-30T07:49:00.000-06:00

It's been an amazing week weatherwise as well as progress. The full Autumn colors are surrounding Rico and it is incredibly beautiful. Greenbay and Joe made some great progress and have probably close to 1/2 the rafters up. Perhaps in a week or 2 we can have this portion of the house dried in. Working with varying dimensions on old lumber can be very challenging, but the roof framing looks great

Sept 28th - Movin' On

2006-09-29T08:15:00.000-06:00

Moving day today...moving lumber once again. I decided that since we won't have the material handler forever, I need to get all my lumber situated on the lot and it looks like the front of the house on the area over the leach field is the best spot. The old Dodge Power Wagon on my trailer starts up amazingly and I park it next to Joe's old trailer.Pat and I spend the entire day moving and

Sept 27th - Beam Me Up!

2006-09-27T21:22:00.001-06:00

What a gorgeous day and 75 degrees is the high. A beautiful clear blue sky, by far the best week we have had since I’ve been here. Pat and I continue on the logs at what seems a snail's pace and yet we are staying busy on the south area of the logs. Our all-thread was supposed to arrive today, but didn’t. I will have to go to Telluride at noon tomorrow to meet the

Sept 26th - Logs, Of Course

2006-09-26T21:58:00.000-06:00

The weather is holding and thank God it's not raining. It’s quite cold in the mornings but by lunch time we are down to T-shirts and we all are very much enjoying the sunshine. It does wonders for how much you can get done. Pat and I started on the laying down the first course of logs for the garage. It’s a tricky thing to get started as the bottom row or courses of logs have to fit flat against

Sept 25th - Blog on

2006-09-25T21:02:00.000-06:00

Pat and I are down at the yard treating the lumber that needs attention. He has a mixture of Clorox and water spraying some of the moldy boards that didn’t get covered and got wet over the last 2 months. I have a brush and go after the oak material that I found had powder post beetle problems with the Boracare. By 3 pm we have restacked and stickered much of the piles of lumber and reorganized it

Sept 24th - Sort of Lumber

2006-09-24T21:19:00.000-06:00

With yet another beautiful day, I spend the entire day at the lumber yard, sorting and restacking the lumber. We will need the 1” thick oak barn boards for decking the roof within a couple of weeks. There are 4 large stacks and since they have been wet a time or two, I cut the steel bands and start restacking the lumber using sticker material. Stickers space the lumber apart allow the boards to

Sept 23rd - Welcome Sunshine!

2006-09-24T16:46:00.000-06:00

A warm sunny day all day.I drop off the all-thread couplers at Tom Bennets and pick them up later once he has welded nuts on the end. This will help me use a smaller thread size on the all threads we will use to attach the logs together. We’ve removed the plastic tarps from the concrete to let them dry out even further. We remove the forms from the slabs we poured a couple of days ago. Hagen is

Sept 22nd - Winter Snow on 1st Day of Fall

2006-09-23T10:09:00.000-06:00

It's dark outside when I wake up sometime during the wee hours and it’s raining. I go back to sleep and wake up at dawn only to see snow on the ground and more coming. I decide to go to Cortez today for supplies and think I'd better leave early as the snow is now really coming down and very wet.I don’t see the tracks in the snow in our front yard, but Lynn tells me tonite that Cody, our landlord,

Sept 21st - Mayor Joe is in the House

2006-09-23T09:48:00.000-06:00

We’ve spent the morning dissassembling tents, sweeping off slabs and removing melting snow and standing water on the 2nd floor. There is mud everywhere and the 4” is melting quickly. Joe has just taken on the job of Rico mayor…congratulations Joe?! He is replacing the former mayor, who resigned several months ago, and will finish out the term. Joe and Greenbay begin framing the west wall of the

Sept 20th - Concrete in the Rain & Snow

2006-09-21T09:47:00.000-06:00

What a change in the weather, summer to winter in one day; Joe calls me this morning to see if we want to go ahead with the pour. The sky is completely clear and yet the radar shows it's coming. The next few days don’t look so good, so we decide to go ahead with it.Seven yards of concrete coming and 4 different pours…The largest is the garage pour and then we have 2 separate patios. We are also

Snow in Rico!

2006-09-20T16:41:00.000-06:00

Snow on September 20th. We were expecting rain but had no idea it would turn to snow.Enjoy these photos of our snow covered peaks.

Sept 19th - East Wall Is Up

2006-09-20T08:38:00.000-06:00

An incredibly sunny warm day with a clear blue sky; it truly feels like summer.Pat and I start the day by laying down the insulation blanket in the garage area. The 3’ wide rolls have an adhesive edge along one side so you can overlap them. This keeps the moisture out and the heat in once the slab is heated. DD has been cutting rebar for us and then cuts all the steel for the two patios on the

Sept 18th - 2nd Floor Framing Begins!

2006-09-19T09:16:00.000-06:00

Fabian and Dylan are filling the holes around the soni tubes at the front of the house. Fabian has stacked the large rocks laying in the street up nicely into a retaining wall on Silver Street . When completed, they go to the alley and now begin filling the cavity between the newly poured foundation walls with gravel. Dylan is great in spreading out the gravel we need to the perfect level we

Sept 17th - Sunny Sunday for Work

2006-09-18T10:17:00.000-06:00

Hagen adds more courses of block to the fireplace and the block is now 6’ high.It’s really pretty cold this morning and when I arrive on the jobsite, my first job is to uncover the upper floor by removing the plastic cover we have used to cover the entire floor. Since it rained, there are a couple of small holes in the plastic that have leaked water to the wood below. I use some housewrap tape to

Sept 16th - Sunshine & Snow

2006-09-17T08:49:00.000-06:00

I am up early and on my way to Telluride to pick up sticker material for stacking lumber as well as some PVC pipe and fittings for wiring the lights in the fireplace. A stop at Timberline Hdwe and Alpine lumber and I am back by late morning.Elevations above 11,000 feet towards Telluride are covered with the white stuff. It is beautiful. On Lizard Head Pass, Lizard Head Peak is completely obscured

Sept 15th - Unbelievably.....More Rain!!

2006-09-16T13:24:00.000-06:00

Another rainy day in Rico. Mark and I meet at the lumber yard this morning. It was windy in the night and one of the tarps has blown off, now more soaked and potentially moldy lumber. The banding will have to be removed and then the lumber restacked and stickered. It’s nearly impossible to keep things dry. Joe has offered to let me use the old trailer house to store some of things Mark has

Sept 14th - More Rain Forecast

2006-09-15T11:15:00.000-06:00

Today started out early as Lynn and I were both awake at 5 am. For 4 hours I worked on the advance forms for the loan. What a pain!I showed up at the job this morning and rain is the forecast. Mark is there too and with Greenbay the forms are stripped of the 2x4 bracing.Dylan was nearly finished welding one side of the platform and now it’s time to drill the holes and bolt the lintel to the