DIY Home Improvement Forum banner

Our Dream House

909K views 558 replies 75 participants last post by  kkford10 
#1 ·
Husband and I have talked for years about building our dream home.
After 15 years of marriage and numerous things that have happened we started building last year.
We had always talked about a log house.
So after 5 years of really looking, 3 years of designing and 1 stressful year of finding the "right" log home manufactor we started.

Part way into this I thought we were crazy, but here is what had happened.

The digging of the foundation between rain storms




All Done with the dirt work


Cut the water line and sewer line, digging to find it


Pouring the footings


The guys doing the concrete were the second guys we hired. First guy called us 5 days before the builders were due at 7:30am and said he was overbooked too bad, bye. We just happened to catch these guys between jobs.

Wall forms going up


 
See less See more
9
#516 ·
The tiles, arranged slanted around the water dispenser faucet over the stove, do not look as nicely laid out and set as the rest of your tiles.

The slanted lines are not straight. There's also a large gap around the faucet. It would look better if you'd perhaps laid the tiles around the wall hole without the faucet cover/handle. The faucet cover/handle would then rest on the tiles avoiding gaps.

If you don't mind slightly crooked grout lines, it's fine though. I'm just imagining me staring at that area every time I'm cooking.
 
#519 ·
Druidia I had asked my husband if he could take the piece off of the pot filler so I could put the tile behind it but he would have had to tear out the sheet rock and re-do the whole thing. He did ask me to not grout right up to the faucet in case he does have to tear it out some day.
Crooked grout lines don't bother me. I just look at it and know I did it and no one else.

Had a frost last night and the night before. Got 4 more boxes of chinking yesterday. So once it warms up and dries out going to start on the east side of the house.
Started cutting the silicone out from the pony wall again. Didn't want to do it until I had the stuff to re-seal it.
Going to be busy today and tomorrow.
Harvest is in the bins and getting ready to plant next years crop of wheat.
Hubby says once that is done he is going to start putting up the siding on the gable ends.

Learned to not complain about the color of paint put up in our ambulance barn. I got to spend a day re-painting it!:laughing:
 
#521 ·
East side is done! Been cutting out the sealer I first used on the check logs and using this other sealer that is suppose to be better.
Was planning on trying to finish the pony wall today but suppose to have some pretty strong winds today. It was blowing pretty bad last night. Guess I will just have to do it on Wednesday.

One of my co-workers at the hardware store used to put up siding. So I was talking to him and he said to put up the soffit before the siding so there is no gap between them that needs to be sealed. Going to check out prices on it today.

Getting things done!
 
#522 ·
Got the sealer around the pony wall done. Then got hit by the first storm that dumped 1.75" of rain on us. Did not have enough time between that one and this second storm to put the house wrap up on the pony wall. This second storm dumped 2.05" of rain.
Suppose to dry out and I hope to get the house wrap up.

Hopefully going to get the soffit ordered next week then hubby is going to put that up and the siding on the gable ends.
Need 5 more boxes of chinking and that should hopefully be it for this year.

Looking at a different type of stain for the house. The one we have been using just is not holding up like I had hoped. Looking at the log house stain offered by the perma ***** company. They have a couple of strippers that I am getting a sample of to see if it will take this stain off. Got a couple of different stain samples also coming. Hopefully it works better.

Had a couple of leaks during this last storm, but pretty sure we got it figured out. Some checks in the logs and where the ends butt together.
Not as many leaks as we had before!
I know one leak is where 2 logs butt together. That was the only spot where it leaked on that wall. I chinked those on the east side, now to do it on the north, west and south side.

Once we get the soffit and siding up I will have to get some pictures posted.
 
#525 ·
Getting the soffit and the J trim ordered this week.

Temps have been dropping into the 30's at night so that finished off the plan for the chinking. It would not cure as well as it should.
Got the sample's I had ordered. Hubby is not too happy with the plan but told him since I have been doing all the staining it is my choice.
The first stripper did an ok job of it. The second stripper did a much better job of it. So I know which one I am going to get this spring.
Picked a stain. It looks just like the one we have on right now but there is a top coat we are putting on to have some added protection.
 
#526 ·
Wow! What a great project! Nice job!

I'm new here so I've been "binge reading" some of these house build threads.

My sleep is definitely suffering. Lol.

This thread is full of excitement. All the trials and tribulations of a huge DIY project... plus bucket tricks rolling down hill, table saw accidents, car accidents.

It's a thriller novel.

I need a drink!

I always tell people the most dangerous tool I use is a ladder. An accident on a ladder could be life changing. Or ending. Be careful!
 
#527 ·
The soffit and J trim are waiting to be picked up. I got the call Friday afternoon that is was ready. Hubby went last week but we found out I had messed up on my measuring and had ordered too much! So glad those guys caught it before they cut it.

The new stain and top coat are doing great.

Hubby is out cutting up wood for the stove and daughter and I are trying to get things done around here. Suppose to have another storm come through tonight.
 
#528 ·
Been taping the house wrap on the pony wall. Had plans to get the bucket truck and start putting up house wrap on the gables but the wind decided to knock that plan off my list.

The soffit and J trim are in a shed waiting to be put up. Talked to my one co-worker and he looked at the pictures of the house and advised us to put some 2x4's in between the other 2x4's on the overhang so the soffit does not bow in the center nor gets to banging around due to the wind.

So after getting blown inside by our winds I took some spackling and filled all the holes that our son left in his walls from shelving units he put up. Put up some of the paint I bought to repaint his room. Daughter likes it! She can hardly wait til he moves the rest of his stuff out so she can move in and have a closet!:vs_laugh:
 
#529 ·
Got the rest of the stuff our son left in his room out, except the closet. He can get his drum set out himself.
Started painting the walls. Looking much better then the blue not as dark in there now.
Hubby wants to put up some trim just above the carpet to finish out the room.

Asked me what I wanted this holiday. Told him enough foam board to do the basement floor for insulation! Told him I would buy the OSB and liquid nails to put it down. Hopefully will be able to buy the flooring for it over the summer. Looking forward to getting the basement done!
 
#533 ·
Talk about crazy. My dishwasher top rack adjusters are breaking. They are plastic over metal. Have replaced them 3 times!
Went into the place I bought it from and even their parts guy said they have had to replacement them at least once on other machines like mine but it is weird that I have had to do mine 3 times.
He advised I look at a different machine. Thought about just replacing the entire top rack but it would be half the price of a new one.

Going to be a tight year with so many projects I would love to get done. Every time I start thinking of doing one and then another one and soon I have 4 or 5 projects I want to start at the same time I stop and sit down and clear my mind.
Big project right now is to remove the humidifier relay off the furance and see if it is broke or just coated with soda calcium.
 
#534 ·
Got the humidifier working but the screen in it is so coated with soda and calcuim that it really stinks! Need a new screen but that is ok.
I did try lime away and that cleaned it up some. Rinsed it off really good then put it in my roasting pan and soaked it in vinegar over night. Cleaned off some more but released that rotten egg smell big time!
It is outside right now.

Going to talk to my bosses and see what kind of deal I can get on a water softening system. That should help out on a lot of things.
 
#538 ·
Windows I will have to look them up on the store computer and get the spects on them.
Pretty great to be able to order stuff I need right at my job and not have to drive 40 miles for it!

Hubby and I were talking and the insurance company we switched to cannot insure the house due to there not being stairs leading out of our bedroom, the patio door and the west door. So he was looking at the blue prints to the house and wants to build small decks with stairs. It won't be the full wrap around porch but if we do it right might be able to add on until we get that done!
 
#539 ·
Do you need the doors for legal/code means of egress? If not, intall a railing and call it a Juliet balcony.

I had to do that for a client for his mortgage company. He initially asked me to board the sliding doors over. I wanted no part of that but I said I would do a railing. Everybody was happy.

Just a thought
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top