Friday, September 20, 2013

Garage Progress

We've been making slow progress on the garage. Because of the tremendous amount of local housing construction, our little project hasn't been high on our subs priority list. It's taken a few weeks longer than expected, but here's what's been going on...

We had the soil dug up for the grade beam. This frost wall is super important up here where we have lots of freeze/thaw cycles that can compromise the structure. The bobcat accidentally hit the line for our outdoor electrical panel but, thankfully, it didn't do too much damage and was a quick fix for our good buddy the electrician.



Next up, the foundation forms and re-bar for our concrete. Once this passed inspection, we had the grade beam poured.






Next was our garage pad. We had to remove an existing basement window (local code won't allow this opening once the garage is up) and the sill sat below the finished pad, so it had to go. I asked the contractor to give the pad a brushed finish so the epoxy I plan to apply will adhere better. Because the pad was a few inches higher than our patio, they created a rounded transition from the garage door.





The rest of the garage went up pretty quickly. The trusses were delivered right on time and the guys got to work. Before we knew it, we had walls and a roof! This is the point where I got the most excited, it really is going to make an awesome area for my workshop.





The original soffit and fascia on the rear are still in place, and I think I may just leave it. The ceiling will eventually be drywalled so it won't be seen anyway. The existing garage door will be removed and reinstalled at the entrance to the new addition and we'll remove the existing light fixture.



The electrician comes tomorrow to rough in our lighting and indoor and outdoor outlets...time to shop for an outdoor fixture! The original was just too small for the space and really didn't shed much usable light. Because this rear light will now provide light to the east side of the patio, I want it to be more practical.

Our exterior contractor is super busy and is going to squeeze this job in as soon as he can, he's on deck for next week. Stay tuned for more!

When You Just Can't...

Trying to maintain my blog over the past few years has been a real challenge for me. It's gotten harder as my mom, who was battling diabetes, heart disease and kidney failure, relied more and more on me to take on the responsibility for her personal and financial affairs.

It's been a very long road for our family as mom fought these diseases...they are brutal and show no mercy.

Between the day to day of life, and the responsibilities I took on for my mom...there was just nothing left for this blog. I'd try...but just couldn't.

Mom's brave fight for life ended on September 5th, and it's left me reeling. But, it's also released the enormous pressure I put on myself to focus on her needs, instead of my own.

I miss my mom terribly. Those who have been through it can understand that there are no words to describe the emotions involved when a parent dies. But I know that she'd hate for me to dwell on that sadness.

So, I've decided to dedicate this humble little blog to my mom. She always got a kick out of all the crazy projects I had on the go. She was hugely supportive of this blog, and I want to ensure that she stays proud of me for not giving it up.


Thanks for sticking with me!