Garage Addition Saga

In construction it seems that, no matter how much you plan, things will inevitably go awry.

I posted quite a while back about our garage addition and the construction quote I was waiting for. When the quote came in, it was high. Much, much higher than I had hoped. It immediately put this project on hold.

After feeling sorry for myself for a few months, I called up my cousin (a custom builder) to see if he could help me out (or at least call in a few favours with his subs to save me some moolah). I didn't expect him to take on this project himself. He builds very high end homes, and I knew that my little 14' x 19' garage addition wasn't something that he'd likely be interested in taking on.

Much to my surprise, he offered to have his crews complete it for me for less than half what other contractors had quoted me. Yes, you read that right...less than half! The catch was that we would have to find someone to complete the exterior.

Quick like a bunny, our architect complete drawings, the engineer finished the foundation drawings, and I had building permits from the town.

That's when things got frustrating...

The engineer required enormous footings for this addition. Much larger than were required, in our opinion. It almost doubled the cost of the build in concrete alone. It also would have required us to tear out half of my brand new patio and create a huge mess which would drive my neighbours nuts. There had to be another way....

After a lot of discussion with the engineer, he agreed that we could use 3 1/2" x 16' screw piles for the foundation (traditional concrete piles were not an option for us; our soil is far too sandy to drill as deep as we needed, and it still would have been a messy job). We still had to cut the patio, but only 12", I could live with that. Armed with this new set of foundation drawings, I had to submit an amendment to our building permit.

Tick tock.

Thing is, folks, 16' screw piles are hard to come by, and we ended up having to have them custom manufactured.

Tick tock.

Yesterday, these piles finally got installed. It is a slick process. It's super simple, the guys were hilarious, and they had all 5 in place in less than 3 hours. After all the drama, I was so happy to get this show on the road!

 

As long as the weather holds, we can expect the grade beam to be poured next week. Then walls and roof...we could have a closed in garage in less than 2 weeks!

 

 



Main Floor Custom Cabinet

One of the few regrettable decisions I made during the construction of our house was removing a 3-sided fireplace between the living room and dining area of the main floor. The intent was to open up the space but it backfired...now it's too open! The result has come to be known as "No Man's Land".

Right now, No Man's Land is home to a curio cabinet I got from a friend, that's become a catch all for random accessories and books. Needless to say, something has to be done!

I stumbled on a local craftsman who does amazing custom woodwork, and challenged him to come up with a solution to my problem.

His cabinet design is approx. 3' x 5' x 4'. Big enough to fill up this empty space and provide us with storage, but not so big that it overwhelms the house.

I love it and can't wait to see it finished!

More Than I Could Chew

You know that saying? The one about biting off more than you can chew? Yeh, that pretty much sums up my adventures in landscaping.

Last summer, Mr. Mel and I did alot of work, ALOT of work by ourselves. I did my own landscape plan, we hauled, shoveled, lifted, dug, mulched....but there is still plenty of work to be done to get the yard to a place that I'd consider "done".

This project is just too big for me to get done without help, so Mr. Mel and I have hired a professional landscaper to finish what we started. The control freak in my is having a meltdown. But at the same time I think it's important to recognize when we're in over our heads, and to ask for help.

We will still be getting our hands dirty, but I'm looking forward to having a pro fix and problem solve some areas that I lack the knowledge to tackle on my own.

Our front yard has a steeper grade than I realized that must be retained and have levels built in. This is way beyond what I am comfortable handling on my own. The overall design for the front yard will stay as-is, but we will have stone edge installed to hold in our soil and mulch (which seems to run off during every rain) and to provide a finished edge against the sod.

The front patio will be moved further out from the house and will be made about 4 feet larger, and a planter and pergola will be built for shade and interest.

Switzer's Nursery & Landscaping

They'll also be grading near the road to create a more gradual ditch that will be much easier to mow.

Many of our cedars and a few other plants didn't or barely survived the harsh winter (and hungry rabbits and deer), so the landscaper will be replacing some and relocating others.

Our subdivision was pasture land for many decades and, as a result, there are some very stubborn weeds and grasses that will take a few years to permanently kill off. They'll also be hauling in yards and yards of mulch to fill up the beds and help control the weeds.

The backyard will get new brick flower bed edging, mulch, some grading work, and a stacked stone seating wall around the patio and built in bbq area.

For the front and rear yards we'll get detailed planting plans that we can follow over the next few years to fill in our beds as we kill off our wild weeds and grasses.

I'm excited to share photos as this project gets underway.

Finally, Planting!

Okey dokey my blogger friends. Last year I let you in on my master landscape plan. Now it's time to update on what we were up to all summer. What better way to warm up on a cold day like today than to think about landscaping?! ha ha

I started with the trees and shrubs (although other projects seemed to keep popping up). I had the yard graded away from the house for proper drainage (at $85/hr this only cost me $170.00), and had the local utility companies mark any underground gas and power lines.

I placed my order with a local tree nursery so my order was ready for me to pick up. It's a small time saver but it was less hassle than walking through the nursery myself, picking each item. Cause I'm lazy like that.

I made myself a "planting map" complete with measurements from the property lines and the spacing between each plant. Of course, all of these trees and shrubs will grow to be quite large so, the spacing will look a bit odd at first. It's important, though, to make sure they all have room to grow based on their expected spread, or you may end up overcrowding your plants. It's not pretty, (or proportionate ha ha) but here's my map:

As we measured, I marked the location of each plant with marker paint (such a clever can, that can be held upside down).

I bought a couple of spades and Mr. Mel and my strapping nephew, AJ, got to work. It took us a few more weeks to get them all done but we ended up planting 55 trees and shrubs. FIFTY FIVE! That's alot of holes, people!

After the delay of a few weeks due to monsoon-like rain, we were able to get to work on the front yard.

We had the yard graded and had to bring in 20 yards of topsoil to bring up the grade (our yard had to be brought up about 5"). The topsoil was an investment we didn't think we'd have to make right away, but I'm glad we have it done. One less thing to do down the road! The patch of bare ground near the front of the yard is a ditch area where I didn't want to waste $ putting in topsoil for now. The top of the yard, nearest the house, was left bare for my patio block project.

I can't wait for spring to see how many of my plants survived our brutal winter. I also have landscaping updates a couple of projects on deck for the front yard once the snow melts, stay tuned for that!

What we planted: 

• Swedish Aspen
• French Lilac
• Greenspire Linden
• Tower Poplar
• Sugar Maple
• Colorado Blue Spruce
• Brandon Cedar
• Golden Ninebark
• Goldenrod Potentilla
• Little Kim Lilac
• Tinkerbelle Lilac
• Snowbelle Mock Orange
• Red Leaf Barberry
• Thunderchild Flowering Crab
• Autumn Blaze Maple
• Russian Almond
• White Cedar
• Alpine Currant
• Medora Juniper

Spring Cleaning

It's coming! After a long and cold winter, spring is set to arrive March 20th.

I've never been much of a spring cleaner but, let's face it, we overlook things as we do our routine household cleaning and that dust and grime can build up over time. I tend to adopt the "outta sight, outta mind" approach most of the time but, this year, I'm going to get the house ship shape from top to bottom. A clean home will rejuvenate and refresh your mind and spirit, just in time to welcome a change of season and all that spring and summer sunshine.

Here are my room by room checklists to get the abode sparking clean:

Kitchen:

• Dust walls, floor to ceiling
• Vacuum and wipe tops of upper cabinets
• Wipe doors and drawer fronts of all upper and lower cabinets
• Wipe out all cupboards and drawers
• Wash backsplash - sometimes we miss all those little splatters that end up here
• Clean out fridge and freezer - toss all expired items and wash shelving and drawers
• Wash all return air vents and register covers
• Wipe down light switch and outlet covers
• Wipe down light fixtures - make sure they are turned off and cool first!
• Run your dishwasher empty - use vinegar and baking soda to get it extra clean
• Wipe down front of fridge and dishwasher
• Clean oven, stove top and remove knobs, burners and spill catchers and clean
• Wash out microwave - don't forget to the inside top, we sometimes miss this spot
• Wash windows and window sills
• Change or clean and replace grease filter on range hood fan
• Wipe counter tops
• Vacuum/sweep and mop floors

Bathrooms:

• Dust walls, floor to ceiling
• Wipe doors and drawer fronts of vanity
• Wipe out cupboards and drawers
• Wipe down light switch and outlet covers
• Wash all return air vents and register covers
• Clean mirror
• Clean toilet, inside and out - be sure to get the base as we often miss this
• Wipe counter top, sink, and taps
• Clean tub and surround
• Clean shower - use a soap scum/water stain busting cleaner where required
• Wipe glass shower doors - if you use a shower curtain, wash or replace this
• Wipe down light fixtures
• Vacuum/sweep and mop floors

Living Area:

• Dust walls, floor to ceiling
• Dust all wall hangings/pictures/artwork
• Wipe down light switch and outlet covers
• Wash all return air vents and register covers
• Wash and iron all drapes, and rehang
• Wash windows and window sills
• Wipe down all light fixtures/lamps
• Dust/wipe down all knick-knacks
• Vacuum sofa, chairs, and accent pillows - spot clean where necessary
• Dust/wipe down all accent tables and entertainment unit, including stereo equipment
• Vacuum/sweep floors, use Bona cleaner on all hardwood

Dining Room:

• Dust walls, floor to ceiling
• Dust all wall hangings/pictures/artwork
• Wipe down light switch and outlet covers
• Wash all return air vents and register covers
• Wash and iron all drapes, and rehang
• Wash windows and window sills
• Wipe down all light fixtures
• Dust top and inside shelves of china cabinet
• Vacuum and spot clean upholstery on dining chairs
• Clean table and china cabinet with mild solution of Murphy's Oil Soap
• Clean glass in french entry doors

Bedroom:

• Dust walls, floor to ceiling
• Dust all wall hangings/pictures/artwork
• Wipe down light switch and outlet covers
• Wash all return air vents and register covers
• Wash and iron all drapes, and rehang
• Wash windows and window sills
• Wipe down all light fixtures and lamps
• Vacuum mattress and flip over
• Wash all bedding, comforters/coverlets, pillows
• Vacuum accent pillows
• Wipe all dressers, nightstands, accent furniture
• Vacuum side chair
• Vacuum floors - don't forget under the bed!

Misc:

• Wipe down all baseboards and door and window casing
• Touch up paint
• Make a note as you complete each room of any repairs that are necessary. Do these right away so you don't forget, or hire a repairman.
• Clean out that closet! Donate what you no longer need/want, and properly store the rest
• Wipe down all interior doors, front and back

I hope my lists help you as you do your spring freshen-up! Happy scrubbing!

Grass Watch Week 1

You know that saying about watching paint dry? Well, I may have found something even more boring and eye roll inducing...waiting for grass to grow!

But, after a week, I have some shoots sprouting up between my patio blocks.

I'm checking daily and will keep you posted...I know you're just dying for updates!

Grass and Block Patio (minus the grass)

I wanted to do something a little different for my front yard so I scrapped my plan to do a large raised planter in front of the window and, instead, I'm going to create a seating area and pergola.

Genius, right? Please...hold your applause.

I measured off the area for my patio. I will have a 3' planting bed between the house and the patio, and the patio itself will be 103" x 123" (about 8' x 10').

I dug down the area of the patio so it was a total of 5 1/2" below the grade of the yard. This will allow for a 2" layer of gravel, a 2" layer of sand, and the thickness of my patio block. My yard has a steep grade so I had to build a frame from pressure treated lumber. Not the most desireable option, but I can eventually diguise it with landscaping so it ended up being no biggie.

I layed down my base, then my sand and had Mr. Mel tamp both down nice and tight. These two layers create the base for your patio so it doesn't settle and become unlevel.

I started laying my patio blocks. My blocks are 18" x 18" and, based on the size of my patio I decided to have 3" spaces running between them.

By now, my sunburn had reached epic proportions...so much for SPF 30.

To fill the spaces between the blocks, I mixed up topsoil, compost, and CIL Grass Seed and packed it in the spaces.

Then I gave it all a good watering and crossed my fingers that it'll grow grass. I'll be sure to post photos when it's all green!