Project Journal

Second Act.

by the Artist

It's gonna be good!

We're on the home stretch at the Modern Farmhouse Project. When I look back at the start of the project it was bitter cold. The crew had to clear the snow to work. Seems like a long time ago as I sit here feeling the warm breeze coming in through the window. It is hard to imagine how winter could be so cold and how a home could look so different in really a short space of time. The cold and white is gone, and so is the old stucco, the old windows, two old fireplaces, old lighting, old hip roof details, and old rot. Along with warm breezes has come new windows and doors, a revamped roof silhouette, lighting, a more spacious kitchen (with the demise of an old gas fireplace) and more expansive views of the lake. And of course a lot of internal "new" that won't ever be seen but has made the house solid and energy efficient for years to come.

It has been a long process, but with perspective so much has been accomplished. It's kind of like being in intermission waiting for the curtain to go up. It will be well worth the wait!

Met the goal!

by the Artist

Today. The Carpenter and crew has been focused all week on achieving what seemed like an unattainable goal. Get windows/patio door on the lake side of our Modern Farmhouse Project installed in time for Memorial Day weekend. It wasn't a planned goal. It was a hopeful goal from the homeowner.

The Carpenter knew the challenges that would need to be overcome to achieve this goal. It was lofty. The weather was a player. Painting the interior side of the windows would need to be completed. The living room window roof detail would need to be built. The exterior walls would need to be finished and wrapped. I know I'm missing some items but it is what I'm remembering.

The Carpenter was tense. He was focused. And serious. He wasn't home much. Physically or mentally. He and the crew were "all in". The Carpenter even had to cancel a doctor appointment because it landed exactly when he needed to be on site.

Today. The windows are in! The crew and weather and the determination of the Carpenter made it happen. I wasn't sure it was going to happen. It rained. Yet the rain let up today long enough for the crew to tarp the area and they prevailed.

I drove over to take some photos and view the beautiful windows in place. I remembered back to all the planning meetings. The time spent measuring and remeasuring, and marking placement inside with tape on a bitter cold Saturday in January. I remembered the hours spent removing window hardware, keeping it organized, masking for hours, priming, sanding, painting. Hours of prep in the cabinet shop. It truly was a group effort. 

I'm sure right about now the homeowners are so happy to be looking out at the lake through beautiful glass! (in fact as I'm writing this the sun is coming out!) They spent three weeks (I think it was) looking at temporary plywood walls. They were living in a cave. That might be okay in the dead of winter... but I'm sure almost unbearable in the glorious spring!

So here's to our crew and a very tired Carpenter! My hat's off to you. Job well done.

 

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The best things.

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by the Artist

It's beautiful outside. Breathtakingly so. Not a cloud, bluebird skies, flowering trees.

We started the Modern Farmhouse Project in February. The site had to be cleared of snow, the winds blew bitter off the lake. It was brutal at times. Today is the crew's reward for making it through that harsh start because it is already 85 degrees! I'm sure they will head home to start their weekends with some nice sunburn!

I stopped at the project yesterday and took some photos of the progress. They are rebuilding the entire lakeside of the home to meet engineering specifications for the new windows/doors that are going to be installed. In preparation for that, they had to build temporary walls to shut off the interior of the home from the exterior. To protect the home from the elements and for safety. I have not seen this done in any of our past projects (doesn't mean it hasn't been done I just haven't seen it). Amazing.

I feel for the homeowners who are shut off from their beautiful lake views from inside their home. Wow. It I'm sure would be easier if it was the dead of winter when the frozen lake looks quite inhospitable. When the winds are blowing the white around and around. But I am sure they know the sacrifice of living in a construction zone will be well worth it when it is all said and done, and they have gorgeous windows and doors to enjoy their beautiful lake vista.

I remember years ago when the Carpenter and I gutted our current home. It was dreadful. It was filthy. Old house dirt and debris. I had to keep an image in my head of the end product. I saw myself walking up to the front porch, a welcoming light was on, the porch was all white and very clean. Honestly that image got me through and helped me to keep going when it seemed like the renovation process would never end. And we've since enjoyed our little front porch ever since. It is still my favorite place to hang out!

Most times the best things take the most work. Very true here.

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Bags on.

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by the Artist

Off to a brand new week after a different sort of "last week". Our Lead (who is never gone) was on his honeymoon, the Carpenter had to be on site 8-5 (yes he added a new layer of tired), and the weather was not kind (no.. it was downright nasty). It sleeted, it rained, the winds blew hard off the lake, and Friday wrapped up with a nice snow squall. And this is April?

I stopped by the project site today and took the photo for this post. It was in the 30's (still) and there was a good chop on the lake. I promised I would shoot fast! Yes.. please humor the photographer!

We've got quite the eclectic crew right now. Two brothers, a songbird and a scholar. Let me explain. The brothers are our nephews. One is our Lead and the other is his younger brother who has been with us since last summer while he looks for a job in his chosen field of construction management. He has been gaining great hands on experience in the meantime.

Our "scholar" is our newest crew member. He came on about a month ago. He lives on the great Mississippi River where he enjoys exploring it's nooks and grannies. And he is working towards getting his doctorate in Geography! 

Our "songbird" is actually a long time sub. He can usually be found up on scaffolding singing classical aria's. He always has a smile on his face and keeps the crew laughing. The "scholar" said one day at lunch that the "songbird" (not how he referred to him) was the "spice" of the crew. What does spice do? Makes things flavorful and interesting. yep that's him.

So now the crew is back together and "bags on". The weather report for the week is a definite warming trend, (oh please!) and the Carpenter can take a step back (I'm hopeful). 

The photo of the crew is minus our "songbird"!

 

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Burning the midnight oil.

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by the Artist

The cabinet shop (where I work on my painted furniture in preparation for my May 7th sale) is off limits right now. The Carpenter has a massive window painting project going. All of the work tables are being used. Including "my" table. My furniture is covered up and not easy to get to. So I wait. And I watch.

It's been intense prep for the new windows for the Modern Farmhouse http://www.applewoodremodelers.com/recent-projects/ Project. He is using a paint sprayer. It works great, once everything is masked off. Then it's almost like flying with a tailwind. 

So he's back to long work days right now. During the day he runs many errands, spends time project managing at the job site, and meets with potential customers in the evening (so far two meetings this week). We're also running an ad for a new carpenter so he's handling those contacts. He ends his days in the shop painting till very late. He has a plan for painting the windows here and then transporting them as they are needed to the project. This will ensure they stay nice and safe. ...

(I started this post last night with intention to finish this morning. The Carpenter told me he wrote a post late last evening ..it came into my email at 1:50 AM! It made me smile as I read it. We wrote about the exact same subjects between this post and the previous! Great minds and married a long time people do think alike!)

from the Carpenter....

Better late then never! To all those wonderful birthday wishes from you that sent them, I say a big thank you! I really just checked in to the Facebook page right now and saw them. Good thing the Artist has a FB presence because I don’t. So again, thanks, oh and remember…Bobs your Uncle! (He’s my “Unca” too)

We continue to be as busy as we have been in a long time. Still trying to balance the employee search thing. We will see what happens. In the mean time, one of my guys is still on vacation enjoying the Arizona sun, another is getting ready to get married in 3 weeks. Man, my nephew getting married….The Artist told me I was getting old earlier tonight, I guess so, but I just finished another 16 hour day. Can an old guy do that? No way!

Yep, I’m in the shop late again. We are painting all the windows for the Modern Farmhouse Project ahead of time. It is very involved to do it correctly. We have stripped off all the hardware and weather stripping that is removable. Then we masked off with tape and masking paper. Monday night I was out there till 2am, tonight 1am. Its one of those things that when you get in the zone, its hard to stop and the hours slip by and before you know it it gets late. It’s a good thing my shop is now on the property where we live. Many years ago when we had our full time cabinetmaking and furniture building business, along with the remodeling, many many nights I would be there till midnight or later and then have to drive home about 18 miles. Not fun. Now I can just walk about 40 feet to the back door.

Tonight when I wrapped up, I went to the back yard and sat on a rock wall. Even though it was dark, I could still see out into our marsh. I just sat for a few minutes taking it in. Even in winter, well almost spring now, the marsh is alive. Geese were honking on the pond island; there were a couple of coyotes out there yipping at something, and two rabbits jumped out of the pile of firewood that is waiting for me to split. I have spent hours and hours over the last 18 years just enjoying what God has given us in the beautiful property we own. Its an acre and a half of work at times, but an acre and a half of "Heaven on Earth" most of the time.

Do you know what "Peepers" are? I can’t wait to announce to the Artist some night coming up very soon….The peepers are back! You will have to ask her, and I guarantee when you do, she will smile.

The Artist... I wrote about "Peepers" in the previous post. :)

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Bitter and stucco.

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by the Artist

It's been a bitter week. Cold. Wind. Icy sun. And of course our crew is outside! The Carpenter has a temperature no work cut-off of -25 degrees below zero. We haven't hit that wind chill this week but I'm betting it's been darn near close! 

Our crew has put in full days despite the cold on our latest project the "Modern Farmhouse". It's been a busy week starting with exterior stucco removal. I stopped by one day and was surprised to see how neatly it is removed. They were sawing out a grid pattern and prying the sections off. I was told that is to protect the material below the stucco. You don't want to just wack away at it! It's demo but it's dignified demo! I can hear the Carpenter laughing now!

Already this first week a dumpster of stucco was taken away (here's a little fact- you can't rent a large dumpster to dispose of stucco.. only the smallest size because of how heavy the load would be if a large dumpster was used). Just removing that material has made a world of difference to the look of the home. For the size of the project it was decided that a once a week meeting with the Carpenter and the homeowners was in order. A good face-to-face time to discuss the progress of the project, voice any concerns and address any questions. I think this is a good idea. Once a project gets going, there is a lot of commotion, momentum, noise, equipment, people. It helps to stop and be in the moment and take stock.

Despite what Mother Nature threw our way.. we're off to a good start! And after months and years of planning for the homeowners and more recently us... it's a fine place to be!

 

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A white start.

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by the Artist

We started a project yesterday that was a year in the making. We dreamed about this project, anticipated this project and worked hard for this project. We were ready to go. Plans finalized, budget settled, inspections made, engineers made happy, dumpster and windows ordered. The stars were perfectly lined up. As close to perfect as possible.

Mother Nature had other plans. Blizzard. Yep.. it snowed and snowed and snowed the day before the official start. Our first storm of the season. The Carpenter was tense. Not only was he starting a significant project.. but it was snowing sled dogs. He kept staring out the window as the wind and snow blustered by at a severe slant.

Not only did he have to make a decision about when and if to start... but now had the added task to get the job site cleared before the crew could start. He always clears the snow off his sites.. that is very important to him. But... first he had to get on the tractor and clear out Applewood headquarters. So late into the evening he pushed and scooped white and worried. 

But like the mailman.. not much stops the Applewood crew or the Carpenter. At 9 AM the project started! Shovels and snowblower in hand the crew removed the snow and started demo. 

Follow the story of this home as it begins it's "Second Act" on this blog and our Facebook page. 

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Don't walk on that floor!

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Monday morning I realized I needed to stop over at our Floral Dr project. That is the "honey do" project we are finishing up which I wrote about on my January 7th post "Cross that off your list!". http://www.applewoodremodelers.com/carpenterandtheartist-blog/. I had a ton of things to do but I knew I had to go shoot some pics of the project.

It was a good day to stop. They were just starting to install the hickory wood floor. I have never seen a wood floor installed. Now I know why they are more expensive. It's major prep before the first piece is stapled down!

To start.. the wood needs to be delivered and sit stacked in the environment where it is to be installed for at least a week. You can see in the photo below how it was stacked to acclimate... even that is interesting!

Then each and every piece must be placed so no end seams line up. This is called "racking" a floor. And each piece comes at random lengths from the supplier. It's a lot of bending over and trying sizes. I think I'd lose my mind! Not to mention my back.

After a few rows are laid in place and prepared... then the stapling can start. Each piece is moved forward and fitted into position. Piece by piece. A special tool is used called a wood flooring stapler. 

After all the wood is installed then it gets sanded, seams get filled with wood filler, sanded again, then "water popped" (a light coating of water so stain goes on more evenly), stained, then two coats of polyurethane. Welcome beautiful wood floor!

I had no idea. I will never look at a custom wood floor the same again. I might not ever want my own custom wood floor.. I might not allow anyone to walk on it! And certainly not little muddy puppy paws.

 

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A lot of prep goes a long way!

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by the Artist

The Carpenter wrote about an upcoming project in his last post. He spent many hours last week and all this past weekend holed up in the "War Room", revising the architect's plans with final design tweaks. All I heard was the "creak and roll" of his office chair mingled with some Tina Turner and Meatloaf, and the hum of the space heater. It's been an intense process to be a part of and also to observe. He has had to chase down many many details and information for the entire scope of the project. Yes.. this is his job, I just haven't in the past paid quite so much attention!

We've had a number of design meetings prior to this past weekend for architectural exterior and interior details:  window style, millwork etc. And the Carpenter has headed back to the project to meet appraisers, engineers, subcontractors and a lead inspector. There is a whole lot of prep before "bags on!"

A couple weeks ago I had the privilege to attend the initial design meeting with the architect, homeowners and the Carpenter. It was the first time I've seen how the Carpenter interacts with an architect. He did "good". We covered a lot of ground. It was exhausting but exciting.

A week later we again found ourselves back at the project on a bitter cold Saturday morning. While the wind blew hard across the lake we tackled the windows... casement or double hung, grid style, placement, and exact measurements matched to a catalog. We taped off approximate interior locations. Where a window fits outside does not mean it lands well inside!

The Carpenter's prep work is almost complete. I need to get a new sign designed (and I want to update our logo first). This project has good exposure for potential future work. And I will be meeting with the homeowner to help with lighting and flooring decisions still. That will be the fun part!

I can't tell you how excited we are about this project. For me it's the new architectural style "modern farmhouse" the house will become- my personal favorite! I could not be happier. The Carpenter is excited because he loves reworking and updating older homes. This is his passion. He loves the challenge. The puzzle of it. He's in his element. And working by a lovely lake won't hurt either. Even though right now it's a frozen cube.

 

 

 

 

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Andrew.

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by the Artist

Andrew_cleaning.jpg

On the occasion of one of our crew member's birthday yesterday... I thought I'd write something about Andrew our "Assistant Carpenter".

He is a younger brother of our Lead Carpenter Adam. He graduated from Minnesota State University Moorhead last May with a degree in Construction Management. (this construction thing seems to run in the family.. the Carpenter's youngest brother is a carpenter too!) While he searches for his first position he's been gaining hand's on experience in the construction field with us.

We are happy to have him for awhile. He's sweet and always has a smile ready to share. He's easy going and a quick learner. He gets along well with his "co-workers", and our homeowners. In fact one day I was at the job site and met the homeowner and her grandchild. The little guy was just coming in from a ride in the car, all nestled in his car seat. As we stood there chatting I noticed that the little guy was staring with a raptured look at something past my shoulder. I turned to see what he was looking at... there behind me stood Andrew... grinning right back! That kind of says it all!

I am so thankful that our crew is kind and conducts themselves well on our projects. This is priceless in this day of rude social manners and customer service. 

The company where Andrew lands will be blessed to have him. In the meantime we'll keep him as long as we can. 

PS I shot this photo of Andrew cleaning up from sheetrock "mudding" (as I call it) last week on one of our projects. He is learning the business from the bucket up!