Happy New Year 2016! We have much exciting activity to report on Maisto Mountain.
Just a few days before Christmas (Dec. 19), our geothermal loop was installed. Brad, Sarah’s brother Eric, another helper, and one of our new neighbors helped to bury several hundred feet of tubing from the house to the pond. The crew then traversed the pond in a johnboat to take out additional loop tubing (1600 feet) into the pond. Installing a geothermal system is quite a feat, but we are very pleased the parts are in place. From an aesthetic standpoint, once our furnace unit is installed, water or another coolant mixture will be put in the tubing for re-circulation, and the tubing you now see in the pond pictures will sink to the bottom.
Brad was able to take a break from construction between Christmas and New Year’s to spend time with Sarah and the family. We noticed when spending time with family that when we speak of our home, our 3-year-old niece, Allee, says, “And my house, too!” She has visited often enough – and we have shown her where her guest room and the play room will be – that I think she and her sister, Elsie, will have no problem coming to stay for a few days. As young as they are, their little minds seem to understand that we want it to be a gathering place. Either that, or we’re going to have a permanent guest. :-)
During Christmas break, Brad and Sarah purchased some barn wood – in the pouring rain, no less – for a couple of special projects in our new home. We also made some selections for our basement drop ceiling tiles, picked up a paint guide (heaven help us), and scheduled an appointment with a painting consultant.
When Brad returned to Maisto Mountain on Jan. 4, our gutters had been installed. The dark gray gutters match the home perfectly, and we are quite pleased with the work. Brad also spotted a muskrat swimming in the pond, which is bad news, and is keeping an eye out for this little rodent. We cannot have the varmint damaging the pond spillway, or it will have a fight on its hands. Brad also discovered an old logging path on the property that runs at least a quarter mile and can be cleared for hiking and gator riding.
This week, our foam and cellulose insulation was blown in on Wednesday, Jan. 6, and Thursday, Jan. 7. I guess either of us could say that “on the 12th Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me … insulation for our home.” It’s not the traditional gift, but that’s OK with us. Brad also has spent much time removing the nails and gently treating the barn wood for our interior projects. We plan to build a barn wood wall downstairs and a special barn wood door for one side of our upstairs pantry. We are looking forward to areas of the home having some special character.
Drywall was delivered on Thursday, Jan. 7, and the project should start next week and take four or five days. After the drywall is complete, we can meet with our painting consultant, begin to choose paint colors, and start the painting process (which Brad will do himself). We will choose a kitchen color first. We want to get the kitchen painted before cabinetry is installed hopefully in February.
We now have been working on Maisto Mountain for over a year, if you count the planning process before our permits were issued. The building of the home began in June 2015. Most days, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but we also have other days where it seems that we still have endless projects until our goal is met. We know, though, that 2016 is going to be the year we get to move in, and it’s an exciting time for us.
Just a few days before Christmas (Dec. 19), our geothermal loop was installed. Brad, Sarah’s brother Eric, another helper, and one of our new neighbors helped to bury several hundred feet of tubing from the house to the pond. The crew then traversed the pond in a johnboat to take out additional loop tubing (1600 feet) into the pond. Installing a geothermal system is quite a feat, but we are very pleased the parts are in place. From an aesthetic standpoint, once our furnace unit is installed, water or another coolant mixture will be put in the tubing for re-circulation, and the tubing you now see in the pond pictures will sink to the bottom.
Brad was able to take a break from construction between Christmas and New Year’s to spend time with Sarah and the family. We noticed when spending time with family that when we speak of our home, our 3-year-old niece, Allee, says, “And my house, too!” She has visited often enough – and we have shown her where her guest room and the play room will be – that I think she and her sister, Elsie, will have no problem coming to stay for a few days. As young as they are, their little minds seem to understand that we want it to be a gathering place. Either that, or we’re going to have a permanent guest. :-)
During Christmas break, Brad and Sarah purchased some barn wood – in the pouring rain, no less – for a couple of special projects in our new home. We also made some selections for our basement drop ceiling tiles, picked up a paint guide (heaven help us), and scheduled an appointment with a painting consultant.
When Brad returned to Maisto Mountain on Jan. 4, our gutters had been installed. The dark gray gutters match the home perfectly, and we are quite pleased with the work. Brad also spotted a muskrat swimming in the pond, which is bad news, and is keeping an eye out for this little rodent. We cannot have the varmint damaging the pond spillway, or it will have a fight on its hands. Brad also discovered an old logging path on the property that runs at least a quarter mile and can be cleared for hiking and gator riding.
This week, our foam and cellulose insulation was blown in on Wednesday, Jan. 6, and Thursday, Jan. 7. I guess either of us could say that “on the 12th Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me … insulation for our home.” It’s not the traditional gift, but that’s OK with us. Brad also has spent much time removing the nails and gently treating the barn wood for our interior projects. We plan to build a barn wood wall downstairs and a special barn wood door for one side of our upstairs pantry. We are looking forward to areas of the home having some special character.
Drywall was delivered on Thursday, Jan. 7, and the project should start next week and take four or five days. After the drywall is complete, we can meet with our painting consultant, begin to choose paint colors, and start the painting process (which Brad will do himself). We will choose a kitchen color first. We want to get the kitchen painted before cabinetry is installed hopefully in February.
We now have been working on Maisto Mountain for over a year, if you count the planning process before our permits were issued. The building of the home began in June 2015. Most days, we are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but we also have other days where it seems that we still have endless projects until our goal is met. We know, though, that 2016 is going to be the year we get to move in, and it’s an exciting time for us.