The NH Project
In March of 2005, we purchased land in Newport, NH. We've begun building a new home in anticipation of my wife's retirement in 2009. I've designed a 1500 square-foot home, and I'm the builder / general contractor. Small Wonder Labs will continue in operation during this transition phase.
We sold our home in Colchester, CT in April 2006 and are now living in a small rental property near Hartford. The proceeds from the home sale are funding the new construction. After an unusually wet summer, excavation began in earnest in August '06. Most of the site work is complete- the well and septic system are in, as is a rough driveway. The foundation- a full basement- was completed on October 15th, 2006 when the floor was poured and finished.
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May 16, 2007 update: Construction is now underway in earnest.
We started the wall framing on May 9th.
A rare moment: Dave at rest!
May 24th: Exterior wall framing and 2nd-floor joists are complete.
June 28th: Rafters are on, and most of the roof decking is now installed.
July 17th: The front gable dormer is now in and the the roof is finally protected against rain. Temporary electric service was connected on July 13th.
July 26th: Sheathing's nearly complete; we're presently applying house-wrap and flashing the window openings. We've begun framing interior partitions, and the plumbing contractor starts within the week.
August 9th: Sheathing and house-wrap are complete. All but two windows (awaiting delivery) are installed, and the back door's on. Rough plumbing's complete, and we've begun work on the eaves and fascia in advance of the scheduled roofing work. Next up: exterior siding and electrical work.
Sept. 7th: The siding's underway. An electrician's installed 'the big stuff' to the breaker panel, and I've started roughing-in the inside wiring.
The 'standing-seam' metal roof was installed on November 8-9, prompting a major sigh of relief! This roof style is a favorite in northern New England- snow slides off rather than accumulating. The plumbing and electrical rough-in inspections were successfully completed on November 7th.
11/25 update: Permanent electrical service has now been installed. Electrical outlets and ceiling lighting are now coming alive. We sure don't miss juggling extension cords!
11/25 update: The winter season's first snow. The Christmas wreath on the front wall was placed there by neighbors in our absence!
1/21/08 update: We completed the insulating over the holidays, and we've now begun installing sheet rock.
2/25/08 update: Several more rooms-including the living room, pictured above- have now been sheet-rocked. With a functional bathroom, heat and now a working (temporary) kitchen sink and countertop, we've got many of the comforts of home. Phone service was installed last week.
3/24/08 update: Several rooms are now painted, and sheet-rocking continues. There's now a full set of basement stairs, so it's become easier to store belongings from our current location. There are stacks of boards everywhere- air-drying for use in selected locations throughout the house.
4/30/08 update: We're *really* getting too old for overhead sheet-rock work! Kate's sewing room (pictured) and several others instead have pine 'bead-board' ceilings. A pneumatic finish-nailer makes the installation relatively painless.
The 'man-cave' is now painted. As soon as finish flooring and base molding are on (or possibly even before), this becomes my office space. [The horizontal blocking in the foreground will secure a rough-sawn shiplap wall. ]
'The grotto'. This office alcove will provide space for reading, 'deep thought', and pretending to play the guitar and mandolin.
D. Benson 4/30/2008