Shed porches going on!

Howdy, Cabin lovers! As I type this the hubby is out at the Reserve and is ensuring that the builder has all he needs to continue finishing the exterior of the cabin. This week’s projects include putting on “shed porches” over the exterior porches on the cabin, installing electrical wiring, putting bracing on the load-bearing trusses and cleaning the exterior logs.

I didn’t think that there would be a lot of “aesthetic” decisions to be made at this stage in the game, but I’m wrong! For the shed porches I needed to tell the builder which way I wanted the under side of the roofing to be laid. There are even several ways to do the corners and I’ll be honest, I may regret what I decided! But, it’s probably not an “end of the world” decision.

In a few places we are having “upside down T” trusses made by a local welder since we selected more detailed trusses in the front and back of the cabin. Even the size of the brace holes is a decision as well as how many holes per brace and the placement of these holes. One also has to decide the finish color and the type of bolts or screws used to brace these trusses.

To indicate our electrical wiring needs, the hubby and I took a copy of the floor plan and color-coded small adhesive dots by creating a legend for plugs, light switches, ceiling fans and lights and then put the dots where we wanted everything placed on the floor plan copy. Since this is our 3rd build, may I suggest (to those of you who do this in the future) that one cannot have enough plugs these days? There should be at least one set on every wall and if the wall is long enough, consider having two or three sets.

Also, think about holidays where you always wish there were a plug either indoors or outdoors for electrical decorations. These days one might need plugs on mantles or chimneys for flat screen TVs and at table height for computer, Kindle, iPad, and smart phone charging. In the kitchen one cannot go overboard on having plugs, since we have so many electrical gizmos in the kitchen. Think also about plugs for washers, dryers, refrigerators, microwaves, disposals, trash compactors and dishwashers.

As for light switches, think about where you will likely turn those lights on and off (It’s not always in a particular pattern or where you would think.).

Since our cabin is very compact, sometimes it gets interesting to figure out just how many switches you can have in one location (like by the front door)! In some cases we are moving switches to other locales and/or redesigning the switchplate.

Why are we cleaning logs? Logs often get dirty due to being carried on a fork lift, dust from blowing winds, and rainy conditions. This means that one has to go over every surface to be stained and not only use a cleaning solution first, but also sand off any other disfiguring marks that might give less than the desired appearance once stained.

I am not a fan of the “ordinary” when it comes to constructing a home and Solitude is no exception. Thus, I have chosen a medium gray stain for the cabin exterior. Why gray? A) I’m not fond of orange, brown and yellow stains. B) When researching the original log cabins in Texas, they almost always turn gray or black over time. I’d like the cabin exterior to have some Texan elements and this is one of those elements!

I’m also selecting a burgundy metal roof. (You guessed it–I’m not a fan of the traditional red or green metal roofs!) Why burgundy? Because we have selected a stone trim that has grays, tans and burgundy tones in it. Thus, the burgundy roof ties in well with the stone we selected. As for the tans in the stone, our windows and window trim is a light tan color. I’m crossing my fingers that this will all look right when finished.

What’s next for Solitude? Good question! Just about the time I think I know what’s next, timelines change for one reason or another. Flexibility is key here! Thankfully, we have a laid back builder who seems to handle that well!

But, if I had to guess by the way the hubby is talking to contractors, the HVAC system, the septic system, the metal roof, the chimney, the bracing, and the staining are all next.

I think everyone, including the builder and his crew, will be happy to see an HVAC system installed! It’s still a little toasty at the Reserve!

Friday’s Post: Unlikely playmate…

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