Moose with no passport.

Some weeks I work like a mad dog and have almost nothing to show for it, visually at any rate. Other weeks I don't seem to work that hard but, I do manage to finish what I started a while ago and, hey presto, it seems like I have achieved a huge amount. So it was this last fortnight. I put the finishing touches to most of the plumbing. It is not all done by a long chalk but, the infrastructure is in place and some key items are now plumbed in.

The hot water tank is now in and so is the water softer (right and left respectively) and I have tested the system and hot water is now available when I need it. I'll keep it off until I move in as there is no point in heating lots of water and not using it. I have also plumbed the re-generation outflow from the water softener into the main outflow piping (top right) so the system can regenerate itself without my involvement.

The hot (left) and cold (right) water manifolds are all complete and the entire system has been checked for leaks. There were a couple of minor ones that were quickly fixed but now the whole system is serviceable. All that is needed now is to put in the appliances. The inspector has been and given me a 'good show' for the 'rough in', with no remedial work required. Quite proud of that. 

This is the furness that provides hot ducted air to the main floor and the basement. It is up and running and tested but not actually needed at the moment. It is controlled by a thermostat in the Great Room. I have lit the wood burning stove in the Great Room a couple of times already but, only really for show. It really isn't cold enough yet to warrant it. I think I really lit it to get rid of some the off cuts in my workshop that have been building up to the point where I don't have anywhere to put them, so burning them seemed like a good idea.

With the plumbing inspection out of the way I have been able to put in a few appliances. With moving in to mind I have started with the utility area with a view to being able to administer myself. Priority one, a toilet and hand basin in the downstairs 2 piece bath room. The only thing left to do in this room is a light fitting to replace the temporary bulb that currently hangs from the ceiling.

The toilet is in place, fully tested and in regular daily use. I have added a medicine cabinet on the wall on the right of this photo but, I forgot to take a photo of it to show you. I'll try to remember for the next posting.

The laundry is also now all but done with a working washing machine and dryer and ….

…. the laundry sink that I showed you a while ago now also plumbed in and incorporated into a larger hand made vanity. The centre footings are left open because there is an air duct under there for hot air from the furness. All that is required in here is to put in place the ceiling but I need to plumb in the bath in the main bathroom above it before I can do that. That won't be for a while yet. 

The 'walk-in' pantry is also finished and in use.

There is lots of room in here for brooms, ironing boards and the like.

The dividing wall between the utility area and the main cabin now looks like this, with the fridge in place. 

With the utility area now functional I have been able to turn my attention back to my bedroom and en-suite bathroom, that will be my 'main effort' for the next two to three weeks. The bedroom is very close to being finished. Only the panels to stain and the floor to put down and stain and I will be able to move the furniture in. So I have been busy panelling the bathroom and building a closet for towels etc.

I have also built the vanity for the twin sinks and his and her's side cupboards. Sorry about the disjointed photo here but, I couldn't get it all in on one shot so I have stitched two together, with varying success, as you can clearly see. I am hoping to find a nice piece or rustic stone to go on the vanity and am going to look for one tomorrow. My cabinetry is getting quite professional but thankfully the wood I am using is retaining the rustic look and feel of the cabin.

As you can see from this photo I have also trimmed the window and removed the protective polythene from the glass. Looks much better now doesn't it.

On Wednesday I went down to Kalispell in Montana to get some backer board for the showers in the upstairs bathrooms and as I approached the border with the USA I saw this moose. Sorry about the quality of the photo but, it was the best I could do at the time. It is only the second moose I have seen and it was really quite large. The US border post ground to a halt for at least ten minutes while all the border customs officers watched it crossing the border. I don't think it showed a passport and no-one was minded to try to apprehend it.

My trip to Kalispell saved me around $700. The cost of shower backer board in Canada (Kerdi Board) is over $40 for a sheet 3' x 5' (I need about 18) plus the cost of all the paraphernalia you have to buy to go with them, which is about another $300. In Montana I paid about $11 for a similar, if heavier substitute. As my purchase was under $200 I didn't have to pay tax on it re-entering Canada and the extra cost of fuel for going down there was only about $30. I'll need to spend about another $100 on other materials but, the overall saving is still about $700.

With the plumbing inspection now done, there is only one more inspection to get through and that is the final 'Licence to Occupy'. It will be a few months before I am ready for that but, I am hoping to move in and 'camp' in the house unofficially well before that. The critical path for that is getting the shower done in the en-suite bathroom. I have parts on order and it is hoped that they will be here sometime this week or next. I hope it will only take me about three days to get it built. In the meantime I hope to get the vanity stone in place, the sinks plumbed in and the floor done in both the bedroom and the bathroom, possibly with under-floor heating for the latter. I still have a bit more research to do on this. Then I can plumb in the toilet, which I already have. Best case, I could be moving in in about two weeks but, it is more likely to be three. When I do, it will seem like another real milestone has been passed and I can't wait.

Matt is on his travels again.

It has been a slow fortnight getting to grips with some finishing, which is satisfying but slow work. I have now finished panelling the utility area including: the 2 piece bathroom, laundry area, fridge alcove and walk-in pantry. The rooms aren't finished yet because I need to complete some plumbing work in the bathroom above the laundry before I can finish the ceiling. I hope it won't be long before I can get this done.

This is the outside wall of the walk-in pantry. I have taken extra care to seal up all the logs so there are no hiding places for bugs. I have put the flooring in but haven't put the shelves in yet. I will probably stain the floor first, in order to protect it, before I put the shelving and clear coat the panelling. 

I  have made the door for the pantry, here lying on the floor of the garage while the glue dries. I'll be putting it up tomorrow. Don't you just love all those colours. Every visitor who comes to the house remarks on how nice this beetle kill pine panelling is and almost without exception they say that they want to get some. My neighbours Candy and Rod Phipps want to put some in two of their bedrooms. The last door I made I didn't square off properly before allowing the glue to dry and so it is a little off the square. It doesn't look too bad, actually it almost looks in place in a cabin  but, I will probably replace it at some later point. Anyway, it is a mistake I won't make again.

I have also started work on finishing my bedroom. I have painted the white board and stained the beams.

I have made and stained the trimming for the white board/beam interface and I hope to get this up next week along with the window and door trims.

I have also made the cabinets for the alcoves either side of the dormer.

I am very pleased with the results. I am getting better and better at this sort of work and the doors in particular look really good. I have put european kitchen door hinges on the doors so they close firmly without the need for additional fixings and of course they are adjustable, which means you can get them to hang squarely even if the cabinet isn't square.

I have also sealed the room by putting log jam in the log joints and chalked all the interfaces.

I have also trimmed out my first window, in the 2 piece bathroom.

It doesn't look like much for two weeks work but, I have been hard at it everyday. I have also been carrying out a few duties in my capacity as the President of the Strata, researching and planning for the next room to be tackled - the en suite bathroom and, I have nearly got the plumbing done.

Just a note of interest for those who followed Matt Sample's Blog of his travels around the world last year. He is off again on his travels. This time to North Korea, via a few watering holes in China. Watch out for new postings on his blog which, in case you have forgotten is: matthewsample.blogspot.com

There almost certainly isn't public access to the internet in the Peoples' Paradise so we may have to wait a while before we hear from him. In the meantime I guess we should start scoping out a rescue plan, Matt is bound to upset somebody.