Outside In

Another winter has arrived. Fortunately the stone masons are finished with the outside of the home and proceeding to take down the scafolding and tents.

It is a long way up!

I am preparing for the inside stone work. This wall inside the study will be stone.

A Place for Fire

This propane fireplace is on a wall between the study and the guest bath. Bookcases will eventually flank this efficient heater.

The fireplace facing this way is for the master bedroom. The big box in the background is for the great room. If you look closely you can see the radient tubes (orange) which are now run in the warmboard.

This Extrordinair fireplace in the basement has positive pressure (forced outside air) and will head over 2300 square feet.

More Stone

The stone work continues with headers over the windows. The door is to the garage.

The stone yard is slowly getting smaller.

This wall shows the interface between stone and lap siding (bats need to be installed on the baten board above the lap).

This wall is outside the laundry room. We are almost to the cap stones.

Rise in Fall

The Aspens have turned yellow as fall sets in (have had 3 snow storms so far).

The stone masons have started their work. We are leaving the majority of the wood columns exposed with only 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 feet of stone at the base.

All the back of the house has about 4 feet of stone and rising.

Utilities

I have set a 45 kw back-up generator on a cement pad located about 75 feet from the house. Two 1000 gallon propane tanks will be burried in the hole in front of the generator. If you look close you can see a gas line (yellow) run in a grey conduit.

The gas line will be connected to a pipe on the left of the garage entry.

These wires will connect a remote solar system to the house.

Solar panels will be set on 40 foot poles, at this location, with 'trackers' to maximize the solar output.

Water System

These three storage tanks (5100 gallons) will be set up the hill to provide water pressure for the house.

I have been doing a lot of trenching. This 5-6 foot deep trench contains a water line to the tanks and one to circulate water to the waterfall.

This is where the water tanks will be set (at the top of the property).

If you look close you can see the house in the left-center portion of this picture. I am standing at the location where the water storage tanks will be set.

Back Deck for Stone

The back side deck beams are now installed.

We are now ready for the stone work to begin. The tar paper shown is covered with wire in preparation for stone.

Snow Shield

Do to the snow accumulation at the back door this past winter, we are adding a small timber frame porch.

Roof and Windows

The roof is complete! All windows (except the cupola) are installed. The 'pool' ,in the left front of the picture, is being used to store water as we 'clean up' the well.

This picture, taken earlier then the one above, shows the framing of the left deck.

Current view up the canyon.

Pump in the well

The 5 horse power pump is being lowered into the well (set just below 500 feet).

Looking Up

The roofing continues to progress with the ridges and flashing being installed and the decks being covered.

Currently Hunter and I are working on the front porch cover. We use a chain saw to cut the angles on the 4" by 10" secondary beams. These are covered by a 2" by 8" roof (and plywood in some cases).

Hunter is getting his first geometry lesson in the beam angles, such as these on the corner outside the study.

The roofers are busy laying the 24 gauge standing seam metal roof. Which means I am busy in keeping up with the side porch roofs, sofit and facia.

This view shows the windows in the master bath and closet and the upstairs bathrooms.

The master bedroom (with windows) will eventually be surrounded by a wrap-arround deck

The breakfast room has a great view, but you have to watch out for the first step out the (to be installed) sliding glass door.