Building a new house and shop (2 Viewers)

[1911]

The fireplace finished. I would not want to be a stone mason for a living! The mrs. picked out that 8-1/2' slab of mesquite for a mantle. It has a very "live" edge on the front with a unique shape; I had to cut and trim the stone very carefully to try and fit it. It's not really wider than the space between the windows, foreshortening of the photo makes it look like that.

The high outlet is crooked, it was cast into the concrete that way. Fortunately, the tv will cover it.

 

[BadReligion]

The fireplace finished. I would not want to be a stone mason for a living! The mrs. picked out that 8-1/2' slab of mesquite for a mantle. It has a very "live" edge on the front with a unique shape; I had to cut and trim the stone very carefully to try and fit it. It's not really wider than the space between the windows, foreshortening of the photo makes it look like that.

The high outlet is crooked, it was cast into the concrete that way. Fortunately, the tv will cover it.

View attachment 3883135

Wow! You set all of that stone!? Nice work!

 

[Michael B]

Good job! I really like the mantle.

 

[1911]

Wow! You set all of that stone!? Nice work!

Thanks. I did do the stone myself, but it is ledger stone and comes in panels of individual stones glued together, so I didn't have to set every single stone. It's real travertine, so every piece is a little different but in similar sizes. The hardest part was cutting all of the corners for the shelves, nooks, and the fireplace surround. Fortunately I have access to a high-quality wet tile saw that does miters also.

 

[1911]

Good job! I really like the mantle.

Thanks; my wife picked that out - I would have preferred something not quite so thick and irregular, but it's growing on me. The room is big enough (24' x 24') that it fits without being overbearing.

 

[1911]

A fair amount has happened in a couple of weeks. The flooring is completely finished everywhere, still working on the baseboards and under-cabinet trim however.

I’ve been methodically working on the central heat pump installation, and it’s all done except for the thermostat. My experience installing the mini-splits gave me the confidence to try the central system also. It was a big job but I broke it down into smaller steps over two plus weeks. The hardest part was running the copper lines through the ceiling/ roof vent stack with its 180-degree bend, and from there through 3” conduit that I then buried. A ton of bending, trial fitting, and etc. Really glad to have that all done now.

I’ll have to drill a small hole through a 10” concrete wall to get the thermostat in the family room.

Mrs. 1911 made me a celebratory dinner last night; steak and kidney pie, homemade mashed potatoes and carrots.

 

[1911]

She also started on her kitchen backsplash today; marble mosaic tiles in a beehive theme like her knob pulls and etc.

 

[knuckle47]

Great job! I just hope it’s not upside down….

 

[1911]

Great job! I just hope it’s not upside down….View attachment 3902643

It's upside down on purpose; the air handler is modular and made to be convertible to up-draft, down-draft, or horizontal-draft in either direction. The default configuration as delivered is up-draft, but since my ducts are all under the floors, I converted it to down-draft. You take the evaporator coil and attached condensate drain pan out, flip the cabinet upside down, and reinstall the the evaporator coil flipped 180 degrees, so that the drain pan is still on the bottom. The coil is now on top, and the blower motor and squirrel cage is now on the bottom and blowing down. It's even more obvious with the bottom cover on (after finishing the thermostat wiring).

Good eye though!

 

[thatcabledude]

View attachment 3902035

Roof is looking great!

 

[thatcabledude]

@1911 doing a roof replacement like

 

[1911]

Roof is looking great!

Thanks, I’ve been trying to weed it this year instead of mowing it. Letting the grass grow taller gives more shade to the roof and less heat transfer.

 

[1911]

@1911 doing a roof replacement like

View attachment 3911053

I actually did buy some more grass seed to sow on thin spots. Wish I would have spread it before the rainy season started, but I was too busy inside the house.