Building our new house
In early 2007, we began building our new Round House here at Sacred Groves with a vision to expand our residential community on this beautiful land.
We purchased 3 round structures from Oregon Yurtworks--a big house with a large round Great Room that has become the heart and hearth of the Sacred Groves community, and 2 yurtlettes, private bedroom-cabins for new residents. We are modeling a "small is beautiful" lifestyle with small personal spaces, sharing kitchen, bathrooms, laundry, living room. We are enthused about the joys and challenges of community living, committed to the spiritual and personal growth required for sharing life in this way.
This blog, which has the most recent entry at the top, tells the story of the construction of the new house, starting with the foundation built Spring 2007. Carpenter and Groves resident Tere Carranza has managed the project from start to near-finish.
Monday, May 12, 2008
We've Moved In!
Jonas arrived last night while we were all in the log cabin eating dinner - we finally caught up with him around 8:30 PM - after he had taken measurements, checked the squareness of things, and generally gotten a handle on the site.
At long last, the Round House has truly become our new HOME and heart of the community. The kitchen is fully functional. The sweet round dining table has been moved over from the Log House and already we've had several delightful dinners around it with many 'beloveds,' family and friends of Sacred Groves. The Great Room feels wonderfully cozy despite its 'Great-ness.' The grounds are sprouting green all over as the seeds we've been planting over the past couple of months begin to sprout (despite our cold spring). We purchased several 'edible plants' from permaculture specialist (and dear friend) Chuck Estin and they are slowly getting settled into the dirt. The place is beginning to feel lived in and loved. We are thoroughly delighted!
The most recent thing to be completed was the 'finishing' of the floor of the Great Room. It looks unexpectedly BEAUTIFUL! This floor is amazing in that it is GREEN to the max, salvaged and thrice-used. We bought it recycled from a demolished warehouse in downtown Seattle, used it to build the forms for the foundation, de-constructed it after the concrete dried, and then used it for flooring in the Great Room. The use of the product "Osmo" bought from EcoHaus (thank you Van Calvez) was a good choice, bringing out an unexpected amount of color and texture in the wood.
Tere has also been busy finishing the laundry room and second bathroom, and one of the yurtlettes. Of course there are still dozens of other little things to finish up, but we're gettin' there--one task at a time. This week Tere has flown to California to visit her folks and build them some steps and hand-rails on their back porch--such a devoted daughter she is!
The next really important task at hand is calling-in the PERFECT people to share this beautiful land with us. The log house is nearly empty now after weeks of slow sorting-out, moving and cleaning. We've been getting it ready for a couple or small family who will fall in love with its charming sweetness, fall in love with the land here, and all of us currently living here-- and want to move in and make it their new home. We're eagerly awaiting their arrival, whoever they are! And we plan to get one of the yurtlettes 'tricked out' in such a way that it attracts a new resident too--also someone who falls in love with our scene here, the round house and cabins, the land and those of us living here. We've created such a special community on this sweet little dead-end lane, deep in the forest, surrounded by birds, deer and other wild creatures. We just KNOW there are people out there who will find this place 'heaven on earth' just as we do. We look forward to meeting them!
posted by therese # 10:29 AM 2 Comments
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
it's only Tuesday and we're done!!!
Phew!!! We did it!!! We passed the electrical final inspection!! yes- it WAS a big deal - because it's the last hurdle before the City of Bainbridge Island can issue us a Certificate of Completion ( OK - there's the septic system certification in the pipeline that COBI also needs - but I don't have anything to do with that at this stage). So - whether or not we'll get the COC before I go to Costa Rica next week is a moot point. The real point is that now we can relax - this phase of the push is over!!!(check out the latest pics )
We embarked on this electrical work in October - and we've valiantly blundered forward ( with the requisite several steps backward at each lurch) from drilling holes in the studs ( thank you Sarah!) to pulling the wires - often several times ( thank you Sarah!), to pulling the big main wires through the conduits ( Thank you Sarah and Teagan and Carol and Jodie and Robert and Dennis K), to installing breakers at the panel ( many thanks to Carol and Dennis K and Annie) , to installing outlets and switches ( thanks to Carol, Jodie, Teagan, Sarah, Dennis K, Annie), to firing up the main panel ( thank you Dennis and Annie) and getting the yurtlette panels hot and functioning ( thank you Annie) - and the many hours and many gray hairs that pushed their way out of my head as I struggled with the spaghetti of wires pushing their way out of the many many three and four way switches ( what was I thinking?!!). Anyway - our 5 month apprenticeship is OVER!!( the only difference between me and someone who's gone thru the entire 5 year apprenticeship program is that they understand what they're doing....).
Have you noticed a theme in this tale....that Sarah has had a hand in just about every stage of this house building. And she's turning into quite the kick-ass carpenter!! She's already garnered several offers from other builders. Her humor, can-do attitude ( and 'attitude'), willingness to jump in to any project, desire to learn, and generally being a good sport and good egg have made it a pleasure to come to work every day, and made her an indispensable part of this home!!!
Sarah - you rock!!!
posted by Tere # 9:15 PM 0 Comments
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
the wall board goes up
Carol and Jodie came over last Friday and we kicked some electrical butt!!! Dennis K joined us as the five of us pulled the main power wires all the way under the crawl space and up into the panel - in conduit all the way!
As if that wasn't enough - Carol balanced the breaker layout in the panel and set Jodie on the fast-track to installing receptacles! The two bedrooms are properly 'receptacled'!!! As soon as we get power into the house - we'll have electricity coming out of the walls - instead of the miles of extension cords running everywhere!
And Tonia brought her smiles and good cheer to chip away at a lonely and cold task: caulking the exterior joints between the rafters and siding/soffits. It can be a thankless and miserable and messy job - Tonia made it look effortless and fun! I provided buckets of thanks and gratitude!
all right - we're on a roll now! After a few days of cutting the v-groove shiplap that Jeff brought over a few weeks ago - Sarah and Teagan began the installation process. And what a process it is!! There are several complicating factors hindering our flow ( the fact that the boards are different widths, the fact that the boards are recycled and some of them are QUITE splintery, the fact that none of us has ever installed beat-up material on walls before - etc) - but we think we've worked the kinks out in the kitchen - and we expect to find our stride as we make our way to the other rooms.
However - we ARE running out of this v-groove shiplap that came off of a granary in Montana. And while we have another pile of shiplap sitting outside -it does NOT have the v-groove and will not be a GREAT match if we run out of material mid-wall. Oh well, we'll cross that slippery slope when we come to it...
for now - ONWARD and up ward!!
We hope to have a painting party on Friday - as Tonia is planning on returning - with recruits! - and paintbrushes - and we'll tackle the interesting issue of " Will the paint stick to this old very weathered wood?"
Stay tuned. Meanwhile, back to the cutting board...
posted by Tere # 8:58 PM 0 Comments
Monday, November 12, 2007
expando foam insulation arrives!
We've been on a 'push' to get the wiring and everything else that will be hidden in the walls completed before the insualtion is installed. I"ve used this kind of insulation ( Icynene ) before - and it's touted as one of the many varieties of 'green' ( ie environmentally friendly ) insulation - i like it because of the claims that the only by-product of installing it is carbon dioxide that's released in the air ( not formaldehyde or urethane ) and that it does NOT wick moisture.
And Carol, my dear electrician friend, bless her heart, spent her Sunday with me, trouble shooting the various receptacle and light switch boxes that Teagan and Sarah have been pulling wire into per my instructions. We wanted to make sure that once the walls were covered in foam, that each of the boxes had the correct configuration of power-in and power-out and that the lights and receptacles would work according to plan.
Teagan and I ran the last-minute wire for some bright lights that will illuminate the beautiful ceiling...if we find the right fixtures for less than the $250 each that the lighting designer showed us...
the next time we light up the wood stove - we're gonna be cooking! I can hardly wait!
see new pics!
posted by Tere # 6:14 PM 1 Comments
Monday, October 22, 2007
October moves us toward completion slowly but surely!
Work continues steadily this month. The plumbing 'rough-in' has been completed and Tere prepares to do the electrical rough-in, seeking advisement and supplies, drawing out the plan for the 'panel.' Meanwhile Sarah has been steadily laying the twice-recycled floor boards in the main room. Now THIS is GREEN BUILDING at its finest! These boards were purchased last spring from a guy who salvages and re-sells lumber. They were originally part of a warehouse floor in Seattle. We used them initially to make forms for our foundation. Since then, they've been sorted and cleaned and now being laid for the floor! Several people really like the colors and textures of the wood, but we DO plan to sand and re-finish it. We're buying salvaged wood for the walls too--Jeff just brought it today. Considering how much we cherish our forests, it feels really good to avoid using more virgin timber for this house. (for more photos click here.)
With my right hand still a bit 'lame' (tendonitis? Carpal tunnel syndrome?) I've been busy on the computer researching appliances through Consumer Reports. OH MY!!--there is so much to learn! Last week Tere and I went into Seattle to a lighting store--another OH MY!! It looks like we could spend $5000-7000 on basic lights if we aren't careful. There are thousands of choices--how to decide!!?? Appliances are like that too, but consumer reports offers good information to help sort through the options. THANK GOD for that good service!
We're hoping to complete the electrical rough-in within a week or so because the insulation is scheduled to be 'blown in' next week. The gutters will be installed next week too (none-too-soon!! We've already had some heavy rains resulting in mud and puddles all around).
I could tell you a funny story about our failed attempts to install our first toilet last Saturday, which resulted in water spurting straight up to the ceiling unexpectedly! Imagine me trying to hold back the geyser by standing on a crumpled blanket on top of the leak that was ineffectively plugged with plumbers putty while Tere ran all over trying to figure out what to do! It was "one of those moments....", pretty humorous actually. But we had it figured out and cleaned up within a half hour--not too bad! But we STILL don't have a toilet..... We ARE looking forward to using that $30K septic system someday soon!!
posted by therese # 3:54 PM 0 Comments
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
The new team!
Here we are, the current three-some working on the new house site every day--Tere, Sarah, Teagan. Teagan just moved to Sacred Groves last week and is already adding a lot! Here we are taking our afternoon tea break on the new couch.
More photos are posted on Flickr--click here.
And read on (next post below) to get more specifics about all that is happening in the house. Today we lit the new woodstove for the first time and all the doors now have door handles and locks.
posted by Tere # 7:07 PM 0 Comments
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Day 6--the roof panels go up!
Wednesday was EXCITING! A big boom truck showed up in the late morning, set its 'feet' and began moving roof panels. There were 7 of us on the team, including our former Groves-mate Walter, who used to work with cranes in the shipyard. Jonas, Walt and David were on the roof. Tere, Therese, Troy and Sarah were hooking up the pieces from the big piles of 'roof wafers' and Evan ran back and forth between the two groups. For 4 hours the big wafers were carried to the roof. However, after a couple minor incidents, Tere began to have safety concerns worried that the boom-operator was not fully attentive. Tere called the trucking company, expressed her concerns and then took a deep breath and decided to send the truck (and its driver) home. Another boom truck and driver will show up this morning (Thursday) to finish the last 14 panels. What a week it has been!
posted by Tere # 7:40 AM 1 Comments
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Day 5 - we're ready for the roof panels!
We've spent the past two days scrambing up ladders and climbing rolling scaffolding and kneeling in the crow's nest and dancing on canted top plates - as we haul the beams up and against the center ring and onto the top of the walls. Once the beams were in place, there were many other tasks to take care of : nailing them off the to the hardware on the top plates, running the rafter cable thru the beams at the wall line, cutting and nailing the back-blocks, and a myriad of other tasks that Jonas was able to convey in a cheerful and patient way that allowed each of us to feel like we were contributing something important to the project.
And then there were the frustrations of removing hardware (on the top plate: which means everything is done from a ladder- times 32)) and replacing it 1" from it's original position, the occasional head wounds ( Sophie and Sarah are both OK), trying to get the walls of a round structure plumb (you push one wall out, and the others come in), looking for nails and hardware beneath the sheets of black plastic everywhere, covering and uncovering the piles of nails and hardware depending on the precipitation....
The truly amazing aspect of this project is that no one has totally lost it yet - everyone is gracious and polite - and the air is full of laughter and jokes and wisecracks... however every once in a while I slip back into my construction worker mentality and yell something- like when the power kept going out due to the rain- and in my frustration at picking up the saw, and not having any juice, I yelled POWER!!! And Jonas turned to me and said 'Wow, really old school' and I had to laugh at myself and take a step back from the brink of being a total asshole.
We've been helped this week by Terry Kelley - who showed up and threw himself into the project with great skill and grace and humor. Dave Leslie worked with us on Saturday and stayed the whole day despite the rain. Kendra and Mia have provided amazing and delicious lunches each day and have pampered us with snacks and mid-morning coffee and tea!! The crew is awesome - so many talented and willing and wonderful folk putting their hands and hearts into creating this great home!!
more pics here
posted by Tere # 7:18 AM 1 Comments
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Amazing!!!
We started this morning at 8am with a little circle
and a blessing - asking for protection and health
and well-being from the powers-that-be.....
and then we kicked butt! Or rather, my butt got
kicked!!
By lunch-time we'd gotten most of the main floor
installed. And by 6pm, when we stopped for the
day - we'd stood the walls at the main round part
of the house.
Jonas is a wonderful manager and a great guy to
work with. We were eager to 'get things done'
and he was great about helping to keep us on track.
At noon, we took a lunch break - and Kendra had created a delicious and amazing sandwich bar that all we had to do was show up with our appetites and eat, and she generously took care of the rest! Thank you Kendra for lunch AND cleaning up!! Yeah - one of the many benefits of living in community - lot's of hands make light work of everything!
The day essentially passed in one long adrenaline run - from huffing the floor panels into place, and nailing them off - to hoisting the wall panels up on their ends and nailing them together at the top and then at the bottom. Not much drama or excitement - but verry satisfying and gratifying in the progress department. Well, it's true that the 'womens' team dropped one wall as just a couple of us were trying to do the work of at least 3 - 4... but no big deal... just a reminder to slow down, wait until all of us were able to be there before we stood the wall...
By the end of the day - we all stood back, amazed and awed by how much we had accomplished - this pit that we've been working with for months suddenly took on the shape of a dwelling - a habitable structure! And tomorrow - we will see all the walls up, and at least some of the beams installed - as the roof begins to take shape as well!
Wahoooo! And whewweeee - are we tuckered out!
posted by Tere # 7:21 PM 2 Comments
Monday, July 16, 2007
It's official - Thursday we start the building!!
In the world of construction (and nowhere else does this hold true...) - things always change. I used to tell clients that being a contractor was like being a juggler on a surfboard - the challenge was not only to keep the balls in the air, but to anticipate the next big wave and try to catch it before it sideswiped you. So here we are - having another relaxing day before the BIG PUSH.
Our scheduled Oregon Yurtworks team-leader was sidelined by a hernia (ouch!) on Friday - so the start date has been pushed back. His replacement - Jonas - called this morning . We had a good talk about what he's bringing with him (tools and know-how), what we're providing here in the way of accommodations (a rustic 'cabin') , and when we'll gather the big crew. Since he's not getting here until late Wednesday, our official start date will be Thursday - 8am sharp!!
This phase of the project has been a testament to the 'let go let god' philosophy of construction. In our original version of things (or in revision #56), we'd anticipated jumping on site first thing this morning and getting the floors and possibly a wall or two installed with our gang of 7 or 8. As it turned out, I didn't get up until almost 8am, had a leisurely cup of tea and then spent all day connecting the rest of the water line up from the pumphouse to the new house (mostly running to the hardware store for parts - it is plumbing, after all.). Therese and Sarah worked on getting the 'cabin' ready for Jonas and tending to general Groves business as well. All the delays we've encountered thus far have been to our benefit- we've learned to not sweat the small stuff, and in fact are approaching the next two weeks of work with a sense of spaciousness and relaxation.
posted by Tere # 5:36 PM 0 Comments
