October 19: Staining Away ...

Floors update: A bit better today. Almost done the entire first floor. My anger is at bay. First floor should be done by morning tomorrow, and the main floor is ready and waiting for them to begin down there. I believe we are getting an extra installer, as well. I think they will make good progress tomorrow.

Siding update: The painted hardy board on the north side is pretty much done. Looks very good. Colour is good and the panels are huge! Scaffolding moving to the South side for a week or so of that installation. We have had to ask our ever-patient neighbours if we can set up part of the scaffolding in their yard. Our lot is SO narrow we literally don't have room for one pair of scaffolding legs. Our neighbours are renters, so we have to ask them, and their landlord. Fingers crossed this won't be an issue. These are the kinds of things that can sink you.

Cedar Siding Update: Meanwhile we have chosen the stain for our cedar. I think we have. The cedar is going under each of the window canopies, on the ceiling of both porches, and along one entire main wall of our outdoor room space. It will be prominent. It also goes in two places on the front of the house. By the porch and over the garage. It's supposed to be a feature.
I wasn't sure of the stain. I only knew I did not want that awful orange-y brassy looking cedar found from the 80's - the one everyone slapped on their decks back in the days of big hair and shoulder pads. Blech. Wanted something warmer.
(In fact had quite a chuckle today when I was describing what I was trying to avoid ... I compared the yucky cedar stain colour to those awful knotty pine panels in the Wayne's World (and everyone else in the 70's and 80's) basements.

So, apparently it's going to rain Wednesday.
What does this have to do with stain?
Well, if it rains, they will work on the underneath areas of the decks, away from the rain. These guys are always thinking. (And my wandering mind is now thinking about some strange rhyme with stain and rain ... )
So, we had to get on with it. Pick it, let them stain it so it's ready for first rainy day. The cedar only arrived a few days ago, so off to the world's best paint and stain store. http://www.randalls.ca/ran_2007/Index.html to figure it out.

We got a test strip with four stains to test it out. Think we are going with a brown-y one.

Hot tub update: (Again all pure promise and speculation ) Arriving Wednesday. They will put down the wood decking tomorrow so it can rest on it. It will be built in a few hours. I will be floored it the hot tub ever actually shows up. Wednesday. This is what they tell me. I no longer believe we actually have a hot tub. It's been in storage since we bought it in May.

Landscaping Update: Our landscaper is going to get started with the slabs, walkways and retaining walls in about a week. We picked a lovely maple tree for the backyard on Saturday. It goes in soon, because we will lose access to the side of our yard soon. We also need to pave both ours and our neighbours driveways(we promised them a new driveway in exchange for easy side access and we DESTROYED their old driveway when we dug our foundation.) before the ground freezes. We've picked everything, we just need sometime for our landscaper to install it all. The plants etc. (except the tree at the back and some boxwoods) won't go in until the Spring.

Tile Update: I think Tony the Tile Guy comes to prep tomorrow, starts Wednesday with some of the installation.

Solar Panel Update: They are in. Connected and ready to heat our hot water. The husband gave me the full tour this evening, and I tried to be interested, really I did. I really believe in this stuff. I am glad we did it. I am supportive. There is just something about heating and cooling in general that makes my eyes glaze over. I can tell you this: there are a number of tanks and tubes and the water will heat in one place, move to another, and we will never have to use any energy every again to heat our water. Even the hot water that drains from our showers will be re-used to heat something. Or something.