No work today, still at work at 7PM

Turns out it was a good thing that I went to the planning board meeting, I was needed there to get it on the agenda (their proceedings typically go from person to person).  After that, it all went smoothly.  That being said though, I was last in the queue and didn't get out until almost 9.  I knew Home Depot had different winter hours as opposed to summer hours, and I finally found out the hard way when that changeover occurs.  They closed as soon as I got there, their changeover occurs alongside daylight savings time according to the person there.

I did finally get a hold of Keating.  They said it would be 1100 dollars to install a hot water heater, which I think is absurd.

I didn't get any work done today, I still have more work to do before I leave even as I write this closing in on 7PM. 

Another task down.

I left work early to take advantage of it being 50 and sunny today.  For a change the skirting didn't take as long as I was figuring.  It is now all done. 




I wasn't really sure how to deal with the final corner.  This is what I ended up doing.


I also have a spare piece of skirting if Dad is interested, since I know the stuff with no vents isn't as common down in KY.  It is the full 11' 7".  I still have an extra piece as well from the last sheet that I did use.


I tripped over them and finally got agitated enough to chop off the wires sticking up in the driveway.  I then decided to go pick up all the trash that has been accumulating.  The various pieces of skirting, empty tubes of silicone, and so on.


The last thing I did was dig out my lamp and put some bulbs in it.  I now have real lights in the shed.  Before all I had was my AAA camping lantern.  I will need the lights, since I am at the point of pulling the stove and fridge out, and it will be in the dark when I do.


The town inspected the apron today and said it looked fine, and they will be doing the final approval at the planning board meeting tonight.  I am considering going just in case, even though I shouldn't be needed there.  It would be nice to get my 1800 dollar refund though.

Still no word from Keating.  Home Depot cancelled the install order though for some reason, so I will inquire about it tonight.  I am going to go pick up the stuff for a small set of stairs to replace my cinder blocks and the fixtures for the bathroom.  If I had more time, I probably could have gotten them off Craigslist (there are frequently vanities and toilets for free on there), but I sacrificed cost for time and haven't been checking for them.  I only have a week before I am done in my current apartment, though once I have the toilet in, I am good to go.  I can live without a kitchen or hot water for a week or however long it takes to get it finished.  We have showers at work.  I am admittedly concerned that we are supposed to get 3-5 inches of snow next week and I haven't done the driveway yet though.  I can't work remotely since I don't have internet.

The skirting is checked off.  It is nice to be down to only two things in progress though.

Before Occupancy:

1. Install paneling on interior walls.
2. Build floor pan for the bathroom
3. Install bathroom fixtures.
4. Install electric.
5. Complete interior plumbing and test it.
6. Finish running the waste PVC line.
7. Well prep work.
8. Get well installed.
9. Get hot water heater installed.
10. Install flooring.
11. Install skirting.
12. Install some form of cabinets in the kitchen.
13. Install kitchen sink.
14. Install kitchen appliances.
15. Install enough driveway to satisfy the apron requirements.
16. Get propane installed.

Before Winter:

1. Build bed frame.
2. Build closets.
3. Install table.
4. Install heat tapes.
5. Build some sort of porch.
6. Smooth driveway enough to plow/clear
7. Fix snowblower.  
8. Winterize equipment (mower, undercoat the truck, etc).
9. Clear slab
10. Shed work
1. Extend roof to prevent snow pushing on the side.
2. Fix pilings

Rained out, but apron done.

The apron was in fact installed today.  I specifically asked about the thickness, and he said it was on average 3.5", but in some places it varied by about a half inch.  The town regraded the road today, so they at least know it happened, but I will be firing off an email to the town tonight to get it inspected.  It ended up costing $3,250 which is outrageous, but it had to be done.


Today was supposed to be fairly nice, and when I checked the weather last night, the rain was supposed to hold off until this evening, but that didn't happen.  As you can tell in the above picture, at quarter after 2 it was already raining.  That coupled with the fact that I can't drive on it until tomorrow led to this early post and no trip.

I heard back from one of the propane companies I called, Discount Oil.  Their price is 2.89 a gallon.  Considering they are reputed as the cheapest in Keene, and that Tractor Supply is only 3.09, I was a little disappointed.  They don't charge to bring up a tank and hook it up, but they had a two week lead time, which while not a dealbreaker, is very undesirable.

At that news, I started to crunch the numbers for the Tractor Supply.  The numbers don't seem right, since I would likely need at least three in parallel at that rate.  Here is the breakdown of the math:

• A 100lb tank is 22.9 gallons according to their website.
• One gallon of propane is roughly 91k BTU.
• The water heater is 160k BTU at full blast.  
• At full blast, it can produce 3.2 gallons per minute at a 80F rise (well water is roughly 38-40 degrees in NH in the winter).  That gets the water to 120 degrees, which is a normal setting.
• A typical shower head puts out 2.1 gallons per minute.  
• A 3:2 ratio yields a shower temp in low 90s with 120F hot water
• With that ratio, I use 1.26 gallons of hot water per minute for a shower.
• 1.26 gallons per minute is running at 39.375% capacity.  
• 39.375% capacity is 63k BTU
• 63k BTU is 0.6923 gallons of propane per minute.
• If I take a 10 minute shower, I will use 7 (rounded up) gallons of propane.
• I can take three showers before a 100lb tank is empty.  Maybe two since I don't have efficiency figures for the water heater (though in general propane is pretty good).

So for a dual tank setup, I would need to fill those two tanks more than once a week, and that assumes that the only hot water I use is for showers.  That sounds like too much, but I don't see where the error in my math is.  One thing that is odd is that a shower uses 12.6 gallons of hot water (105.152 lbs), and to raise that 80 degrees is only 8412 BTU (a BTU is 1 degree per pound), and thus a tenth of a gallon of propane.  While that assumes 100% efficiency on the water heater, that number still sounds too low.  Something is wrong here, and I am not sure where.  Both seem like proper approaches to the math, and I would expect them to arrive at at least ballpark close to the same number.  I doubt efficiency would cause that much disparity.

Considering the one company that responded that a 120 gallon is more than adequate, the first is definitely wrong, since I would burn through 120 gallons in less than two weeks at that rate only showering.  The second yields that I would never have to refill it...  The tank would rot out before I used it all.

Regardless, the apron is now complete.  I haven't heard back from the company to install the water heater.  Tomorrow is supposed to be miserable, so on Wednesday I might go pick up the bathroom fixtures.  Kind of wish I had a cap for my truck, since transportation is the only reason I need nice weather.  I marked down the propane as in progress since things are finally getting moving on that front, even if my math is horribly wrong.  Since I can't really do skirting or get fixtures, I might look into building some steps.  I am guessing the town won't be impressed with my cinder blocks.  I don't think they would deny the occupancy permit for it, but I don't want to give them reason to pry, and the cinder blocks aren't a usable winter solution anyways.  And I can pick them up in the rain, since they would be pressure treated.

Before Occupancy:

1. Install paneling on interior walls.
2. Build floor pan for the bathroom
3. Install bathroom fixtures.
4. Install electric.
5. Complete interior plumbing and test it.
6. Finish running the waste PVC line.
7. Well prep work.
8. Get well installed.
9. Get hot water heater installed.
10. Install flooring.
11. Install skirting.
12. Install some form of cabinets in the kitchen.
13. Install kitchen sink.
14. Install kitchen appliances.
15. Install enough driveway to satisfy the apron requirements.
16. Get propane installed.

Before Winter:

1. Build bed frame.
2. Build closets.
3. Install table.
4. Install heat tapes.
5. Build some sort of porch.
6. Smooth driveway enough to plow/clear
7. Fix snowblower.  
8. Winterize equipment (mower, undercoat the truck, etc).
9. Clear slab
10. Shed work
1. Extend roof to prevent snow pushing on the side.
2. Fix pilings

Overall a very productive weekend.

Even though my internal clock has been daylight lost time, I still had a good productive day.  It was a little chilly to start the day, but it warmed up nice. 

The water heater is sitting there.  It is bigger than I expected, or at least the box is.


I then finally finished the plumbing.  I made an error, but hopefully it won't be a problem.  The left side has under a half inch in the pipe because the elbow was installed at a slightly incorrect angle.  Just in case you forgot, I really hate plumbing.


At which point I finished the track for the skirting.


I got the front complete.  I really hope I never have to take the front apart, it is a real pain to get the panels in around the frame.


Unfortunately the guy I bought the skirting from didn't have the corner pieces.  So it will look like this for the year.


I worked well past dark under the exterior light, but the temperature became a problem.  This was my queue that it was getting too cold.  Courtesy of daylight losing time though, I might not have a choice, since even if I leave on time now it will be dark when I get out.


I still managed to get about half of the far side done.  The skirting is half done in total.  The remaining work is the easy part though.  Just cutting the panels.  The circular saw makes quick work, and the obstacles were mostly in the front.  The only remaining obstacle is one small one where the electric comes out.


On the contracting front: Keating should be calling me tomorrow about installing the water heater.  I met with Cooper today.  He said the apron could be done tomorrow, but it would cost a little extra at this point, since he already winterized his equipment.  The town saved me a few hundred with them dumping the extra gravel in the driveway, but it will still probably come in just north of 3 grand.  I don't really have a choice though.  I also intend to at least ask him how much he would charge to hardpack the rest of the driveway, though my money is starting to dry up.  I am definitely glad I got that extra 3k when I got the loan for the septic.  I still have 8k in my checking account, but 4k is still outstanding on the septic, and then 3k for the driveway.  I will get 1800 back from the town when the apron is done, but I am not sure that will be enough to hard pack the driveway.  Time will tell I suppose.

The waste line is complete, and the apron is underway at this point. 
Before Occupancy:

1. Install paneling on interior walls.
2. Build floor pan for the bathroom
3. Install bathroom fixtures.
4. Install electric.
5. Complete interior plumbing and test it.
6. Finish running the waste PVC line.
7. Well prep work.
8. Get well installed.
9. Get hot water heater installed.
10. Install flooring.
11. Install skirting.
12. Install some form of cabinets in the kitchen.
13. Install kitchen sink.
14. Install kitchen appliances.
15. Install enough driveway to satisfy the apron requirements.
16. Get propane installed.

Before Winter:

1. Build bed frame.
2. Build closets.
3. Install table.
4. Install heat tapes.
5. Build some sort of porch.
6. Smooth driveway enough to plow/clear
7. Fix snowblower.  
8. Winterize equipment (mower, undercoat the truck, etc).
9. Clear slab
10. Shed work
1. Extend roof to prevent snow pushing on the side.
2. Fix pilings

Blustery day.

It has been a couple of days since I got up there.  Thursday I felt awful, so I left work early and went directly home and to bed.  Friday I felt better but had to make up Thursday's hours, and while I made a quick trip up to make sure the rain didn't cause any breakers to flip, didn't get any work done.

Today I got a later start.  I made a mess when cooking breakfast and ended up having to mop my kitchen (that dozen eggs didn't last very long...), but I got up there late in the morning.  The wind was howling today, we had a wind advisory in effect.  We also got a lot of rain.  Cause, you know, we needed it, the hill I am on isn't under water yet.  My back yard has almost literally turned into a creek.


My actual creek is very very high.  This was as close as I could get due to the mud.  Maybe I should add rubber boots to my Christmas list...


It was windy too.

I did get a lot of work done despite the weather though.  I got the bathroom floor done.  I was nervous at first, since the extra quart I had only covered a little bit.  Fortunately, I had enough.  I have very little resin left though.  I tried a different technique I read on the internet this time.  Instead of putting the resin down with the brush, pour the resin on and spread it with the brush.  It definitely goes on thicker that way, so I won't need another layer of resin.


The whole bathroom floor is done.  Normally you would sand and do another layer to smooth it out, but I don't actually want to smooth it, since if I do, I will likely end up on my bum when I go to shower, so I will probably leave the rough surface.


I couldn't quite get this to fill like I wanted.  I will have to put in some trim and silicone.


After that I decided to move my long extension cord, the two 100 footers I was previously powering the house with.  I now have power up at the shed.  It is routed through the back yard and off to the side, so I won't run over it anymore.  I have the light fixtures from my old apartment in there, I just need to find some bulbs for them.


It even fits under the door.


At that point, I had a visitor.  The big ball of gas in the sky decided to come out.  At least for a few minutes.


I turned my attention to skirting.  I cut the first few pieces by hand with the tin snips, but I was having a lot of issues with it shattering the vinyl.  So I dragged my sawhorses and stuff out of the wetlands that is the side yard.  The circular saw did a better job, though it still chips some.  It is much faster too.


I got the first bit of skirting done.  I think I cut the first few pieces (on the left) a little too tall, but I am not going to worry about it until it gives me trouble.


I also got the top part installed around the hose spicket.  There is an issue here though that I will deal with next year: I need to actually mount this so it doesn't spin.  Kind of unfortunate, since this actually looks really nice.


At that point I was out of daylight.  I could cut more pieces since I do have an exterior light, but I don't have the track installed to do anything with them, so I called it a day.

Cooper was supposed to come up today to do the final measuring for the apron, but he postponed it to tomorrow due to the weather, but I at least have the ball rolling on that front.  My hot water heater has arrived, so I will be heading out tonight to go pick it up and have Home Depot find a contractor to install it.  I hope to finish the plumbing and laying the track for the skirting tomorrow.  If I at least finish the drain line, I can install the rest of the bathroom and then I would be a lot less hesitant to stay up there. 

The floor pan for the bathroom is complete, and the hot water heater will be in progress tonight.  I also forgot to mark off the heat tapes previously.  They were done with the well.

Before Occupancy:

1. Install paneling on interior walls.
2. Build floor pan for the bathroom
3. Install bathroom fixtures.
4. Install electric.
5. Complete interior plumbing and test it.
6. Finish running the waste PVC line.
7. Well prep work.
8. Get well installed.
9. Get hot water heater installed.
10. Install flooring.
11. Install skirting.
12. Install some form of cabinets in the kitchen.
13. Install kitchen sink.
14. Install kitchen appliances.
15. Install enough driveway to satisfy the apron requirements.
16. Get propane installed.

Before Winter:

1. Build bed frame.
2. Build closets.
3. Install table.
4. Install heat tapes.
5. Build some sort of porch.
6. Smooth driveway enough to plow/clear
7. Fix snowblower.  
8. Winterize equipment (mower, undercoat the truck, etc).
9. Clear slab
10. Shed work
1. Extend roof to prevent snow pushing on the side.
2. Fix pilings

I have power!

Barry and I made it up today and got the power working.  It took longer than I expected, but it is worth it.  The new box is installed.  I also shored up the panel.  When they installed the original (incorrect) box (incorrectly) they made sure that they did everything wrong.  The only screws holding the backing to the post were in a straight line up and down, so there was nothing to keep it from rocking. 


I also gouped the top so it is reasonably water tight.


I installed the clamp at the bottom.  I couldn't find the nut for it, so I will have to redo it at some point, but hopefully this will prevent mice from getting in.


I then went and flipped everything on.  It all works.


I turned on the heat.  It was actually pretty nice today, but it needs to be warm to do the fiberglass work.


I also cranked up the pressure tank and plugged in the heat tapes.  The picture sucks, but you can see the needle is pointing up, which means that there is pressure.


Some other notes: my moose is back.  That is about 5-6 inches long.


Apparently there are a lot of deer using the driveway as well.  There were tracks everywhere in the mud.  Too bad I won't get out this year.


The town felt bad about my mud pit and put more gravel down. 


I called Cooper to try to get moving on the apron, but haven't heard back yet.  Likewise, I haven't heard from Dead River on the propane.  My hot water heater is on its way to Home Depot, so it should come in late in the week or maybe early next week.  The big question is what do I work on the next few days.  I guess I can start the interior work, finish up the bathroom and maybe start on the kitchen.  I will have to think long and hard about cutting skirting and stuff inside.  I don't want to use the circular saw or table saw inside, but if I cut them with tin snips (I shudder at the thought of cutting over 50 pieces by hand...) then it wouldn't be messy.  Or maybe I just bite the bullet and run the table saw and deal with the cleaning later. 

The electric is finally done (Thanks Barry, for both playing with the electric and for not dying), another item off the checklist.

Before Occupancy:

1. Install paneling on interior walls.
2. Build floor pan for the bathroom
3. Install bathroom fixtures.
4. Install electric.
5. Complete interior plumbing and test it.
6. Finish running the waste PVC line.
7. Well prep work.
8. Get well installed.
9. Get hot water heater installed.
10. Install flooring.
11. Install skirting.
12. Install some form of cabinets in the kitchen.  
13. Install kitchen sink.
14. Install kitchen appliances.
15. Install enough driveway to satisfy the apron requirements.
16. Get propane installed.

Before Winter:

1. Build bed frame.
2. Build closets.
3. Install table.
4. Install heat tapes.
5. Build some sort of porch.
6. Smooth driveway enough to plow/clear
7. Fix snowblower.  
8. Winterize equipment (mower, undercoat the truck, etc).
9. Clear slab
10. Shed work
1. Extend roof to prevent snow pushing on the side.
2. Fix pilings

Sadly no electric.

I didn't manage to get Barry up there for the electric, his truck developed an issue yesterday that he needed to attend to.  He said he would be good for tomorrow though.  If his truck is grounded he can ride up with me. 

I went up at lunch to do skirting, and found that even though it was sunny with a light breeze, everything hadn't dried out yet.  So I went and swept off the track locations. 


I also laid out the track itself, since it was still wet as well.  Thankfully it didn't blow away.


I only got a couple of pieces done before I realized I had run out of things to hold it down after gluing it on with. 


I switched over to doing plumbing work.  I got the part sticking out of the slab trimmed, as well as the elbow to make it shorter.  I am debating doing a partial piece of pipe to get it back to the right area, and then using a coupler to get it to the perfect length.  Not ideal, but it does make it a lot easier. 


Still annoyingly no progress on the checklist.  Time is running out.  I need to already be on the before winter checklist at this point. 

Before Occupancy:

1. Install paneling on interior walls.
2. Build floor pan for the bathroom
3. Install bathroom fixtures.
4. Install electric.
5. Complete interior plumbing and test it.
6. Finish running the waste PVC line.
7. Well prep work.
8. Get well installed.
9. Get hot water heater installed.
10. Install flooring.
11. Install skirting.
12. Install some form of cabinets in the kitchen.  
13. Install kitchen sink.
14. Install kitchen appliances.
15. Install enough driveway to satisfy the apron requirements.
16. Get propane installed.

Before Winter:

1. Build bed frame.
2. Build closets.
3. Install table.
4. Install heat tapes.
5. Build some sort of porch.
6. Smooth driveway enough to plow/clear
7. Fix snowblower.  
8. Winterize equipment (mower, undercoat the truck, etc).
9. Clear slab
10. Shed work
1. Extend roof to prevent snow pushing on the side.
2. Fix pilings

Short update. Ready for power.

Even though I left on time, the days are getting too short this time of year so I didn't get much done.  I went out at lunch and paid for the well.  My checking account is a lot lighter now.  I also verified that the thing I found is in fact the heat tapes, which is good enough for me to call the well done. 

In my limited daylight, I did manage to get the last wire installed for the box up at the house.  In hindsight I think I probably should have just used couplers in a box instead of a whole new box and setup.  It would have been much simpler, quicker and cheaper.  Oh well.  The box is ready for power now at any rate.  This time I got the correct adapter.


With what little daylight was left, I went on a scavenger hunt.  I came away with the battery charger for the drill though.  I checked every place in the apartment last night, so I knew it had to be in the shed tote that was packed.  I also pulled out my old fiberglass stuff. 


We are finally supposed to get some nice weather tomorrow, so I hope to finish off the electric tomorrow.  It is also supposed to be nice on Wednesday, so I will try to finish the plumbing then, before the rain starts back up on Thursday.  Unfortunately, since I also need nice outside weather for the skirting tracks, I also need to fit them in there somewhere.  I guess technically I can do the plumbing in the rain, as much as I despise the idea.  The PVC cement will work, since it won't be actively getting rained on underneath the house.  Ugh.

The only movement on the checklist is that I am now considering the well complete.  I made another round of calls on the apron, and still no responses, so it unfortunately looks like I am calling Cooper tomorrow.

Before Occupancy:

1. Install paneling on interior walls.
2. Build floor pan for the bathroom
3. Install bathroom fixtures.
4. Install electric.
5. Complete interior plumbing and test it.
6. Finish running the waste PVC line.
7. Well prep work.
8. Get well installed.
9. Get hot water heater installed.
10. Install flooring.
11. Install skirting.
12. Install some form of cabinets in the kitchen.  
13. Install kitchen sink.
14. Install kitchen appliances.
15. Install enough driveway to satisfy the apron requirements.
16. Get propane installed.

Before Winter:

1. Build bed frame.
2. Build closets.
3. Install table.
4. Install heat tapes.
5. Build some sort of porch.
6. Smooth driveway enough to plow/clear
7. Fix snowblower.  
8. Winterize equipment (mower, undercoat the truck, etc).
9. Clear slab
10. Shed work
1. Extend roof to prevent snow pushing on the side.
2. Fix pilings

Not quite.

Today wasn't as rainy as yesterday, but not nice enough to dry things out.  I got a late start, courtesy of my washer.  It decided that the drain hose didn't want to be in the sink anymore, and dumped a bunch of water.  Of course I was running all my towels, so I didn't have anything to clean it up with.  I ended up using an old workshirt.  Grumble. 

One of my coworkers had a project trailer that he didn't have time for anymore, and he only wanted 30 bucks for it, so I snagged it.  I don't have a dump cart for my lawn mower, which is likely this trailer's future.


After that I went up and continued work on the electric.  I got the box mounted flush against the wall, and started wiring it up.  I got everything but the grounds and the neutral wired up, since both needed extra hardware I didn't have.  I had forgotten how much of a pain in the neck 2AWG wire was. 


I drilled some extra holes so that there was less strain on the wires, and realized that I have a problem.  The only tool I have while I have no power is my drill, and the battery is dying.  The problem is that I have no idea where the charger is.  It got packed into a tote, but I don't know which one.  Ugh.  At least I shouldn't need it before power is working again.  There should be enough juice left to mount the other box which is the last thing before power is restored.


I also ran the ground wire.  It was a mess, so I cleaned it up a little too. 


After that I made a Home Depot run.  The sun actually came out while I was there, but it was too late to make much of a difference, other than being nice, since it hasn't been seen in a while.  I headed back up even though it was getting late at that point.  Turns out the neutral adapter I got was the wrong kind, but I at least got the ground bar installed.


On the Home Depot run I inquired about the hot water heater, he said I could order it and when it comes in they would call a contractor.  So it is ordered. 

As Dad commented on the last post, Tractor Supply sells 100lb tanks of propane, which is a good backup plan.  I think I will call a couple of places on Monday and find out who other people use.  See what kind of lead time I would be looking at.  I would like to have the propane in place before the hot water is installed, but the electric is the top priority. 

I don't consider ordering the hot water starting that task, so no movement on the checklist. 

Before Occupancy:

1. Install paneling on interior walls.
2. Build floor pan for the bathroom
3. Install bathroom fixtures.
4. Install electric.
5. Complete interior plumbing and test it.
6. Finish running the waste PVC line.
7. Well prep work.
8. Get well installed.
9. Get hot water heater installed.
10. Install flooring.
11. Install skirting.
12. Install some form of cabinets in the kitchen.  
13. Install kitchen sink.
14. Install kitchen appliances.
15. Install enough driveway to satisfy the apron requirements.
16. Get propane installed.

Before Winter:

1. Build bed frame.
2. Build closets.
3. Install table.
4. Install heat tapes.
5. Build some sort of porch.
6. Smooth driveway enough to plow/clear
7. Fix snowblower.  
8. Winterize equipment (mower, undercoat the truck, etc).
9. Clear slab
10. Shed work
1. Extend roof to prevent snow pushing on the side.
2. Fix pilings

Wet soggy day.

My hopes for the weather today didn't happen.  Instead of snow, what I got was a mix of snow, sleet, and rain.  And it kept drizzling even long after the radar said that it should have stopped.  It didn't help either that there was a hefty wind blowing either.

It was heaviest in the morning, so I slept in.  I started off when I got there trying to start the generator.  It didn't start.  Another thing to get fixed.  I might consider replacing it too since it was only 150 dollars, doesn't produce like it should (remember my electric testing that kept flipping one of the legs) and is one of the noisiest you can buy.  As I noted above, the wind blew off the roofing panels so I upgraded the covering with a spare piece of T1-11.  Hopefully the extra weight will keep it on.


Much to the chagrin of my cordless drill, I started with the skirting backplate, which is now complete all the way around. 


I also placed the electric box on the outside of the house.  I didn't do the wiring inside it because I really didn't want to introduce water to the power planes, which aren't waterproof.  I can't silicone it yet either, since that requires a half hour until it is rain proof. 


After Dad's comment the other day about the heat tapes, I did more investigation, and I found a controller that wasn't plugged in, it was just sitting behind the tank.  I am thinking this is the heat tapes, but will confirm with the well guy. 


At that point, the water had sogged through my boots and pants.  Thankfully my Carhartt is nearly waterproof and wind proof, but the rest of my attire was not.  Tomorrow isn't supposed to be quite as bad; it is supposed to be a little warmer and the rain is supposedly going to end.  I am going to borrow a masonry bit from Jason to install the tracks, though I am seriously considering just using silicone.  I know it sticks to concrete and to plastic, and doesn't require I put holes in the slab.  I just don't know if it will hold strong enough to keep the skirting in place.

The skirting is now in progress (since I didn't have enough ongoing things already...).  Otherwise no movement on the checklist.  When I stop at Home Depot tonight I might try to get the hot water heater scheduled, though I personally would rather test the water first.  Time is getting really tight though.  I only have about two weeks until I have agreed to be out of the apartment.  Even though it is the more expensive one, this is the water heater that I am looking at:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rheem-Performance-Plus-7-0-GPM-Liquid-Propane-Mid-Efficiency-Indoor-Tankless-Water-Heater-ECO160DVLP3-1/303811994

Before Occupancy:

1. Install paneling on interior walls.
2. Build floor pan for the bathroom
3. Install bathroom fixtures.
4. Install electric.
5. Complete interior plumbing and test it.
6. Finish running the waste PVC line.
7. Well prep work.
8. Get well installed.
9. Get hot water heater installed.
10. Install flooring.
11. Install skirting.
12. Install some form of cabinets in the kitchen.  
13. Install kitchen sink.
14. Install kitchen appliances.
15. Install enough driveway to satisfy the apron requirements.
16. Get propane installed.

Before Winter:

1. Build bed frame.
2. Build closets.
3. Install table.
4. Install heat tapes.
5. Build some sort of porch.
6. Smooth driveway enough to plow/clear
7. Fix snowblower.  
8. Winterize equipment (mower, undercoat the truck, etc).
9. Clear slab
10. Shed work
1. Extend roof to prevent snow pushing on the side.
2. Fix pilings

No more excavator. Electric didn't go as planned.

The last couple of days I didn't really get any work done.  Yesterday I had a team dinner (I got braised sirloin tips with mushrooms in a cream bourbon sauce on pasta.  Yum).  The night before I was beat and got out late.  The reason I got out late though was that I had a meeting with the septic guy.  He is done for this year.  He intends to come back in the spring to finish smoothing and seeding. 

It does look better, he did hit the slopes again to help smooth them out.  This is the final state of the yard for the year.  The side yard is still bad. 


The front






The hump is where the old foundation was.  I might try to get some fill in there before he comes back. 


He did bring another load in for the driveway too.  I was actually able to make it up with the truck in 2WD today.  I almost didn't, but it made it up.  I think the car will make it up once I get the onion skins off it too.


I left work early today to get some stuff.  I found a place in Hinsdale that had skirting, and went down and picked some up.


Barry also stopped up after work to replace the box.  We finally got the old box off, but I didn't have the proper cap for it so the new box hasn't been installed yet. 


So I decided to try to fire up the generator and test the pressure tank.  It wouldn't start, even after yanking on it for several minutes.  It didn't even try to catch.  Sigh.  I will try it again tomorrow, but I don't have any reason to think it will work.  Which is something else that I will need to get fixed.  I don't really have time to screw with it at this point.


The biggest issue with the generator failure is that it puts a serious wrench in my weekend plans.  I was planning on doing a bunch of interior work this weekend, since it is supposed to really suck weather-wise.  Without the generator though, I can't heat the place and have no lights.  Without those, I can't do the fiberglass (it is far too cold for fiberglass work).  I will need to decide how to proceed.  I don't particularly want to do the skirting in the rain.  It is terrible for my tools, but I might not have a choice.  I can also do the other electric box, the one that mounts on the side of the house, but again, not good to do in the rain.  My best hope is that it is colder enough in Sullivan to be snow to be honest. 

On the apron front, I tried calling another company that apparently doesn't want business, three calls, two voicemails and an email and they haven't responded.  I don't really want to go with Cooper, everything I have heard about the guy and his work is that it is sketchy and expensive, but I might not have a choice if nobody else will even talk to me.  It is kind of frustrating. 

I didn't have a chance to test the well courtesy of my generator and the septic wasn't listed, so no movement on the checklist.

Before Occupancy:

1. Install paneling on interior walls.
2. Build floor pan for the bathroom
3. Install bathroom fixtures.
4. Install electric.
5. Complete interior plumbing and test it.
6. Finish running the waste PVC line.
7. Well prep work.
8. Get well installed.
9. Get hot water heater installed.
10. Install flooring.
11. Install skirting.
12. Install some form of cabinets in the kitchen.  
13. Install kitchen sink.
14. Install kitchen appliances.
15. Install enough driveway to satisfy the apron requirements.
16. Get propane installed.

Before Winter:

1. Build bed frame.
2. Build closets.
3. Install table.
4. Install heat tapes.
5. Build some sort of porch.
6. Smooth driveway enough to plow/clear
7. Fix snowblower.  
8. Winterize equipment (mower, undercoat the truck, etc).
9. Clear slab
10. Shed work
1. Extend roof to prevent snow pushing on the side.
2. Fix pilings