Land Clearing to House Building...

[tony123]

David, its all looking great! You may already be planning this, but it would look nicer and be more functional to have those downspouts go under your concrete pad in the rear. Would have been easier before pouring.

Your floors look alot like ours. We have Red Oak with "Provential" stain.

I remember our floors seemed to scratch very easily for the first few weeks. I had never had hardwood before and was scared that they were doing to be too "delicate". However, I think its just the poly coat that scratches some when you get on it too soon. After 6 months in the house, I don't notice marks or scratching no matter what we do. It seems very durable.

We have two you boys, so they are pushing trucks, etc. across our floors all the time. It does have a "lived in" look, but people pay big money for these distressed finishes. I get it for free. I figure that we will get them sanded and finished again when the boys get to a more "respectful" age. Whenever that is?

Are you going to try and catch the grassing season this spring? If you miss it, like we did, you can throw out some Brown Millet. You don't even have to rake it in, and you get pretty good coverage until Fescue season in the fall.

Best wishes on the final push.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

David, its all looking great! You may already be planning this, but it would look nicer and be more functional to have those downspouts go under your concrete pad in the rear. Would have been easier before pouring. Best wishes on the final push.

Thanks Tony.

The gutter drains do go under the pad you just cannot see it on the pic. The black pipe is just temporary we put them on tto keep the water off the pad. I need to get an extension piece for the down spout.

I hope to hit gress season but I want to get moved in first and will finish the front yard after all the trucks are off of it. Some things will be easier to move in from the front door.

David

 

[tony123]

I knew you were on top of things. Better to bring up points that are already thought through than to not bring them up and wish you had.

Like a said earlier then, keep the brown millet in mind. It will give you a cheap, easy cover crop until the fall grassing season.

 

[WBWI]

Just catching up on the progress. Looks great David. Still on schedule to move in late Feb?

 

[mjncad]

I mentioned in an earlier post that you and I have the same halogen work lights from Lowe's. How many bulbs did you go through? I have about 24-hours usage on mine and its already blown two of the four cheap Chinese bulbs that came with it.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Tony,

I'll be sure and check out the brown millet. Where do you get it...farm supply?



Jonathan,

Talked to the builder yesterday, so I should be able to start moving in 2/23 or 3/1/08. I should have the final inspection done next week. We have 1 day with the plumber left, 1/2 day with gas hook up, and the final coat of poly on the floors. I am hoping the final coat of poly gets on early next week but that depends on the final inspection. We also have the retaining wall to go up the end of this week.


mjncad,

I have had one of the contractors lights go out, he has the same kind as we do. Mine have done great, no burn outs.

Are you putting the bulbs in with gloves or a small tissue/cloth? Oils from you bare hand will cause them to burn out.

 

[tony123]

I got it from a local feed store. $15 for a 50 pound bag. Just threw it out and didn't even rake it in. In two weeks we had a lush "lawn" that I even had to mow a few times through the summer. So for $15 and a half hours time we covered up most of our red clay for the summer.

 

[scgargoyle]

Tony- Iwas thinking of doing that w/ red clover when I come up in April. Do you think the millet would be better? I'm thinking the clover would be more permanent.

 

[tony123]

I don't know much about all the cover crop options, other than the experience I've had with the Brown Millet. The clover may be a better option, but the Millet did what I wanted. Is the clover a perennial? The millet is not, although it did hang around well through the winter (dead, but still doing its job). The only way you could improve on the millet, in my mind, would be if it were perennial or permanent.

 

[hunterridgefarm]

Here is a pic showing part of the driveway that was graded last week. We had some rain lastnight and snow this afternoon. I went out to check how the drainage. It looked good, the ditch kept the water off the road; I think its going to hold up great until we can get it surfaced in a couple months.

1st pic part of the driveway.

2nd pic me doing some tractor work at the back of the house.