http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/ Welcome to our little straw house log. en Copyright 2010 Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:30:58 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss So, it's been a while since I've communicated anything. We had a appraisal last week and it was a little lower than we hoped. Oh well, we'll work that out. We hoped for the final appraisal today. We have http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/12/approaching_an_end.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/12/approaching_an_end.html Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:30:58 -0800 Finally, we finished the brown coat today. I'm beat; more later. http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/07/brown_coat_done.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/07/brown_coat_done.html Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:53:48 -0800 I finished the brown coat on the bale walls inside yesterday. What a relief!!! The stairway came out beautiful, though I made a bit of a mess even though I masked the walls and floor. The mixer sprung a leak yesterday also. Damn. I just need to finish the brown coat on the porch and balcony. 1-2 more days then good by mixer for a while (at least until we are ready to do the color coat outside). http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/07/brown_coat_done_inside.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/07/brown_coat_done_inside.html Sat, 25 Jul 2009 15:02:57 -0800 We are nearing the end of the brown coat. It is going a little faster than I thought. It is just Michelle and I so it is still a bit slow. We finished Ruby's room yesterday, inserting the black walnut window sill, as in Julia's room. It looks amazing. Today we do the stairwell. That will be a challenge since the top part runs up 1.5 floors. Then we'll finish the balcony by our bedroom and finally the porch; which means we need to install the front door. I wish Ken will be here for that. The house is looking better every day. I can't wait to be done with the brown coat and start putting on the clay. http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/07/nearing_the_end_of_the_brown_c.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/07/nearing_the_end_of_the_brown_c.html Thu, 23 Jul 2009 06:28:08 -0800 The basement is mostly complete: toilet, tub, sinks, stove, refrigerator, beds. We've been sleeping here for two weeks. It's great to be here, though a little challenging since it is still a construction site. http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/07/basement_livable.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/07/basement_livable.html Fri, 17 Jul 2009 08:53:41 -0800 Finally. The basement stucco is complete. The main room is finished with sahara tan clay and the kitchen in abiqu red. Michelle started sealing it yesterday. We are hoping to be finished with the basement by the end of the month. Then we move in! http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/06/basement_stucco_complete.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/06/basement_stucco_complete.html Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:27:55 -0800 Images section under May.]]> http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/05/clay_stucco.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/05/clay_stucco.html Tue, 19 May 2009 06:28:59 -0800 I am so happy that I convinced Gary to hire out the drywall. The crew that descended into the house finished in 1.5days what it would have taken us months to complete! Thank you! I am so happy! http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/03/drywall_is_up.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/03/drywall_is_up.html Tue, 24 Mar 2009 17:04:03 -0800 The Olivera Family (Roman, Karen, Micah, and Evnagelina) showed up last week end to help us work on the scratch coat inside. Evangelina watched the girls while the rest of us worked on stucco. We got the whole inside scratched!!! Thank you Oliveras! http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/03/scratch_complete.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2009/03/scratch_complete.html Mon, 23 Mar 2009 20:27:06 -0800 I started insulating the attic this weekend. It took most of a day to get ready to insulate and most of a day to do the ceiling in Julia's room. We are using Ultra Touch from Bonded Logic. It is mostly recycled denim and other cotton fiber, treated with a borate solution. It is nice to work with, though tough to cut. http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2008/11/attic_insulation.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2008/11/attic_insulation.html Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:21:01 -0800 We have been slowly working on the main floor stucco. As of last weekend we completed the scratch coat. Roman and Chris did the brown coat on the West wall. It looks amazing and took a lot longer that Roman thought. Working around the windows is challenging. http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2008/11/main_floor_stucco_part_1.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2008/11/main_floor_stucco_part_1.html Sun, 16 Nov 2008 09:18:35 -0800 The outside of the house has been scratched and browned; we finished that about 3 weeks ago. We had fun doing it. Michelle did a great job embedding objects in the brown coat, like stones, tiles, sprockets and bones. The color coat will have to wait until next year. http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2008/11/outside_stucco.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2008/11/outside_stucco.html Sun, 16 Nov 2008 08:36:01 -0800 Although we got most of the outside stucco done two weeks ago, we have been delayed since. I am back to work teaching and Roman is back at school full time. We had hoped to finish the outside brown coat this weekend, but freezing weather prevented us. Next weekend should be warmer. I hope so. http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2008/10/stucco_delay.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2008/10/stucco_delay.html Sun, 12 Oct 2008 08:19:22 -0800 Scratch Coat 1 bag Riverside Plastic Cement 27 shovels sand Brown Coat 1 bag Riverside Plastic Cement 1 bucket Lime 32 shovels sand]]> http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2008/10/stucco_continues.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2008/10/stucco_continues.html Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:10:59 -0800 Finally, we put up some stucco today. We did the scratch coat for the outside of the front porch and 1/3 of the south side. At this rate we should be able to scratch and brown the outside in about a week. Karen Olivera, Don Butcher, Patrick, and Micah Olivera helped Roman, me and Michelle. Sunday we will finish the scratch coat on the south side and go back to brown the East. http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2008/09/stucco_at_last.html http://arithmometer.org/strawhouse/log/2008/09/stucco_at_last.html Sat, 20 Sep 2008 21:56:42 -0800