First divisions and garage floor

Now comes another scary part. From virtual to actual. Whatever one has projected gets firmly finalized with wall divisions built for the rooms. Were the drawn dimensions reasonable, or are we left with less than optimally sized spaces? Lot of money and time went into getting to this point where you get to experience what you will actually be living with. Impossible to think about stretching anything: concrete won’t do that. On the other hand, if things work, then we are getting much closer, and we’re not left with merely imagining what the space is like.

Dennis asked his youngest brother, John, to come and help put up the division walls. They started in the early afternoon and a few hours later, they had assembled over half on the main floor. Dennis did the cutting and John used his battery operated compressor hammer to do the nailing. They then lifted the wall forms into place.

Walking around the framed in spaces, I was relieved that nothing seemed unworkable or awkward. It appears that there will be sufficient space in the washroom for all the fixtures and the washer and dryer. The second bedroom looks cozy enough – not too squeezed. The master bedroom walk-in closet is a fair size. Everything could be bigger, and I sometimes wonder why I thought we’d need such a big, spacious garage over a larger house. Then again, the basement — which shouldn’t feel like a basement given the walkout and in floor heating — will double the upstairs space. Seriously, does a senior couple really need more than 2700 sq. ft? Let’s just say, so far, nothing feels too tight.

There are a few more walls to go up — most critically the walls that separate the open area of living, dining and kitchen. Looking forward to seeing that though it will be another week or two given the other fish to fry.

Floors, cement floors to be precise, are the next priority along with doors, including garage doors. In order for the boys to put up the soffit, fascia, snow guards and siding, they need a space to work from. They will be bending flat stock for the fascia in the garage. Consequently, the floor needed to be completed.

Dave had distributed some gravel in the garage using the skid steer, but we still needed to wheel barrow more in to do a fine levelling. After a number of rounds of this, Dennis rented a compacter to reduce the gravel shifting and cracking the concrete. A few more adjustments to the drain height, a chalk line all around to set the pour level and we were ready for Popcorn. Robbie had reached him to set up a date and we lucked out. However, Popcorn had his own demands. We needed to put up boards at the front and at the side man door to prevent the concrete from pouring out. The boards had to be braced with stakes. Also, I had to go out to Robbie’s shop to get a number of insulated tarps to keep the heat in after the pour so that the concrete would cure.

I arrived after the pour, just as Popcorn and his assistant were levelling the floor. Very nice gentleman. I asked Robbie why he was given such a pejorative nickname. He said it went all the way back to high school, it just carried on, and he was someone who had the community’s respect for his work. The work was indeed worthy. The cold weather made the cure take a little longer, and it was a few hours into the afternoon when the polishing was finished. What a remarkable difference in the garage. Something truly finished. If only the basement………

With the garage floor done, it becomes necessary to bring in more gravel to fill in the driveway in front of the doors. There is easily 2 feet difference. Gilles will bring some in this week and Dave will come round to level things off.

In the meantime, we have to get the basement done. Dennis had the foam panels delivered, and I travelled to St-Jerome to get the pex pipe for the radiant heat. I was also able to obtain some hard to get 10 mil vapour barrier that goes under the foam panels. We are looking at a deadline. The cement plant will be closing mid-December, and more problematic, Popcorn intends to hang up the trowel for the year at the beginning of the month. On top of it all, Dennis contracted a virus [not Covid, something else that’s going around] and gave it to me. We’ve missed a couple of good working days so far. Looking a little bleak for Popcorn, but we should make the cement plant deadline. Robbie says there are others who can do the work, they’re just more expensive than Popcorn. Probably not as pleasant either.