A milestone day...

With unseasonably warm weather for the last two days, Leigh and I were able to FINALLY finish siding the house...this is a major milestone for us -- if you recall we had hoped to be done with this part of the job by May 15th or so last year! How about that only 7 months off our estimate! Anyway -- it was a good feeling. You can seem me here up on the plank getting ready to put that last piece in. Leigh was working inside today cutting the angle on all of the shingles and handing them out through the window. The final shingle...

Our friend Bruce today asked if we were hand nailing the shingles or using a nail gun -- good question -- I can tell you that if we were hand nailing them (see left hand) we would be done by about May 15, 2010. So yes, we used a nail gun and stainless steel nails (very expensive) but they are better because they will not have a reaction with the white cedar. With galvanized nails, they often react to the cedar and create black streaks as the cedar weathers. Our plan is to let them weather to a nice grey and to sell the house before their 30 year life span requires replacement!

These next two photos can only be shown because it's already happened -- otherwise, our mothers would be too nervous...getting up and down onto and from the plank is a bit awkward...

Finally today - and entirely unrelated to siding -- is the master bath tile is is starting to go on the walls - Hector worked on Saturday to get started -- these are subway shape but more like 5x13...they are grey -- yes grey -- I seem to be in a phase where grey is my go-to color. The question of the day is WHAT COLOR DO YOU THINK THE GROUT SHOULD BE? I am leaning towards a lighter color to give it a bit of a retro look -- and so that he vertical brick pattern is a feature. Tile store folks suggest a dark grout...WHAT DO YOU THINK?

The floor tiles are a really pretty white 18" Square with a subtle line pattern in it.

I am hoping that this week, doors arrive and that Mark E shows up to finish up his masonry work...it would be nice to have that wrapped up. Also, painting should be done.