All Wrapped up

So, we got a quote for siding. It wasn't outrageous but it didn't seem like they would do the job to the level we wanted it done. Their proposed solution around the window was J-mold and with no mention of building wrap.

When we installed the kitchen window, we caulked around it but it was basically sitting there with caulk around it and a piece of plywood below it. Given that water can pass onto the underside of the siding we wanted to ensure that the edge around the window was really weather tight. By this point we realized that if we wanted this job done how we wanted it it was probably just easier to do it ourselves. So this weekend we prepped the kitchen for siding, we flashed around the window (using a home made bending solution):

Filled in the gaps around the door and added brick mold

and of course wrapped everything in building wrap. Hopefully we will get to side it this week/weekend and then we can move on to the deck!

In other news we used the money we saved on hiring out siding to hire our contractor neighbor to arrange and install a custom size door from the Habitat for Humanity Re-store in the basement walkup. Things are moving along again!

Yard Plan

There hasn't been much in the way of progress made on the outside of our house since the last post. We're mainly being held up since we're hiring out the siding and we tend to procrastinate more when working with pros than when doing things ourselves :P. With the help of Homestars, we got our butts in gear today and contacted a bunch of local companies with the hopes that we can get it set up soon. We would do it ourselves, but we want to make sure the flashing around the new window and door from the kitchen are done right which requires people with equipment + know-how for working with aluminum.

In the mean time we've been thinking about the final design for the deck/yard. Bear in mind this project is still in the realm of "pipe dream" and won't get finished until next summer, but this is the plan:


We're contemplating taking a free table from our neighbour (hence the over-sized table on the deck) but looking at it in the diagram it may not be meant to be... unless we convert our whole yard into a deck... This is also based on estimated measurements of our yard. Depending on the actual length we may need to lose a boxwood or 2 (or shorten the deck).

Our goal for this summer is to get the deck done. Next summer we will tear down the garage/shack, build a new fence and parking pad. And to think when we moved in we thought we'd be parking in the back within 4 months... we were so naive :P.