Tile application, nearly done

Here are pictures of our recent tiling adventure in the kitchen. Jen M. decided on slate, which comes in random colors and textures. The goal was to simulate a patio and feel outdoor-ish.

This picture is a dry layout.

Here Bill N. has some tiles adhered. We have cementatious backerboard under the slate and used a thinset adhesive. The work is tedious. Sweep, then wet-sponge for dust, the smear on thinset, then lay tile, then let dry, then clean with a sponge, then apply sealer, then apply a second coat of sealer. Remaining is grout, then grout sealer.

Here is a picture of how random the tiles are.

Here Bill N. applies more thinset to lay more tile.

Senior, Bill N. and Junior.

Wet children footprints on the tile, after thinset adhesive, before sealer.

Mya could not stay away from tile application.




Bill N. and Jen M. wrap up the sealer application (coat #1).

Some winter pictures

We have had one of the snowiest winters on record. Of course this happens the first year in VT we are responsible for snow removal and Bill N. is too stubborn or cheap to buy a snowblower. We use muscles, not motors here. Anyway, enjoy some pictures we collected this winter.

Here is Junior coming up the back steps on the sled (Senior watches). Yes, this the same back door that is about 4' off the ground without snow.

Here she is all the way in.

Here Bill N. pulls Senior toward the back woods. We have a hill into the forest that is a terrifying ride down (all trees, all terror). Senior loves it, Junior likes it, Bill N. believes "danger is fun most times" and Jen M. wishes she wasn't home when we do it. The snow is really deep. Years in Buffalo do not compare to what we are seeing this year.

Here Bill N. tows one of the many loads of floor tiles and installation materials up into the house. Our Saturn VUE humped it all from the store in Burlington to our house. After dragging multiple loads around the back of the house into the dining/kitchen, Bill N. weighed a box. All told, the VUE and Bill N. hauled just over 1,000 pounds of tile and installation material. That's heavy.

Here is a picture of one snowfall on our front porch railing. Just one of many snowfalls.

Here Bill N. and the giant hand pull snow off the roof. The neighbor's roof is snow-free because the homeowner climbs on their roof and shovels it.

More snow removal from the roof.

Some heating system pictures

Here is the control panel, 90% wired, with a the temporary power via an extension cord.

Here is the wiring diagram. Why such a complicated diagram for a single family house? Why not? Even though there are simple single-box controls for this, billn is cheap and likes to develop his own system.

Here is the beginnings of the kitchen radiant zone pump and piping. Senior holds the work while billn applies the torque on the fastener.

Here senior adjusts the position of the globe valve (important to create some pressure drop across the P-S zone that feeds the kitchen radiant).

Here is the return manifold, with the not-spooky anti-ghost flow loops bending down and to the left.

We love 1/2" barrier PEX.

Shirlsd visit, Local Park Story trail

Recently friend-of-the-blog Shirlsd visited us in Vermont. This was her first trip on the right coast and we were surely glad to have her visit. Unfortunately the weather was not perfect for her trip and the leaf colors were less than perfect (one week later, splendid).

Here are senior and junior outside a cider mill (in VT language cider mill = tourist trap).

Here are junior and senior whale watching. Or more accurately, statues of whale tales next to the highway.

Here are senior, Shirlsd and junior at the same statue. The weather looks like Kansas right before a tornado.

Here is the view from the top of a tower in a local park where senior, junior and friends A and C did a "story walk" where a single page of a book hangs in a tree (the idea is you walk, read/rest and walk more). That odd looking mountain in the background is Camel's Hump.

Here are Senior and C at the base of the tower.

Pumpkin Picking with local Friends

Recently our kids, Jenm went to pick pumpkins with C and A (son and daughter of K, all friends from the town we used to live in). Here are some pictures of that trip. Pumpkin hats made by Jenm.

Here are Senior, C and Junior.

Here K helps the children load the wagon.

A semi-artistic shot of Junior Senior.

Senior's birthday

Last weekend was Senior's birthday weekend (five years old, how time flies). We took a trip to the Bronx Zoo, staying at Aunt E and Uncle L's house in Southwest CT. We went to the zoo with some old LI friends, here you see senior's painted face and friend T.

Here is a cut cake set Aunt E. put together for senior.

Here is a goat at the children's zoo who was a little eager to eat.

Here senior lays claim to her llama.
Senior in the prairie dog simulator, in the children's zoon.

Junior in front of an eagle statue.

Junior (ballerina), T (Alice in Wonderland) and senior (veterinarian).

Some of senior's favorite animals.

Heat! Limited, temporary, incomplete, HEAT

Tonight we have heat. The wiring is 80% right, only the thermostat wiring is hanging out of the control panel and the main 120 Volt power is an extension cord. But the other 80 or 90 wires are all terminated, and right on.

The boiler is not working in sealed combustion mode, that comes later.

The single expansion tank is inadequate, billn must add another.

The kitchen radiant zone is 0% complete, that comes later.

The domestic hot water is 0% complete, that comes next.

The boiler needs to be vacuumed and tuned, but we are running zero smoke, 80.5% efficient right now, so that is good.

There are no baseboards in the dining room, that comes soon.

There are a lot of undone parts, but the boiler is firing, the zone valves are operable and the heat is flowing to the house. No pictures today, maybe later. Standing here in the kitchen posting this note, billn can hear the boiler cylcing on and off. That is a nice sound.