Building our dream home in the NC mountains

It's almost mid August 2011 and the love of my life and I are getting ready to begin a year long adventure building our dream cabin in the mountains of North Carolina. We're actually in Oregon, as we speak (8/11/11) wrapping up a glorious 10 day vacation with my wife's sister and brother-in-law at their cabin in the mountains.

Why the title "The Maple Tree Adventure"? Our property is on Maple Tree Lane at an elevation of 4200'...sounds like an adventure to us.

We've talked about this for a long time and now that it's a reality, we are excited to start the process. The process should take about 10 months. The build should be completed by next fall 2012.

Our goal is to offer up a blog entry daily. Some posts might include a photo, others may not. The adventure takes my wife and me in different directions for awhile. She teaches school and will finish out her career in June 2012 in Raleigh. I, on the other hand, will head to the mountains to get the cabin rolling in the next week or so (8/16/11).

Keep us in your prayers, leave your comments and plan to visit us next spring 2013.

Kent & Darlene
210 Maple Tree Lane
West Jefferson, NC 28694

(828) 406-4823

Monday, November 7, 2011

Things are still hoppin'

Let's start with the important stuff. The garage slab was inspected and passed today. The concrete truck will be here bright and early tomorrow to fill the basement/garage with concrete. Looks like we have missed the really cold weather for this pour. It was important that we get all the concrete in the ground before it gets really cold...thank you Lord!

What you're looking at is the wire mesh over the plastic vapor barrier over the gravel. This part of the build will get us in good shape to accept delivery of the SIPS Friday. Once the slab is set (Wednesday) we'll easily make the deadline to install two walls in the garage that are structural and will carry some of the first floor load.

 The white chalk in the photo to the left marks our deck and walkway piers (13 in all). Those were dug late today and will be inspected tomorrow. It's interesting and I know important to have all of the inspections we have to go through. There are so many agencies that are trying to keep us safe that it would boggle your mind. Thank goodness all these folks are trying to keep us safe because we might do something that would hurt ourselves...nuff said!
The photo to the right is what I'll describe as 'command central'. It's my workshop. The place where all of the interior elements will be created, assembled and readied for installation in the 'big house'.

Tomorrow morning I'm heading to Sparta to pick up the metal roofing that will adorn the workshop. Ultimately, it will look like an original NC barn when it's finished. Our plan is to complete it before Friday after which all of our attention will go into drying in the cabin. The workshop will serve as a sanctuary for the many times that I might be in trouble over the years to come. It will be a space that can be converted into living quarters in the event that I'm ever expelled from the big house.

One last note: today the UPS man came up the mountain and down our street looking for 210 Maple Tree Lane...THAT'S US!!!! I waved him down, thinking that he might have something for me...he stopped and he did. This might not be a big deal to you but I got a new pair of sheepskin moccasins (slippers for you city folks). My old pair bit the dust recently and I've been without this luxury until tonight. Cold beer and moccasins...

Life is GOOD!

More coming,
z

p.s. I did get our first piece of mail, delivered to our new mailbox (210 Maple Tree Lane, West Jefferson, NC 28694). It was from my sweetheart. It was a card with some really nice stuff written inside. I plan on putting it into a frame and hanging it in the cabin to commemorate "our first official piece of mail".
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