Memoirs of Building Our Home- Part 5

Have you ever designed and built your own home, how did it go?  We started our journey in the Spring of 2007 and moved in the very end of January 2008 and what a journey it was.  This is my attempt to chronicle the progress we made and the variety of mini-projects we took on ourselves.

Here are some links to get you caught up if you'd like:

Part 1- the basement is poured and the beams are in, time for framing to begin.

Part 2- framing is nearly done

Part 3- Windows and doors and a few small concrete projects

Part 4- Lots and lots of wiring and plumbing.  The guts of the project, and the drywall is up and painted.

Now the real fun begins.  Three main projects are going on right now:

#1- The Fireplace

We considered doing this project ourselves but when it comes right down to it, my husband is such a perfectionist we'd never get it done.  He'd still be placing stones and trying to get each one lined up perfectly.  I'd of knocked him out with one of those stones by now and still be in jail for attempted murder (yep, it would of been that bad).  So, we hired it out.  They completed the project in two weekends, much better than our projected outcome.

You can also see that some of the window trim-work has started to go up (I stained/painted all the trimwork out in the shed).

We spent some time on the roof to install the fireplace piping, that was a trip!   

#2- The Staircase
Grandpa built the staircase (and the beams overhead) and spent nearly a month with us installing and getting it all stained. 

We used a clear sealer instead of adding color, I really love the natural pine finish.

#3- Master Bathroom Floor Tile

I wanted to try a mosaic tile floor, my husband was a little nervous about how it would feel underfoot so I compromised and ran solid tile through the center instead, I call it "A River Runs Through It".  

It turned out really nice without any of the problems that my husband thought it would have, thank goodness.  For the outside I simply broke the tile with a hammer* (same tile I'll be using for the walls) and used nippers if I needed to "shape" any of the pieces to make them fit.  I used a grinder as well to help shape the larger tiles to make the curve as needed.

*FYI- when breaking the tiles use a rag or towel over the top, keeps the small pieces from jumping up and cutting you.

Lots of stuff is going on behind the scenes; electrical is getting trimmed out, cabinetry is beginning to go in, tubs are getting set and fixtures are going in where they can.  I'll be tiling like a madwoman for the next month, or two.  We also have tons of wood flooring to lay before the doors and baseboards can be installed.  

The basement digging began on 3/29/2007, the fireplace work began on 9/29 and my floor pictures were taken on  10/16.  The work on the staircase spans the month of October.  Still quite a bit to do but it's coming along nice.  Have you taken on a remodel or built a home?

I'd love to hear about your experience.  Would you ever do it again?