Category Archives: Off-Grid House

Posts relating to our house build project in eastern Ontario.

Installing the new countertops

This morning when we got up and had our morning coffee, we decided to tackle the installation of the new countertops.  As I mentioned previously, we got the solid birch butcherblock countertops from IKEA, we needed three pieces 98″ x 25 5/8″ and it’s 1 1/8″ thick.

I ended up picking up a new AC powered circular saw with a fine toothed blade to cut the counters – my battery powered unit would never make it through all that hardwood – and my dad has his Kreg pocket jigs here that we were able to use to cleanly connect all the pieces together.

There were some concerns that the countertop wasn’t going to be thick enough – the IKEA apron-front sink we are planning to install calls for countertops at least 1 1/2″ thick, but I’d read some reports on the internet of the sink going in ok with the thinner counters.  Turns out that everything was fine after all!

Test fitting kitchen sink
Test fitting kitchen sink

I am not too sure what we will get up to tomorrow, but I am sure we will get something done!

Passed partial occupancy inspection!!

Today was a huge milestone in the house building process…it’s been about 13 months since we received our house kit and we today passed a partial occupancy inspection.  This means we can finally move out of the RV and into the house, and finish off a few remaining items over the next couple months to get everything completely wrapped up.

Partial occupancy certificate!
Partial occupancy certificate!

While dad and I were finishing up the handrails on the stairs, uncle Paul finished off the first stage of assembling all the solar racks so they are ready to go as soon as we get the last few parts we need.

Dad and I started installing the new countertops but only just got started – more on that tomorrow I expect!

Passed electrical inspection!

This morning, pretty much first thing, the electrical inspector from the ESA showed up to do the final house wiring inspection.  It took him all of about five minutes to test our circuits and check out service panel, and then we got the sticker indicating that we passed!  This will hopefully clear the way on our path to occupancy.

Heathers uncle Paul came to help out and has been hard at work getting more of the solar racks assembled.

Uncle Paul assembling solar racks
Uncle Paul assembling solar racks

While he was busy with that (and heading out to get our new countertops – more on that later), dad and I continued working on the front stair railing to bring it up to code.  This is pretty painstaking work, cutting each baluster to fit and then fastening each one with a couple of pocket screws for a good, solid connection.

We got one entire side of the steps complete (20 balusters), and hope to get the rest of them finished tomorrow morning.

We also took the opportunity to bring up Chewie from the basement, where he’s been living, up onto the porch.  He seems to be really enjoying the fresh air!

Chewie relaxing
Chewie relaxing

After we got those balusters installed, we realized we needed a railing at the back stairs as well, so we quickly roughed up a temporary railing that will hopefully be satisfactory for our occupancy inspection – scheduled for tomorrow morning.

Back steps handrail
Back steps handrail

During all the chaos today, Heather and uncle Paul drove up to Ottawa, to the IKEA, to pick up our new countertops.  We decided to get solid birch (hardwood) butcherblock countertops and we were able to use our IKEA gift cards from our kitchen cabinet purchase to pretty much cover the entire cost – hard to beat that price.

Three slabs of birch butcherblock countertop
Three slabs of birch butcherblock countertop

That’s about all that’s going on for today.  We will be up bright and early tomorrow morning, and can hopefully get a few last things squared away before the building inspector shows up around 10am for a possible occupancy inspection.  Fingers crossed that that goes well!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures, thanks for reading – we’ll be sure to post again soon with the results of our inspection!

Cleanup before electrical inspection

Today we have what will hope will be our final electrical inspection.  To prepare for that, yesterday we went over everything in the house with a fine toothed comb – ensuring all our outlets, switches, and junction boxes had their cover plates installed, fixing a small section of conduit near the well pump, and finishing off the remaining bits of drywall around the fireplaces.

When we started working on the drywall around the bedroom fireplace, our little friend Miss Ivy thought she’d be able to help out:

Under her keen supervision we got the last of the drywall installed and tested out the bedroom fireplace.

All in all, a very successful day.  Today we hope to work on the front steps railings so we can have that ready for a potential occupancy inspection on Thursday (tomorrow) morning.

Stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted!

 

Working on the front steps and porch

It started out rather grey this morning, but it quickly cleared up.  We took every advantage of the clear weather to get back out there to try and make some more headway on the railing for the front steps.

During that process we also ended up installing more OSB sheathing around the porch to close it in.  All in all, a pretty successful day!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures, stay tuned for more updates as we get ready for our final electrical inspection on Wednesday!

Another handrail, and some drywall

Yesterday it was raining all day, so we retreated indoors and installed a proper handrail for our basement stairs.  It still needs to get trimmed a bit and painted, but it sure is a lot better than the 2×4″ board I had up there previously.

We also had a gas inspection yesterday afternoon – on that front, we had two small changes to make, and we addressed one of those yesterday (just had to shift the vent pipe for the bedroom fireplace slightly.)

Today my dad was visiting family up in Ottawa so I was here picking away at this and that.  I managed to get a shelf built in the side of our fireplace to hide away our PVR and also got most of the drywall installed on the fireplace as well.

We are hoping the rain will stop tomorrow so we can finish off the railing for the front steps leading down from the porch, we’ll be sure to keep you posted!

Stair railings in progress

Today we ended up going to the hardware store first thing in the morning to get some more supplies for our front stair railing.  We spent the better part of the day cutting and installing the main support posts for the railing, and even got one segment of railing in before the end of the day.

We also spent a few minutes doing some final checks to make sure that we’re ready for our gas inspection – mostly everything is done already we just had to install the exterior vent hood for the living room fireplace and also apply some high temperature sealant around the venting for the bedroom fireplace.

Applying high temperature sealant to bedroom fireplace venting
Applying high temperature sealant to bedroom fireplace venting

After our gas inspection tomorrow we will probably work on our stair railings some more, as well as continue on drywalling down the basement stairwell – stay tuned for more pictures!

More progress being made

Today we decided to figure out how the solar racks are assembled – there is an assembly manual provided but it wasn’t as clear as we’d hoped.  We got out there first thing this morning before it got too hot, and managed to get one of the racks partially assembled, and figured out where the rest of the pieces go.

Partly assembled solar rack
Partly assembled solar rack

After that, we put the platform back into the stairwell so dad could continue mudding and taping the drywall, and I went outside to work on creating a level base for our front stairs.  When I originally built the stairs last year it was a bit of a rush job just to get something there, so I needed to dig out the sand and create a good gravel base before we start building any railings.

Mudding and taping progress in the stairwell
Mudding and taping progress in the stairwell
Adding gravel for a level base
Adding gravel for a level base
Working hard, hardly working...
Working hard, hardly working…

Tomorrow, we hope to get a few last things wrapped up for our gas inspection (scheduled for Saturday), and then finish off the mudding in the stairwell so we can continue bringing the drywall down the left-hand side of the stairs down into the basement.

Getting stuff done

Yesterday and today dad and I worked on a number of things.  We finished drywalling in the majority of the stairwell and even started mudding some of that.

All we have left is a couple pieces down the left hand side, and to install a handrail for safety.

We also got both of the 50′ lengths of strut drilled and installed for the solar racking, so as soon as the last of the fittings arrive at the supplier we can start setting that up.

Lastly, we started closing in the porch with a couple of sheets of OSB so that we can continue our siding all the way around the porch.

Closing in the porch for the siding
Closing in the porch for the siding

Tomorrow we will probably start preparing to build out handrails for the porch stairs and try to finish off the drywalling in the stairwell.

Hope you enjoyed the pictures, stay tuned for more updates!

More solar rack preparation

Today dad and I went out again to work on the solar racking – in the morning before it got so darn hot.  We managed to get the holes drilled and one of the two 50′ lengths of strut installed on the threaded rod we installed yesterday, by the time we were done it was blazing hot, so we decided to do the second 50′ length tomorrow morning (weather permitting, as it seems the rain is rolling in).

After that, we decided to move indoors and start running the interior wiring for our satellite tv and networking, just to get out of the sun.  We drilled in to the basement, under the front porch, and ran new lines from the satellite dish to the area our video and networking hub will be located, and also ran a new line for our cell phone signal booster through the attic and down to the same area.  We just need to run a final wire in from our satellite internet dish, and the cables for our networking, and that will be that.

One other thing we got sorted out yesterday was the plumbing for our dishwasher – we finally got the necessary parts for the drain to get connected and so we were able to give it a test run at long last.  It seems to work well and is super quiet!

Hope you enjoyed the pictures and I’m sure we’ll have more for you in the next day or so!