The next step is for the contractor to finish the job and for me to stain it all. I’m going to go with a clear coat non-yellowing polyurethane. I’m trying to determine if I’m going to brush, roll, or spray it on. Brushing seems like it will take too long, rolling will create too many bubbles, I think, and spraying seems complicated. So we’ll see what happens.

I would have started staining this past week, but when I got to the cottage I found water in the basement and one of the pipe joints at the water pump broken. At some point during the week the connection from the pressure tank to the pump broke and sprayed water all over the place. I spent most of my Saturday replacing the plastic joint pieces with galvanized steel and trying to get the pump primed again. Then I had to clean up the basement which was full of soggy wet stuff. Nothing ever seems to go to plan when I go to the cottage. Anyway I got all of that done and found that my pump isn’t building up enough pressure to shut off. I opened it up to find the impeller cracked and needs to be replaced. I’m sure that means at least half a days work and water everywhere again.

I think in a week or two we will see a big change in the appearance of the cottage as we start into the finishing projects, flooring, cabinets, and plumbing. I’ll keep you updated.

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While I was doing that I had a plumber come in and install the water pipes, hotwater tank, pressure tank, filters, pump, pipe to the lake, and the heat line (to make sure it doesn’t freeze in the winter). While I wasn’t overly pleased with this plumber he has been more then willing to come back and change/fix anything that needed to be changed/fixed. The plumbing inspector took a look and gave it the thumbs up.

My next step was to get a contractor in to drywall the place while I stayed home with the family for a few weeks and then I’d come back to paint. That plan went awry when I could only get one contractor to call me back and he quoted me at $16,000! That was way out of my budget. So with a couple of buddies we hung drywall on the ceilings on the main floor and green board in the bathroom. I’ve mudded, sealed and painted the ceilings with no major blemishes so I’m quite content with the result.

Instead of drywall I decided to go with tongue and groove knotty pine that I will get from a local mill. The mill will also install the pine for a price that is very reasonable and falls within my budget. This should be complete in a couple of weeks. I’ll continue to work on the bathroom while the pine is being installed and we should see a drastic change in the looks of the cottage by the end of the month.

Till next time.

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We went to the Cottage Life Spring Cottage show and visited a number of dock vendors before finally picking Rideau Docks. They appeared to be a smaller company (family run) then many of the other vendors, but their prices were good and I liked dealing with the people there compared to some of the other vendors.

We went with an aluminum framed dock with posts and feet that will just sit on the lake bottom. We decided to spend a little extra money and get the Thru-Flow decking, a composite of some sort, since it was light weight and maintenance free.

Rideau Docks delivered it to the cottage this past Saturday and a friend and I installed it in about 1.5 hours. The dock is made up of 3 pieces. A 4×8 foot ramp connected to a 4×8 foot walkway, connected to an 8×8 patio. Other then getting the patio from the driveway to the water everything was relatively easy. I would guess the patio weighed somewhere around 120lbs.

My friend and I were fishing off of the dock that night and had a great time. Having a dock really makes enjoying the lake much easier.

In terms of cottage progress I’ve insulated and vapour barriered the main level and upstairs of the cottage. I’m currently building walls in the basement and insulating them. I’ve got one wall left. When that is done I’ll get the building inspector back in to inspect the insulation. I also decided to hire a plumber to do the rough-in water lines. I could have done it myself, but it would have taken me at least a month going up on weekends where this contractor can do it in one day for a reasonable price. So he was in there yesterday and I think he is going back on Friday to finish things up. He has put in the water line to the lake, installed a heating wire so the pipes don’t freeze in the winter, connected the water pump, pressure tank, a sediment filter, a charcoal filter, an ultra violet filter, the water heater, and run the water lines to the bathroom and kitchen. Sometime next week I’ll get the plumbing inspector to come back and approve the waterline rough-in.

Once those inspections are complete I’m going to have a contractor come in and dry wall the main floor and second floor. We purchased 12.3mm laminate flooring this weekend, which we will install throughout the cottage once the dry wall has been painted and then it will be a matter of installing cabinets and finishing the plumbing connections. I hope to have everything done by the end of July.

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The building inspector took a look at the framing to confirm that the building was built according to the approved plans. The documentation he provided me led me to believe I had to have the insulation and vapour barrier done before he was to come for this inspection so I had already started insulating the upstairs bedrooms. As it turns out, and common sense would tell you, that it’s pretty hard to inspect framing when it’s covered in insulation. Anyway the inspector was in a good mood that day and didn’t make me rip it all out. He wanted to see more blocking in the floor joists of the main floor around the perimeter walls and that was it! So now I can go ahead and finish insulating the rest of the cottage. I’ve got about 70% of the cottage insulated and should be done by the first week in March. That means I can turn on the furnace and actually work in a heated building and stay over night instead of driving home at night and back to the cottage in the morning.

The next steps will be to get the building inspector back in to inspect the insulation, install the water lines, and hire a contractor to do the drywall. It’s getting close to being a livable building and it’s got me excited to do as much work as I can in the time that I have up there. Hopefully by the time the warm weather rolls around the cottage will be done and I can spend my time on the water catching fish.

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I’ve managed to dry fit all the drainage pipes. It really isn’t a lot of piping, but the planning involved for a plumbing project is much more detailed then I had expected. There was a lot of cutting and re-cutting and drilling and re-drilling before I got it to the state it is in now. About 2/3’s of it is glued together and I should be able to finish it up this weekend. I’ll get the plumbing inspector in to take a look at it and hopefully it’s up to par.

I had started insulating the upstairs bedrooms and attic when I found out that the framing needs to be inspected by the building inspector before the insulation is installed. I thought the insulation and vapour barrier needed to be in before the next inspection. Anyway I popped in the inspector’s office just to clarify. He told be to stop insulating and give him a call when the plumbing and heating ducts were in since those jobs typically tear up the framing.

I hired a heating contractor to come in and install a furnace. That was completed over the holidays and the propane was hooked up. So now I have heat, but because I can’t insulate the heat goes through the roof.

The plan now is to finish gluing the drainage pipes together, purchase an electric water heater and finish the wiring. Then I’ll schedule the plumbing inspector, the electrical inspector, and the building inspector to come and check everything out. If it’s all good I’ll finish insulating and put the vapour barrier up and then I’ll be able to turn the heat on.

Next step is to install all the incoming water lines.

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We will get a better view of the lake, increase air circulation, and most importantly add light to the dining and living rooms.  We found out after the cottage was built that the corners of the rooms were very dark.

We struggled with the decision to add the windows because we are on a tight budget and this wasn’t in the plans, but now that we have them in I’m very happy we made the right choice.

As you can see we also had the siding installed.  I found a contractor in the area and he did a fantastic job for a decent price.  I’ll be calling on him again when it comes time to drywall.  Other little projects outside were adding stairs to the front and back decks.  We did a little landscaping and built a picnic table which turned out to be very good.  At least we have somewhere to sit and eat and play games now.  If you are interested in building a picnic table you can find the plans here.  The only outside projects left with respect to the building are to install exterior outlets and put up the eaves troughs.

The inside of the cottage is a whole different matter.  It is still bare studs, but I did have the basement floor poured in the spring.  I’ve run just about all my electrical wires to their boxes and have a rough inspection scheduled for Aug 19/2009.  Hopefully that goes smoothly and I can have power throughout the cottage rather than plugging and unplugging extension cords as I am now.  I’ve also almost completed my drainage and vent pipes for the plumbing.  A few more cuts and it will be dry fitted.  From there I have to level it, hang it, and then glue it all together.  I’ve met with both plumbing inspectors and both have been extremely nice and helpful.  That makes things much easier on a guy like me that is doing everything for the first time.  Once the drainage pipes are glued together I’ll run the flexible water supply pipes, no copper or soldering for me.  I don’t think that will be too much of a big deal, although I say that about everything, because I only have a kitchen sink, bathroom sink, toilet, and shower to run the pipes to.

I’ll be contacting a HVAC contractor soon to install the furnace, water heater, ducts and propane line.  Of course this will end up being way more then I’m going to anticipate, but it needs to be done before the winter comes.  If everything goes to plan I should be able to have the cottage in a state where we have electricity, plumbing, heating, and is insulated by the end of the year.  Which means by next summer it should be fully complete and I can start concentrating on my fishing!  Did I mention the fishing on my lake is great?  I will in an upcoming post.

Thanks for all the comments over the past months while I haven’t been doing much updating.  I’m especially enjoying all the comments about the Mantracker show!  They make me laugh.  Keep it up!

Here are the details from the Department of Finance Canada

The HRTC will apply to eligible home renovation expenditures for work performed, or goods acquired, after January 27, 2009 and before February 1, 2010, pursuant to agreements entered into after January 27, 2009.

The 15-per-cent credit may be claimed on the portion of eligible expenditures exceeding $1,000, but not more than $10,000, meaning that the maximum tax credit that can be received is $1,350.

The credit can be claimed on eligible expenditures incurred on one or more of an individual’s eligible dwellings. Properties eligible for the HRTC include houses, cottages and condominium units that are owned for personal use.

Renovation costs for projects such as finishing a basement or re-modelling a kitchen will be eligible for the credit, along with associated expenses such as building permits, professional services, equipment rentals and incidental expenses.

Routine repairs and maintenance will not qualify for the credit. Nor will the cost of purchasing furniture, appliances, audio-visual electronics or construction equipment.

Taxpayers can claim the HRTC when filing their 2009 tax return.

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So I thought I would list some of items I paid for and their approximate costs to help folks out.

Take into consideration regional prices, taxes and the size of the building.

So here’s what I did:

• Customized cottage kit from Home Hardware (1050sqft, 25’x25’ footprint, included drawings and materials for a cottage shell) - $27,000
• Grading, Septic, Driveway (I had to bring in a lot of fill because of a high water table) - $17,000
• Full Basement Foundation (8 inch poured concrete) - $10,000
• Drainage Membrane for Foundation - $500
• Tree Removal - $2,500
• Framing Cottage (in a weather tight state, see picture) - $9,000
• Shingling the Roof - $1,000
• Temporary Electricity (power from the street to the cottage and a circuit panel installed) - $1,500
• Building, Plumbing, Entrance Permits - $1,500

Estimates – Items I haven’t completed yet

• Install Vinyl Siding - $2,000
• Install Ducting, Propane lines, and Propane Furnace - $5000
• Interior Materials (Drywall, Flooring, doors, cabinets, sinks, shower, toilet) - $6,000

DIY – Items I plan to do myself

• Install electrical wiring throughout the cottage - ?
• Install plumbing - ?

Total Approximate Cost of the project = $83,000+

Hope this helps and good luck!

This light weight aluminum hiking stick extends from 28” to 57” and locks in place. The wrist strap has a thermometer and compass. The rubber tip is removable to expose a carbide tip which is great for slippery conditions.

Removing the knob on top reveals a camera mount which is excellent for taking steady wild life photos. In the shaft is a heavy spring that allows you to put a lot of pressure in the stick and have it cushion the force rather then your elbow or shoulder.

If you are a hiker of photographer you will love the versatility of this hiking stick.

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The Set:
A horseshoes set consists of 4 horseshoes weighing 2.5lbs each and 2 stakes 24” long.

Object of the Game:
Throw your horseshoes closer to the stake then your opponent to score points.

General Rules:
The game of horseshoes is broken down into innings, each consisting of 4 pitched horseshoes, 2 by each opponent.

The first player will pitch both shoes and then wait while the other contestant does the same. Each player must take care not to cross the foul line which is 3′ past the stake or risk having the thrown shoe deemed a foul disqualified from scoring.

Once points have been determined, players pick up their shoes and then begin the next inning, now throwing in the opposite direction.

Scoring:
In each inning, after all four shoes have been thrown, scoring is determined in the following manner. In order to be considered for points, a shoe must lie within 6″ (approximately the distance between the open ends of the shoe) from the stake - all shoes outside of this area score no points.

Of the shoes within this 6″ area around the stake, the closest shoe gets one point. If one player has two shoes closer than any of the opponents’, it’s worth 2 points.

Leaners are shoes which lean against the stake and worth 1 point are considered closer than any shoe which is not touching the stake but not closer than Ringers.

Ringers are shoes which completely encircle the stake so that the ends can be touched with a straight edge without touching the stake.

Ringers are worth 3 points each. If a player has both a ringer and the closest other shoe it would be worth 4 points.

Cancellation Scoring Anytime the shoes of opposing players are equal distance from the stake or of equal value they cancel each other out and score no points. For example: If both players have ringers they would cancel out and the next closest shoe within 6″ from the stake would score 1 point. Or if Player One has 2 ringers and Player Two has 1 ringer - two of the opposing ringers would cancel out and Player One would score 1 ringer for 3 points.

Winner of the Game is the first player or team to reach the predetermined point total.

Doubles Play:
Four players can play horseshoes in teams of two players each. Players of each team pitch from opposite ends of the court against an opposing team. The points of the players of each team are added together and players do not change sides after each inning. Otherwise, doubles play is no different than conventional singles play.

Winning the Game:
In backyard play, it is not uncommon to play to 15 points. The winner of the Game is the first player or team to reach the predetermined point total.

The Court:

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