I've been dreading writing this post. This is not easy.

I hope you understand that we are real people, working with real limitations on a budget, and there is no midnight crew making things happen magically. It's just us, one family, trying to build two houses in one for our Moms.

We have been waiting and waiting for a break in the weather to put the roof on the Momplex. The trusses are sitting there, ready to shed snow, if we could just get a week of no snow, no wind, and decent temperatures.

But this is Alaska, and it is December. We may not see this week of magical weather until March. Nobody is more frustrated and impatient than me.

Could we battle the weather anyway? Yes, it could be done. But here's our reasoning.

Quality

Most heat loss in a home is through the roof. Because heat rises, having a well built and insulated roof is a top priority. Putting the trusses up in the dark (we are approaching the darkest day of the year up here in Alaska, with just a few hours of dusky sunlight a day), in the cold, on a hill where wind notoriously shows up unexpectedly, could be done ... but would it be done right? Would we do a less than stellar job, and Mom pays for it the rest of her life? Definitely quality is better when you are comfortable working.

Safety

Working up on a second story roof on a hilltop in Alaska is dangerous as it is. But add darkness, ice, snow and wind, not to mention bulky gear, 100 below zero boots that double your clumsy factor, windchill and tool malfunctions, and all it would take is one misstep, one tool not performing as expected, and we have an accident that will stall the job longer than any storm or winter.

Money

To keep working on the Momplex over the next couple of months, we will need to rent a light tower and pay for fuel, buy or rent a forced air heater, and then pay for fuel to heat a not fully insulated or sealed building using the heater, on top of additional expenses like putting temporary insulation up in the ceilings and the extra time it will require to work in the cold and dark. We estimate the added cost of working despite the weather could be an additional $10,000 or more. That money could go very far in putting some wish list items in the Momplex, topping the list is a playground for the grandchildren (including little Gracie).

What Next?

So are you not going to read another Momplex update for a few months? Are we giving up?

No way!!!!!

We have decided to spend the next few months working on all of the cabinetry inside the Momplex!

Momplex

Step 1 Diagram

Step 1

We know the dimensions, we know the layout, why not spend the next few months building all the projects inside our heated garage, and then come spring, it'll be a cinch installing?

That's right, why not build kitchen cabinets now? As in right now? And bathroom vanities, closet organizers, fireplace mantels, and of course beds and media walls and quilting tables and storage? Why not build now?

Step 2 Diagram

Step 2 Instructions

We are pretty excited to start on the cabinetry in the Momplex! I can't stop thinking about how I want to build the kitchens!

Thank you everyone for your input and voting on the kitchen layouts. It seems most love the Big L layout, but you thought the kitchens needed a pantry, dishwasher and sink in the island, and bar seating at the island.

So what do you think of this idea for the corners, with the pantry in the corner? This way, when you open the doors to the pantry, you could have a spot for things like brooms and mops, perhaps the trash and pet food, and then ample storage on the sides for bulk items. This is also a very economical means of building the kitchen.

Sold? I thought I was too...

But wait ... there's one other way I could see doing this ...

Step 3 Diagram

Step 3 Instructions

Rumor has it there's a <a href="http://ana-white.com/2011/09/smiling-mudroom" title="" target="_blank">yellow mudroom</a> smiling inside the January 2012 issue of Cottages and Bungalows Magazine, so when this issue arrived in the mail, I thumbed through looking for lots of yellow.

Step 4 Diagram

Step 4 Instructions

But this pretty distressed blue stopped me a page before.<div><br></div><div><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EwLozvW1I1Y/TmD8W2pn6OI/AAAAAAAAdT8/c_QDtgLZh…; width="470px" alt="" align="none"></div><div><br></div><div>It's the pantry at the <a href="http://www.thehouseofsmiths.com/2011/08/pretty-painted-pantry-door.html…; title="" target="_blank">House of Smiths</a></div><div><br></div><div><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wxJ3N0I6u0E/TlPQsYoVV4I/AAAAAAAAdOQ/HtdK-dhkU…; width="470px" alt="" align="none"></div><div><br></div><div>What do you think?  Do you like the angled corner pantry or the straight corner pantry?</div><div><br></div><div>Can't wait to read your comments, because we may not be putting a roof on today, or tomorrow or even next week, but we do have cabinets to build!  </div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

Step 5 Diagram

Step 5 Instructions

What do you think?

Comments

purejuice

Fri, 12/16/2011 - 14:45