White Surprise

Here's what the Momplex has looked like since we finished the monster siding project.

We have decided to wait until spring to put side porches and front decks on the Momplex. We will also wait until spring to finish the front decorative gable end, pour the front concrete aprons and landscape.

Something about knowing Mom will be inside the Momplex cooking lunch and snacks makes pushing exterior projects off until spring not seem like such a bad idea at all. I can hear myself already ... "Honey, you spent all day up at the Momplex working. It's my turn to work up there!!!"

The leaves have since changed colors and blown away. Up here in Alaska, fall only lasts a mere few weeks. No tree wants to be caught with it's leaves on come snow fall. The heavy burden of snow will bend the tree over.

For the front garage doors, we went ahead and covered the wood bucks from the ICF construction with 3/4" exterior plywood. We had originally thought about just painting the exposed plywood white, but since most all of the exterior of the Momplex is maintenance free, I had a hunch repainting the garage door insides might not get done as often as it needs to be. Remember, we are hoping Mom lives in the Momplex until she's way too old to be on a ladder painting, so anything we can do now to plan for that is one less job we will be doing later on.

So what to do ???

While we mulled that one over, the Ram went ahead and framed up the inside for mounting garage doors to the walls and ceiling above with 2x lumber. Drywall will go in between later on.

While picking up supplies for our HVAC system - more on that soon! - we noticed the shop had metal flashing covering the garage door sides. What a perfect solution!

Metal is prepainted, durable, and will match the exterior of the Momplex.

We called our local metal shop and ordered white metal to fit, and they bent the metal so it is a perfect cover for the plywood. I tell you, this is easier than taping off and painting!

The Ram cuts the metal to length with tin snips.

The silicone also adheres the metal to the wood.

And then the metal just fits in place. We of course also attach with screws just to make sure it's not ever coming down again.

The sides are give the same treatment.

Now that looks much better!

I also love how professional the white metal looks. It's smooth and even and consistent.

Now remember, this is the Momplex. There's two moms. Everything get's done twice.

So we did the other garage door too.

And that where we left things.

But then one morning, I drove up to the Momplex, and there was this white surprise.

We've got garage doors!!!!

Yes, the Fairy Garage Door Guy came and put the garage doors in!

We talked about DIYing the garage door installation, but because of their size, the doors had to be special delivered. Installation was only a couple hundred more. And a leaky garage door can cost hundreds if not thousands in wasted heat over years of use, so we said yes to the installation option.

They did an awesome job and we love the garage doors!

And yes, Mom, they come with automatic openers too!

What a nice white surprise!

PS - It' snowed!