Porter Renovation

back of house and porch

2009-03-07T09:48:00.000-08:00

Just had to throw in this picture of our tree after a late snowfall.

Look at that good looking guy on the deck.

As you can see we now have a white vinyl railing

on the deck also.

We also had a front porch cover put on. It really
helps to keep the rain and ice off the porch.

Here's another view with family pictures on top

of the dresser.

We now have a large hassock and we moved the TV

from downstairs up.

Just another view.

Here is the diningroom with a bit of decoration , finally.

tables and couch

2009-02-28T11:20:00.000-08:00

What a good looking bunch!

The couch again but filled with bodies.

Our new sectional couch. Empty!

Here it is with family all around. We can fit quite a few, as you can see.

Here is our new diningroom table all ready for dinner.

deck

2009-02-28T07:42:00.000-08:00

In this picture you can see that it has two levels and some

steps that go down into the yard(that will someday be there again).

Hey, it's starting to look like a real deck.

Grandma has the seat of honor and is quality control

Noone is exempt from working. This is an equal oppurtunity job.

We got Shauna and Stacey to do their part.

It was definitely a learning process and it took a while especially at the beginning.

Here is another view showing just how big this deck will be.

This is the start of our Trex deck.

Here is our builder and Bill working on our patio cover.

2008-08-10T14:41:00.000-07:00

Here we are celebrating Stacey's birthday up at the cabin in Logan. The kids made this beautiful flower wreath for her head. We had strawberry shortcake and we didn't have any candles so this fireplace match had to do.
This is at the Cheesecake Factory where family and friends surprised her for dinner. This is her friend from work, Melody.

Here is my beautiful new headboard. The very first headboard Bill and I have ever had. I love it!

Here is our bed with the lovely Stacey posing on it.

Dad got an upgrade from the tv on the right to the TV on the left. He has patiently waited until he returned to Utah to get this 60" TV for our bedroom.

This is our master bathroom vanity and we decided to use a mirror that we already had and just have to stain the frame a bit darker. Lights have been ordered and we're waiting.

This is mine and Stacey's attempt at doing a little decoration on top of the china hutch.

I love the trestle legs that give you so much more room. I got a great deal on this, which makes it even better.

I decided neither one of my other two tables would do so now we have a third table. It is 9 1/2 ' long and is great. Now I just need chairs. Dad is going to make two benches for the grandkids to use on the side against the wall. I'm going to try to sell the one table and 8 chairs on ksl.com and use my teak table in my sewing room downstairs.

Here is the finished lighting in our kitchen. Canned lights and three pendant lights over the island.

We have a matching pendant over the sink. (No backsplash just yet)

These are the drapes in our master bedroom.

The sheers are light cream and the drapes are a chocolate color. They are on a double rod and are on rings so you just pull them open and closed.

2008-06-01T19:32:00.000-07:00

Here is the whole Mark Porter clan.

Mark and little Bridger, how sweet!

Eli is all boy!

Look at that cute face on Miss Liela!

Our two sweet grandchildren, Eli & Liela.

Here's Matt and his family when we were in Australia in March of this year.

How cool is Adam on this old Honda 90? With gas prices the way they are it's the way to go.

Adam didn't think the Honda 90 was enough for him so he got this Honda 400.

Here is some of the family on the Susan G Koman, breast cancer 5K walk/run.

This is our master bathroom vanity. We still have the mirrors and lighting to finish.

After 30 some years I finally got a china cupboard to fill the space we had made for one.

Here's Bill putting in some can lighting in the kitchen.

2008-03-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

One last picture just showing you the back of the house now that the siding is completed. Lots of siding, isn't it? Once we get a deck on and a deck cover it should break it up a bit. That's it for now!

2008-03-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

Almost forgot to add this picture of our new front porch. We have had a problem with water and snow building up on the porch so this should help.

2008-03-13T17:50:00.000-07:00

Here's the final view of the almost finished kitchen. I even took up the paper off the floor and cleaned up the wood flooring. Only the double ovens are hooked up and working. The frig, dishwasher, cooktop, microwave and the sinks, still have to be hooked up. I might actually have a working kitchen pretty soon.

2008-03-13T17:46:00.000-07:00

This is the kitchen sink which is a large stainless sink (non-divided) and a single handle faucet with a pull down sprayer. I also decided to have a soap dispenser on this and the island sink just to eliminate soap bottles sitting around.

2008-03-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

This is our new 5 burner gas cooktop. I've never cooked with gas before so I'm looking forward to trying it out, as long as I can do it without getting it dirty. Everything is so new and clean I don't like the thought of making a mess. I'll get over it soon enough.

2008-03-13T17:38:00.001-07:00

Here is a view of the kitchen from the frig to the sink under the window. The only thing missing is the microwave oven that goes over the cooktop.

2008-03-13T17:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a close-up of the finished island. They came and did all the granite countertops on Wednesday, March 12th. Isn't it gorgeous? I love it!

2008-03-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

Here is that area just to the right as you go out of our bedroom. It's the master bath. Straight through the archway will be a double sink vanity then to the left is a wall and a shower and then another wall and the commode. We still don't have doors in our bathroom but this time we do have a few walls for privacy. The bathroom is the last thing we need to do and then just to carpet the bedroom and closet. I should clarify that because there are still a lot of electrical and lighting projects to finish up also.

2008-03-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

This is our bedroom looking from the opposite end of the room. The opening is into an entry and the second doorway is into our walk-in closet. The next picture is just to the right where you enter the bathroom.

2008-03-09T16:09:00.000-07:00

This is our master bedroom, minus all the junk.

2008-03-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

I finally got all the construction tools and debris cleaned up and you can get a better view of the greatroom. There is still a protective paper on the wood floor that I won't take up until we get the master bedroom and bath done.

2008-03-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

Here's another view of the kitchen. Of course the frig goes in that large opening, a five burner gas cooktop with a microwave oven above it is next, then a stainless steel sink under the window, a dishwasher in the space next to it, then around the corner and 2 double regular/convection ovens. The cabinets are a knotty alder with black on the edges. I love them!

2008-03-09T15:40:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest picture of our new kitchen. Out front is the island which has black beadboard on three sides and the cabinet face on the other side. Granite countertops are coming on March 12th. Also we had a new window, casing and sill put in to replace the one you can see. The appliances arrived while I was in Ohio and so I haven't seen them yet myself.

Catching up on our renovation!

2008-01-12T16:17:00.000-08:00

The furnace room with the storage room to the left.

This is the downstairs hall, with the theater room to the right

and the storage and furnace rooms to the left.

Here's a more finished look at our bedroom, with paint and moulding.

My closet is almost finished. I'm still not sure there is not

enough room. I don't know where Bill's clothes are going

The great room is painted and the crown moulding and base boards are up.

A view of the front door and the accent wall.

Here I am working. Yes I actually did some of it.

We've enlisted the top professionials in the field, well actually the price was just right.

Now the fun part begins, the wood floor.

The same with the sheetrock in the great room.

The sheetrock is up in our bedroom and it is starting to take shape.

Here's the framing of our walk in closet. My favorite room in the house!

Thanksgiving Week Workload

2007-11-25T11:21:00.000-08:00

Just working on finishing up the kitchen and taking out the soffits.

Oops! Maybe I should have laid off the second helpings of pie.

It is amazing we actually accomplished something with this caliber of workers.

Ten years bad luck for Nathan.

Most of the cabinents are out and the tile is coming up.

Just taking a short break. Wow the new workout has really changed Mom.

Tami, I wished there was a reason to explain your change.

Close your eyes mom, and suck up those mouse terds.

Just a couple "trashy" kids

Let that viking blood do its thing.
Yes, they are going and boy are we glad.

The arrival of the sheetrock.

This one is for you Mark. Some of your Dad's handywork.

The latest on the remodeling

2007-10-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

Monday the 22nd, the walls came down and now we have a fancy plastic wall. Doesn't keep out the dust, cold or wandering critters.
Life has become quite interesting.

Just putting the kids and grandkids to work. What a crazy bunch of workers,

luckily they work for just an otterpop per hour.

Here's a close up of the windows.

As you can see, all the windows are in place and shining.

Here's Troy putting in our first window. How Beautiful!

2007-10-08T13:56:00.001-07:00

This is the outside looking in. The roof is being put on now.

Tar paper will keep the rain out after this is done. Only two weeks late. We have had several storms wetting the carpet upstaris and down staris. The smell is like a cave full of rotting cheese.

This will be the view out the back door. The opening above the door will not be this wide open.

We will have three smaller windows above the doors.

Boy that ceiling looks high. Not an easy place to change a light bulb.

This is inside looking up at the trusses.

Nothing like a tall crane to give us a lift. This sure makes it a lot easier.

The work starts from the ground up. The trusses are so long it takes a rig to lift them.

Note the pumpkins in the back field, HALLOWEEN is coming.

So is the rain

More pics

2007-09-22T16:53:00.001-07:00

The basement (if you couldn't tell). Yep, that's about it.

Just some pics

2007-09-22T13:34:00.001-07:00

Here are some updated pics. Things seem to be going forward. Next saturday the trusses should arrive.

Pour woodshop

2007-09-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

The final pour is in Dad's woodshop. I had to get ready to fly out to Phoenix so I couldn't stick around and see the final results. Now with this woodshop Dad should have an immaculate garage and shop. Ha, Ha, Ha!! Dad is sitting here laughing as I'm typing this. Like I said, I have a great imagination.

Basement floor

2007-09-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

They started pouring the back stairs first and then poured the basement floor. After several hours of troweling you can see that it's pretty smooth and almost finished. It's really starting to look like something now. Can you see my storage room at the top of the picture? I can just imagine us sitting in Dad's theater(at the bottom of the picture) and watching a movie. I have a very good imagination, don't I?

Grading

2007-09-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

After filling the woodshop area they spread the rest of the dirt around the yard making it level. Check out that neat looking covered ditch. So smooth, flat and no weeds.

Bobcat

2007-09-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

The floor needed dirt to be added to make it level for the concrete pour. Look at this clever way to lower this little bobcat down so it could do it's work.

Dirt pile

2007-09-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

Here's the next part of our renovation saga. What came out now must be put back in to fill around the foundations.

Foundation poured

2007-09-05T16:53:00.000-07:00

I have added these 3 pictures to my blog but haven't figured out how to move them to the bottom of this posting so they are out of order. Here's that big pumper truck going over the house.

Yesterday, Tuesday, September 4th the foundation was poured. They had a huge crane-like thing that the cement was pumped into from the cement trucks and then they moved it around as it filled up the forms. It took three cement truck before they got through. Some of the other guys would use rods to make sure there were no air pockets and that it filled in all the way.

The next day they removed the forms and as you can see Ellis has already started to seal the bottom part of the foundation with that black stuff. I hope this description isn't too technical for all of you lay people. Things are starting to get going and you can almost imagine how it will look when it gets done.

Foundations

2007-09-03T12:30:00.000-07:00

The footings are done and they are getting ready to pour the foundation. Because of the holiday they will probably do it sometime after Labor Day.

2007-09-03T12:03:00.000-07:00

It's too late to turn back now. The digging of the hole has begun.

Take a look at it now! If you could only see the mess it has made of my yard. We are excited to finally get started though and I'm sure it will only get worse.

2007-08-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

This is the house after Ellis took all the brick off.

New Addition

2007-08-25T10:34:00.001-07:00

This is not the new addition to the house but the family! Liela Mae came into the family on Friday, August 24th at 9:35am weighing 9 lbs 3 oz. We have another aussie!!

This is the beginning

2007-08-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!!! I am trying this for the first time. I hope it works. I will be posting pics of the home renovation as it is unfolding.