Chantilly - Day 17

For varying reasons I had ample time to work on siding tonight.  I'm so glad I painted the strips before installing them, it's making it much easier to complete this than if I had to go back and try to do these tiny tiny pieces of siding with a seemingly mammoth brush.  Coincidentally, I want a Paint Zoom (was watching infomercials while working on the siding lol).

Anyway, I got some more siding installed, progress pictures below, total work time today was only four hours - still it's pretty good progress considering I forgot to take my clay out of the freezer!

Chantilly - Day 13

Today I attempted multi-tasking.  Now I was in a workshop a while back where I was told that multi-tasking is impossible for the human brain, you can only do multiple things with short bursts of attention.  Laundry and construction and television do not go hand in hand.  I rather foolishly followed the instructions and glue the bay window segments to the veranda roof, trimmed the whole thing and then realized that it will be exceedingly difficult to install.

I think my way around this is the cut the tabs off the bottom of the wall and glue very well, maybe installing deck boards to hold the walls in place.  Deck boards will make the front door more difficult to install however... bah.

Anyway, I started putting the corner pieces on for the siding, will continue with the window trim tomorrow, another coat of white paint on all of them and then I start installing the clapboard siding.  I will make clay shingles to scallop the bay window I think, and then the rest will the straight clapboard.  I may install siding panels under the windows for that victorian choppy siding look, that's still up in the air.

As my painted shingles dry they're turning more purple than I had anticipated, they will need another tamer coat of colour as it appears some blue got mixed in from my palatte.

Chantilly - Day 8

Today was roofing and staircase installation day, as well as trying to figure out what the hell to do with this silly little fireplace.  I chopped up some balsa wood and framed out a case for the insert to see how it would look under the staircase.  Originally I had entertained putting it in the corner but the windows are in the way.

Alternatively, I could cover the two side windows with a chimney and put the fireplace front and centre in the living room.  I will slide this fireplace around for the next couple of days before making a decision, it's far too hot here to be thinking anyway!

The roof was .. let's say.. an adventure to put on.  it's a snug fit for sure, gotta love those laser kits for having zero give.  I was able to secure it down with wood glue and an insane amount of masking tape however - no mega clamp reqired.

Another discovery was with the staircase, although all the individual pieces go in nicely on a dry fit, when you actually put that bottom stair in it secures everything quite rigidly, and with no give, and with the hardwood flooring, that rail going upstairs is next to impossible to get in.  I ended up having to surgically alter the side rail by cutting off the tab and then compensating with glue, there was no way in hell that rail was going in any other way.  I think if I were doing this kit again, I'd install the stairs (or at least the case) right after the first walls go up, floor around it, and never have to worry about it again :)