Getting to the Basement

Dave (top) hangs joists for the landing, while Kyle
positions the plate from which the center wall will rise.

Yesterday morning, as I left for Petoskey en route to Grand Haven, Dave and Kyle were hard at work on the basement stairs.  Dave was building the landing, and Kyle was starting the wall which will rise from the basement floor to the second floor.  This center wall will support one side of each run of stairs, while the side walls will support the opposite side.

Having stairs here will be helpful.  At present, you get to the basement via ladder.  When I move in, however, ready access will be important, because a lot of stuff — a lot of stuff! — will be going downstairs where it can be shelved until I can unpack, sort and distribute it.  For 30 years I've lived in seminary dorm rooms and small apartments without storage.  I'm tired of tripping over boxes!  Besides, in addition to my worldly goods, there's important infrastructure down in the basement which, God willing, will not freeze, leak, or implode.

This is something only a home-owner will find interesting
— the waste line on the north side of the house heads
(downhill) to the septic tank.  The smaller flexible lines 
will supply the baseboard radiators.

The planned open stairs from the ground floor to the second floor will also be supported by side walls on the ground floor.  Initially these walls were to be bookcases facing the stairs, two on each side.  Thus they would be non-load-bearing.  Now one bookcase on each side of the stairs will face inward, while the second will face into the dining area (on the left, as you face the stairs) and into the entry foyer.  This means there will be solid wall on both sides to help support the staircase.  The exact details remain to be worked out, but that's the plan at this writing.

The side wall of the staircase will have one bookcase facing into the
dining area (near the window), and a second facing the stairs.

I'm glad to have those porch doors installed (see yesterday's post).  While the front door was more expensive and will sport fancier hardware, I'm sure the service porch door will be the one most often used.  Not only is it on the shortest grocery-schlepping route from garage to kitchen, but it will be the entry-of-choice when I've been out in the snow, mud, and muck.  Mud rooms are for mud!

The service porch door, with the half-bath see-through wall
on the right, decorated with switch boxes and plumbing.

One interesting question sloshed into view this week (literally).  The shower stall provided by the plumber was from a different manufacturer than I had specified.  It has the built-in grab bars I wanted, looking ahead to a time when I might host a mobility-challenged guest, or might be so myself.  But it lacks the threshold that my original choice had.  Look carefully at the photo below.  It's a roll-in shower stall.  That a plus for access, but it makes me wonder about shower splash.  We did not put a floor drain outside the stall.  However, I understand that one can buy splash barriers which collapse when a shower chair rolls over, but then pop back up to contain water.  Maybe that's the solution (no pun intended).

The shower stall has no lip, or threshold, to hold in water.
But it does come with a tasteful "hospital green" curtain!

I realize a number of people check this blog often, even daily, to keep abreast of progress on my house.  I am gratified that many family members and friends are entranced by the high drama (and occasional low comedy) of building a house.  Readers of A Worthy House should be aware, then, that construction has come to a halt.  It's hunting season.  In northern Michigan hunting season has the same status as high holy days — call it: The Feast of the Blessed Bambi.  Many stores close in honor of this feast.  Why, even the schools close down!  So don't expect any construction news until late next week (if then) because all the faithful contractor-folk will be in the woods, praying. •••