We have been incommunicado for the last few days after we reached the data limit on our pitiful internet service. We have to use Verizon’s cellular service for our internet access, and the limit, at least as of last month, was 5 GB. That really is pitiful compared to what we could get if we had access to cable or even to DSL. But I doubt that’s ever going to happen up here on the mountain. We changed our data plan Sunday so we can share 12 GB of data between the computer and my iPhone. That’s an increase of only 1 GB overall, but I never used all of my data allowance on the phone, so I think it will help.
In the meantime, the crew that installs siding started work last week. They worked mainly on the soffits, but they did manage to put siding on the end of the garage.
And then Home Depot called and said that our windows and exterior doors had arrived. I was able to get the doors on my truck and trailer, but had to wait for help to unload two of the doors. We have a door with two sidelights for the front and a double door for the exit from the basement just below the porch. Those doors were too heavy for me to handle by myself. Fortunately, the crew that installs doors and windows came up on Saturday. They unloaded the two heavy doors, and I went back to get the rest of the windows. By the time they left Saturday, they had unloaded and installed all but two of the windows.
This is the house as of late Saturday.
The front, as I have mentioned, faces almost due east towards the view. That led me to call for a large window in the living room and in our bedroom. Leah wanted something a little fancier than plain windows, so we have equal-leg arches over those two windows. I think they look nice.
It’s hard to tell that the front door is installed, but there are some signs. You can see a glint from the glass in the door itself, and you can see the frame between the door and the left sidelite. The double doors in the basement looks like an empty opening because they are painted dark to match the front door, which is a dark woodgrain.
As soon as the two remaining windows are installed, I will call the inspection department for the sheathing inspection. It seems strange to me, but the inspector said the housewrap and all exterior doors and windows must be installed before they inspect the sheathing. I think that means the siding crew can work only on the soffits until I get the inspection.
Love the windows! The house really is starting to look homey already. It’s a fantastic amount of progress.
Sorry to hear about your data limit woes. It’s really a bummer that your telephone service doesn’t come with DSL or that you can’t get cable there. I have a little application that I keep running on my computer that calculates my usage. I typically use .5 gb a day. If you’re interested in watching your data usage, try Surplus Meter. It really keeps good track of things.
Robin — It’s even better now, with most of the siding up.
Our data limit is so low it’s ridiculous. We would love to ditch our satellite TV service and just stream the few shows we actually like, but that’s impossible with our service.