Q&A With the Experts
At the end of January, we put a call out for questions: What would you like to ask the home design and construction experts at Knickerbocker Group? We selected the very best queries and posed them to Kimberly Tuttle and Marcus Golding. Check out their responses. I love the teasers — just enough information to keep us intrigued.
Also today: a quick construction update. I’m told that skylights are being installed, the roof is receiving a few finishing touches and the build team is running electrical and plumbing rough-ins. Insulation and drywall installation begins in March, followed by wall priming and trim and floor installation. Then in April, our friends at Good Housekeeping arrive to decorate the guest suite, followed by camera crews from your favorite DIY Network shows. Show hosts and helpers will be on site to film episodes of Blog Cabin 2012. Funny stories (and photos) to follow!
No one here yet? Can't wait to see the new info. Everyone must be eating dinner!
You were missed Sweet Liz, but the last weekend had all the blogs full of posting glitches— and some cranky blogger side effects…so you are popping in at a more opportune time !
I've been busy with year end at work and my investment club. We also started being "foster parents" to a one year old Great Dane who is up for adoption. She keeps me pretty busy, but I've been popping in to vote and read the blog as much as I can. I've also been reading CBW's blog and your comments (something about swimming someplace….). LOL
Thanks for the answers to many of the questions that we bloggers have had. I'm especially happy about the natural lighting be added to the family room. Also, good answer regarding why french doors were not used. Thanks again for putting up with our abuse! lol
Ditto! We get frustrated, when we don't hear, so your input this time was especially appreciated–it's a good start! More! More! More! WE LIKE IT!!! Please?xD:p;)B):*<3 Kitty
kind of disappointed that there are no plans for the basement…but there is lots of room for wine:p
Awesome a wine cellar.!! I can see some scouting trips to NY and lugging back cases of wine perhaps a barrel or two? Or perhaps a still?
now your talking…but I am thinking some good ol moonshine…I'm in a Carolina state of mind…
There are 2 wineries in Waldoboro. One of them distills gin as well. Buy locally!!
I don't know how much of a fan of rustic surfaces you be…but I think the basement walls are really cool ! (Probably cool-er down there in summer, too LOL)
LL
You gotta know I am loving them^_^ I agree it will be cool down there in many ways. As long as they secure that side door down there-I am fine with them leaving it be along with the beautiful barn;)o.0
agreed, ruffy !
<3
I like the wine (and Gin) ideas, and buying local is always a good idea. We always kept apples, potatoes, and other root vegetables in our cellar when I was growing up on a farm in Maine.
Great to see the Mitsubishi mini split! They work great! Great timing on the info. We are going for the demo rather than reno. You are right it depends on the location and return on the investment and many other complicated factors. But I can only assume that you guys really didn't have a choice because sponsors were waiting in the wings, program, and filming logistics etc. already forced the project to move forward.Can not wait to hear the full and detailed stories of lessons learned and problems encountered. This will be GOOD! (what not to do?)
after mulling over their post, it sounds like the builders might not repeat a project of leaving chimney stacks up on the roof, while removing the chimney remains & firebox inside.
YEP I hear the inference! Dumb Ideas to avoid for sure. I wish I could've been a fly on the wall to hear the conversation between the,sponsor, builder, engineer, and architects. Wonder if a fist fight broke out? Now that would make for good television!
Hey, the builder is laughing all the way to bank ( if cost + contract?)
you know in the end this is just going to be a heart-breaker like all the rest…my only hope is that when it is all said and done, my family is holding the key…
Honey, focus on the blogging and comradeship. Also learn all you can about house construction so you can build your own they way you want it. This is a place to gain knowledge and an education.
Honey, I realize that my chances of winning the house are the same as the current president of this great country getting reelected …but isn't that what this is really all about, hoping and dreaming…I mean personally I think I was just stating what WE ARE ALL dreaming of. Who wouldn't like to be able to win this lovely home? As for an education, I have one…
Maria Jersey girl:p Hi
I like you hope to hold the keys:) I like your analogy<3 This has been a heartbreaking lesson in construction. Keep the hope girl!^_^o.0
Outstanding update…excelent skylights are being installed.
Skylights in the Family room, Yahooey! I don't know whether that was blogger inspired or had been planned all along but it's great news either way.
skylights AND solar tube were mentioned…hopefully not directly over the throne, LOL..
I'm going to guess that the solar tubes will be for the closets as they're going to be completely dark unless a ot of artificial lighting is used.
Clive, have you heard of lights in closets? lol
As I wrote "unless a lot of artificial lighting is used. " Artificial light is electric light!!
Guess I was “speed reading”! lol
Maybe you juist needed more light on the subject. B)
Ohhhh, that was Baaad!
I too was excited to see that they were adding more natural light.
Let's pretend it was in response to our blogging:*
Wish they would respond to the many inquiries about the barn and what the plans are for it, if any.
The main thing I got was that they were not prepared for how extensive the work was going to be….(the BC last year in VA had a generator, there will not be one this year. Maybe Generac is not a sponsor this year. I would think this area in ME would call for a back up generator in event of power outages; it is either out of budget range, or not a priority.) They are not spending $$ for dormers to take in views at the back of the house, and the labor to take down interior chimney structures, while leaving the stacks on the roof set them back too. I cannot see how there would be funds to touch the barn, which they decreed to be in very good shape.
Hi, LLC—I just recently checked out this Blog Cabin, so I'm not up to speed. Can you ( or anyone)answer a couple of quick questions for me? Access to the basement–Part of the new main staircase (meaning no coat closet in the entry)? Access from the outside? Is the ceiling height of the bsmt normal? Please don't make me scroll thru all the comments to find this out!!!! Thanks!
HiMNLass-<-boy, you are up late–it is late enough here in CA !> It's nice to see you here on this blog…you know it has not been all that clear about the stairs to the basement–maybe someone else knows the answer to that. There is a walk- out door from one end of the basement to the yard…but that is all I know……
I must disagree. The stairs to the basement are clearly drawn on the 'after' plans as being just to the left of the Powder Room. They're also shown in several of the videos and if you go to the link to the "Staircase Makeover" on the previous thread you can see the frame of the door to the basement stairs just to the left and behind the new main staircase in the right hand panel photo at the top of that page. I believe this is the same place as they were originally.
There is also, as you state, a walk-out door in the south end of the basement. However, it's clear from the 4th photo in the 'answers' section that this isn't a straight 'walk-out' door. It's a half door (maybe 4ft high) that leads to some stone steps down into the basement. If one wanted to open this out fully there's a lot of work to do to dig out the ground outside, reinforce the walls ensure proper drainage from the 'well' that has been created and make a full sized door. Probably much too much for this type of renovation show.
Clive, you'll think I'm belaboring this, but I do not see a door marked to the basement in those plans. The videos may show the stairs to the basement as they were. The drawing shows stairs going up to a landing then continuing up in the opposite direction. We may not know until we see it completed or they answer the question.
Ditto-LLo.0
I think you are likely right on, LL, as far as them not realizing before they got into it, how extensive some of the renovation might be.
I hope none!
With every new house or UO or blog cabin built by HGTV I daydream about what I'd do in order to keep and live in these wonderful spaces. I don't need a lot of room but I do need a large studio space….so my blog cabin daydream for this one is (the big if, I win) would be to sell the house and the property it sits on but keep the barn and the property it sits on and convert that beautiful structure into my home and studio. It's cheap entertainment to daydream.
The barn is what you see big and red!
Kitty,
Did you see the picture of the path with dandelions!!!! Be still my heart! We don't have to cultivate any! LOL….Now that I see them,there is no way anyone can pull 51 acres of dandelions,,,,,so I think I will suggest DIY put in a zip line from the house down to the waters edge, but not too close. When zip line not used for intended purpose, perhaps it can double as an Alpaca run! Maybe we will be adding another animal to the mix? Wonder if Lisa will let Alpaca's come over to graze after they have had their grain? LOL What were the chances of them having that picture? I can't stop laughing,Thanks DIY I enjoyed that one! Thanks for the info too. Windee
I have so many photos of the path down to my waterfront that look like that one. We have the bright green pasture,dandelions,AND fields of leggy buttercups…and yes,we can put a couple alpacas on leads and you can walk them and graze them at the fields of Blog Cabin.They love new fields and dandelions…yummm!
If you can access SpinnAcres B&B Alpaca Farm facebook page,go to the albums and drink it all inxD
HeHe! HaHaHaHaHa! Slap! Slap! On the floor! I can't stop laughing, picturing YOU, Windee, guiding each Alpaca down the zip line slowly enough so it can satisfy its appetite for dandelions, then starting all over again with the next alpaca in line. I'm sure that, as organized as Lisa is, they're already Line-trained and patient. That's certainly one way to harvest our dandelions Not so sure about other Maine Alpacas. And perhaps a special harness will need to be patented. But you're the idea girl–go for it!! :pB):*<3 Kitty
p.s. maybe sheep? hahahaha!xDo.0
Still laughing, Windee–even though I've had a 2.5 day migraine. I can just see Lisa's Alpacas on our Zip Line. Now if we could just figure out time and efficiency studies, to increase feeding capabilities and capacity…. I'll have to chomp on that one for a while….xD:pB)o.0<3 Kitty
p.s. do sheep like dandelion?<3 Kitty
Well that was short and sweet. Like the ideal of a root cellar. But once again– are they going to put in tankless water heaters over the oil hearters? Will the home have baseboard heating? As you can see the "real questions" were not answered?
If I understood correctly, baseboard hot water for heat and house. (propane gas). AC will be via a Mitsubishi min-split also propane optional electric for later. Hey Clive where are ya/
Thank you. I happen to like baseboard heating. When I was a young wipper snapper the base board would heat up early in the morning and pop and snap and for me it was a comforting sound. Better than an alarm clock.:D
Yup, that is how I read it. As they've used tankless, on-demand hot water systems for the hot water demands in every Blog Cabin so far I'm sure they'll use it here too. I'm wondering whether combo. boilers that heat water for washing on-demand and, simultaneously, heat water for the closed loop baseboard system for whole house heting are availble in this country. In UK (my land of origin) they're the most common water heating system in homes.
My parents' system heats both the water for the baseboard system and for hot water to use. It's nice in the winter as the cold weather keeps the system working well, but in the summer, it tends to take longer to heat the water for bathing, etc. I've never heard of a tankless water system being put on one of those systems. That doesn't mean it's not available, just that I've not heard of it. I love to curl up by the baseboards in the winter time when I visit. So cozy and warm. We have been known to have the whole family in the large room sitting on the floor by the baseboards, talking, reading, playing games, and even eating snow ice cream.