Construction Update March 28, 2011

Magnolia Village, Issaquah Highlands

Building 3:

HVAC and rough-in continued. HVAC should be complete by mid week.

Installed hardie panel and batts on the front of 3A.

Insulated and installed hardie panel under the front porches.

Lots of exterior caulking and paint was completed.

Building 4:

Passed gas pipe inspection and electrical rough-in.

Framing inspection has several minor corrections, mostly complete.

Building is about 85% insulated.

Started trenching for utilities on 4B.

Building 5:

Continued bolting down mud sills.

Framed exterior pony walls.

               

A Brush With Kindness (ABWK): framed wall panels and trusses for a storage shed.

Work this week:

We will continue siding on the front of Building 3. Building 4 will have the insulation complete and hopefully stocked with sheet rock. The garage framing on building 5 will also continue.

La Fortuna, Renton

We had 2 sunny days this week!

Unit 1:

Floor sheeting 100% complete.

Stairs are 50% complete.

Guardrails started.

Unit 2:

Stairs, floor sheeting, and guardrails 100% complete.

Walls started.

Unit 3:

Floor framing 100% complete.

Ready for floor sheeting.

Unit 4:

Floor framing 90% complete.

Unit 5:

Ready for floor framing to start.

Unit 6:

Has floor sheeting, stairs and guardrails 100% complete with walls started.

Work this week:

Floor framing.

Floor sheeting.

Stairs

Guardra.ils.

Wall framing.

Chilly Chili Challenge 2011

Thank you to our volunteers, chili cooks and anyone else who participated in our Second Annual Chilly Chili Challenge!

The past two months have certainly been chilly ones, and we are so grateful to the volunteers who made it out on those rainy days, the chili cooks who donated their delicious food and time, and other sponsors who kept us going along the way.

It was a very tough decision, but the winners have been selected! Habitat's very own homeowners took the title of Best Chili Cooks. Lola & Alissa moved into their new homes in Issaquah Highlands in November, and they were both eager to help. Although neither had cooked chili before, they both took to their newly appointed roles as chili cook rather nicely. A few bowls and quite a few pieces of cornbread later, I was sure they would ultimately win the challenge. I was right, but the challenge was not an easy one; Lola and Alissa had to defeat an array of delicious homemade chili from Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church, the addictive "confetti" cornbread from Landau's Catering, a Santa fe chowder from Organic to Go, and plenty others.

Over the past two months, we have had several old friends, and new ones too, join us on site for the Chilly Chili Challenge. The 2011 Chilly Chili Challenge coincided with the opening of our new neighborhood, La Fortuna in Renton. The Cheesecake Factory were the first group of volunteers to come out to Renton! After digging trenches in the mud all day, they certainly deserved the chili donated by Zoopa!

This community-wide event was made possible by individuals, restaurants and locally-owned businesses. We thank them for making a difference in King County and supporting volunteerism within their community. We rely on 80-90% volunteer labor to keep our homes affordable, so folks like you are truly vital to our affiliate!

Thank you all and we hope to see you next year!

Contine on this page to see a full list of winners and sponsors:

Spiciest: Rainforest Cafe

Most Authentic: BJs Restaurant & Brewhouse

Most Hearty: Landau's Catering

Most Unique: Gourmondo Catering

Most like Mom's or Grandma's: Sammamish Hills Lutheran Church

Overall Awesomeness Renton: BEST High School

Overall Awesomeness Issaquah: Habitat Homeowners

Overall Winner: Habitat Homeowners

Thank you to our other sponsors - we could not have done it without you!


Issaquah Cafe
ZoopaKaspars Catering
Organic to Go
Bistro Box
Habitat Staff
Trader Joe's
Ingallina's
Mode Organic Salon
Ummelina Day Spa
Maple Leaf Book Exchange
Target
Jimmy Mac's Roadhouse

Construction Update March 21, 2011

La Fortuna, Renton

Floor sheeting in two units began on Saturday. The stair landings are progressing and stairs are ready to begin. One goal is to have enough stairs in before next Saturday so the group coming with under 18 year old volunteers can safely access the level of work available at that time. Floor joists are still going in in 3 units and will probably be 100% complete next week.

Wall framing in the garage level is 95% complete and the finishing touches will be saved for volunteers uncomfortable with work on the 2nd floor.

Work this week:

• Floor joists and beams
• Wall blocking
• Floor blocking
• Stairs and landings
• Floor sheeting

Magnolia Village, Issaquah

Building 3:

• Continued siding. Panel was installed on the front and the north gable is 95% complete.        
• Caulking and spackling continued on the exterior.
• Some exterior painting was continued.
• Pre-rock and insulation was installed in 3A garage for HVAC to continue next week.
• Electrical rough-in continues.

Building 4:

• Siding continued on the front stairwell areas.
• Painting is nearly complete on the south gable. Painting was also worked on in the porch areas.
• Electrical is complete. The inspection did not pass but the corrections were made and will be re-inspected next week.

Building 5:

• Framing work has started!
• About half of the mudsills were cut and installed.
• Next week we will be ordering framing materials to begin the garage framing.
• Work on the framing will be minimal but will progress the building along so that we have a floor built by the beginning of May.

Work this week:

• We will be continuing siding and hopefully painting on buildings 3 & 4.
• Pre-rock for building 3 will be completed. Some framing will continue on building 5.
• Some site work to prepare building 5 foundation for more extensive work. It is currently being used for storing materials and ladders and will need to be cleared.
• HVAC and electrical rough-in will continue on building 3.

Congratulations Jim McWha

Please join us in congratulating Jim McWha, one of our dedicated regular volunteers, who is being honored for his outstanding volunteer efforts. In honor of Jim's and other outstanding volunteers and to kick off National Volunteer Week, Jim and his wife Barb will be joining Governor Gregoire on April 11, 2011 at the Executive Mansion in Olympia for the 2011 Volunteer Service Award Ceremony.

Jim will also be honored with a special recognition on Salute to Volunteers Night at the Seattle Mariners game on April 12th.

Construction Update March 15, 2011

La Fortuna, Renton

The City of Renton build day went very well with lunch catered by City Council member, Don Perrson and served by the Mayor of Renton, Denis Law.

We made good progress closing a party wall, fire rocking and closing the last party wall in the garage level, setting 9 beams, installing 75% of the floor joists on 1 unit, more floor joists and rim joist in another unit, and stick framing an entryway.

Temporary water service was unlocked, purged, and the trench back filled. The water here is quite tasty and it will be nice to stop buying so much water from the store.

Work this week:

Stick framing entryway walls

Beams and floor joists

Floor blocking

Stair landings, stairs, and maybe floor sheeting

Magnolia Village, Issaquah Highlands

Building 3:

• HVAC rough-in has started-20% complete
• Sheet rock was installed behind the bath tubs
• Sheet rock continued on the gable
• Siding continued: back is complete, south gable has the peak remaining, north gable is 20% complete, siding in the front continued
• Worked on exterior caulking and siding paint prep
• Pre-rock in the garage should begin next week for HVAC

Building 4:

• HVAC rough-in completed, inspection passed, duct testing passed 1 of 2 and will be tested again next week
• Electrical rough-in 95% complete, low voltage mostly finished
• Siding on front stairwell walls- 80% complete
• Installed baffles in attic

Temporary water service was installed this week for the site. Work continued in the old yard.

Work this week:

Continue siding

Moving some scaffolding towers

Hopefully the electrical rough-in will be completed and ready for inspection.

Construction Update March 7, 2011

We have some floor joists up!

La Fortuna, Renton

Work is progressing well and we have 3 party walls closed and 2 more ready for inspection on Tuesday. The floor package was delivered on Thursday and we started installing floor joist today. We have another week in the garages then we should be all floor framing for a couple weeks.

The footing and roof drain connection was made by Steve on Friday and we will connect to it next week. Water was turned on at our temp water faucet yesterday.

Work in the wetlands this week included the Newport HS group digging up bamboo roots and mulching around the native species Denise planted. Some of the group also worked on building some picnic tables for our lunch area.

Work this week: stick framing entryway walls, stair landings, floor framing, and wetlands mitigation.

Magnolia Village, Issaquah Highlands

Building 3:

• Continued siding, the back is 99% complete.
• Panel and plank were started on 3A gable and panel was started on 3B gable
• Continued limited electrical work
• Layout for HVAC complete
• Some caulking and spackling continued

Building 4:

• Plumbing rough-in was inspected, 4A passed, 4B should pass this week.
• HVAC needs to complete dryer and fan venting.
• Electrical rough-in is about 80% complete, low voltage wiring will begin this week.
• Continued siding on the front of the building.

We also worked on some site maintenance, silt fences, plastic, straw, etc. Work has started in the old yard to clean up and have the remaining trailer moved.

Work this week:  siding.