Our First NRI Project

Earlier this month, we completed our first NRI project. The ARC, a local afterschool program based in the Word of Life Church about half a mile from our La Fortuna site, is only a year old, but is already having an amazing effect on the community.

This is a high-crime rate area. As one of the kids in the program put it, "there are a lot of bangers, like gang bangers."

Frank, the ARC director, wasn't surprised to hear this. "There are a lot of gang bangers and would-be gang bangers in the area," Frank explained. "These people try to convince the youth to join their fledgling gangs." This makes the ARC a community asset that helps keep kids out of trouble.

The ARC was with whom we did our first NRI project.

Several weeks ago, a few kids tore the shingles off the play structure outside the church and started a shingle fight. Frank had the shingles and nails, but didn't know how to re-shingle the damaged roofs. So, Mike Hammerquiest, Asa Peller, and myself visited the ARC one morning to help Frank re-shingle the play structure. It was a very minor job, about 2:30 hours of work, but after when we finished Frank told me what it meant to him.

"Thank you for the help Ted. The church was very upset when the shingles were torn off. If they were ever to kick us out these kids would have nowhere to go and would much more likely join these gangs. Thank you."

So, a few shingles can go a long way.

Carnation Informational Open House

We would like to invite the public to an open house showcasing our newest cottage style home neighborhood in Carnation. The open house will include drawings and illustrations of the development plans with opportunities for Q & A and public comment.

Open House Date: Thursday, April 14, 2011

Open House Time: 6:00-8:00pm

Location: City Council Chambers

Carnation City Hall

4621 Tolt Avenue

The Neighborhood: Located along NE 45th Street (Entwistle Street), the neighborhood will feature cottage style homes with front porches. Plans include open spaces for recreation, a walkable neighborhood design, and energy efficient features. The homes will range in size from 2-5 bedrooms and will be the most "green" Habitat neighborhood to date with plans to certify homes under Evergreen Sustainable Development Standard, Energy Star, and Built Green standards.

For more information about the event, please contact Mandy McCulley, Sustainable Building Coordinator at mandym@habitatekc.org.

Construction Update April 11, 2011

Magnolia Village, Issaquah Highlands

Building 3:

Electrical rough-in is complete except for some breakers.

Worked on pick up framing to prepare for inspections

Continued siding on the front gable- 90% complete

2 days of sunny weather allowed for exterior painting.

Gable ends mostly complete, some work done on the back

Building 4:

Sheet rock was installed. Taping begins on Monday.

Siding is mostly installed over the porch roofs

                

Building 5:

Installed OSB sheathing on exterior garage walls and party wall

Installed 5 of 6 garage beams. 

Work this week:

Siding, paint prep and scaffold removal on buildings 3 & 4.

Some inspections on building 3.

Begin insulating Building 3.

On building 5 we will begin setting floor joists, working and working landings.

La Fortuna, Renton

What a difference a sunny day can make. We sheeted 2 units sub- floor on Friday and everyone had a bounce in their step. Here's hoping for more sun.

Unit #1: 56' of exterior wall is framed, sheeted and stood.

Unit #2: All exterior and party walls framed, sheeted, inspected, and fire rocked with 77' stood and braced.

Unit #3: 12' of exterior wall framed, sheeted, and 21' of partywall framed and sheeted.

Unit #4:  Sub- floor sheeted and guardrails up. Stairs are cut and ready to install.

Unit #5:  Completed joists, blocking, sub- floor, guardrails, and stairs.

Unit #6:  42' of exterior walls framed, sheeted and stood with 42' of exterior walls framed and ready for sheeting.

Three days of mulching in the wetlands.

Work this week:

Exterior, interior, and partywall framing.

Sheeting.

Fire rocking.

More wetlands mitigation.

Construction Update April 4, 2011

La Fortuna, Renton 

Unit 1 has guardrails complete, stairs functional, and wall plates/layout started.

Unit 2 has exterior walls front and back, party walls framed and sheeted, and is waiting for inspections.

Unit 3  - floor sheeting 95% complete. Stairs 75% complete.

Unit 4 has floor framed, blocked, and ready for sub- floor.

Unit 5 has beams set and floor joists 85% complete.

Unit 6 has back wall standing and front walls 90% complete.

Work this week:

Floor joists/ blocking.

Floor sheeting.

Wall framing, stairs.

Wetlands mitigation.

Magnolia Village, Issaquah

Building 3:

Electrical rough-in is about 90% complete. Low voltage/communications wiring will start next week.

HVAC was completed and passed inspection.

Siding continued on the front gable and stairwell wall.

Staged scaffolding.

                

Building 4:

Completed insulation. Passed all inspections.

Communications wiring passed inspection.

Built scaffolding on the porch roofs and started siding above the roofs.

Installed OSB on interior shear wall.

Sheet rock is scheduled for delivery on Tuesday 4/5.

Building 5:

Framed interior party walls for both units.

Installed garage posts on 5A. Ready for beams.

Installed blocking on party walls for OSB sheathing

Joists were delivered.

Work this week:

We will continue siding on the fronts of buildings 3 and 4.

We will also continue exterior painting.

Electrical will hopefully finish up on building 3 and fire stopping should begin.

Sheet rock should begin on building 4. 

Framing will continue on building 5 with wall sheathing, beams and possibly joists.

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.