Vinyl vs. wood clad windows

So we are now deciding between vinyl or wood clad windows.  We initially were going to go with Anderson's Silver Line window but have been hearing differences in opinion on vinyl vs. wood.  From what we have heard so far...wood seems to be the best in the long run and will hold up much better, especially with the extreme differences in temperature that I'm sure our winters/summers will give us.  I found this website that gives opinions on the topic but we'd love to hear from all of you followers on your opinions as well!

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/windows/msg0518223420195.html

Concrete has been poured

Sorry for the delay in posts, holidays are always a busy time.  Just a quick update...the concrete has been poured into the insulated panels in the foundation.  They have most of the plumbing stuff ready to go so that the floor can be poured.  They have back filled around the foundation.  Hopefully everything will continue to go smoothly and the weather will continue to hold out for us.

Concrete insulated panels

We chose to use concrete insulated panels for the walkout basement.  It's more expensive upfront, but we think in the long run, will be well worth it.  The panels are super energy efficient and are green...an added bonus!  Looks like the are just putting legos together.  You can check out more about this icf at:

www.logixicf.com

First Purchase

We have officially purchased our first item that will go in the house, a Blue Star cook top.  It's ordered but won't be delivered until much, much later.  We decided to go ahead and get it now because typically the prices go up after the first of the year.  I have done a lot of research and really wanted to go with a gas stove.  We didn't want to pay the high price of a Wolf stove, but still wanted the same types of features.  I have heard nothing but good things about this company and look forward to cooking on it. 

www.bluestarcooking.com

Footers and Frost Walls

At last we now have something permanent on our land...footers and frost walls!  Hopefully the weather permits them to work a little more this week and they can pour the walls. 

Flooring...decisions, decisions!

We thought we knew what we wanted....that is until my dad (Denny Donmoyer) took me to his warehouse where they keep all the overruns that they make.  He works for Nydree flooring, a company that makes some of the most durable hard wood flooring on the market.  They make flooring for Chase bank, Abercrombie, etc.  I have never seen so many pallets of flooring!  We chose a variety to put throughout our house rather than just stick with one or two types.  I can't wait to share the pictures of it once it's installed (long time from now!)  The biggest thing I'm excited about is that I won't have to worry about the dogs nails scratching it....I figure if it can handle mall traffic, it can handle just about anything.  We're lucky to have my dad as a connection to getting this amazing product for less than retail.  Thanks Dad!!

http://www.nydreeflooring.com/

Newport Mall

Dirt has been moved...

At last, the top soil has been pushed off and we are waiting....patiently....for the building permit to get approved so we can do more.  I swear things move more slowly when you want them to speed up!  We are all tired of living in cramped quarters and want to have all of our stuff under one roof.

First Things First

Anyone that knows us, knows how much we love the outdoors and how much Kirk loves to hunt.  Naturally a deer cam would be the first thing purchased for our land.  After finding the perfect spot, the cam was ready to go.  After a few pictures of a particular Hinkley riding by on the Rhino, we hit the jackpot....a 9pt buck!  Here are a couple of our treasured photos from the cam:

Who will take on this project?

We had a lot of input on who we should ask to build our house.  There are not a lot of builders that can build this type of house because of all the detailing/craftsmanship.  We knew our house wouldn't be easy.  We wanted someone that not only is a skilled builder but one that has an artistic and design side.  We knew that Jesse Benedict would be the right fit for the detailing we wanted.  He specializes in antique barnwood and we were looking to use a timberframe as the main structure of our house.  We had seen some of his work and it was quite impressive!  We are looking forward to all of his input on making this house unique.  Check out his website to see some of his work.

http://benedictbarns.com/

Shopping for just the right place

We searched high and low for just the right home to build on our newly acquired land...well, actually we picked the house long before we bought the land, but it just so happens that the house design will work out perfect!

Our search for the right place mostly included internet searches, browsing magazines and a whole lot of Home and Garden TV. We found a "dream home" in a magazine picked up at Lowes'...but as we studied it we realized it would have been ridiculous to build. Fortunately, the same magazine held a plan by Donald Gardner Inc. (Architect) called "The Crowne Canyon" that was more traditional/conventional, had a similar style and floor plan and fit both our needs and wants.

http://www.dongardner.com/plan_details.aspx?pid=544

So, the beginning of all of this was solved by simply picking up one of those magazines you see by the checkout at Lowes'...we bought the plans, had an architect/engineer here add in details to bring it to local spec, and that was it.

Land Acquired!

When we originally moved home, we thought that we would have to build our home on Dad Hinkley's land since land is hard to come by due to gas leases.  We cleared a 5 acre spot in the top corner of his land in the middle of winter.  We were all in Germany in February when we heard about a 36 acre plot that was put up for sale.  That same day, we called the owners and expressed our interest.  After a meeting via Skype, we bought it!  The land includes two fields below the road and a field above the road with the remaining covered by woods.