Construction at the Lazy Bar B

[Oldtimer]

Been a busy spring around the home place this year.. Besides calving we have a bunch of construction going on...

Grandma and I decided that we will never leave this place since all the family and friends are in this area - have no plans/desire to move south- and I can't stand areas with lots of people- so we decided to take some of our retirement savings and upgrade the hacienda... Altho we are now the only ones living here all the time- this is the place where all the kids, adopted kids, grandkids, inlaws, and friends want to come to for family get-togethers, holidays and just to hang out... And we were running out of room to entertain as the family expanded ...So the construction has started...

Building a new attached garage with a family/living room over the top.. Also adding a new mudroom for the ground level south entrance...



Looking at the east side of the new addition...Grandma is having a big mantle built for that wall under the half moon window with a place for her entertainment center and propane fireplace...


The old deck is going- but we are replacing it with a full length 20' wide deck with built in hot tub and fire pit.... We decided to re-side the whole house with the siding that doesn't ever need to be painted again... I'm getting too old to climb ladders and swing a paintbrush...



Hole in wall from old house to new addition...Stairways from the old dining room up into the new family/living room... The old family/living room will now become the dining room... The doorway on right will be where the door goes for entry to the stairway going down into the garage...


Ruby and the granddaughters watching the electricians as they start to wire the what will be a 30' X 30' living/family room...

 

[True Grit Farms]

Looking good.

 

[1982vett]

Looks nice. I'm sure y'all will enjoy the extra space. We built larger than needed but we enjoy having family and friends over. Course yesterday while cleaning windows we began to question our reasoning for loving large windows so much. :lol:

 

[Jogeephus]

Looking good!

 

[TN Cattle Man]

Very nice!!

 

[js1234]

Good for you. Enjoy the addition.

 

[wbvs58]

I would imagine you have pretty severe winters Oldtimer, how do you go about keeping a house like that warm? I imagine the walls will be well insulated. Is the cost of heating very high?
I have ambitions similar to you in retirement, just want to enjoy what I have here.

Ken

 

[Oldtimer]

I would imagine you have pretty severe winters Oldtimer, how do you go about keeping a house like that warm? I imagine the walls will be well insulated. Is the cost of heating very high?
I have ambitions similar to you in retirement, just want to enjoy what I have here.

Ken

Yeah Ken- Northeastern Montana is often known as the Little Siberia area of Montana- which can get some extremely cold, long, and bitter winters... Luckily this past winter was one of the mild ones... And you are right everything needs to be heavily insulated.. We are not located in an area where we can hook into natural gas- so all of our heating is electric and/or propane and it can get pretty expensive- especially when you have heated cattle waterers and water tanks along with the rising costs of electricity...
The garage will have a propane heater...

I'll try to update this as progress goes on and when it gets all finished... Altho it will make life easier it isn't that big a deal to me- but Grandma is as giddy as a high school girl over it- and we all know the old saying "A Happy Wife = Happy Life"... ;-)

 

[slick4591]

Very nice!

 

[wbvs58]

Oldtimer, while I live in an area that is considered cold by our standards, frosty mornings but then beautifull balmy sunny days, your conditions would be just so extreme. I am not on the power grid so mainly use wood stove heating but I know how high the costs are for people who use electric heaters or aircon here.

Ken

 

[Oldtimer]

Oldtimer, while I live in an area that is considered cold by our standards, frosty mornings but then beautifull balmy sunny days, your conditions would be just so extreme. I am not on the power grid so mainly use wood stove heating but I know how high the costs are for people who use electric heaters or aircon here.

Ken

Ken- this semi-arid area of eastern Montana is getting some much needed moisture with areas getting anywhere from a 1/2 inch to Miles City getting nearly 3 inches... We've picked up almost .7, but this morning it was coming down as white stuff- as my old feed truck shows when I went out to feed and check cows... Luckily none of the handful of cows I have left to calve had any during the night... Just as soon they waited til this weather system pass's....

 

[Oldtimer]

The last 2 months have been hectic around here- but most of the outside construction is completed.. A few lights left to put up here and there- and an upper deck and stairway from the new family room to the deck is about all that's left...

Looking from the southeast:


Looking from the southwest:


New deck and hottub on the backside of the house.. They still have an upper deck/platform and stairs coming down from the french doors of the family room to the deck to build..


Granddaughter Lakey telling Grandma a story.. Grankids and us have been giving the hottub a workout...Really good on these old arthritic joints..


The carpenters still have to enclose the bottom of the deck with a lattice work covering..


With all the construction going on I had to move my flag pole- but with the help of a granddaughter, grandson, and some of their friends we were able to get it back up again in time for the 4th of July..

 

[wbvs58]

Wow looks fantastic. I really like that deck.

Ken

 

[HDRider]

Coming together real nice.

I used that same material on my new deck.

 

[Oldtimer]

Coming together real nice.

I used that same material on my new deck.

Yep- I've heard some good things on that Trex wood decking.. Kind of pricey but I was told it was worth it in the long run.. And I'm getting too old to be painting/staining real wood every few years...

 

[Oldtimer]

This is the closest we've come to having the house addition finished- with all the construction equipment gone-- so I snapped a few pictures... Just in time for the Britzman family reunion. We had relatives come in from as far east as Virginia- as far west as Seattle and California- and as far south as Texas...Only a few lights left to put up, installation of the fire pit and the fireplace and mantle inside left to do...







And while its been 40 years at this house- the ranch is celebrating its 100th Anniversary as my Grandpa first homesteaded in 1916..


My chair on the upper deck for having morning coffee!


My view while having morning coffee!

 

[Ryder]

Looks good Oldtimer.
You are going to have to turn up the heat in that tub pretty high come winter where you are.
Haven't seen you around much lately.
You still packing that Charter Arms I believe it was? What caliber is it?

 

[TexasBred]

OT when your balls float up under your chin it's time to get out of the hot tub.

 

[Oldtimer]

Looks good Oldtimer.
You are going to have to turn up the heat in that tub pretty high come winter where you are.
Haven't seen you around much lately.
You still packing that Charter Arms I believe it was? What caliber is it?

No- one of my daughters has the Charter Arms now - I have a little Smith & Wesson Airweight 638 I pack most of the time anymore..
My neighbor (and old schoolmate) claims he's went hottubbing when it was -27... I'll have to try the same..