Build Day 1 - was all about mitre joints and coping

This year mark the first that the local affiliate have worked with a pre-fab home which allows them to complete a build more quickly which in turn means that they can increase the number of homes they can build on an annual basis.  House #19 is located in White Stone, VA which is a short drive from Kilmarnock.  The home, on Buttercup Lane is also a larger model than normal (around 1500 sq. ft. instead of the usually 1100 - 1200 sq.ft) as the new homeowner, a single mom, has 4 children and a grandson planning to live in the home.  Since the new homeowner has been waiting 3 years to get her house, she has been able to save some money and invest it in the house with some upgrades and the bigger model.

The crew spent today installing baseboards, ceiling fans and interior door handles.  There was lots of "show me" moments shared among the team.  There were youth showing adults and adults showing youth how to complete tasks that were being asked of them.  Many of the youth on the trip have taken tech classes and are very well trained and capable in the work we were doing today.  Mitered corners and coping corners were the challenges for today.  There was plenty of brain power being used to make sure the baseboards were being cut with the correct 45 degree angles and the finesse required to get a good coping cut to make the joins seamless....there are a few that might need a little extra caulk to make them seamless but for the most part, they team did a great job.

Allan & Jason were busy putting up the ceiling fans in the children's bedrooms and the main living area.  They completed the task without shocking results. 

Once the baseboards were completed, it was on to the installation of dummy door handles on all the closets.  Lots of measuring, the use of levels and a little faith helped with the installation.



This evening, it started to snow here in VA, something which was a first for me on a Habitat trip.  I am told it snowed a little last year but not as much as it did this year.  We had a wonderful dinner at NN Burger, a fantastic, community supporting small business with great food, good milkshakes and a staff that were very attentive.  I think the youth (and a big kid) enjoyed their milkshakes which came topped with whipped cream, a rice krispie triangle and some other sweet treats.

We finished the evening with a game of mexican train, hearts and a letter from home from Joanne Boisjoli.