Another update on the house build. I finished the stucco base coat a couple of days ago. Lucky for me because the weather turned cold today and we’re going to have freezing temps tonight. Fortunately I did the north wall last week, and the last bits I did were in the sun and they have set nicely.

I had a two week delay passing the inspection on the lath/mesh. The inspector wanted to see enough fasteners through the foam insulation into the block wall to insure a good hold for the stucco. Despite the delay, I’m glad he insisted so I get a good finish on the outside of the house. I got the base coat on in two weeks and here we are.

The weather is supposed to warm up again by Friday back to the mid-60s and 40s at night, and it should hold for a week or two above freezing, and I’ll start spraying on a color coat as soon as it gets warmer again. I need to finish the roof, the leach field, and connect the water, and then the outside is done.

In case you are wondering, I am doing a two coat stucco finish- base coat and color coat. I used 20 gauge mesh and I am skipping the brown coat per guidance from the inspector. I don’t particularly want or need a really thick stucco coat on the house. It’s mainly there as a finish, the foam insulation provides both the moisture barrier and the insulation value.

It feels like winter outside right now- cloudy, cold, windy, and a few snowflakes falling. I might do some clean up inside and maybe frame some skylight boxes later on, but today sure feels like a day to stay inside and stay warm.

The electricians are finishing the rough-in tomorrow, then once I finish the skylight boxes and get sign-off on the framing I can insulate the attic and pony walls, enclose the framed walls, finish the inside plastering, and finish the floor. Then, all I have left is hanging interior doors, installing cabinets, vanities, and appliances. At that point, the plumbers and electricians can do their finish work, and the house is done.

I figure that’s about 6-9 weeks worth of work depending on my pace. Working inside, I don’t need to worry about the weather, and with the electrical rough-in done, I can hook up a generator and have lights inside, which means I can work at night, so I might just be able to pull double-duty and bang this thing out. I’d like to be done before Christmas, that would be a great gift. Nine weeks until the end of the year, time to push through!