“Look Ma…..a roof and siding just in time for the hurricane?

 View of our new house from the Maya Beach Bistro Pier

When last we met, I was so excited to see the start of my metal roof, and plywood siding being installed before the tongue in groove hardwood siding. My on-site guys were working their butts off to get that roof done, and siding up as we are the “hurricane season” here in Central America.

Siding and moisture guard wrap installed.

Happily I say the roof is complete, and only lacks the gutter system which comes later. The crew has finished putting up the plywood siding which is really used to add fortification and strength to the house before installing hardwood siding.

              Hardwood Siding stacked and ready to sand and stain.

Oh baby! The panel truck arrives and the guys start unloading the hardwood siding boards. Up they go into the house upstairs, to where they will be installed. Stacked inside I find that the guys setup a couple stations where in one they hand sand the entire boards one at a time, and at 2nd station put the first coat of stain on them.

           Hardwood siding boards sanded and stained, ready to go up.

And then the stained boards start to be installed on the side of the house. This is very thrilling to see them go up, as the house starts to take on an almost finished look. The more they install, the more excited I get.

                                 Stained hardwood siding being installed.

Meanwhile, the painter has been busy re-staining the cathedral ceiling rafter boards, and then the white panels between them.

                       Breaker box being wired.

Outside the guys are work on the deck railings and outdoor shower area.

                       Starting designing outdoor shower/spa area.

At the same time, the Barbecue Center is beginning to take shape, as the guys build the counter up with cinderblocks.

                     Building cinderblock wall for barbecue counter.

As all of the inside walls are framed, and all electrical boxes have been strung with wire, it is now time for me to do my thing, with wiring for the three televisions, and all the security cameras. Although I didn’t initially give security and specifically cameras much thought, I have lately. With my security and design/installation training and background, I decided to install wireless security cameras on my house and property. Luckily for the public today, there are readily available security systems out there online with sites like Amazon that a novice can easily install themselves. They are motion detection cameras, work day or night, and if activated notify and send live pic directly to your computer, iPad or Smartphone. As the notify you, they record the images so you can hopefully catch and prosecute a perp! I decided this was the way to go, as the Placencia Peninsula doesn’t have any Police “response” to standard audible alarm systems. With this system, you are notified immediately, and can call directly the police and your own “response team”.

More on security in a later post.

Until we meet again, I will say all is going well, on schedule, and still looking with a rather mega smile at the full time arrival of my lovely bride Marsha at the end of the year.

Cheers all,

Gary ……”The Pirate”