Even as we finish up work on House #13 in Hot Sulphur Springs, the eager Habitat crew recently began clearing snow from the adjacent lot where House #14 will begin to rise in the coming months. Clearing the snow is the first step toward excavation of the lot, followed by construction of the foundation. We hope it will be the first of two homes we can complete in the coming year.
Clearing the winter’s heavy snowpack to start work on House #14!
Our volunteers recently installed the windowsills in House #13, and we’re betting this bathroom has as good a view as any Habitat house in the country. With the walls painted and the floors installed, can door trim and baseboards be far behind?
By early February 2022, Habitat volunteers and future homeowner Michael Bunker began work on the laminate floors and bathroom tile at House #13 in Hot Sulphur Springs. The doors have been ordered and the doorknobs have arrived. Interior trim work will continue until the home is complete, possibly within the coming weeks.
An intrepid crew of paint-flecked volunteers showed up on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, to finish work on the upstairs walls and ceilings at House #13. It was -23 degrees when they arrived at 9 a.m., but the house was toasty thanks to the new boiler and heated basement floor recently installed by Grand Lake Plumbing. By the time they were done at 2 p.m., all of the walls, ceilings, and closets were painted and looking sharp, proving once again that neither rain, nor sleet, nor brutal cold shall stay these mostly old and cranky heroes from their appointed rounds.
Now that the fine folks at Grand Lake Plumbing have installed the boiler, House #13 is toasty enough to do the interior priming and painting. Thanks to the dedicated crew (including past president and confident aerialist Chuck Chladek) who did the roller and brush work on Jan. 21 and 22. Next up: Doors and floors!
Past President Chuck Chladek
Interested in applying to become the next Habitat homeowner in Grand County? The first step is to attend one of two Zoom meetings scheduled for Feb. 3 and Feb. 5, 2022. Contact Lisa Cooper at habitatgrandcounty.org, or 970-887-9138, for the meeting link.
To fill out the digital form of the application, simply click on the link below. You can fill it out from your computer, then print it out and mail it to Cooper at Habitat for Humanity of Grand County, PO Box 969, Granby, CO 80446, or simply email the file to habitatgrandcounty@hotmail.com. 1 Homeowner Application (English)-Grand County fillable
Future Habitat homeowner Michael Bunker handled the heavy sledgehammer work (into frozen ground!) while fellow volunteers helped build the timber-and-gravel driveway of House #13 in early December.
Our intrepid and ever-expanding building crew is working hard to finish work on House #13 before the snow flies. The electrical and plumbing work is done, and drywall installation is set to start soon. The goal is to complete the interior finish work before the holidays.
House #13 is rising right next to House #12, upon which Maria Archuleta Jones and her family closed in June 2021. Habitat owns five more adjacent lots, and hopes to break ground on House #14 soon.
Exterior grading was completed in mid-October, as was construction of the front driveway. That near-final exterior work was a race against the approaching winter in the Rockies.
Heavy insulation on Energy Star-rated House #13 should keep the family toasty during Colorado’s long and often harsh winters.
Did you know that Habitat for Humanity of Grand County does more than just build houses? Through our “Brush of Kindness” program, our volunteers also are willing to help local residents and charitable organizations with short-term building and repair projects, such as this recent soffit-and-facia repair work done for Dave and Marsha Walker in Winter Park Highlands. If you’re interested, contact Board President Martin J. Smith at habitatgrandcounty@hotmail.com, or by phone at 970-887-9138.
Our crew recently completed work on a new ClimaPod greenhouse for Mountain Family Center in Granby. It required five days of work and the efforts of at least seven different volunteers, but the new greenhouse will help stock the shelves at the center’s food bank with fresh produce. It also will serve as an educational resource for Grand County residents.
Martin J. Smith