Of all the things we might have anticipated going wrong with our build, I suspect the news we received this morning would not be on the list.
Our timbers are ashes.
A massive fire at Timberbuilt’s shop in North Collins, NY early this morning destroyed the entire building. Inside was a lot of wood, including the timbers for our home that were to be shipped in time to begin our main structure on March 1.
The poor folks at Timberbuilt also lost their very nifty and green office, which George took pride in showing us last summer.
According to news reports, the fire was called in just after 3 a.m. Less than six hours later, Adam Lincoln, the company’s “logistics guy,” was on the phone with John to deliver the news. He told John he’d already made calls to their timber supplier to confirm wood was available to begin again on our project, and he’d contacted another company to put a hold on delivering the structural insulated panels that will comprise our roof and exterior walls.
As soon as they find an alternate location to work, Timberbuilt will be back on the job and we’ll be able to revise our building schedule.
Those guys are amazing to begin with. In a crisis? Wow.
We’ve been trying to get our heads around what this means for us. There are many bright sides:
- No one was hurt;
- If the timbers had to burn, better before they were part of the rest of our structure, or worse, supporting our completed home with all of our sentimental belongings inside;
- We now have more time to make decisions and do some other tasks at the site;
- We also have more time to complete other chores with a deadline;
- We will still end up with a beautiful Timberbuilt home.
Of course, there are challenges too:
- We will have to add an extra move to the process because our stay at our current residence is up Aug. 1;
- Load restrictions are in place on our road from March 23 – May 31;
- Builders are busier during the summer months and we may have trouble re-booking.
These are all things we can overcome. It’s just a bit to take in today, which it looks like we’ll continue this evening when John gets home from work.
We wish George and all at Timberbuilt well as you take in much more than we have on our minds and then begin to rebuild. We’ll toast to you tonight.
The Perfect and The Good 
Wow, girl, it sounds like you’ve gained some serious perspective in a very short period of time…I commend you. This sounds super lame, but I really wish there was something I could do for you guys. Like I said, if you need a sounding board of any type, just let me know. You have our unwavering support…it’s still an amazing project and I can’t wait to see the final product!!!
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Thanks, Dana. The good news about a delay for you is you’ll get to see more of the build in progress!
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Kelly and John ,We know how hard you both have worked on getting this far on building your new home so the news on the fire must be devastating . However Timberbuilt’s immediate response and plans to expidite your package is heartening as is your reaction to this calamity. Someday after you are living in your new home you can hopefully sit by the fire (in your fireplace) and look back and say what a journey this has been . Lots of Love and Happy Valentines Day .
Nancy and Peter
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Thanks for your comments, Nancy and Peter. We definitely look forward to that fireplace and the tales we’ll be able to tell about how we came to be there. It will be great to spend time with you in that warm and cozy space too!
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