All language subtitles for Building Off the Grid - 10x02_track3_eng

Narrator:
In new Brunswick, Canada...

That's where I was standing.
You missed.

...off-grid builder
Richard Leblanc

battles mother nature...

The last thing I want is to have
all the hard work undone.

...and man-made problems...

This has never happened.

Richard: None of my crew knows
how to install these blocks.

This is building in Canada
in the middle of winter for you.

Doesn't stand a chance.

We got snow higher than the top
of our head,

who's watching the crane?

Just gonna slow us
down quite a bit.

Narrator: ...Building a luxury
off-grid home.

Deep in the forest.

It's gonna be an awesome
freaking house.

Narrator: Are you ready
to go off the grid?

In the heart of Canada's
maritime provinces,

20 miles from the nearest town,

professional builder
Richard Leblanc

has found the perfect spot

to build his off-grid
dream home.

Try to keep up, guys.
Try to keep up.

This is my happy place.

All I'm missing
is a fishing pole.

The first time
I seen this property,

I came down the river
on a canoe,

and I still remember thinking
how beautiful it would be

to have a house right here.

Five years later,
I was lucky enough

to be able to buy this land,

and that's amazing.

I've always said
I wanted my kids to grow up

in the country just like I did.

This is exactly why I fell
in love with this property.

Narrator: The house will be for
Richard; His wife, Melanie;

and their 2-year-old daughter,
Elodie.

Richard:
My wife loves the property.

She thinks it's
absolutely gorgeous.

However,
if I'm gonna get Melanie

to leave the city,
I got to make sure

that she can live
normally out here, as well.

So I'm really building
a dream home,

and hopefully she'll fall
in love with this house.

Narrator: The 8-acre site is
located on the Scoudouc river

in eastern Canada,

20 miles from Moncton,
new Brunswick,

and a 10-minute drive
to the Atlantic ocean.

It's not too far from the city,

but yet we're in
the middle of nowhere.

♪♪

[ Whews ] It is quite steep.

I've been building homes
for 15 years.

I started off building
cookie-cutter,

vinyl-siding homes.

I'm ready for a new challenge,
and that new challenge

is energy efficiency.

Reach.

Here in the east coast,
we vary from sub-zero

to 90 degrees

with 90% humidity.

So, we got to build
for all climates.

Narrator: Richard is using
an energy-efficient

building material called ICF

instead
of traditional wood frame.

Icf stands for
insulated concrete forms.

So these icf blocks,
you basically stack them up

like legos,
brace them, pour concrete,

and it's your full
wall assembly.

It's your vapor barrier,
your insulation,

your framing members.

It's everything all in one.

We chose these blocks because
there's less room for error

when it comes to air-tightness.

That's one of
the most important things

when building passive house.

A passive house is essentially

90% more efficient
than a [indistinct]-built home.

We're building a house that's
almost 7,000 square feet,

including garage,
basement, and mezzanine.

Narrator: Richard's massive
wilderness home

will have three floors
and be completely off-grid.

It will be heated
with geothermal technology

and powered by an impressive
array of 58 solar panels.

Richard: It was important for me
to go off-grid.

However, we're really building
a luxury home.

In the basement, we'll have
two bedrooms for guests

and a bathroom.

We'll have a second living room.

We'll have a spot for a gym
area.

On the main floor,
we'll have kitchen,

dining and living room,

three bedrooms.

We'll have an en suite bathroom,
bathroom for the kids,

and a powder room for guests.

In the mezzanine,
we'll have two offices

for my wife and myself.

We're certified net zero,
which is essentially creating

as much energy as you require
for the run of the year.

So, I've set the bar
pretty high.

I'm building this house in order
to show that it's possible

to live off-grid
without sacrifice.

So we're gonna do a total of
seven rows for the main floor,

we'll do our floor system,

and then we're gonna do another
seven rows of above grade.

Narrator: With other projects
on the go at the same time,

Richard will work with
different crews

throughout the build.

Richard: On site today,
we have my crew of four.

So we have my lead carpenter,
Jason,

and then we've got Gary, reg,
and Alonzo,

who are all helping out
in any way that they can.

If you think this is heavy,
wait till we lift the windows.

Richard: The hardest thing
with this build

is none of my crew knows
how to install these blocks.

It's a big learning curve.
We still have three rows to go

and doesn't look like
we've done much.

8 "10" inside, two inside.

Do you want to take
a quick measurement?

Because it's so new to us, it's
great to have Justin around.

He's an icf expert, and he's
able to help us out quite a bit.

We shouldn't go too high
over there

until we're ready
to tie that corner in, right?

Yeah.
Right in this section here.

Narrator: And until the icf
blocks are filled with concrete,

the team must install a bracing
system to keep them in place.

Justin: We're anchoring
the braces to the floor

'cause once the concrete weight
is on the wall,

the bracing system's designed
to push the wall out.

Right now, it's wobbly foam
and it's moving around.

And then we're gonna pour
the concrete and then

we're gonna push it in,
put it exactly where we need it,

and our walls are straight
and we can keep going.

Narrator: Richard began
preparing the site a few weeks early

and it's officially started.

Richard:
We started off clearing trees...

...excavating, preparing
for the foundation.

No more tree.

We did all the underground
works...

So, plumbing, electrical.

We drilled a well for the
drinking water,

and we ran a pipe
for the future septic

that we're gonna connect to.

We laid 8 inches of gravel
under the box

where we framed in for concrete.

We're getting there.

We then brought in
all the icf blocks.

At this point right now,

we're completing
the construction

of the exterior walls
in the basement.

So I'm hoping to get this
project done in 4, 4/1 months.

It's important to get this house
done sooner than later

because who knows
what winter can bring us.

I've giving myself a pretty
tight schedule.

I've got a full-time business,
but I can't put it on hold

because I decide to build
my house.

For a building something that's
out of the ordinary,

we've got some structural
elements and lots of steel.

We're gonna need cranes
quite a few times.

We've got three or four pours

that we're gonna need to do
with the concrete.

And there's just a lot
of moving parts,

and I've got
some big challenges ahead.

I really think I can do it.

However, everything's
gonna have to line up.

There's a huge
tropical storm coming.

This could make a mess
for our site.

But the walls, we could bring
the icf foam blocks out,

except the braces,
there's nothing holding

those walls up, right,

so we really need
to get that concrete in there

before that storm hits us.

We're doing good, but we're not
going quite fast enough.

Narrator: And they still need
to install the window frames,

finish strapping and bracing,

and add additional insulation
before they can pour concrete.

Richard: It's just a race
against time now.

Better keep at it.

Finally at row number seven.

Finally made it.
We're on top of the wall.

Narrator:
While they are making progress,

a crucial part of the icf

is taking much longer
than expected.

Richard: This is a pain
in the [audio drop].

We're sliding these blocks in

to add extra insulation
in our exterior wall

because we need a certain amount
to meet passive house criteria.

We got about 1,400
of them to slide in.

Alright, get in there.

We got to cut them,
make them fit in between rebar,

in between these webs

one piece at a time.

I think I woke up
in the middle of the night

dreaming about
these little blocks.

We still have quite a bit
of work to do,

and concrete's
supposed to come on site soon,

so looks like we might
have to cancel it.

Right now, these things don't
make me very happy.

I'd love to be pouring concrete,

but we still have
a bunch of rebars to tie up.

We got to tape corners,
adjust walls...

There's still quite a bit
that needs to be done

before we're ready for concrete.

Alright, guys, we tried,

but we're not ready
for concrete.

So let's switch gears and let's
try and tie everything down,

make sure all the walls
are braced.

Hopefully, we'll weather
the storm out.

I'm a little disappointed.

I was really hoping that
we would've gotten it done

and then we wouldn't have
to worry about the storm,

but not much more we can do.

We can only push so hard.

The last thing I want is to have
all our hard work undone.

[ Thunder rumbling ]

The rain is a pretty big issue,

but I'm more concerned
with the wind.

So all we can do
is sit and wait.

♪♪

♪♪

Narrator: Off the grid
in Canada's east coast,

professional builder
Richard Leblanc's build site

is being pummeled
by a tropical storm.

The intense winds and heavy rain
could destroy much of the work

done so far on this
7,000-square-foot

high-efficiency dream home.

Richard braves the storm
to check on the build.

♪♪

Narrator:
Now that the storm has passed,

Richard can see the final toll
on his build.

Richard:
The wind was pushing all night,

so when we looked
a little closer,

all the nails that we had
holding the scaffolding,

they were all loose,

so we had to tap
all the nails back down.

Narrator: After two long days
of clean-up and another day

to let the site dry,
it's almost time for concrete.

Richard: I just got to set
the walls and make sure

everything is straight and plumb
before we start pouring.

♪♪

The pump is here, ready to go,
and the trucks are here,

so I got to get this ready.

Concrete is super heavy.

The way to do it
is just go easy.

Do 4 feet at a time,

do three passes around
the house,

and just let everything
settle and fall into place.

We got our walls poured
and we're good to go.

Due to the span of the house,

we had to reinforce
the floor system with steel.

That's why we have the columns

going all the way
up to the trusses.

Narrator:
Richard's design is unique

as it will use three
40-foot columns

placed in the center of the home

from the basement
up to the roof.

Each floor's girders and joists
will be connected

through these columns,
including the roof.

Richard:
So, we got a crane coming.

We're gonna lift up
those long columns.

We're gonna set up the crane.
He's got a bit of room,

so I'll probably have
to move more stuff over here.

Narrator: Installing the
300-pound steel columns

is a crucial part of the build,

requiring painstaking
coordination among the crew.

Richard: It's a tight squeeze,
but the size of the crane,

you can lift the steel right
over the trees and swing around.

Let's go ahead and put this up.

♪♪

We have a mobile set up
for welding.

We got to weld up in the air,

so height and distances

and reach is gonna be an issue.

So far, so good.
Everything's level,

everything's flush.

So now this is secured.

Narrator: Richard and his crew
do their part and put a section

of floor joists in place
to support the steel columns.

So, we're gonna frame
this section in,

so you're gonna lift that floor
joist and put some caulking

underneath...
Oh, yeah. Okay. Can do.

...and do caulk from that corner
all the way out,

and we're gonna
lay those floor joists in place.

Sounds like a plan.

Are you stealing
Mike's ladder again?

Reg: Just temporarily
dropping in the floor system.

Once they're all spread out,
we're gonna take measurements,

put them all square, and then
we're gonna tie them in.

See if she holds 200 pounds.

Narrator: Now,
the steel team must begin

laying the a 500-pound
horizontal beams.

There's just a lot of traffic
and a lot of stuff in the way.

We're constantly
searching for a ladder.

We're turning around...
There's stuff in the way.

This is the fun stuff.

Narrator: And if the site
wasn't crowded already,

the remote location
doesn't make it any easier.

Richard: We have no power here.

We got to run everything
on batteries, on generators,

so we got long extension cords,
long hoses for the air tools.

It's kind of difficult
because usually

you're in
a controlled environment

or at least you have power
or room to work around.

♪♪

♪♪

Alright, so, you can tar...

You can tar all those hangers.

That section is all...
-watch out, watch your head!

Watch the head!
- Whoo!

Richard:
Who's watching the crane?

Narrator:
It's a busy day on Richard's

remote Canadian build site

as he and his team race
against a looming winter.

♪♪

So you can tar...

You can tar all those hangers.

That section is all...
-watch out, watch your head!

Watch the head!
- Whoo!

- Who's watching the crane?
- Whoa!

Alright.

Well, you guys
wanted some action.

There you go.

Richard:
Things are moving along.

We'll have a nice,
clean site real soon.

The weather's changing
pretty fast now.

We still have
another level of walls to build.

We're getting frost warnings
in the morning.

The leaves are turning.
We could see snow any day now,

so we really got to bring
the house roof tight.

Narrator: It's two weeks later,
and the main floor

icf blocks are in place.

Richard's well drilling team
is on site to help

set up the geothermal
heating and cooling system.

Richard:
So, you got three Wells drilled.

You're working on number four?
Yeah.

How deep are you guys going,
each well?

100 feet.

♪♪

Narrator: Geothermal heating
systems use the earth's heat

from below the surface.

The ground captures about
50% of the sun's energy,

which is naturally absorbed
by pipes called loops

installed underground.

The loops contain liquid,
which is formed and transported

until it reaches
a pump inside the home

that distributes
the heat throughout.

Yeah, so far, so good.

We're gonna do
five in total, right?

Narrator: It's a week later,

and as the main floor
cement pour begins,

Richard is feeling
the time crunch.

Richard: We really need to get
the walls filled in

with concrete
before the snow comes.

And at this time of the year,

we don't know
if it's gonna melt again.

So if there's snow in the wall,
we pour concrete on top,

warm concrete melts the snow

and it
creates a void in my walls.

So it's really important
for both structure

and any air filtration
in the wall.

We're gonna do three rows
of 4 feet high

to bring us up
to the top of our walls.

Richard: Alright, let's fill
these walls in

before it starts snowing.

♪♪

Alright, we got to keep going.

It's all fun and games.

So we're very, very lucky
that there's no snow yet.

It's been holding off.

But I think we're gonna get
about 10 inches of snow,

and there's more next week.

So we're in the middle of it.

It's winter.

♪♪

Narrator: Just two days later
and Richard's weather prediction

is right on point.

He's now forced to contend
with winter.

Richard:
It's a pretty bad storm.

So we're almost there.
We got snow

higher than the top of our head.

This is what a one-week delay
looks like.

Half of the day is gone,

and we haven't even
put a dent on the snow.

Obviously just gonna
slow us down quite a bit.

Richard: There we go.

What a mess.

Narrator: With the snow ending
Richards plan

to be roof-tight before winter,

he's had to rethink
his schedule.

Every other day it snows,

so one day of snow delays us
by 2 1/2 days.

So we've been doing as best
as we could

to keep up with the schedule,

but it's trying
to put a toll on us.

Narrator: On-site today,
Richard's crew includes Alonzo

and his lead carpenter, Dale,

working on the icf
for the gable walls.

So, we'll grab everybody and
make sure that it goes smoothly

and then we'll move over
and start lifting some walls.

Let's lift some house.
- Yeah.

This end gable is built
but not poured yet,

so it's still kind of
moving around

and we're setting
the girder truss in place.

We're way behind,
but there's not much we can do.

It's cold, it's snowy,
it's very challenging.

Man: Dale, watch out!

This would be fun in August.
Nice little summer breeze,

no snow, no ice.

Narrator: Once the trusses
are in place,

they'll be that much closer
to getting the roof on.

Richard:
Alright. Good job, guys.

We got a few hours left today,
so let's take advantage of it.

Keep it up.

Narrator: The intense winter
weather has now doubled

the time line to eight months.

Meanwhile, despite laying down
the plywood base,

the roofing team
can't get their start

until the weather is dry
for a few days.

So they've shifted their focus
to another pivotal part

of the build... the windows.

Richard: So, the container's
starting with 20 windows.

We ordered these windows from
Poland a couple months ago.

Richard:
They're thick, heavy glass

that are super energy-efficient
and meet passive house

rigorous standards.

So I felt I'd get
a higher-quality product

by going to Poland
to get these high-end windows.

Narrator: But before they can
even begin to install the windows,

the snowy road is posing
a new challenge.

Almost there. [ Chuckles ]

There's no easy way in.

Man: Watch yourself.

This is easy turn
and we're we're struggling,

so I don't know how
it's gonna go.

Almost there.

It's okay. We can keep going.

Richard: So, we're already
an hour behind.

I swear to god, the container
parked at the door at 8:00.

This is building in Canada
in the middle of winter for you.

Everything takes forever.

Richard: This is starting to get
a little ridiculous.

Just straighten up the truck.

Probably we start
cutting slowly.

Slowly start cutting.

I don't think we stand a chance.

There's no way she's getting
around that last turn.

She want to get out of this one.
Stop.

You might as well stop.

Turn the truck off.
Let's unload it.

- That's what you want to do?
- Yeah, yeah.

Alright. Turn the truck off.
We'll unload it.

That's what it's gonna be.
It's all we can do.

We're stuck
at the end of the driveway,

so we're gonna have
to use the tractor

to bring the glass
down to the house.

Can you come up for a second?

By yourself?

A whole pallet fell over.

Richard: It's heartbreaking.

Narrator: 20 miles
from the Atlantic ocean

in new Brunswick, Canada,

Richard is already several
months behind schedule

and now he faces
a devastating setback.

Alec: Can you come up
for a second?

By yourself?

A whole pallet fell over.

Yeah, right in the very front.

This has never happened.

Richard: That's all I needed
is a damaged pallet.

Oh, it's heartbreaking.

We have two full skids damaged.

We got a lot of glass
that are just trashed.

This one is damaged.
That one is trashed.

There's a lot of damage.
It all went right on top of it.

It's just about 1/3 of the
windows that are broken.

Narrator: Even the windows
with damaged frames are unusable

and must be broken down
before disposing them.

Man: There you go.

♪♪

There you go!

Richard: All of the windows
are all the large openings...

The ones that I wanted
to seal up first

because they're the ones

that are letting
the most heat out of the house.

The single thing that we did
not want to happen,

and it did happen.

Narrator: Even though Richard's
plans to install all the windows

this week have been shattered,

he'll have to make
the best of it.

Richard: The one good news,
the silver lining,

is that I've got two full sets
of glass for the basement,

so I can finish the basement
entirely and seal it up

and keep heat just
in the basement for now.

But unfortunately, the upstairs
will be cold

for another few months.

So here we are in the middle
of all this,

Mel's on her way
to come see the windows,

and I have to let her know

that 1/3 of the windows
are all broken

and can't be installed.

Is it the big one windows?

A lot of the big windows.

Mel: I'm coming out today
because I wanted to see

the window delivery.

It'll delay us from about
six to eight weeks,

which is...

Well, we wanted to move in
in six to eight weeks.

There's a few damaged ones,

but the ones that are here
are nice.

But it's really nice. Yeah.

Richard:
It's gonna cause huge delays.

It's gonna cause headaches.

We're trying to heat the house
with no windows.

It costs a lot of money.

We're blasting heat, and
it's just burning away money.

I don't know what this is gonna
do to the time frame.

Like, just everything
stopped to a crawl.

Like, I don't know.

I don't know
what we're gonna do.

[ Exhales sharply ]

♪♪

Narrator:
With new windows on order

and despite there
being little relief

from the winter weather,

the roof is underway.

Richard: We had to wait
for a nice stretch of weather

where we didn't have
too much snow

before we finally got
these couple of days

where it's not snowing strong
enough that we can still work,

and we just got to get
as much done as we can.

It's kind of tough doing a roof
this time of the year

with all the snow and ice,
and the guys are tying up

as best as they can
and we got scaffold set up,

but there's still always a risk
when you're up on a roof...

On a steep roof, especially,
like this.

It's just cold.

When you work in the winter,

work through the tough
conditions.

That's the worst part of it.

This looks awesome.

Narrator: Over the last few
weeks, Richard's solar field

has also been installed.

Richard: We have a total of 58
solar panels

for the solar rays,

approximately
20 kilowatts in total,

which will easily power up this
whole house throughout the year.

It's gonna be able to run
the house for two full days.

So a full 48 hours

without generating
any electricity at all on site.

♪♪

We got things pretty much
under control at this point.

Trades are in there
doing plumbing,

electrical, heating.

The interior conditions
are almost all done.

So really, all we are waiting
for are the remainder

of the windows.

Here we go.
Let's go get those windows.

Narrator:
To be on the safe side,

this time Richard meets
the truck at the main road.

Richard: Okay, hold on.

Is this pallet damaged?
What's going on here?

It better not be damaged again.

Narrator: Near his remote
new Brunswick built site,

Richard is at the main road

picking up
his replacement windows

only to discover
another damaged pallet.

Is this pallet damaged?
What's going on here?

It better not be damaged again.

Narrator: Before he can assess
the situation,

Richard sends the first pallet
to the building site.

Alright, one down.

Two to go.

Ugh, I really hope these windows
aren't broken.

Narrator: Now that the last
pallet is unwrapped,

Richard and his team
take a closer look.

Okay, so, [indistinct].

Yeah, you're responsible
for this window.

All you have to do
is hang on to this damage.

Richard: They're damaged.

One corner piece damaged.
I think I can live with it.

Okay, let's slide the trolley

about 6 more inches back.

Ready?
- Yeah.

Richard: There.
Right there. Perfect.

Richard: Those windows came
a little early.

The supplier was nice enough

to ship it on a plane.

Today, we have my two guys...
Julian and Dale.

Thought it was
gonna be like 1,500 pounds,

but it's...

Me and Jerry tilted it up,

so it's pretty good.

Richard: Jerry and Charlie are
also here to give us a hand.

And we also hired... for the
day, we hired two extra guys

just to kind of help us
lift the windows

and hold things in place.

So we're a crew of six today.

We got a lot of boots
on the ground and we'll be able

to get these windows
moved around and installed.

- Whoo-hoo!
- That's it. I quit.

[ Laughter ]

Richard: We got all the windows
in the house.

Now the fun part...

Try and get them installed.

♪♪

There, like that. That's better.

Alright?

Man: There we go.
[ Indistinct chatter ]

Narrator:
The windows are massive.

The team has to install them
13 feet up in the air,

and the biggest one,
in the middle,

weighs over 500 pounds.

That's where I was standing
a few minutes ago.

You missed. [ Laughs ]

So we're hanging
over our head...

It's heavy windows, heavy glass,

and it's tipsy and it's awkward.

It's difficult.

There's always a risk
for when we're high up

off the ground like that.

♪♪

Narrator: Now that the crew
has experience

installing these windows,

the first one is in place.

The rest go in without a hitch.

It's good.
The final piece is coming in.

♪♪

With the last window installed,

Richard can begin interior work.

Everything's good.
It's where it needs to be.

- Where it needs to be.
- Oh, my god.

Was I ever nervous about

this window [indistinct].

Narrator: Now that the house
is finally airtight,

completion is in view.

Not that the windows
are installed,

we've got another two months
of work ahead of us.

So it's gonna take
a little longer than expected,

but we'll be super happy
with our home.

♪♪

Narrator:
The finish work is underway...

♪♪

...but Richard is still waiting
to generate his own power.

Richard:
How awesome does that look?

All color-coded.

It's all nice and clean.

It's a piece of art.

These are my beautiful selves.

Aren't they pretty?

Unfortunately,
they're still empty.

We're waiting for the batteries
to show up.

It's been weeks
and weeks and weeks.

Once we have power,
everything...

We can turn all the lights on.
We have plugs everywhere.

We're running
like a normal house,

but until that happens,
we're fighting for extensions.

We got a hole in the wall

with wires
going to get all the tools.

Like, we've got four or five
different trades in the house.

So everybody's scrambling to try
and get enough power

to run their tools.

That was the biggest challenge
of building off-grid,

was to get that temporary power
during the build.

♪♪

- Alright.
- Since the start of summer,

Richard has had to work
around other projects,

stretching the schedule
more and more.

Richard:
We're on month 11 of the build.

It's been taking way longer
than we had expected.

So we're starting
on [indistinct]

Hanging doors.

Alright, so,
we got cabinetry here.

There's just stuff everywhere.
There's still so much work

left to do,
and we got so little time.

Finally got these batteries.

I got half of them after waiting
for six months for them.

Wow. So we have 20 of these...

Well, 10 in the truck
and hopefully

10 more sooner than later.

These are big-honking batteries.

At least there's
a good handle on it.

[ Straining ]

I think they weigh
like 120 pounds each.

We need all those batteries
to run this big house,

but at least we got half.

Narrator: If Richard wants to make
his moving deadline in four weeks,

he's going to have to hustle.

Richard:
Now that we have the batteries,

are gonna be
going on solar power

by the end of the day?

Not today, no.
Not to... oh, come on!

We got about a couple
of weeks to tie this up

and then we're moving.
Ready or not, here we come.

Narrator: In the heart
of Canada's east coast,

builder Richard Leblanc

is rushing to get his off-grid
dream home

move-in ready.

Richard: Alright, we got the
other half of the batteries.

We got a whole bunch of
batteries to bring down

to the basement, boys.
- Yee-hoo.

♪♪

Building off-grid,
this is what it's all about...

Being in the middle of nowhere.

Beats the city traffic,
that's for sure.

♪♪

Come check out my favorite room
of the house.

This is absolutely amazing.

So, all lights are going green.

Where about probably 80%,
90% charged

and good for two
or three days, at least.

We probably have three times
more battery storage

than we actually need.

We're completely off-grid.

We're creating our own
electricity, which is amazing.

For the last year, all I've been
doing is working on this house.

The whole thing
was super overwhelming.

And along with that,

we are also
expecting a baby in a month.

So, my wife is
eight months pregnant...

[Chuckling] And are going
through this huge move.

Melanie: Oh, it's nice
to be able to settle in

the new house
before the baby comes around

'cause you know how it is.

You don't sleep for the first
few weeks.

The important rooms are done...
Kitchen, living room,

bathrooms, and bedrooms.

We started working a little bit
on the two offices.

The basement
we haven't even touched yet.

Like, it's just too much work.

We got so much stuff to set up.

It's awesome.

It's gonna be an awesome
freaking house.

So this is Richard's closet.

He has a lot of bathing suits.
Wow.

Richard: We're moving in,
we're setting up the house.

It's starting to take shape.

Whoo-hoo! Last box!

And it's an easy one.
It's an easy one.

We had some really good help
all day today,

both my family and Mel's family
were here

and were super helpful.

I can see the house taking shape
and seeing all our stuff,

you know,
where it's supposed to be.

You know, just putting
your feet up on the sofa

overlooking the river
in the brand-new house.

It's starting to feel like home.

Narrator:
After a full year of building

and all kinds of obstacles,

Richard Leblanc has finally
moved his family

into their off-grid dream home.

Richard: How awesome is this...
Being in the middle of nowhere

in the middle of nature? It is.

Hopefully you won't miss
the city too much.

I hope not. [ Both laugh ]

It wasn't my idea
to live in the woods

by a river, so...

I bit the bullet
and I said, "okay, well,

I'll do it for you
'cause I love you."

Narrator: It's been a long road
for Richard,

and there are still
some things to finish.

But he's managed to get the
important things done in time

just before the baby arrives.

I never lived off-grid before.
[ Indistinct ]

We'll figure it out.
First time for everything.

Yeah.

I love this. It's beautiful.

It's really, really beautiful.

This view will not get old.
This is awesome.

It's really nice.

Well, we finally have a kitchen
where we can host

our large families.

Yay!
I'm really excited about that.

Oh, yeah.

Richard: In the kitchen,
there's all kinds of daylight...

Beautiful, natural lighting,

glass all around us,

just a big, open space.

And that view...
Just that view...

- It's beautiful.
- Yeah.

Alright, let's go
check out the kids room.

Oh, Elodie's gonna love
her new space.

Richard: Yeah, it's perfect.

It's beautiful

and hopefully baby boy
will like his room, as well.

Oh, it's so nice.

Look at that view,

we got a view of the river
in every room.

That's what I love
about this design.

Me, too.

And our bedroom.

Oh, this is the nicest view
of the house.

It sure is.

This gonna be awesome
waking up to this every morning.

Oh, it's beautiful.

Richard:
You see trees all around.

Everywhere you look,
you see trees and leaves

in the background and the river.

Like what a backdrop.
It's just gorgeous.

The stairs are starting
to get a little high

with the big belly, huh?
- Oof.

- Well...
- Oh, this is nice.

Richard: So the mezzanine
upstairs was really

one thing that Mel requested,

and that office is just amazing.

So, first business meeting.

Let's talk about
the construction...

Not building a house
again for us.

No? This is it.

Alright.

Narrator:
Now it's time to celebrate

all that hard work
with friends and family.

Come check out our house.

- Welcome, welcome!
- Hi!

Richard: Like it's just been
a long stretch,

and I'm super happy
to have them over

and see what I was working on
and accomplished

in the last year.

[ Indistinct chatter ]

This is a playroom. [ Chuckles ]

I'm loving this house already.

It was an
emotional roller coaster,

and I want to redo it

over and over again.

But just give me a couple days.

Give me a good night's sleep
and a couple days of vacation,

and I'll be good to go.

Richard:
So you wake up in the morning,

you walk down to the riverbank,
you drink your coffee

and you throw your line
in the water.

I find it very cool that
we can have a house off-grid

and we still have the comfort

of a traditional home.

Richard: Well, in this day
and age, I mean,

we don't want compromise.
We want everything.

And that's what we did here.

Definitely outdone yourself.

It's great. Thanks, baby.

[ Chuckles ]

Richard: Even though it took
a lot longer than it should've,

it doesn't matter.

What's important
is the end product,

and the end product
is freaking amazing.

Captions paid for by
discovery communications

[ cheering ]