The call came from my contractor early this morning. The tub was being installed in our new master bedroom this morning and he needed our faucet and fixtures ASAP to get everything installed. WTF! Does he think we can just stop what we are doing and run and get these things at the drop of a hat? What part of "give us a couple of days notice before you need anything so we can purchase or order" does he not understand?
This is the third time he has done this to us. The first time was with the tub, the second time with the front door, and now it is the bathroom fixtures. Tell me what you need and when and I will buy it for you. Part of doing this addition is because we don't have enough space. We don't have the room to simply store a new bathtub, two vanities, four ceiling fans, closet doors, two entry doors, tile, light figures, etc.
We meet with a lighting vendor Friday. I hope our contractor can wait that long. Speaking of lights, the lights and fans being installed in the addition are still not placed correctly. Grrr.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009 - Who Is Babysitting the Contractor?
Every now and then my excitement with this home renovation project is tempered by a dose of reality smacking me in the face. How is it that I can have a conversation with my contractor and come home expecting things to have been completed based upon said conversation, yet none of it is done just quite right?
Last night I laid out a perfectly good lighting plan, put Post-It Notes on roof beams inside the addition to show exactly where things should go, and lights were still misplaced. I even talked to my contractor after sending the plan to him. Downstairs is a completely different story. We told him simply that we wanted two fans downstairs with eight can lights placed around the perimeter of the room. I get home tonight and there are 13 lights in the room. Really? I ask for eight lights evenly spaced throughout the room and you haphazardly install 13 lights?
I would never, ever pretend to be an engineer, an architect, or a contractor. Sometimes I am amazed that I can even switch out an outlet or install molding around the baseboards. But to me it made complete sense to first install the wiring boxes for the fans, and then place the lights after that. It's really quite simple and the math not all that difficult: The room is 24-feet in length. Divide the room in thirds. Come in eight feet from the back wall and place a fan. Come in eight feet from the stairwell and install a fan. Presto, you have eight feet in between fans and everything is spaced evenly. You then run the lights down the side of the walls and you're done.
I work just 10 miles from home and can usually get home easily if I'm needed for a quick decision. But this week has been pretty crazy at work and my car has been in the shop so I haven't been able to run home at the drop of a hat. (By the way, I could probably start a new blog about my car repair debacles, but I will spare you that one for now.) But that is why we have a contractor. He is supposed to be the ringleader managing this whole circus, listening to what I have to say, reading the plans correctly, telling us what we need to buy and when, and striving to get the project done in a somewhat timely manner. But who is babysitting the contractor? I didn't think that was something about which I would have to worry.
Last night I laid out a perfectly good lighting plan, put Post-It Notes on roof beams inside the addition to show exactly where things should go, and lights were still misplaced. I even talked to my contractor after sending the plan to him. Downstairs is a completely different story. We told him simply that we wanted two fans downstairs with eight can lights placed around the perimeter of the room. I get home tonight and there are 13 lights in the room. Really? I ask for eight lights evenly spaced throughout the room and you haphazardly install 13 lights?
I would never, ever pretend to be an engineer, an architect, or a contractor. Sometimes I am amazed that I can even switch out an outlet or install molding around the baseboards. But to me it made complete sense to first install the wiring boxes for the fans, and then place the lights after that. It's really quite simple and the math not all that difficult: The room is 24-feet in length. Divide the room in thirds. Come in eight feet from the back wall and place a fan. Come in eight feet from the stairwell and install a fan. Presto, you have eight feet in between fans and everything is spaced evenly. You then run the lights down the side of the walls and you're done.
I work just 10 miles from home and can usually get home easily if I'm needed for a quick decision. But this week has been pretty crazy at work and my car has been in the shop so I haven't been able to run home at the drop of a hat. (By the way, I could probably start a new blog about my car repair debacles, but I will spare you that one for now.) But that is why we have a contractor. He is supposed to be the ringleader managing this whole circus, listening to what I have to say, reading the plans correctly, telling us what we need to buy and when, and striving to get the project done in a somewhat timely manner. But who is babysitting the contractor? I didn't think that was something about which I would have to worry.
Monday, December 14, 2009 - Electrical and Lighting Plan
It is a process that will drive you crazy, but one that will fill you with excitement as well. As much as I feel like I often have to direct this project from my office 10 miles away, I am excited to see the progress made each and every day. Each time I walk out of the back door of our house I look back over my shoulder at the addition and am amazed we are getting closer and closer to being finished.
Alright, closer and closer is technically correct, but we still have a long way to go…at least six weeks. I won’t be able to tell until daylight breaks Tuesday to see if they were able to match-up shingles correctly. Instead of ripping off a five-year-old roof, we asked our contractor to match shingles the best he could. The first set brought over Sunday was too light. He decided to go to Murfreesboro without one of current shingles to get something darker, and came back with shingles too dark. He made another trip back to the ‘Boro and hopefully found something close since he shingled the roof with them. In just a couple of hours we will see if he was right.
The biggest frustration Monday came wit our electrical/lighting plan. We walked through the house with our contractor on Saturday pointing out exactly where we wanted every light, fan, and electrical outlet. When I came home today, about half of the lights and wiring for fixtures was incorrect…even after I presented him with a detailed list the night before. My case was certainly bolstered by my architect coming by tonight as I was climbing out of the addition with my list. We walked back through and he confirmed what was out-of-whack and even pointed out a couple of other things that need changing. So, I have just finished writing out a new list of changes and have spoken to the contractor to make sure everything is fixed and placed correctly on Tuesday.
Hopefully the basement will get completely wired as well Tuesday before it gets called in for codes inspection. Unfortunately, with all of the great progress we have made in the last 10 days or so, we could come to a great big grinding halt waiting for the inspector to stop by. A day or so delay won’t be a big deal. That allows us the opportunity to check and make sure everything is exactly how we want it before the drywall goes in. Anything longer than two days will pretty much render us done for the week.
Alright, closer and closer is technically correct, but we still have a long way to go…at least six weeks. I won’t be able to tell until daylight breaks Tuesday to see if they were able to match-up shingles correctly. Instead of ripping off a five-year-old roof, we asked our contractor to match shingles the best he could. The first set brought over Sunday was too light. He decided to go to Murfreesboro without one of current shingles to get something darker, and came back with shingles too dark. He made another trip back to the ‘Boro and hopefully found something close since he shingled the roof with them. In just a couple of hours we will see if he was right.
The biggest frustration Monday came wit our electrical/lighting plan. We walked through the house with our contractor on Saturday pointing out exactly where we wanted every light, fan, and electrical outlet. When I came home today, about half of the lights and wiring for fixtures was incorrect…even after I presented him with a detailed list the night before. My case was certainly bolstered by my architect coming by tonight as I was climbing out of the addition with my list. We walked back through and he confirmed what was out-of-whack and even pointed out a couple of other things that need changing. So, I have just finished writing out a new list of changes and have spoken to the contractor to make sure everything is fixed and placed correctly on Tuesday.
Hopefully the basement will get completely wired as well Tuesday before it gets called in for codes inspection. Unfortunately, with all of the great progress we have made in the last 10 days or so, we could come to a great big grinding halt waiting for the inspector to stop by. A day or so delay won’t be a big deal. That allows us the opportunity to check and make sure everything is exactly how we want it before the drywall goes in. Anything longer than two days will pretty much render us done for the week.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009 - Extra, Extra, Read All About It...
I don't normally write a Saturday entry, but this weekend I am making an exception. And if future weekends are as productive as this one, I will write on those days as well. Excitement was building throughout the day as things began to look a little less chaotic around our backyard. Wood was burned in a giant backyard bonfire and everything else disposed in the awkwardly placed dumpster. Still a lot of dirt and mud everywhere, but no more trash and construction remnants...for now. The contractor's father came by and very efficiently built the interior staircase. No longer must we struggle up a little ladder perched tentatively through the window of our new master suite to take a look around the inside. Like other civilized people we can now tread through the mud into the opening framed for a new basement door at some point.
We walked through the addition with the contractor to plot out the placement of canned lights, ceiling fans, electrical outlets, cable TV ports, and telephone jacks while it was still a little too cold this morning. Since he took no notes along the way, Cara and I get to spend Sunday writing it all down to send to him to make sure everything is placed where we need it.
Saturday afternoon was spent wondering through stores, looking at items we need to buy, and in the end we purchased nothing. We did work out a deal with our contractor to purchase the front door and the tub with his contractor's discount. Hopefully he will be able to do the same with the back door and the interior doors once we settle on those. We also looked fruitlessly for lighting at a local gallery where our contractor has a big discount. While we found some lights we liked, nothing was quite exactly "it." We need a new hanging light for the soon-to-be-built new front porch, a new hanging light for the landing of the interior staircase, and sconces for the master bathroom. Prior to the start of this project, I am pretty sure I had never used the word "sconce" before. So we scheduled an appointment with a lighting expert and will hopefully finalize the lighting plan next Friday.
Late in the day on Saturday, the roofer came to drop off his scaffolding and a few other supplies, and will be back again on Monday to start hammering away. I'm disappointed that the roof wasn't completed today, but that will give me something to look forward to on Monday. We did get a pretty good schedule from the contractor - shingles and bricks early next week; HVAC, plumbing, and electrical completed by mid-week; and possibly interior demolition by the end of the week. After that it is drywalling, hardwood floor installation, and painting, which is how I will spend most of my time off the last two weeks of the year.
Overall it was a very good week despite one day lost due to rain. We now truly have a structure that resembles a house and I feel the excitement once again that I had when we saw the drawings of our finalized plans several months ago. My fingers are crossed for a good inspection from the bank this week to say we are right on track with where we need to be. After that it will be dust and chaos indoors, but at least we will finally cross the midway point and start heading downhill toward the finish line from there.
We walked through the addition with the contractor to plot out the placement of canned lights, ceiling fans, electrical outlets, cable TV ports, and telephone jacks while it was still a little too cold this morning. Since he took no notes along the way, Cara and I get to spend Sunday writing it all down to send to him to make sure everything is placed where we need it.
Saturday afternoon was spent wondering through stores, looking at items we need to buy, and in the end we purchased nothing. We did work out a deal with our contractor to purchase the front door and the tub with his contractor's discount. Hopefully he will be able to do the same with the back door and the interior doors once we settle on those. We also looked fruitlessly for lighting at a local gallery where our contractor has a big discount. While we found some lights we liked, nothing was quite exactly "it." We need a new hanging light for the soon-to-be-built new front porch, a new hanging light for the landing of the interior staircase, and sconces for the master bathroom. Prior to the start of this project, I am pretty sure I had never used the word "sconce" before. So we scheduled an appointment with a lighting expert and will hopefully finalize the lighting plan next Friday.
Late in the day on Saturday, the roofer came to drop off his scaffolding and a few other supplies, and will be back again on Monday to start hammering away. I'm disappointed that the roof wasn't completed today, but that will give me something to look forward to on Monday. We did get a pretty good schedule from the contractor - shingles and bricks early next week; HVAC, plumbing, and electrical completed by mid-week; and possibly interior demolition by the end of the week. After that it is drywalling, hardwood floor installation, and painting, which is how I will spend most of my time off the last two weeks of the year.
Overall it was a very good week despite one day lost due to rain. We now truly have a structure that resembles a house and I feel the excitement once again that I had when we saw the drawings of our finalized plans several months ago. My fingers are crossed for a good inspection from the bank this week to say we are right on track with where we need to be. After that it will be dust and chaos indoors, but at least we will finally cross the midway point and start heading downhill toward the finish line from there.
Friday, December 11, 2009 - Windows and Shingles and Dumpsters, Oh My!
Windows are in. Shingles are delivered and will be installed on Saturday. Stairs are also scheduled to be built Saturday. A dumpster has finally been delivered, so our backyard will begin to look a little less like a landfill and resume being simply a mudpit instead. Brick is to be delivered Monday for installation on Tuesday. Contractor is coming by Saturday morning to discuss placement of electrical outlets, cable lines, phone lines, etc. Will also discuss allowances for plumbing fixtures, tub, doors, lighting, etc. Time to buy, buy, buy...music to Cara's ears.
Come back Saturday for a special posting about the day's activities, especially if you are wagering as to whether all of this will happen Saturday or not.
Come back Saturday for a special posting about the day's activities, especially if you are wagering as to whether all of this will happen Saturday or not.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009 - How It All Ties Together
Quite a whirlwind of a day. The best news of all is that the new roof line now connects to the old roof line. It is officially tied together at the top and the bottom. The worst news of the day came in the form of a couple of additional, unplanned, and unbudgeted expenses. Due to the plan redesign due to the issue with the steps, a lot of the ductwork and intake for the new HVAC unit will have to be extended and redirected. The original plans called for the staircase to simply be framed in with wood, and the ductwork could have simply been directed through any of the large gaps. Once it was redesigned and the base of the staircase became solid concrete, well, it was time to find another way around...and that comes at a price. Maybe worse than that, now that the old and new are connected as one, it is time to pop out the windows on the former back of the house. First the brick, now the windows. Well, only one window was removed and plywood put in its place on what will be a 14-degree evening. But no windows have been installed yet on the addition, so it might as well be open to the whole world...and Mother Nature. Forgot to add "heater running all the time" to the remodeling budget.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009 - The Windy City
The city of Chicago was gracious enough to lend its nickname - The Windy City - to Nashville for a 24-hour period, from about 6:00pm last night until 6:00pm today. Because of that, I slept with one ear open last night, listening for any creak, crack, snap, crackle, or pop that would come from this enormous half-built structure being buffeted by 40 mph winds. But I woke up this morning with the addition firmly in place as it should be. The wood planks were added to the roof beams and will be finished and tied into the rest of the house Thursday. The final concrete pour on the steps took place today as well. They also took the brick off the back of the house, so there is nothing protecting us from the great outdoors but 3/8-inch drywall. Tomorrow the existing windows come out and plywood will be put in their place, adding to the minimal protection from the cold outside world until they can insulate and install the drywall on both sides of the wall. With more cold weather moving in, this isn't the best of news, but we knew it was coming at some point. What we didn't expect was to have a cable line cut and power knocked out to half the house. I guess they must have hit a junction box without noticing while knocking the brick off the house. No lights, no television and no clock in the bedrooms. So if I'm late for work in the morning, you know why.
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