We're pretty dull over here at the site. Not a lot of huge steps have been made recently. During this dry spell (and, oh yes, the rain has now returned), two of Indy's compadres have been working on the fiber cement siding. (And, no, it's not done yet. Of course, you can't blame them, really, when only two people are working on it.) The same two dudes are laying down the backer board in preparation for tile in the bathrooms, and they framed two different windows with two different framing options for us to choose. Hey, when we only have two choices, the decision is easy. Actually, the choices where two different spins on a design I pulled out of a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Magazine pictures can be your best friend when your choosing house stuff. Back to the tile, Noel and I finished up our tile decision making...and we are putting that decision behind us. WoooHooo! We do have one more aspect of tile to handle, and that is the backsplash in the kitchen. We will not know the exact square footage to order until our range hood gets installed (since the tile has to reach up to the bottom of the range hood). And, we ordered a range hood late last week.
We also made the last cabinet decision! In about ten minutes time, Noel and I chose our cabinet pulls and knobs from our cabinetmaker's shop. We thought about trying to get a better prices on pulls and knobs at Lowes or Home Depot, but in the end, figured we wouldn't save enough moola to justify the hassle. I'm going to be honest with you, when you get to this point in the game, the quicker you can make decisions the happier you'll be. The cabinetmaker seems to think our contractor will be asking for the cabinets in a couple of weeks. Once those suckers get in there, the interior will start coming together...and hopefully it won't be hideous.
The geothermal well guys were finishing up on Friday by pumping a cement mixture into each 300-ft well to case the wells and insulate the piping that was already residing in each well. Now, we are just waiting on Stroop's (the HVAC/geothermal company) to install the downstairs unit and Indy to insulate the subfloor.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
In the words of Yosemite Sam, "Back Off!"
Stupid viruses! I hate being sick! I despise being really, really sick! It really throws a hitch in your plans. Like my plans to blog last week, completely shut out by a relentless virus. Needless to say, about 500 tissues later, I'm feeling much better and my bloggin' fingers are ready.
Last week Indy's men primed and painted (yes, we actually made some color decisions) the interior house....and (much to our dismay) the garage. We had typed up a list of colors and the corresponding rooms and emailed them to Indy, who in turn gave the list to his painter. Now, the three of us (Indy, Noel, and I) all understood that nothing else was to be done to the garage, because we are done sinking money into it. Imagine my reaction when Noel called to tell me that the painter interpreted 'bonus room' as the room above the garage (the detached garage, mind you). Oh, livid didn't begin to describe my reaction. I was hot! And, let me just tell you, when I am furious about something I have blinders on...I don't like anything. (It's actually a poor personality trait I possess but at least I recognize it, right?) So when I walked into the house after possessing this knowledge (for I had only about 30 min to cool off before stepping foot in our homestead), I didn't like any of the colors. I ended up going back down to Lynchburg several days later when the plastic had been removed from the windows and the natural light was streaming in. Amazingly, that day the paint wasn't so terrible. Indy put me at ease and assured me that if I wanted to change anything that it was 'not a problem' (his favorite line). He is going to complete the painting in the garage because it doesn't need to be left unfinished. Needless to say, we will only be paying for half the work done in the garage. Crisis averted.
While I was there, our interior doors (Masonite doors whose design is title 'Riverside' -- so fitting for the two of us) and trim were delivered. It's starting to look more like a finished house than a frame.
Indy also informed us that we need to be picking out tile. Ahhh! More decisions! So we found some tile for the utility room on sale at Home Depot. It's a porcelain tile, which apparently is quite a bit more durable than ceramic. We definitely need a durable tile in that high-traffic area. We think we've decided on bathroom tile but we may look a bit more just to be sure that what we've chosen is what we want. (Since obviously you can't just change tile like you can change paint.) And armed with our cabinet samples (because we have round two of those now and they look incredible), we have picked out a tile backsplash. All we have left to pick out are the pulls and knobs for the cabinets! And then we are finished with the kitchen! (Other than the appliances, of course, but that will be easy.)
The bank is about to drive us crazy.
Dear ACB, We are fully aware of where ever penny is in this house. Please be informed that we have our own expense spreadsheet. We are a competent, educated, successful, and financially responsible couple. We feel that your incessant need to meet with us to 'discuss the construction process' is slightly ridiculous and benefits no one but your entity. You are not providing us with information that we do not already know. Also, do you not feel that it is a waste of your time to send 'an inspector' down to our house every time a bill is presented to you? Especially when you were just down there two days earlier. We realize that the banking system/housing market is botched. However, be aware that responsible citizens such as Noel and I do not fit in the category of greedy, gullible, financially irresponsible bankers or homeowners who have destroyed the trust in our banking system and housing market. Long story short, we've got it under control. Sincerely, Drs. Noel and Hannah White
(I think that pretty much sums it up! Whew! That was cathartic!)
We are both off this weekend, and it should be a BEAUTIFUL one. Hello Spring, oh, how we have missed you! Hopefully, we can load up on some vitamin D and make some final decisions that are still lingering. Our anticipated move-in date is the end of May now. At least it will be warm.
Last week Indy's men primed and painted (yes, we actually made some color decisions) the interior house....and (much to our dismay) the garage. We had typed up a list of colors and the corresponding rooms and emailed them to Indy, who in turn gave the list to his painter. Now, the three of us (Indy, Noel, and I) all understood that nothing else was to be done to the garage, because we are done sinking money into it. Imagine my reaction when Noel called to tell me that the painter interpreted 'bonus room' as the room above the garage (the detached garage, mind you). Oh, livid didn't begin to describe my reaction. I was hot! And, let me just tell you, when I am furious about something I have blinders on...I don't like anything. (It's actually a poor personality trait I possess but at least I recognize it, right?) So when I walked into the house after possessing this knowledge (for I had only about 30 min to cool off before stepping foot in our homestead), I didn't like any of the colors. I ended up going back down to Lynchburg several days later when the plastic had been removed from the windows and the natural light was streaming in. Amazingly, that day the paint wasn't so terrible. Indy put me at ease and assured me that if I wanted to change anything that it was 'not a problem' (his favorite line). He is going to complete the painting in the garage because it doesn't need to be left unfinished. Needless to say, we will only be paying for half the work done in the garage. Crisis averted.
While I was there, our interior doors (Masonite doors whose design is title 'Riverside' -- so fitting for the two of us) and trim were delivered. It's starting to look more like a finished house than a frame.
Indy also informed us that we need to be picking out tile. Ahhh! More decisions! So we found some tile for the utility room on sale at Home Depot. It's a porcelain tile, which apparently is quite a bit more durable than ceramic. We definitely need a durable tile in that high-traffic area. We think we've decided on bathroom tile but we may look a bit more just to be sure that what we've chosen is what we want. (Since obviously you can't just change tile like you can change paint.) And armed with our cabinet samples (because we have round two of those now and they look incredible), we have picked out a tile backsplash. All we have left to pick out are the pulls and knobs for the cabinets! And then we are finished with the kitchen! (Other than the appliances, of course, but that will be easy.)
The bank is about to drive us crazy.
Dear ACB, We are fully aware of where ever penny is in this house. Please be informed that we have our own expense spreadsheet. We are a competent, educated, successful, and financially responsible couple. We feel that your incessant need to meet with us to 'discuss the construction process' is slightly ridiculous and benefits no one but your entity. You are not providing us with information that we do not already know. Also, do you not feel that it is a waste of your time to send 'an inspector' down to our house every time a bill is presented to you? Especially when you were just down there two days earlier. We realize that the banking system/housing market is botched. However, be aware that responsible citizens such as Noel and I do not fit in the category of greedy, gullible, financially irresponsible bankers or homeowners who have destroyed the trust in our banking system and housing market. Long story short, we've got it under control. Sincerely, Drs. Noel and Hannah White
(I think that pretty much sums it up! Whew! That was cathartic!)
We are both off this weekend, and it should be a BEAUTIFUL one. Hello Spring, oh, how we have missed you! Hopefully, we can load up on some vitamin D and make some final decisions that are still lingering. Our anticipated move-in date is the end of May now. At least it will be warm.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Well, color me pretty!
I'm pretty sure we've collected about 500 paint swatches. No joke. Note to self: don't do that again. You see, we like colors but we just don't understand the rules of color that well. Continuity is key. For example, you don't want a red foyer, blue living room, and a yellow kitchen. It starts to look like a preschool, you know. So we got a little advice from Indy, who painted for a living (and still does) before he got his contractor's license. Swatches you grab at Lowe's or Home Depot typically have four or five colors on one strip. He mentioned that it's a good idea in an open-concept house to paint adjoining rooms with colors from the same swatch strip because the colors are in the same family. Makes sense.
The other problem is that Noel and I are both left brainers; therefore, we have a very difficult time envisioning what a tiny little color swatch will look like all over a wall. So we enlisted the help of one of my mother's friends who is paint savvy. Yesterday, we met with him, and we walked through the entire house room-by-room discussing colors that would work. He helped us decide which colors would soak up all the light and which colors would help maintain the bright and airy feel of the house. We've made our final decisions, at least we'll see how final they are once they get on the wall. Ha! Hey, it's just paint, right?! The only other thing we need to ensure is that the paint is low or no VOC (volatile organic compounds) to ensure good indoor air quality, especially in such an airtight home.
Speaking of indoor air quality, we have 'loosened' up our house a bit through our geothermal system. We met with our geothermal company on Friday and discussed adding an ERV (energy recovery ventilation) system on the downstairs unit. This is a programmable system that will exchange stale indoor air for fresh outdoor air at certain times of the day depending on the season. The exchange will occur during the daytime in the winter and during the nighttime in the summer. Because of this, we opted to hold off on the HEPA filter on the system.
We also met with Indy and David (the salesman for Builders Supply) to pick out interior doors and casing. We walked through the house and chose which way we wanted each door to open. It was a rather quick and painless process.
Not much has been happening in the way of noticeable changes at the homestead this past week. (The reason for the lack of pictures in this entry.) The drywall dudes have been mudding the joints. They should begin sanding today; and hopefully by the end of the week, Indy and his entourage will begin priming the walls.
On a side note, I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to have a decision behind you. I was thinking the other day about all of the decisions that we have toiled over -- the roof, the flooring, the granite, the contractor, the houseplan. It is so nice to know that that overwhelming feeling of 'decision-overload' is coming to an end. I must say that the constant bombardment of decisions is the most mentally and emotionally draining aspect of building a house.
The other problem is that Noel and I are both left brainers; therefore, we have a very difficult time envisioning what a tiny little color swatch will look like all over a wall. So we enlisted the help of one of my mother's friends who is paint savvy. Yesterday, we met with him, and we walked through the entire house room-by-room discussing colors that would work. He helped us decide which colors would soak up all the light and which colors would help maintain the bright and airy feel of the house. We've made our final decisions, at least we'll see how final they are once they get on the wall. Ha! Hey, it's just paint, right?! The only other thing we need to ensure is that the paint is low or no VOC (volatile organic compounds) to ensure good indoor air quality, especially in such an airtight home.
Speaking of indoor air quality, we have 'loosened' up our house a bit through our geothermal system. We met with our geothermal company on Friday and discussed adding an ERV (energy recovery ventilation) system on the downstairs unit. This is a programmable system that will exchange stale indoor air for fresh outdoor air at certain times of the day depending on the season. The exchange will occur during the daytime in the winter and during the nighttime in the summer. Because of this, we opted to hold off on the HEPA filter on the system.
We also met with Indy and David (the salesman for Builders Supply) to pick out interior doors and casing. We walked through the house and chose which way we wanted each door to open. It was a rather quick and painless process.
Not much has been happening in the way of noticeable changes at the homestead this past week. (The reason for the lack of pictures in this entry.) The drywall dudes have been mudding the joints. They should begin sanding today; and hopefully by the end of the week, Indy and his entourage will begin priming the walls.
On a side note, I can't begin to tell you how nice it is to have a decision behind you. I was thinking the other day about all of the decisions that we have toiled over -- the roof, the flooring, the granite, the contractor, the houseplan. It is so nice to know that that overwhelming feeling of 'decision-overload' is coming to an end. I must say that the constant bombardment of decisions is the most mentally and emotionally draining aspect of building a house.
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