Saturday, November 24, 2012

OK to launch!!

When last we left our intrepid house builders, we were waiting on the painter to finish the walls and floors. I'm happy to report, the painting is done and touched up. (and beautiful)
This is the painted concrete floor in the "fitness room". Kinda cool, huh? There is also a sealed concrete floor in the laundry/dog room, where we spend the day yesterday building our boot bench.
The general actually told us it's OK to start moving in, although we are missing some rather critical parts, like plumbing fixtures. We took that to mean we could start moving some of the big pieces, and our thanksgiving weekend has been spent building office furniture.....
...having furniture delivered and unpacking what's been here a while.... as you can see, doggies are quite comfortable with their new surroundings.
I also spent the better part of 2 days cleaning up after the cleaning lady. We seem to have distinctly different standards. Like, I have a thing for dead bugs in the light fixtures, she does not...... Anyway.....
Hopefully the plumber will show up on monday to finish, the electricians have a tiny bit of stuff (floor outlets in the fitness room), and they're expecting the final electrical inspection monday morning. The window blinds should be here by the end of the week, with a possible friday install....... We have set a new set of rules now. No one goes over there empty handed, and, if it doesn't have an immediate home, it doesn't go. Eventually we'll have to just take the rest of our fine collections (crap) over there, but right now we're trying to do it systematically. Ok, everyone send "plumber show up vibes"!

Friday, November 16, 2012

we're getting there.......

After a brief moment of panic, when the painter decided he wasn't going to finish until the day before thanksgiving, things managed to get back on track. The painter somehow found his motivation (thanks to the general contractor for providing it). He came on tuesday at 4:30 am to start the walls. He painted the front door...... LOVE my red door.
And continued to finish all the walls. On friday, he sanded and stained the concrete floors. (the moment EVERYONE has been waiting for). He'll be back over the weekend to apply the clear coat, and done on sunday, so that the plumber, electrician, and carpet guy can come and finish their bits.
Other developments this week included the pouring of the sidewalks and finishing the driveway......
Look at all those cars, and that's just half of them. It was crazy-busy here on thursday and friday!! The rest of the week was pretty durned productive too... The boys started on the deck and are almost done with the support frame The final mirror was installed in the jack and jill The fireplace was hooked up and started (ANOTHER remote!) The stove was hooked up and not started (too man paint funes) The HRV system was finished and fired up the carpet guy came and glued down tack strips in preparation to install carpet on monday. Things are finally happening....finally The most important thing.... Cable, internet and phone are done and ready!
Next week, there's only 3 days, so we'll see where we get. We're supposed to have the plumber, electrician, carpet guys, finsh carpenters, and cleaning lady, not to mention working on the deck....and the couch will be delivered on wed! yeah!

Saturday, November 10, 2012

not gonna make it

After a very productive weekend last week,things came to a grinding halt. Seems we were all waiting for some missing door hardware. It finally showed up on wednesday, and the finish carpenters were able to install the final pocket door. Now the painter can come back and finish the trim and paint the walls. There were only 2 semi-productive days of work this week, though, and there's plenty left to be done. Finished this week.....the solatube covers, appliances are in place (not working, just there), ironing board is installed, the cabinets in the laundry are built, and the door hardware is in (minus the OTHER missing parts).
Bulldozer guy came back and prepped for sidewalks, too.
Still left to do, painter to do all the walls, finish trim, and paint the concrete floors, plumber to install all the fixtures, bathtub faucet, laundry sink and finish heating system, electrician to re-install bathroom lights, finish undercabinet lights, floor outlets, switches in entry, and the can above the pantry that quit working already, hrv folks to fire it up, and install the vents, fireplace folks, same thing, carpet, mirror in jack and jill and glass doors in kitchen, deck in back, sidewalks in front,return extra stuff, cleaning. Think all that will happen next week? Think ANY of that will happen next week? Think I can just get them to hook up the stove before turkey day? We've now blown our good weather window for the sidewalks and dirt, so WHO knows when the next break will be. Our contractor is less than helpful. We call him the "magic 8 ball" of emailers. He never gives you a straight answer. When I asked him if the painter would be here today, his answer was "he'll be done by monday or tuesday". Um, that's NOT what I asked, and the painter (who likes to start super early, is not here yet at 8am, so it's probably not happening today) So, magic 8 ball, will ANY work be done this week? "the future is uncertain" "try again later" See, I can do it too!

Friday, November 2, 2012

movin' on

So, this week brought the promised tile guy. (LOVE the tile guy). He came on monday and finished the master bath trim, fireplace, other bathroom backsplashes, laundry backsplash and best of all the kitchen backsplash. Love, love, love this combination of greens with the pewter grey grout.
By tuesday, the russians were on a roll with the trim. They finished all of the windows and doors and on wed., wrapped up the baseboard. No work on thursday, out of materials and waiting for parts, but on friday they were back to finish up the windows where they had run out of trim, put on all the cabinet hardware (kitchen and bath), install the medicine cabinets, and the upper cabinets in the laundry room. They still have one set of pocket doors missing hardware, but it's on order, and there's probably a whole day of finish dribs and drabs to do anyway. (mirror in the powder room, cabinet around the heating system, in-wall ironing board, tp holders and towel bars and the like)
The washer and dryer were installed and put in place, but they'll need some more work before they can be hooked up. Tomorrow, the painter will start, and he's promised to "stay until it's done". He will too. Great guy, the painter. Next week, finish the interior painting, covers on the sola tubes (finally), appliances installed?, plumber, electrician, HRV folks, fireplace folks. YIKES! IF all that really happens, it will be more work in one week than we had all last month, and that turkey day move in is looking a BIT more optimistic, maybe.......