It's hard to come up with a catchy title to the blog when you are building for so many weeks. The builder reports that the trades are tired of driving to the job site because it is so far away. It's funny how that is. I know we have had a lot of rain. We've lost a lot of soil into the lake, but the address appears to be the same as when we started this project. I'm confused.
Thursday May 7, 2015
Today, I decided to pick up the hardware that I ordered weeks ago. Already the attic lift is proving to be a great addition to our dream home. Loads of boxes up in the attic with a push of a button. Wonderful!
The masons arrive today to work on the culvert and our mailbox.
The mailbox just needs our address plaque, which the builder still needs to order, and some way to attach the red flag. The mason says he doesn't have anyway to attach it. I'm confused. Doesn't the builder and/or the builder's mason build mailboxes routinely? The finer details, left unfinished.
Sunday May 10,2015
More rain, and the pool will just about be filled to the brim.
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| At the far rear of the property. |
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| Lots of tadpoles! |
In the tub room, I feel like a redo is needed. This tile work should have been finished out with bull-nose. The tile contractor didn't order any. Perhaps he didn't order any because not all tiles have coordinating bull-nose. Over time he has learned to paint the edges. However, this room is small, will always be a pass through to the master bath and is very well lit with large windows, so I had to insist on ordering the bull-nose and retile this small area. The lead time on this tile is now 3 weeks! Oh my.
Tuesday May 12, 2015
In the master shower, above the tile, I think there should be a change in the paint color. The paint for the ceiling and walls without wallpaper is Sherwin Williams - Shoji White. The color is perfect with the wallpaper! A home run! But it is too close in color to the shower wall tile, so to me it looks like primer. I discuss the needed change with the builder. He informs me that it will be an additional charge. I am appreciative that he lets me know. Last fall we got off on the wrong foot. I didn't know there were additional charges until I got the bill. That didn't go over very well since there was no opportunity to say no once the work had been done. So with this change in paint color, I let him know I'll be painting it myself. It went well, but a little tricky with 10 foot ceilings and a bench seat installed, it was difficult for me to keep my balance, but doable, while I cut in around the crown molding.
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| Before the change |
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| In the process of changing |
Wednesday May 13, 2015
The cabinet maker arrives today to align all the cabinet doors. This needs to be done BEFORE cabinet hardware can be installed.
Tip: If you order hardware from catalogs, make sure you give yourself enough time before installation to receive it, open and look at it, and if necessary, return it, if it's not what you thought it would be. In my case, this was the case for the shaker knobs I was envisioning for the stained kitchen cabinets. In the catalog they looked fine, but when they arrived they looked like crafty button knobs. The hardware supplier,
Sword Company, was wonderful! They do have a return policy, so check out what your hardware supplier's policy is before you purchase.
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While onsite, the cabinet maker cuts the back out
on the mahogany buffet intended for the guest bath.
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Thursday May 14,2015
The masons building the retaining walls are working through the rain today. We must get these done before we can regrade the lot. Every rain washes more and more of the soil away and into the lake. Not only will WE be happy to get the grass in, but so will the developer that created this neighborhood by digging out the inlets.
The pool is so filled with rainwater now that we have two ducks that enjoy their morning swim each morning before the house gets busy with contractors.
The painters can finish coat the front porch shutters today. We ordered them from
Timberlane in Pennsylvania. I received great sales assistance from them. Originally the builder was going to have his trimmer custom make me a batten shutter. However, the shutter hardware was not included in the "Shutters" line item on the budget. I was later told that it was in the cabinet hardware budget. Needless to say, the hardware budget was in the green before adding this shutter hardware. So, I began to reseach shutter manufacturers and discovered because of the huge volume that Timberlane deals with, we were able to reduce the total price of hardware for the exterior shutters by more than $350.00. That closed the deal for me.
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| Shutters stored in the garage waiting for final paint |
Tip:I also recommend that you order wood products primed. There was no knowing when these shutters would be painted once delivered. Having them primed by the manufacturer gave us the peace of mind that the shutters would not twist or warp in the Texas heat waiting to be painted.
The screen door that I found at Canton is getting it's final coat of paint today. I'll do an article specific to this door later on in my blog. It has a story of it's own.
Friday May 15,2015
The garage doors go in today,which is great. However, I've noticed not all trades work well together. The painters finished painting the shutters yesterday. They stored the freshly painted shutters on the garage floor. When the garage door contractors arrived, they just started working. Nothing was moved, no one was notified that room needed to be made for the installation. The end result, the shutters were scratched, and needed touch ups moving forward. In short, there are so many touch-ups that are required, that could be minimized if only each trade respected the work of the trade before them. So sad.
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| A full house of hardware |
Today I decide to tackle the hardware that I moved up into the attic. My artroom is a great out of the way place, with lots of countertops. It took hours to sort through, even with a great reference sheet provided by
Sword Company . Once again, I did not use the builder's typical hardware supplier. Once I got going, I was asking myself, who usually does all this for the builder? Then I'm reminded that my builder is predominately a spec builder. He probably has a "typical" product for these homes and it will be his trimmer that sorts and installs.
Tip: If you are specifying any hardware that is not your builder's standard, then be sure you receive, open, verify and layout your hardware at each cabinet and/or door. You don't want holes drilled into cabinet doors, entry doors, etc...in the wrong places. Verify, verify, verify. Example: The study and the master bedroom entry doors each receive the same door knobs. Also to be installed are a pair of bolt locks. The trimmer asked me where to place the bolt lock (I'm glad he asked). But it's in the details. He thought it was one pair of knobs, and one bolt for each room. So once he knew the location of the one bolt, he would just do the same in the next room. However, it was the master that needed both bolts. The study received none. Being on the job site helps. It's gratifying to know one can intercept specifics before they become issues. But I can't catch everything. That's why I hired a builder. I just wish he came by more often, and asked more questions, to be sure it's all covered. Two pairs of eyes are always better than one.
Today the painters stain the front door. It's hot today, but they leave the door open a bit for it to dry.
Finally, the last of the hardie board yellow walls are gone. We're painting it the same Sherwin Williams Jasper as the exterior doors and shutters. The dark color will replicate the same condition as one would have in a picture frame. The Jasper is the "mat board". The fauna outside the windows is the picture. The dark color will make the outside vegetation "pop". So excited!
Saturday May 16,2015
Carpet samples arrive today. We need to pick the right color carpet to go with the drapery and bedding fabrics.
No one shows up to work today.
Wednesday May 20,2015
Today, the pool crew came to drain the pool, to get ready for the white plaster. The pool needs constant attention in its first weeks after the plaster goes in. Our builder said there should be no problem moving us in at the end of the month. So I've booked the movers for May 29th. Sorry duckies, no morning swims in the pool. It's also good to have the pool drained so that the huge volume of water is able to be runoff and time given for the soil to dry out. We need drier soil to get the grading started. Bring it on!
Friday May 22, 2015
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March 22, we told the builder to
purchase this cable. |
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| What is actually going in today |
Today the audio technician is removing and reinstalling the video cable for the TV. Before we signed the contract with our builder, we mentioned that we were interested in a surround system. He said he thought it could be worked in. Well, we found out it had been "worked in" when we received a November bill for $800 for surround sound. We didn't know what it covered, what it had been wired for. It took months to figure it out. With the help of an onsite inspection by two other audio companies, and pictures from my smart phone to show to 2 additional audio retailers, it was all four of their unanimous opinions that the video cable installed would not work. So today the change out is being made. Anyone out there that wants to comment on this cable, please feel free to post.
Saturday May 23, 2015
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| There's a hole |
" there's a hole in your bucket Elijah, Elijah, There's a hole in your bucket, dear 'lijah, there's a hole". Remember that song?
Well it turns out that my husband and I were frustrated that the driveway appeared to be permanently wet. The contour of the driveway prevented the water from going towards the road along the driveway. So the two of us dug a trench nearly 2 feet deep and 50 feet long to take the water from the back of the property to drain in the shade to the new location of the front, and very sunny. It took us two days to complete. We were so proud of our accomplishment, we were happy to show it to the builder. He was less impressed by our efforts. Apparently the new direction of the water flow had revealed a weakness in the regrading, and just under the newly poured driveway. A hole was discovered, no doubt opened by the new water flow. It revealed a "pocket" possibly created by the electric company bringing in their line to the main house. The builder said he wouldn't warranty the driveway because we had uncovered the " hole". Really? Isn't it a good thing to find areas that can be addressed BEFORE they become a major issue. Again, I'm confused.
Sunday May 24, 2015
The builder sends his cleaning people to the home to clean all the windows and the entire house.
Tuesday May 26, 2015
Yay, the glass arrives! Today we receive the glass for the cabinets and the shower door for the master shower. One room is a redo. The laundry has reeded glass inserts. Two of the doors have been cut on the vertical, the other two have been mistakenly cut on the horizontal. Since they didn't have room to lay them all out in the same room, I wonder if they would have caught the error before they caulked and glued and installed them. Fortunately it was caught before any of that and they will come back later in the week to finish the install.
Thursday May 28th, 2015
This morning my builder told me that I could pull off the roof lining that "protected" the IPE porch from the UV light. I knew it was wet underneath, and they are planning to sand it today. IPE is a VERY hard wood to cut. You can leave a board of it in the soil for 25 years and it will not deteriorate. It's a perfect choice for the lake, and a wooded lot. But it's weakness is the UV light, so it must be protected. My builder's health was not so good in the first part of the year, and when he returned to work after a 5 week leave of absence, I had to give him the bad news that the porch had turned grey. Now it would need a good sanding to bring it back to the red mahogany color that it is known for. Once it dried, one could see not only the grey, but the heavy water marks left behind because the roof liner did not allow it to "breath". The builder asked the tile and flooring crew to sand it. But the orbital sander just tore it up! Then the builder came back with a belt sander. That too messed up the grain of the wood. Finally, at 4 PM the builder came back with a DeWalt palm sander and 80 grit sand paper. One! Palm sander! for a 65' long deck! Okay, you may have guessed by now. We're not moving in tomorrow. But one palm sander will take hours, days! So naturally, I volunteer to assist and use my Mikita palm sander. So I tell them I'll start at the other side of the porch and we'll meet somewhere in the "middle". No objections from all parties present.
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| Finished before panel installation |
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| Insulation going in R-19 |
Friday May 29th, 2015
It's my understanding that the trimmer will be by to install a 1/4" panel to finish off the attic lift. I want to add insulation to the frame before it goes in. Since the trimmer generally likes to start working early, I need to get to the job site by 7:30 AM. I beat him to the job-site and install the insulation. I'm so proud of what I have accomplished. Only hours later does he show up, after noon. Then I wish I had slept in. Oh well, there is no telling when people will show up to work anymore. Just makes it hard to plan.
It's a busy day. Today I get our very LAST trash pick up provided by the builder. The tile and flooring crew never did show up today. So guess who has been working on "their" end of the porch with a palm sander...........today is a 12 hour day of sanding.
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Watermarks that can only
be sanded out |
Saturday May 30th, 2015
Surely some one will show up to work today. Yes, it's a Saturday, but move in was suppose to be yesterday, surely everyone is in high gear. Alas, no one shows up for work today except my wonderful husband and I....and we continue to sand the porch. My husband is wondering now, "what's wrong with this picture?" My husband spent 3 hours just on the orbital sander marks. He successfully removed all the marks. I worked on removing the watermarks.
Sunday May 31, 2015
Today we return to clean the porch. We finished the sanding yesterday. Now we need to remove the clay, sheet rock and other debris from between the boards and countersunk screws.. We use No. 63 from Behr. It's great!
Tip: When building a house, keep handy a hose, and spray nozzle. You will need it more than you think.
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The oil sealer must be wiped
down in 30-60 mins. Don't be
fooled, follow the directions. |
Monday June 1, 2015
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| Close up |
Happy Birthday husband!!!! I had asked him weeks ago to take the day off today, thinking that he would be enjoying his birthday in the new house. The Direct TV is being installed today and I hired the audio technician to mount the new TV. The front porch must dry for 24 hours before applying the oil sealer. So we are on target for a 4 PM deck sealing.. The plan. I seal, and the husband goes back to make us HIS birthday dinner. Not my first choice, but after so many hours on our hands and knees my husband wants me to see this to the end, even if its on his birthday. I finish sealing the deck at 8:30 PM. I go to my car only to find that my thoughtful husband has locked the car. Now he had to throttle back on dinner, come pick me up (30 minutes one way). I feel terrible that this is the birthday he is getting this year. Building a house is not easy on anyone.
Wednesday June 3, 2015
My parents had planned to come into Dallas today. Unfortunately my father took a bad fall several weeks ago, so they had to change their plans.
Discount Pools knew I wanted to have the pool ready for my family's arrival so here they are today, applying the white plaster. It's pretty cool. It goes on like whip cream then turns into "fondant", just saying....
Now that the retaining walls are finished, my masons can finally get to finishing the sidewalk. It never fails. you can have a large project, but it seems that everyone needs to work in the same place. Makes it crowded, but it just seems to be the way it works out.
Thursday June 4, 2015
Let the grading begin! Regrading that is. It feels like forever, yes it has been almost a year, so isn't that almost "forever"? It also took some phone calls, pleading, and personal work ethic, to get the yard cleared out from all the debris over the year. I wonder, what the grounds would be like to work with today, had I not picked up all the nails and screws I could find with a metal detector, picked up pieces of fiber cement board, concrete, etc. The landscaper wants to work fast. They are renting the bob cat at a daily rate. The more they can do in one day, give us more money for plants. I like how this landscaper works. He works "smart"!
After everyone goes home, I have my first dip in the pool. This is as far as it goes. I packed my bathing suit already, thinking I was moving in last week. I can't remember which box it's in. Oh dear.
Friday June 5, 2014
Today the grading is done! He got it done in one day ( 9AM to 9AM). To do that it took two men almost around the clock. When one had worked overtime, the owner would jump on and take over from there, asking his worker to return at 6 AM to go at it again. It looks so nice with all the ruts gone. Now if we can just get this all finished before the rain comes back again. The rain is in the forecast each day as a 50-50 chance.
No one from my builder's team has come to work today. There is a Parade of Homes going on in the area, and any builder that has a home on the tour is getting first dibs on the contractors in the area. We are not on the Parade of Homes, so we don' get any tradesmen working today, tomorrow, and to our surprise no one on Monday either. I'm confused. Our move in date is/was when?
I've been given my marching orders from my landscaper that I MUST have my plant list to him by Monday, no later than Tuesday. So taking these pictures will help me show the retail nurseries what I am trying to cover. I have commitments in Dallas on Friday, Commitments in Houston on Saturday, so I'll make a mad dash to the nurseries on Sunday and Monday so that we can get the plants in before the next rain storm.....fingers crossed.
Planting beds planned for all sides of the home. I'll plant the perennials myself. It will be fairly easy once the beds are in. We will have the landscaper install the trees and larger shrubs and roses. We are really excited to have him on our team. He excels in grading. Since we have so much water that comes through this lot, it's very important that the grading is done right.
Tuesday June 9, 2015
Happy Anniversary sweetheart! Today I'm at more nurseries. Taking pictures of what you find is helpful in remembering what it was that you saw. While I was away, the dead tree was removed yesterday, and today the stump is being ground out BEFORE the sprinkler system and plant beds are even started. No builder will guarantee your trees will survive a construction site. One of ours didn't make it, even though we applied fertilizer, protected it, bought soaker hoses to keep it from being over stressed. Still died!
FYI: Not every contractor cleans up after themselves. That's why I have a broom, dust pan, and lately a small vacuum cleaner available that I use. Sometimes other contractors will ask if they can use it to clean up, but not this guy. When interviewing references, ask them if the job site is kept clean. Even better, find out where your prospective builder is building and make a surprise visit to see what the conditions are like. It has taken me hours upon hours to keep this job site clean. There were only 4 trash pick ups in the entire scope of the project. As I mentioned earlier, my last pick up was May 29th. I am now taking the construction trash off premise myself. Despite asking the builder to see to it that each trade take the debris they produce, it isn't being done. It was for the first few days, but not any more. It's discouraging.
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| fiber optic line 12"-16" deep |
Tip:When underground wiring is being installed, try to be there and take pictures. Make sure that something that won't be relocated is also in the picture so you can have a reference point. Take as many pictures as you can, You may only get one chance at this. It's amazing how in these last few weeks, I've been asked where things are in the walls so that when they install their products, ie. sprinkler system, fiber optics, etc.. they don't puncture through an existing line. Take pictures!
Friday June 12, 2015
Today is precisely 1 year since the earth movers began to tear down the trees to get started. Later this evening our landscaper sent us these pictures of all the work that he and his team had done, while I was away caring for my husband who had to be under doctor's care today.
There are no words, to express the satisfaction of not seeing the clay soils any longer. The reassurance that there is a small chance that the land will stop running into the lake. We just can't wait to move in. Literally, we just can't wait.
Saturday June 13, 2015
Here is a picture of what the lot looked like back then.
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| June 13, 2014 |
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| June 13, 2014 |
Oh little did we know then, what we know now.
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| Today, June 13, 2015 |
We hired our own brick contractor to finish under the front porch. We needed to keep air flowing through the underside of the porch since it is made up of wood. The weather can be harsh here so any other material besides brick would not hold up over time, with the one exception, PVC Bermuda shutters. I received 3 price quotes all around $5000.00. So brick was our best and least expensive option.
I found it really difficult to take pictures at the house at night. because the roof shingle is very dark, one has to take the pictures as the sun is setting. It took me two days to finally figure out when to get the best picture. The sun sets on the back of the home. The orientation of the house plan is perfect for this lot. The pool gets the west exposure and the front of the house gets the east. The sun coming up in the morning and watching the mist over the bay is awesome when sitting on the front porch or the breakfast room. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I have pictures of the breakfast room coming up.
My husband's grandfather clock is PERFECT for this space. We planned ahead. We made sure there was an outlet there for it. 
