We finally got doors & windows installed (minus the front door). Rachel & I went to several places to look at windows and door options, took prices and looked at features. We timed it perfectly and got high quality product at Home Depot for a significant discount, and so we chose them. The doors and windows were delivered and that's when we discovered that the beautiful front door was damaged. It wasn't damaged on delivery, as we saw the guy bring it off the truck with the fork lift. Nothing he did would've caused this. It was likely caused either during shipping or else at the factory. Regardless, we weren't going to pay for a bad door.
Nearly a week later, nothing had been done by Home Depot and they weren't returning our calls or doing anything about it. That was frustrating.
One of Rachel's co-workers' husband works for Home Depot so he came out and inspected. Normally, he doesn't do that, but he did it for us. He took photographs of the damage. However, after that, we couldn't get any involvement from the store management. This was terribly frustrating.
However, after we started bugging them, I think one of the assistant managers finally got involved and realized that there was a problem.
However, the store manager insulted Rachel (practically) by telling her that he'd give her a $200 discount on the door and was willing to "sell" her some stain for the door at a discount.
Give me a break. The door had a distressed finish, but "come on". Offering to sell us stain was an insult.
So we told them to come get the door. They ordered a new door to replace that one and we're waiting for that.
In the meantime, we contracted with a guy to come out and install the windows and doors. I took off work and was home to help him. We also got help from our son when I got tired of carrying the windows. The double windows were pretty heavy, as were the french doors.
They're all installed. I took a few photographs. We're pretty happy with the quality, and the assistant manager at Home Depot made things right, so we have no complaints with them. We're just waiting on the front door and some screen replacements for the french doors.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
2011.05.04 - Hoping to Close In Soon
I’ve been meaning to write up an update on what we’ve been doing. Rachel has felt an urgency to get more progress done and so although we both have full-time jobs and a lot of maintenance around the homestead to do, we have put forth a major effort in the last couple of weeks towards closing the house in. We’ve framed in the open areas of the exterior concrete walls. We’ve met with various door and window suppliers and taken bids, and Rachel believes she’s found the one that she’s happiest with. She wants to get the exterior doors and windows installed in early June, so that means that we’ve got to have the exterior walls ready for that.
Anyway, progress has been good and we hope to wrap that up this weekend and then be able to put some sheathing over the framed exterior areas. That’ll have us ready.
We still need to address waterproofing on the roof, but it’s been rainy and wet and we’ve just not addressed it. Clearly that’ll be the next step. We plan on waterproofing, and then covering the waterproofing material with old carpet to protect it from the sun. We’ll leave it like that for a while and wait for more rain so that we can verify that our waterproofing job has been adequate. Then we will get the dirt on the roof.
In addition to the basic waterproofing, once we start adding dirt, we will add a liner for additional waterproofing, and grade that so that water will flow off the roof rather than puddle in areas as it does now. And in addition to the liner, we will add some sheet insulation to protect the liner and also insulate in a manner in keeping with the PAHS theory, which will not only provide good waterproofing and insulation, but will also help the house maintain a more constant temperature year round.
Anyway, progress has been good and we hope to wrap that up this weekend and then be able to put some sheathing over the framed exterior areas. That’ll have us ready.
We still need to address waterproofing on the roof, but it’s been rainy and wet and we’ve just not addressed it. Clearly that’ll be the next step. We plan on waterproofing, and then covering the waterproofing material with old carpet to protect it from the sun. We’ll leave it like that for a while and wait for more rain so that we can verify that our waterproofing job has been adequate. Then we will get the dirt on the roof.
In addition to the basic waterproofing, once we start adding dirt, we will add a liner for additional waterproofing, and grade that so that water will flow off the roof rather than puddle in areas as it does now. And in addition to the liner, we will add some sheet insulation to protect the liner and also insulate in a manner in keeping with the PAHS theory, which will not only provide good waterproofing and insulation, but will also help the house maintain a more constant temperature year round.
Monday, April 4, 2011
2011.04.03 - We hope to make progress this summer
After a cold winter, we're anxious to get back to work on the house. We have a number of goals to accomplish before next winter. We want to get the roof waterproofed and bermed once and for all. We want to close the house in and get the exterior doors and windows installed. To that end, we've begun taking bids on doors and windows and I've put in an order for the steel framing material that we'll use to close in the openings in our concrete structure.
Rachel and I installed hangers in the garage so that we can finally make our "warehouse" a little more useable. The floor space had been used up by various building materials and having the wall set up for storage, this frees up some of our floor space for other things. If we're going to be moving forward this summer, we'll need to utilize our space more efficiently.
We have more to do in the garage to reclaim floor space and store away the materials we have in a better way. Hopefully, we wont allow the storage area to be used as inefficiently as we allowed before.
Hopefully, in a month or so, I should be able to report progress again. We'll see.
Rachel and I installed hangers in the garage so that we can finally make our "warehouse" a little more useable. The floor space had been used up by various building materials and having the wall set up for storage, this frees up some of our floor space for other things. If we're going to be moving forward this summer, we'll need to utilize our space more efficiently.
We have more to do in the garage to reclaim floor space and store away the materials we have in a better way. Hopefully, we wont allow the storage area to be used as inefficiently as we allowed before.
Hopefully, in a month or so, I should be able to report progress again. We'll see.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
2010.10.13 - Slab Pour
The concrete crew showed up this morning and began setting up. Before they arrived, I was out there even earlier to take care of some last minute things that I'd thought of during the night. I had just finished when the crew arrived.
The pumper truck showed up about 8:30 and the first concrete truck arrived around 9:00. The pour began soon after that.
I photographed and videoed progress during the day (http://www.flickr.com/photos/les_stockton/sets/72157625159403546/). And when all this was being scheduled, Rachel was a bit aggressive and arranged to have an electrician on-site to set up so that it would be easier to use a portable generator to supply a minimal amount of electricity directly to the house, rather than having to string extension cords through the door or through a dryer vent. We were successful on both projects.
The pumper truck showed up about 8:30 and the first concrete truck arrived around 9:00. The pour began soon after that.
I photographed and videoed progress during the day (http://www.flickr.com/photos/les_stockton/sets/72157625159403546/). And when all this was being scheduled, Rachel was a bit aggressive and arranged to have an electrician on-site to set up so that it would be easier to use a portable generator to supply a minimal amount of electricity directly to the house, rather than having to string extension cords through the door or through a dryer vent. We were successful on both projects.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
2010.10.12 - Slab Preparation
was afraid that it wasn't going to happen, because we waited all day, but the concrete crew didn't come. Then they finally showed up around 17:30 and started putting down the moisture barrier, which went down quickly, and then they unloaded rebar and started cutting it and putting it into place.
The plan is to come in tomorrow morning, finish rebar in the patio (it got too dark to finish this evening), and to form up in a few places. The concrete will go in and they should have it all done tomorrow.
I took my phone camera out there and got a little bit of video (http://www.flickr.com/photos/les_stockton/sets/72157625028000063/with/5077151642/) of the work this evening.
The plan is to come in tomorrow morning, finish rebar in the patio (it got too dark to finish this evening), and to form up in a few places. The concrete will go in and they should have it all done tomorrow.
I took my phone camera out there and got a little bit of video (http://www.flickr.com/photos/les_stockton/sets/72157625028000063/with/5077151642/) of the work this evening.
Friday, October 8, 2010
2010.10.08 - Behind Schedule On Floors
Friday, Oct 8, 2010
I worked from home today. I walked the construction site while waiting for the concrete contractor to arrive. I shot a few photos of the place while walking between the house and my current house.
The concrete guys didn't show up, but they didn't bother to call until 17:00. By then, I kinda had it figured out, but I was glad to at least get the call. Most contractors wouldn't have even bothered to do that at the end of the day.
The current plan now is that they will prep the site on Monday (I hope they can get it all done in one day), and then pour concrete on Tuesday.
The concrete guys didn't show up, but they didn't bother to call until 17:00. By then, I kinda had it figured out, but I was glad to at least get the call. Most contractors wouldn't have even bothered to do that at the end of the day.
The current plan now is that they will prep the site on Monday (I hope they can get it all done in one day), and then pour concrete on Tuesday.
2010.09.10 - Back On Track
Friday, Sep 10, 2010
After a couple of months off, I'm back at it again. This time, my wonderful wife Rachel is helping me. The summer is almost over. The temperatures are cooler. The work is more pleasant. And it's not such a chore when there is more than one person working. I work well with her and I'm thankful to have her helping.
What we're doing now is preparing for the slab. I've done all the sub-floor utility work, and so now we just need to get things ready to pour a slab in the remaining 3 modules. I'll explain later why we do the slabs after the concrete walls and concrete ceiling.
In order to have a standard 4-inch thick slab, and have it cure uniformly, it's necessary to level the sand base for the concrete to be poured. This means setting up a laser level and then walking around the room with a stick (we're using a tamper that helps compact the sand, but has a line on it that we use to tell with the laser if we're low or high in that spot). We rake and/or shovel sand to low spots and rake off areas where it's too high. We're almost done.
As a re-cap, we got the slab in the garage poured a year or so ago. That allowed us to close in the garage and it has been a place that we could lock and secure building materials and tools for the rest of the construction. The remaining 3 modules had more utility work to be done, but we've gotten that done and now we're hoping to pour the remaining slabs in mid-October.
The reason we are doing the slabs now, rather than before the walls and roof were poured, is that with a concrete house, if we had poured the slabs first, then when we put the forms in to hold up the roof for pouring that concrete, the weight of the roof concrete would've definitely broken our slab. To prevent that the walls and roof are poured in one pour. The slabs are poured later.
Anyway, I hope that explains it. I hope to write more as we progress. We took a few photos. Rather than use my fancy camera, we just went in and took a few photos with our new phone cameras. I've posted a full set of photos on my flickr site.
What we're doing now is preparing for the slab. I've done all the sub-floor utility work, and so now we just need to get things ready to pour a slab in the remaining 3 modules. I'll explain later why we do the slabs after the concrete walls and concrete ceiling.
In order to have a standard 4-inch thick slab, and have it cure uniformly, it's necessary to level the sand base for the concrete to be poured. This means setting up a laser level and then walking around the room with a stick (we're using a tamper that helps compact the sand, but has a line on it that we use to tell with the laser if we're low or high in that spot). We rake and/or shovel sand to low spots and rake off areas where it's too high. We're almost done.
As a re-cap, we got the slab in the garage poured a year or so ago. That allowed us to close in the garage and it has been a place that we could lock and secure building materials and tools for the rest of the construction. The remaining 3 modules had more utility work to be done, but we've gotten that done and now we're hoping to pour the remaining slabs in mid-October.
The reason we are doing the slabs now, rather than before the walls and roof were poured, is that with a concrete house, if we had poured the slabs first, then when we put the forms in to hold up the roof for pouring that concrete, the weight of the roof concrete would've definitely broken our slab. To prevent that the walls and roof are poured in one pour. The slabs are poured later.
Anyway, I hope that explains it. I hope to write more as we progress. We took a few photos. Rather than use my fancy camera, we just went in and took a few photos with our new phone cameras. I've posted a full set of photos on my flickr site.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
I Quit
I'm tired. The summer is hot. I can't get the materials I need to continue the job. I feel like giving up. When I sat down to write this, I had pretty much made my mind up that "I'm done. I quit."
I figure that I'll change my mind this fall, but for the summer, I'm done.
I have tried for over a month to get the sand that I need to continue work. I'm wanting to get this in the area where I can level it out over our utility lines and pour a slab for the floor.
It took 2 weeks because of weather and because of an unreliable dirt contractor. At first, the issue was that the sand was wet and so he couldn't deliver a full load because of the weight of the truck. I understand that but when it dried out days later, he kept saying they'd deliver the next day and didn't. After repeated calls, finally, 2 weeks later, it was delivered, and it was mostly clay, not sand like I had asked.
He had decided (for me) that although I asked for sand, what I really wanted was this stuff. He'd asked what I was doing to use it for, and he decided that he knew better what I needed.
So I asked for another load of sand and over 2 weeks later, it got delivered this day, and it was the same stuff as before. Crap!!!
I've been looking in the phone directory for another supplier in the area and there aren't that many. I finally got a hold of one this morning and the first thing he asked when I told him what I wanted as "what are you going to use it for?" I replied, "Never mind" and I hung up the phone.
I'm done. I've paid $260 dollars for clay that is of no use to me right now. Once it is dumped out of their truck, it's not like I can scoop it back up and send it back with them. I just can't seem to get the material I want, and I'm unwilling to use their clay for my application. I've tried. I've honestly tried.
My problem in the floor is that I spread the stuff and then try to compact it, but it sticks to the tamping tool that I use to compact it with. So I can't get a good level surface. It's taking me 3 to 4 times as long to get a level area for the slab, and I'm doing the work alone. I have no help. So I'm done. I quit. I don't know if I will resume work or not. It's quite possible that this house will never be completed. However, it's also possible that I will have a change of heart in the Fall. Right now, it's hot out there on the site, and I'm tired of struggling with inferior product, and I can't get the product that I repeatedly ask for.
I figure that I'll change my mind this fall, but for the summer, I'm done.
I have tried for over a month to get the sand that I need to continue work. I'm wanting to get this in the area where I can level it out over our utility lines and pour a slab for the floor.
It took 2 weeks because of weather and because of an unreliable dirt contractor. At first, the issue was that the sand was wet and so he couldn't deliver a full load because of the weight of the truck. I understand that but when it dried out days later, he kept saying they'd deliver the next day and didn't. After repeated calls, finally, 2 weeks later, it was delivered, and it was mostly clay, not sand like I had asked.
He had decided (for me) that although I asked for sand, what I really wanted was this stuff. He'd asked what I was doing to use it for, and he decided that he knew better what I needed.
So I asked for another load of sand and over 2 weeks later, it got delivered this day, and it was the same stuff as before. Crap!!!
I've been looking in the phone directory for another supplier in the area and there aren't that many. I finally got a hold of one this morning and the first thing he asked when I told him what I wanted as "what are you going to use it for?" I replied, "Never mind" and I hung up the phone.
I'm done. I've paid $260 dollars for clay that is of no use to me right now. Once it is dumped out of their truck, it's not like I can scoop it back up and send it back with them. I just can't seem to get the material I want, and I'm unwilling to use their clay for my application. I've tried. I've honestly tried.
My problem in the floor is that I spread the stuff and then try to compact it, but it sticks to the tamping tool that I use to compact it with. So I can't get a good level surface. It's taking me 3 to 4 times as long to get a level area for the slab, and I'm doing the work alone. I have no help. So I'm done. I quit. I don't know if I will resume work or not. It's quite possible that this house will never be completed. However, it's also possible that I will have a change of heart in the Fall. Right now, it's hot out there on the site, and I'm tired of struggling with inferior product, and I can't get the product that I repeatedly ask for.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Slow
I've been slow. Progress has been slow. It's depressing. I haven't written about it, because writing shows how little progress has been made. However, for anyone continuing to check the site, I am writing this just to let you know that I am still working on the house.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Poured the Garage floor (finally)
I managed to get a concrete contractor out (finally) and we got the concrete floor to the garage poured. I took a bunch of photos.
Our goal right now is to get the garage closed in, so that we have a secure place to store tools and materials. We'll pour the slabs for the rest of the house after I finish the utility work that is needed below those slabs.
Our goal right now is to get the garage closed in, so that we have a secure place to store tools and materials. We'll pour the slabs for the rest of the house after I finish the utility work that is needed below those slabs.
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