Saturday, April 26, 2014

Spring Doldrums

Partially Covered Floors and New Footprints on the Left

Nice Booties!

Concrete Backer Board for the Tile

Inside of Backer Board up close
The white dots are stryofoam cells


Covered with a smoothing coat of Mud

Shelves for the Master Bath Shower

Laying out the tile before setting it

Master Bath Layout for Approval

Easter Sunrise Service. 
That's an Osprey Nest with a Whaleboat and Rowers in the background

I must have jinxed us. Last time I wrote, which was weeks ago, I said there was light at the end of the tunnel. Well, somebody turned out the lights.

Building a house can be a test of patience and an exercise in frustration interspersed with short periods of joy and excitement. And like the stories we read in Junior High School (now renamed to Middle School so I guess kids won’t feel subservient as “Juniors”…) about sailors taking their ships into vast doldrums, our house is sitting smack dab in the middle of one of the biggest doldrums ever seen.

I think what makes it even more difficult is that we are so close. So very close. But not quite there. We’re waiting for subs to show up and finish their final role in this great performance. It’s become agonizingly slow.

After the first coat of poly went down and they laid the Rosen paper to protect the floors and left booties to be worn over shoes, I swear everyone in Town walked through the house without the booties on and made a point of avoiding the paper like an OCD person avoiding cracks (apparently called Trypophobia but I also saw a reference to Plumberphobia). So somebody came in to clean up. Somebody that had never handled a broom in their life. Ever. Most of the dust and dirt was moved from one side of the rooms to the other. The rest was left in curvy patterns of broom bristles on the floor. How clever. Argh! Does it ever end? The only good thing is knowing that before the next coat of poly goes down, they are really going to have to clean.

Fortunately the tile folks came in and started on the bathrooms and laundry room. I wish I could have been around to watch and ask questions. However, that’s the reason they do their work when the owner’s not around. So they can get their work done. Setting tile may look easy on all of those do it yourself shows. But just think; you’re taking this large, square, heavy, flat rock and dropping it onto a layer of wet mud. And you have to make sure that its level, at the same height and lined up with the others. And then you have to repeat that fifty times. Well, being linear (PC for anal) I know I could never do it. Just making sure all of those lines were straight would send me to the Med Farm.

Today, it’s raining here. That dreary, cold kind of rain that makes it seem proper that I’m writing a poor, woe is me blog entry about the house. I can’t do anything. It will be a good day to read, watch a movie and make some popcorn.

I hate it when I’m forced to relax.

Saturday, April 5, 2014

For Want of a Nail...

Kitchen Floor Complete

Stairs from Room Over Garage

All Set to Be Sanded

Dining Room - The light should play off the dark floor well

Sanding the Floors

Stain Test - Minwax English Chestnut

Stain On - Stain Off

Living Room - Before Poly

Kitchen

Living Room After One Coat of Poly with Protective Paper
 
Dining Room

Master Bedroom

Hallway

Living Room

Tile Ready to Go

Building a house can one of the most frustrating things that you can ever do. It seems that there are points of sheer speed when you can see progress every day. And these bursts of progress are often interrupted by dead stop, no work, no progress moments that last for days and at times, weeks. Like intermissions in a long play or movie. This was one of those intermissions.

While we were happy with the speed of the floor install and looked forward to having it stained and polyurethaned we were unprepared for what happened next. And so was our Project Manager.

They. Went. On. VACATION! So the floor sat. Unsanded. Unstained. Unfinished. And we were unhappy. Very unhappy. Now I’m sure somebody told our builder, Meridian Custom Homes that they would be away. But they didn’t tell our Project Manager, who also happens to work for Meridian. So all the sub-contractors that he had lined up, were unlined up and went off to other homes.

You see, the tile guys wouldn’t come in until the hardwoods were done. The cabinet guys wouldn’t come in and install the vanities and wrap up the kitchen until the tile guys were done. The granite vanity and counter top company wouldn’t come in until the cabinets were installed. The painters wouldn’t come in for the touch ups until the countertops were installed. And the electricians wouldn’t come in to install outlets and switches until the paint was touched up. And so it goes.

But now the floors are installed, stained and covered with the first of three coats of poly. Rosen paper has been spread on the floors to protect them. And the tile that has been sitting in the garage since February can now be installed. And we can get the subs all lined up again. And keep our fingers crossed for no more vacations while they are working on our house.

I have to admit, as frustrating as it was, with the floors in, they look great! We’re happy with the way the stain looks in contrast to the paint that Mrs. OSH picked out. The floors were the last bit of large construction. Now we can start on everything else. Yes, we’re really seeing light at the end of the tunnel now.


Enjoy your weekend.