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Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 9/16/2009
Here are more updated photos.
Photos
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| View front inside the bumpout, which is one of the kids rooms |
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| View from the other kids room |
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| Our SUN TUNNELS. In the two main bathrooms, the kids and the master. |
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| The back of the house |
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| Deck is taking shape. |
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| View from the backyard |
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| This picture really shows the cathedral ceiling on the deck. |
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| The basement entryway |
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| The garage side of the house is completely finished. |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 4/8/2008
Been awhile since I've posted. We have been busy enjoying the new house, well at least the inside. The past two weeks, the mason has been coming by when the weather is nice, and he is finishing the brickwork on the pillars of our back deck/patio. Of course, in Pennsylvania it could be 55 today and 30 with snow tomorrow, so it really is hit or miss.
We did figure out that it was easier to build our house than it was to get cable and phone, believe it or not. My job requires that I have high-speed internet, so during our year of pre-planning that we went to Comcast and made sure we'd be okay, since we are in a rural area. Of course, they said we'd have no problem. Well, no problem if we wanted basic cable and nothing else. It seems that our lines on the road are old and they support very little. So finally after about three weeks, I got cable/internet, but we scrapped the cable TV. We decided to go with DirectTV. That was a whole different kind of headache altogether. My one word of advice is DO NOT GO THROUGH THE NATIONAL DIRECTTV SITE... Go through a local dealer, trust me. After about three weeks we finally got it and as a sports fan, I love it.
We wired the house for every known possible need that we could ever have, well almost. I did not realize that if you have a DVR with DirectTV it requires two co-ax lines. So they had to fish another through the wall. While doing so, they messed up my phone line somehow. The phone line was totally messed up. We have three lines: home, office and fax, and somehow they got messed up. I really felt like the tech from Verizon was an ass and he tried to be as minimally hands-on as humanly possible. I was very upset about the whole situation. Now I still get some static in my office line and of course they act like it kills them to help you out.
We are in the process of getting another appraisal so we can get the PMI (private mortgage insurance) knocked off our loan. We came up $5,000 short the first time on the required percentage we needed to avoid it, but that was based solely from our plans. The plans changed and we added a lot more value so I don't foresee any major problems. But that will knock off a lot of money from our loan.
We got all of our furniture, TV's, etc. I took pics, but just haven't had time to post them as of yet. Hopefully, the brickwork gets done this week. We have to pour the driveway and patio and our masons will finally be able to leave.
The bank is still very impressed that it took my wife and I only six months and six days to complete the house. We're a little proud of that. The excavator is coming out next week so he can finish the grading and we can get grass planted and begin landscaping.
Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 1/27/2008
Here are some more updated pictures
Photos
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| Front door trim |
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| Thermostat |
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| Attic door |
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| Main bath trim |
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| Wrought iron towel bar |
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| Granite countertop in main bath |
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| One of the glass closet doors in kids room |
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| Attic wall insulation |
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| My office |
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| The Cabrio washer and dryer |
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| My wife with the most important piece of paper we own, the occupancy permit |
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| Our dinette painting against the chocolate accent wall |
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| My wife had the idea to put myself and my two sons baby sketches up in the hallway |
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| Shower curtain in master bath |
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| Mirror in master bath |
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| The half bath |
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| We found this unwanted visitor in a Tupperware container trying to eat some coffee beans |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 1/27/2008
A little over six months and we've finally made it. On Friday, we received our occupancy permit. We still have to have the inspector come back in the spring for the final grade and for our deck railing, but we have the go ahead to finally move in to our dream house. What a long strange trip its been.
On Thursday, our lender came by and informed us that out of all the people who have ever borrowed money from their bank to build a house we are the first couple who has adhered to their draw schedule. That made us feel pretty good. We started with $20,000 cash that was for the two-acre land purchase, clearing and purchasing materials prior to our loan. We borrowed $230,000 from the bank and when all is said and done we finished with $800 to spare. The lender fully expects the project to appraise between $300K-$350K That felt so good not only did we finish in a reasonable amount of time, but we also came in under budget. I can honestly say my wife and I worked our tails off. I can't thank my father-in-law enough for everything he helped us do through the whole process.
Ironically, our inspector who was with us through the whole process was not the inspector for our final. Talk about being nervous, we learned how he operated and now we had a new guy. My poor wife barely got any sleep the night before, but it was all good.
Last week, our plumber and HVAC sub came in and finished all the faucets, dryer, washer, disposal. The electrician got all his stuff done. He also installed the garage-door openers and we wired up my whole-house MTX stereo system. The speakers are MTX, the receivers are Kenwood and Pioneer with a Sony and Kenwood CD player and Mintek DVD player so far. I'll be adding more at week's end.
The security system folks (Dynamark) came in and finished our security system and then they tutored us on how to use it.
The Amish finished all the trim and then they put the soffit and fascia under the front porch and under the deck.
The countertop folks came by and finished the kitchen, they had to do the island and knee wall. We did the Wilsonart HD Butter Rum on the counters and the black with a solid-surface edge on the island and knee wall to break up the color. They also brought our main bath granite counter.
We did a bunch of little odds and ends type things to get ready.
The inspector arrived at 11:30 a.m. on Friday and after a few hours he passed us and was amazed at how well we did for being owner-builders.
Friday night and today it was cleaning time. We had a bunch of family over helping us clean. We wiped down all the wood with Murphy's oil soap. I love the smell. We cleaned all the cabinets, trim, doors, walls, and ceilings. You name it, we cleaned it.
We also cleaned up the basement and burned what we could and we finally filled up our dumpster for the first time. We got our mirrors, pictures and artwork all done. We evened out all the cabinet doors and finally got to break out all our new stuff for the kitchen. We started washing dishes in the new dishwasher and washed all the towels. We also started moving as much of the small stuff up here as we could.
Our furniture gets delivered on Tuesday. The phone company is supposed to be coming out at week's end. We're hoping the cable company comes out this week as well. Today, we're going to move what little of the big stuff that we're keeping such as two beds, fridge, freezer, end tables, coffee table, gun cabinet, etc.
Photos
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| My new office carpeting |
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| Master-bedroom carpet and trim |
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| The insulators finishing off the basement ceiling. |
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| My office |
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| The island |
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| The knee wall |
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| The doorbell |
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| Under the front porch |
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| The security monitor |
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| The master bedroom |
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| One of the kids' rooms with curtains |
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| Other kid's room |
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| The kitchen sink and faucet |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 1/18/2008
Updated pictures
Photos
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| Office cabinets |
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| Corner workspace in the office |
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| Granite vanity top for master bath |
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| Granite top for main bath |
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| Dishwasher |
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| Range |
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| Better range pic |
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| Fridge |
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| My granite sink |
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| Pedestal for half bath |
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| Th Whirpool Cabrio Washer |
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| Cabrio |
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| The Backyard |
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| Railing in the stairwell |
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| Retaining wall |
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| Outside fan |
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| Flexible heat runs capped off for future use |
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| Control Panel for the humidifier |
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| The Humidifier |
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| Rheem tankless water heater |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 1/18/2008
The Amish worked the past two days on installing our poplar trim that's stained and dyed with cherry and mahogany. They have a half day of work left and then they'll be finished.
The plumber/HVAC put in the fixtures and all the toilets are working. They also installed the garbage disposal and hooked the hose bib for outside. The walk-in shower is looking great. They also hooked up the heat pump and A/C unit. They got the humidifier working and installed on the furnace and the retaining wall is finally complete.
The electrician came in and wired up the under cabinet lighting in the kitchen. He hooked up the outside fans under the deck. The MTX speakers are in the walls and ceiling in the living room and in my office. He also installed the range hood.
We made steps for the garage entry into the laundry room and hung robe hooks in the master, main and half baths. We also installed doorstops and changed over the new stove from natural to LP gas. We filled in the nails holes on the door trim and we used the crayon type stain sticks and the Minwax stain stick, both worked great.
Our appliances were delivered. We got a Frigidaire dishwasher, Frigidaire Professional slide-in range, Whirlpool Gold refrigerator. We got the Cabrio washer and dryer, but the dryer had a dent in it so they did not send it. It is to arrive on Monday.
Our carpet was dropped off, it will be installed on Monday. We also bought a nice area rug for the living room.
Starting to come together, the wife and some of her family are going to start cleaning this weekend and we told all the subs they have to be out Thursday. We are shooting for a final inspection on Friday of next week.
Photos
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| Baseboard trim in living room |
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| My office door with the trim around it |
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| Master Bedroom door |
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| Noah installing trim |
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| Our range hood getting wired up |
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| The range hood |
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| My office closet |
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| Kitchen counter top |
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| Newly installed countertop |
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| My office desk |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 1/14/2008
Here are some more pics as we continue the final finish
Photos
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| Better look at the interior doors |
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| Kitchen knobs |
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| Kitchen drawer handles |
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| The microwave |
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| Father-in-law installing knobs |
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| Look into the living room, stools for the kitchen |
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| Newly painted stairwell |
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| Steps after they were poured |
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| Our sidewalk |
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| Masons getting ready to pour the steps and sidewalk |
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| Hard to believe this was our steps |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 1/14/2008
We got all 13 wood doors hung. The stain was mahogany and we really like them. The knobs were egg shaped and rubbed oil bronze finish by Schlage, they are all installed as well.
The knobs are in all of the cabinets. We did the office, kitchen and both bathrooms. There were a bunch and it was pretty time consuming. We are now adjusting doors, then we'll be free of the cabinets.
The trim also arrived with the doors, they're poplar stained with mahogany. We wanted wood, but not a grainy wood so we chose poplar. The trim is bought, stained and installed for $2/ft. The Amish will be in this week to install it.
The masons are almost done with our retaining walls. They should start bricking the columns on the deck this week.
We installed all the floor vents and registers.
The HVAC sub installed the air conditioning unit.
We painted the stairwell to the basement and will install the railing today. The only painting left now is touch-up stuff around the ceilings and then the garage, which I'll do in the spring.
The drywallers that we fired went nuts with the RotoZip and made most of the switches and receptacles in the house too big, so I went around and patched them all, then sanded them, repainted the holes and put the covers back on.
The Amish will be in to finish the soffit and fascia under the front porch roof when they come in to do trim. We had to leave it off for the brickwork. Then the outside of the house will be complete except for grass, landscaping, patio floor and driveway, which will both be poured in a few months.
The electrician came today and hung the fans under the deck for the patio. He will be finishing up the rest of the stuff he has to do this week which is basically garage door openers, speakers, phone and cable stuff.
The security company Dynamark will be in to finish the security system.
The insulation sub will be in to do the floor.
Appliances will be delivered, hopefully today.
So by week's end we should be close to moving in. I have a trip to Mobile, Alabama coming over the weekend so in those three days I hope to miss the cleaning... lol.
Photos
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| My mailbox. We love it and it is sturdy as can be |
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| Big bathroom handles |
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| More bathroom knobs |
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| Recessed lights in deck roof |
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| radius in retaining wall where our spiral staircase will be |
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| Office handles |
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| Office wall cabinets |
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| More retaining wall |
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| Front steps |
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| Mahogany stained pine doors |
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| Rubbed oil bronze egg shaped knobs |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 1/10/2008
Front steps were poured today as well as the sidewalk. We did two steps in front of the door that are like half circles. The sidewalk starts as wide as the main arch and then tapers to 4' the rest of the way to the driveway. Today, they will start our two 26' retaining walls in the back of the house off the patio.
I painted the stairwell with one coat of primer, and one coat of leftover ceiling paint that we had. It needs one more coat. My wife is going around with her little art brush and fixing any of our flub ups.
The father-in-law was working on the cabinets adjusting doors and drilling holes for the handles.
Today, the interior doors and trim are supposed to be delivered. Our materials supplier really earned bonus points for this. They delivered our doors and trim to the framer, an hour and a half away. He then dyed and stained the wood and they are picking them up and delivering them to us for no extra charge. We will start putting up doors today hopefully. Then early next week the Amish framer is coming in to put all the trim up while we work on a few other things.
We also went to Home Depot and bought our closet doors. We'll get them done by weeks end. The carpet guy will be in early next week. Our furniture is all ready to be delivered but we're going to wait until the final inspection is done and our big cleaning is complete.
The electrician is scheduled to come in on Friday and he will wire up the garage door openers and finish the garage doors. He will also put up the outside fans and the lights in the garage. We have to install the speakers as well.
Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 1/7/2008
New January photos
Photos
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| Front view |
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| Master bedroom fan |
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| My throne |
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| Sun Tube in the master bath |
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| Garden tub in Master bath needs cleaned |
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| Master bath |
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| Pedestal sink in half bath |
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| Half bath toilet |
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| View from the front door |
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| Masons building the mailbox |
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| Living room fan with the medallion |
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| View at night |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 1/7/2008
Just got back from my week-long business trip to Texas. Today, we put the toekicks on all the kitchen cabinets and started putting the crown molding on them. We cleaned up all the scrap tile, thinset and other trash in the garage so we can install the garage-door openers later this week. Our masons removed the forms from our front arches and they are beautiful. I think it's awesome that they basically did them just off of a picture we had. They also finished up our mailbox. Later this week, they will pour the front steps and the sidewalk, then they will be done until the Spring. Okay, now for what I missed while I was gone.
The kids got sick and had a snow day on one of the days they were supposed to be at school, so the wife did not get much free time to work on the house, but they did do a little bit.
They finished all the tile work, including the walk-in shower and it turned out very nice. All the grouting is complete and they got it all sealed.
The HVAC sub put in the air conditioner.
The one fixture is on the sun tube in the master bath, one more to go.
Wife took back our excess materials and got about $300 back, which went into purchasing toilets. We got a nice heavy-duty Kohler for our bathroom and American Standards in the kids' bath and the half bath. They are all at the house waiting for the plumber. The pedestal sink is also in the half bath ready to be hooked up.
They put the filler on the side of the big utility closets in the master bath.
Our countertops should arrive this week.
The Amish are coming this week with our cherry trim and our wood doors. They will do the trim and my father-in-law and I will install the doors and knobs.
The electrician will be in at the end of the week to finish the garage, the outside fans, the speakers and wire, the networking wiring and whatever else he has left to do.
Our appliances will be delivered Friday or Monday. The carpet will be installed next week, so it should not be long now.
Photos
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| My on-air sign for my office |
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| Ceiling fan in the office |
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| Kitchen tile being laid |
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| Granite in the bathroom |
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| My Franke granite kitchen sink |
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| Father-in-law grouting the walk-in shower |
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| Mailbox taking shape |
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| Taking the forms down |
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| The arches |
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| The front of the house is now finished |
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| The walk-in shower |
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| Shower floor |
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| Little cubby in the walk-in shower |
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| Main bath tile |
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| Hallway lights |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 12/28/2007
The days seem to be flying by now that we are in finish mode. It's amazing now how each thing that you do really stands out and you get such a feeling of relief and satisfaction when you can see what that area of your home is going to look like.
We wrapped up the kitchen and dinette tile yesterday, there is just one center row left to grout, which we left undone to give us an exit way since we were laying the granite tile in the foyer and we locked the front door so no one would walk on it, that basically left the garage as the only exit. After I grout the granite today and it dries, I'll be able to open the door and then finish off the grout work in the kitchen and laundry room. The tile looks sensational and I must say it is remarkable straight. We also decided to add a 3'x4' patch of granite in my office right in front of the door going out to the deck. Today, I'll grout that along with the foyer, closet and half bath. We will also be laying our final room, which is the main bathroom. That will be ceramic along with a tiled walk-in shower. It will likely take two days to finish this area then we are done with the tile.
The masons are finishing the brick on the back of our front arches, that should be completed today, then the exterior brick will be done minus the pillars on the deck/patio, which we'll wait until spring to do. They are starting our mailbox next.
The electrician was back out today putting in more ceiling fans, receptacles and switches. We had a fan that was a lemon that we had to take back, so now we have three more left to put up in the master, office and living room. We did get the medallion up in the living room though. Today, we'll work on getting the wall- and ceiling-mounted speakers in and the rest of the fans.
The walk-in shower has been more work then we anticipated. We finished adding all the HardiBoard, so then I mixed up the Ardex 8+9 waterproofer that was recommended to us by the sub that did the base. I mixed up one batch that was trowelable so I could fill in any gaps and then tape them with mesh tape as recommended on the directions. It worked well for about five minutes until it began hardening in the bucket and became useless. I then mixed up a second batch that was a paintable consistency as recommended. I got one coat on and it also dried up before I could get the second coat on. The product is definitely good as it dries to a rubbery film, but you should use gloves, which needless to say I did not do, so I spent an hour picking the stuff from my fingers before I could drive home. I still have not gotten it all off of me. I also lost a few patches of hair from my arms because once it is in your hair anywhere, you're done.
I have two more days of working on the house and then I am off for a week for a work trip, so I'm nervous and almost depressed that I am going to miss a week's worth of the house being done. Hopefully, when I come back the garage-door openers will be on and the trim, appliances and carpet will be in. But we'll see.
Here are some more pictures.
Photos
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| The porcelain tile in the dinette |
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| The garage has taken on a life of its own. |
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| The pillar between two of our arches |
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| The Travertine in the master bath |
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| The arches in the front of the house |
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| Jamie, our tile man, and my father-in-law laying the granite tile in the half bath. |
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| Granite in the foyer |
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| Father-in-law on the wet saw |
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| They turned me into a grout man and it stinks |
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| Jamie finishing up the half bath |
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| My oldest son admiring the electrician. Notice the nice Spiderman knee pads |
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| The wife polishing my grout work and eating dust |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 12/25/2007
Here are some pics from the past few days.
Photos
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| The hardwood flooring begins. |
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| Tiling in the dinette |
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| A closer look at the wood |
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| The porcelain tile in the dinette |
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| The electrician doing his thing. |
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| I just like this picture. |
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| Better look at the floor |
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| The open floor plan |
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| Man down... hammer and finger do not mix. |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 12/24/2007
Saturday, we began the tile work in the house. There is a decent amount to do with the foyer, half bath, master bath, main bath, kitchen, dinette and laundry room all to be tiled. We started with the master bath. It is not huge because of the very big garden tub and his/her vanity. We used travertine in the master 18"x18" tiles with a small grout line of about 1/8". Sunday, I grouted and to put it plainly, grouting stinks. With the small grout line you really have to make the grout runny to get in the seams, so I essentially ended up doing it twice. After it dried I figured it would be very easy to get off, as I was told it basically turned to powdery dust-like stuff. Maybe I didn't wait long enough because there was nothing easy about it, but I got it done.
We also started to lay the dinette. We started there because it's where the dinette tile runs up to the hardwood floor in the living room. Our porcelain is thin, so we decided not to use any transition strips. Instead we built up the thinset to get it even to the wood and then gradually build it done. Then we'll put a grout line between the wood and tile. Our tile sub used to live in Indiana and ran his own business, but has since given up his business and relocated here. He is working for us and guiding us for $10/hr which is a far cry from the $3-4/ft quotes we had.
My mason is a jack of all trades, so we negotiated a deal with him to do our hardwood floor for $1,000 and at over 600 sq. ft. I consider that a bargain. He finished up in three days and it looks spectacular. He should have the brick on the house finished up the day after Christmas.
The electrician was in as well, and he continued to install switches, receptacles and ceiling fans. He is coming in Wednesday and we're going to start the home-audio system.
I have a buddy who works in the home electronic field and he gave me an awesome deal on MTX speakers and a Musica Zone Controller, so that's what I am using. I will have two wall-mount speakers in the living room and two ceiling-mounted speakers along with a subwoofer. I also have two wall-mounted speakers going in my office. One set will also end up in my bar, and a set each on the deck and the patio.
Our interior doors and cherry trim should be in this week as well.
Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 12/19/2007
Today we got the second paint coat finished on the inside of the house. So now the garage and the stairway to the basement are the only spots left to paint. Other than that it is just the customary touch-up stuff here and there.
The countertop people came in last night and took all their measurements, so now we are looking at two weeks until we get those.
The electrician came by last night and worked for a few hours on getting more of the receptacles and switches in. We decided to spend the extra money and use the flat rocker type switches instead of the old toggle style.
The masons have made the forms for the arches on the front porch and set them into place. They estimate that they'll be done by Monday.
This weekend will be huge as our hardwood begins to be laid as well as our tile. I can't wait for each step now and you can really see the house taking shape.
Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 12/16/2007
Here are some photos that will clearly show why we fired our original drywallers.
Photos
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| You can see the tape bubbling up. |
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| Most of the corners had to be redone. |
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| Terrible attempt at patching holes |
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| Notice how they over-cut around the light and packed it full of mud with no tape |
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| Seeing is believing. This is the floor of our master bathroom (it really looks like it was done on purpose). |
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| Another botched up corner |
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| There was drywall mud and adhesive all over every piece of glass in the house. |
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| Not sure if this was for storage or what it was. |
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| A beautiful seam (note the sarcasm) |
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| My speaker wires were not safe from these yahoos. |
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| A cut-off phone line |
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| It looks like pterodactyl droppings but it's all drywall mud. |
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| This was an everyday find in the dumpster |
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| And another |
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| And a few more |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 12/16/2007
More pics
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| The cabinets arrive |
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| Like a kid on Christmas morning |
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| First cabinet installed |
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| Our electrician and his handy port-a-potty light |
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| Our newly-installed foyer Tiffany by Kichler light |
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| The boys have to get into the act. My father was an electrician, so who knows - maybe they will be as well |
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| One of the pendant lights. They are still growing on me :) |
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| All workers must stay hydrated. |
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| The kitchen is taking shape |
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| Better picture of the walk-in shower |
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| The kids vanity |
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| A better look at the foyer light |
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| New microwave and the stand installed |
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| Office is beginning to take shape. |
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| A view into the kitchen |
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| Ceiling fan in the kitchen |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 12/16/2007
Here are some pics from the last few weeks.
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| Myself and one of the plumbers feeding copper wire through the conduit to the house |
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| Front of the house takes on a new look |
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| Gas company delivering our propane |
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| The propane tank |
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| There is a mason under there building an arch about our elliptical door transom |
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| New drywaller putting in work |
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| Open floor plan before paint |
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| The front door |
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| Front entryway before the final arches are built |
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| Jeff builds our built-in shower |
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| The shower |
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| Everyone gets into the act |
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| My father-in-law put in a lot of hours on the power roller. |
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| One of our accent walls |
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| Master bedroom |
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| Getting the first coat on |
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| Protecting the door |
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| Kitchen wall before the cabinets |
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| Better photo of the accent wall |
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| View from the living room into the dinette and kitchen |
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Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 12/16/2007
It's been a while since I have posted anything, but we've been very busy as we are now in the finishing stages. Between the house, work and getting ready for Christmas its been an adventure. Okay, where should I start.
The new drywallers finished the repairs and the rest of our drywall in about one week, so it is finally finished. The other drywaller called three times asking for the balance of money. This was hilarious. We bought the materials, we paid $3,200 at the beginning and they hung the drywall and put tape up, so he felt we owed him $1,900. I laughed and gave him the number for our attorney. I frankly said the only way I will give you a dime is when a judge tells me I have to, and I will spend every penny I have to make sure you never do this to anyone else. I haven't heard back from him.
We started painting. We primed everything with one coat of Behr primer. We then painted the ceilings a Swiss coffee color I believe, which is basically off-white. The walls are all Gobi Desert which is a beige color. We have two accent walls where we will have artwork displayed on, they are a chocolate brown. We got two coats on the foyer, kitchen, office, master bath, kids bath, and half bath and a few of the closets so far. Hopefully we'll be wrapped up with the paint in the next one to two days. We bought a power sprayer and it sucked, we took it back and bought a power roller. Let me tell you, if you are getting ready to paint or will be in the future please do yourself a favor and buy one. It is well worth the $70.
We installed all the kitchen cabinetry, most of my office cabinetry and all the bathroom cabinetry. Myself and my father-in-law did them all. It was very tedious and time consuming but worth it. We still have to get the knobs, handles, strikers and extras on but the hard work is done. The molding and toe kicks I guess still need done as well, and the island.
We got all our Hardiboard down and we are ready to tile... my father-in-law and I will either try our hands at it, or we know a guy who will help and guide us for $10/hour. We did a walk-in shower and we had a sub come in and do the base. It was a three day process, but well worth it.
The masons have been hard at work on our brick. Now the entire front of the house is done except for the arches on the front porch. These guys have been awesome. They are there every day no matter what the weather is and always do a great job.
The propane people came and we got a 500 gallon tank. It is all installed and we now have heat.
The HVAC sub got the furnace in and all the ductwork done, except two flex ducts that he wanted to wait to install until we had the cabinet bases in so he could do the toe kicks. I am amazed that in the new house we keep it at about 64 degrees and it feels comfortable, but you never hear the furnace, and it blows air out so subtly. I am used to the old blaster in the old house that roars, and you have to keep at 74 degrees to stay warm.
The plumber installed our Rheem Tankless water heater. I love it, the instantaneous hot water is great, no more waiting. He also hooked up the main water line to the manifold and got one of my hose bibs done in the garage. He has the walk-in shower plumbed and ready, as well as the master, so he is basically waiting for us. I had him hook up a gas line to the deck for the gas grill. I have always thought that was a cool idea. Our friends love it.
The electrician started to install some lights, switches and receptacles in the areas we have finished. All the bathrooms are done. He installed our Foyer light which is a Tiffany by Kichler type deal. The ceiling fan and all the recessed lighting there is done as is the pendant lighting. We also put receptacles in the toe kicks, we decided to use rope lighting under them so you could see in there at night without turning all the lights on. He installed the little recessed lights we have angled on the accent walls to display our paintings. He also is handy with garage doors, so he put those up. They still need finished and the openers need installed, but he was waiting for the masons to finish up above the garage doors. He installed a good portion of our outdoor lighting as well.
We have been moving as much of our stuff to the new house as we can. This is where the big attic has come in handy. But 85% of the new stuff that we have purchased for the new house is now up there and not in the old house.
Speaking of old house, we also sold it before we even had to try the real estate market, that was sweeeeeeet.
The Amish came by to measure for all the trim. We are getting poplar trim with a cherry stain, we're not big fans of a lot of wood grain. They are getting the trim, staining it and installing it for $2/ft. We also decided to buy all of our doors from our main materials supplier. They cost more, but its a better quality wood door, and they will deliver them to the Amish, which is about 1.5 hours from us, and then when they are done they will pick them up and deliver them to us, can't beat that. The Amish are also installing the doors for $50/door and most are 36" wood doors, so it is worth it.
Our original appraiser stopped by to check our progress, and she loved it, which was nice. Now, hopefully it will appraise at a high enough number for us to avoid PMI.
I remember reading on here somewhere that finish work is 10% of the house, but takes 90% of the time, boy were they not lying, this is crazy.
On a sad note, we wanted in for Christmas, but today we set up the tree in the old house and we have finally become realists and we know that ain't happening. I really believe that had it not been for the drywall debacle we may have had a chance. I have a bunch of photos that I will be posting to update everyone.
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Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 11/26/2007
My new drywall sub started today, he was amazed at how bad the other guy did and had to fix a lot of it. The old sub had joint compound everywhere, honestly it looked my my kids ran through the house with a bucket and a trowel and flung it everywhere. I am very upset, but at the same time I feel like so much stress has been lifted off me. If this is the worst thing that happens in this whole process in our first build, I think we did alright.
Everything was slow because of Thanksgiving and the beginning of deer season. We are still waiting for our propane tanks to come so we can get heat.
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Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 11/23/2007
Well after four weeks I have relieved myself of some stress. After giving the drywallers a second chance and the opportunity to catch up and get back in my good graces, I reached my breaking point. The owner asked to work today and Saturday on the house to catch up, so I agreed. I arrived at the house on Friday morning at 10:00 A.M. to only find one of his helpers attempting to do the drywall by himself. So after the big blow-up on Monday the owner never worked on the house again since that day, which showed me all I needed to see. So I called him and he of course was out working on another job, so I said you must not need my money since you're not here. He said I have 20 minutes left on that job and then he'd be over. I said that's fine and then we'll decide where we go from there. My feelings were that I would give him a chance to redeem himself and finish out the day and see where we were at. Then his worker started cleaning up all his tools and tearing down everything like the scaffolding and began taking it out to the garage. I said don't you think you should wait and discuss this with your boss first? He said, well I know this ain't gonna end well so I'm done.
I was mad, but at the same time I felt great because I was tired of the stress. This guy is classless, trashes his workers, drinks on the job, and I'm not talking a beer or two, I'm talking cases of beer. After I found Marijuana resin in my garage and my mason found it on the floor of the port-a-john I had had enough. Not sure what the rules are regarding posting of names of these people to protect others from using them, if anyone knows please inform me. I think I can say the guys name is Chris and his last name begins with an "E" and he is from the Somerset, Pa. area.
Regardless, lesson learned. But the good news is that the guy I wanted is now available and he is coming out in the morning, and he will now take over the job. The drywall is all hung, the taping is about 98% complete and the first coat of mud is all done except for the un-taped part. The drywaller took most of his tools except for a heater and some scaffolding that he could not fit in his car. His worker told me they'd be back on Saturday or Monday to get the rest, of course the owner could not talk to me or look at me because he is a coward. I said that is fine just call me so I can make sure I'll be around to let them in. Yes, I started locking the doors after this, just in case. To my surprise my brother, who will also be my neighbor, calls me and asks if there is anyone working at the house. I said "No" not unless the masons were there. He told me there was a beat up old Chevy pick-up truck there, so I get dressed and drive to the house and I see the truck coming up the road so I stop and he just kept driving. I get to the house and I see that the plastic that we had put on the garage door openings had been cut with a razor knife from the outside so he could get in to get his stuff. Apparently it would take too much testicular fortitude to call and ask to be let in the garage. Looks like my original gut instinct was correct, I did not like, trust, or want the guy to do the job but we were in a bind. So my lesson of the day is that it's best to wait until you find the subs that you are 100% comfortable with. Do not sacrifice anything for time. Yes, you may have to wait an extra week or two for something, but it will be more than worth it in the end.
Here is a picture of the garage door with the slit in it.
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| How a real classy subcontractor enters your property after hours (note the sarcasm) |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 11/19/2007
Today was a very interesting day to say the least. I had stayed up all night working at my regular job. Our blocks for our retaining wall were being delivered, so my wife went up to the house to meet the driver and pay our balance. Luckily for us they were able to drive the truck around the back and use the boom to get them close. It had rained a lot so I was worried.
While she was there the drywaller asked my wife for more money. Taken by surprise my wife said "You will have to talk to Bob" cue the entrance music... LOL... I was in no mood for this... We had our doubts about the guy, but we were told he is an outstanding finisher and we were in a bind, because frankly, there just are not many people around anymore who do it. The job has entered week four of what was to be a three week job. I calmly called him over and I said my wife informed me that he wanted more money. I calmly said that was not happening. Our agreement was for us buying materials, we paid 50% at the beginning of the hanging and the balance when finished. It is also stated in our agreement as such. I told him that he is in week four of what was a three week job and I am not happy. I said you decide if you can get this done and that you are going to be here and finish it or we'll both move on our way... then all hell broke loose.
He came up to me with a bill on a hand written piece of paper for $1,200, $500 for finishing the garage, which was not finished, $400 for what taping he did do so far, $300 for extra board. We bought 6 extra boards and paid for them the day they brought them to the house. They had brought two extra sheets and he tried to charge me $300. I laughed and I asked him to show me what was extra, and I proceeded to tell him it was all measured out by you, TWICE. We are not paying for anything extra unless it is something we added. This guy has a bad habit of sighing and huffing, which just irritates the hell out of me and I snapped. I of course raised my voice significantly and told him if he has an issue please speak up like a man and do not sigh at me, I had been pretty understanding to this point but now that was over.
I calmly told him to get his stuff and get his ass out of my house. He continued to tell me a sob story about how three of his guys quit Friday and everything. I continued to say that is not my problem, my problem is my house is not being done. This is your business and you are never here and you don't know what your workers are doing. He told me to calm down and I said "Oh, I am calm, if I was pissed you'd be laying outside." After awhile he said, well I'd like to finish the house, so after awhile I said, well you have this week, I don't care if it takes you 12-15 hours a day I want it done by Monday, or he was out and there would be no more chances.
They went to lunch and came back and really busted their tails and got a lot accomplished. I hate being like that, but enough was enough.
I got a header framed for a linen closet in the kids bathroom. I also finished the framing on the walk-in shower. I added to piece of 2x6 treated wood on the floor for a lip, and one 2x4 in the wall in case we add a door.
The masons continued to work on the brick and have started the garage wall facing the house. They asked to leave for two days to do a small block job and we obliged, but if the weather is bad they aren't going to do it because ours is tarped, so they'll be there and work on the porch arches. They have been doing great work. My wife and I look forward to going up and shooting the breeze with them, they are hilarious.
Our conduit is trenched in for the gas line which should arrive on Friday. I decided to place the tank by the shed behind the sand mound.
The elctrician is due out this week to finish up our outside lighting and give us some temp lighting in the garage. He is also going to put the garage doors on since he used to do that for a small fee of course. The HVAC/plumber is supposed to be out Tuesday through Wednesday and Friday, so we should get some heat.
Comments (3)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 11/17/2007
Here are some more photos.
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| My messy mechanical room |
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| Our Shaw tavern gunstock hardwood flooring |
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| Ductwork |
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| Brick work on one of the front transoms |
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| A look at both transoms |
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| Big man in tight space, and wife thought it was humorous. |
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| Plumber party |
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Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 11/17/2007
Here are some new updated photos.
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| First snowfall of the season |
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| Snow flying as the masons work on the front, needless to say the tarp was up the next day. |
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| Attic entryway after the B-I-B is installed |
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| More insulation |
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| Mudding begins in the garage |
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| Garage ceiling |
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| Garage bumpout |
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| A very anal drywaller cleaning his tools |
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| The wife's garden tub |
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| The psychedelic effects of three different colors of MR board in the master bath |
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| The trunk line begins in the basement |
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| The Armstrong furnace |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 11/16/2007
Our plumbing/HVAC sub came in this week and made a lot of progress, which made us happy. We need to get some heat in so the joint compound can dry, and we will likely be painting in a week or so. Then we'll need it for the thinset and grout on the tilework. They got most of the trunk line in and began putting in some of the flexible ductwork as well. The furnace was brought in as well, its an Armstrong Air Ease system that will have an air conditioner and heat pump. It will run on propane, which will be delivered next Friday. They got a water heater that is for natural gas and not LP gas and there is no conversion kit, so my options were to get the regular tank made for LP gas or just spend $300 more and get a tankless unit. I chose the tankless unit. It's on demand and will be more efficient and save us money in the long run.
The drywallers have most of the screws mudded at least once, the garage is basically done, it got the skim coat on Friday and should be sanded early next week and ready for painting. I requested that they do the garage first so I can get it painted, put the doors on and get the openers all wired up and put on my Rustoleum EpoxyShield floor. Once the garage is done, we can just focus on the house itself. I'm not real thrilled with their progress. No matter how much you think you have subcontractors figured out it seems they always have some way of amazing you. I swear 90% of these people have issues. The lead guy told me this week they really needed the ceiling to be insulated before they taped the drywall on the ceiling, well its been three days since it was done and the ceiling is still not taped yet. He told me he'd be in this weekend to get caught up so I am going to wait until I flip out.
The masons got another front wall done, the toughest wall with the two transoms. It looks great. Now, they have the side wall and the garage face and they are done with the house with only the deck pillars and the mailbox to go with brick.
The electrician will be in next week to add some more lighting and finish up most of the exterior lighting.
The excavator will be in today to dig the trench for the gas line.
We found a deal at Lowe's on interior Schlage door handles. We were going to buy them for $28/piece but Lowe's had them clearanced out at $15 for dummies and $18 for privacy knobs, so we bought as many as we needed, I believe around 15. We also purchased our paint supplies which came out to about $200 and included a Wagner power sprayer, so all totaled we have about a grand in painting the entire house. We originally budgeted $2K and it would 've cost us $5-$7K to have it all done.
Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 11/9/2007
Drywall hanging is finished except for the bottom of the staircase into the basement, which will be finished up on Monday. The inspector was by on Thursday and we passed, so we are set to begin mudding. The drywallers will start putting up corner bead and taping on Monday. Its pretty neat that you can actually see the shape and depth of the rooms now. We did a big time sweeping of the house today just to try to keep ahead of the curve a little bit.
The insulation sub was due to come out but their truck broke down, so hopefully Saturday they'll be in to blow in the attic.
The mason continued to work on the porch area in the front. There is a ton of work there that should take a few weeks. They have the area tarped with a torpedo heater in there to fend of the chill. I kinda like it because no one can really see what is going on under there except us.
Today, I put R-19 batting up under the stairs and the two basement marriage walls that connect to the staircase.
We ventured to our cabinet dealer and put in the order for all our cabinetry for the kitchen, bathrooms and my office. We checked numerous places and searched for a while, but no one could touch their prices. We ordered Kraftmaid cabinets with a cherry finish. They should be in, in about 3-4 weeks. We're getting tight on the budget so my father-in-law and I are going to install them. He has installed them before, so we figured we can handle it, and there's not a ton of wall cabinets so that should make it a little easier.
We also went to the dealer for our retaining walls' stones. We ordered 8" Rockwood Stones, they are red in color and made locally. They are to be delivered on site Tuesday. They gave us a small break of $.50/block and $.40/cap, so every bit helps at this point.
We also visited our countertop dealer that we selected. They have a nice deal going on with bathroom kits that are granite and come with the sink, they were actually cheaper than laminate, so we are getting them.
I'll be using laminate in my office as well. In the kitchen I really wanted a solid surface, but I don't want to kill my budget either. We figured let's go with a really high-end looking laminate, and in five years or so we can switch it to granite or whatever else we want.
Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 11/7/2007
More pictures
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| Downspouting all getting tied in |
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| Willie uses Luan to shape the arch on the big window transom |
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| Neil I think forgetting what he was doing |
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| The MR board taking shape in the kids bathroom |
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| Todays task will be tying in the other two transoms in one of the kids rooms |
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| The master bedroom is done |
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| View from the laundry room |
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| My office is almost complete |
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| The big transom with its brick arch |
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| The brick arch from afar |
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| The garage doors for now |
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| My shed |
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| View from the kitchen |
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| Digging out our trenches for the retaining walls |
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| The openness of an open floor plan |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 11/7/2007
Well we had our first snowfall of the year today. It is November and is expected, but the first one always takes you by surprise. We had a decent amount of work going on today despite the inclement weather.
The drywallers continued to hang more sheets and should just about have everything hung by the end of the day today, or early Thursday and we should be able to get inspected and begin mudding.
Our excavators were out today as well and finished piping in the gutters and downspout drains. They also dug out our trenching for our two retaining walls along our deck. We also started pricing the big paver stones for that project. I'm not real excited about lifting over 200 of those 70-lb. bad boys. They are right around $6-$7 apiece and we really didn't budget for them, but we should be okay as long as my father in-law and I do the labor.
The masons are finishing up work on one of our bedroom bumpouts with the large window and transom with the brick arch. They are then moving on to the garage front and then the porch, which will be the most time consuming with the two transom windows, the door transom, and the brick archways on the porch.
The insulators should be back out today to blow in the attic since we got all the ceilings finished up.
Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 11/4/2007
More pictures
Photos
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| First sheet of drywall goes up in the laundry room |
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| Me putting in work... Okay, maybe supervising |
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| One of the drywallers putting in a screw |
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| Drywallers fixing the RotoZip |
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| Ceiling being done, you can see all the dust particles in the air. |
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| More dust |
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| The electrician finally gets his picture taken |
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| The electrician's truck the day after it was impaled by a whitetail. |
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| The foyer begins to take shape |
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| The living room |
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| Masons start the front of the house |
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| More front work |
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| The blue moisture-resistant board in the bathroom |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 10/31/2007
Last week we had all of our drywall and materials delivered along with our garage doors. As soon as the garage is done and painted I'd like to get the doors on so I can do my epoxy floor covering.
Monday, our drywallers came and started to put the lid on (ceilings) so far they have finished the living room, kitchen, dinette, laundry room, and some of my office, and they got the foyer done yesterday.
The mason has finished the brick to grade in the back and one of the sides. They should have the other side completed today, and they will be moving up to the front of the house. My wife is very anxious to see the front bricked, as the house will take on a whole new look. We have a few arches and things being done there so it's really the focal point of the house. A big curb-appeal factor along with our front door.
My Amish-made 12'x18' shed arrived yesterday. I placed it between two big oak trees right by my sand mound to sort of draw eyes to it and not the mound. It was nice cleaning out what I am keeping from the old shed and placing it in the new one, plus we can store a lot of our fixtures and stuff that we have been purchasing in the shed instead of cramping us out of the old house.
My father-in-law and I went to the builders surplus store and got our hardwood flooring that we purchased last week. We bought a nice looking Shaw hardwood flooring call Tavern Gunstock for $2.75/ft, we got a great deal on it. We are putting it in the living room and the hallway. There were about 25 boxes so it kept us busy.
We also hauled our HardiBoard that we purchased for $9.50/3x5 sheet, three dollars cheaper then the second lowest price we found. We got 10 1/2" boards and 50 1/4" boards.
We also made a call to one of the best tile-shower guys we could find. He quoted us $600 to come in and just do the tray and the membrane for the shower. He won't do the tiling because he is busy just doing the trays. There is such a risk factor in these things so we wanted to make sure we got the best guy we could find to make sure it is done right.
Today, I am going to finish taking all the fans and fixtures up to the house. I also need to start hauling all the tile that we've purchased over the past six months (that we have stored at the in-laws' house) and that will be a two-day job. The granite tile is the very heavy 18"x18" travertine tiles. The porcelain is lighter but there is so much of it that it is still heavy after a while.
The HVAC sub brought the furnace, heat pump, AC unit, and everything for the system down and placed it in the basement, so we'll be ready to start that when the drywall is finished and we're painted up. I think I am also buying a sprayer to do all the primer in the house. I can also use it for the garage since I am using just a plain white paint and primer in there, so it should save us some time.
Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 10/22/2007
Today the masons laid the final bricks on the back wall of the house. Next are the sides, which are brick to grade.
We had a tile sub come over. His wife works with my mother-in-law and they just moved here from Indiana about a year ago, he had given up his business that he owned for 21 years. He told us he could not be there all day everyday, but he could work about five hours a day and more on weekends. His rate should cost us about $500 compared to $3-$5/ft with most guys, so that will be a substantial savings and when you get this far the budget becomes a bigger issue. We should have a savings of about $2,500.
Our plumber/HVAC sub made his once a week appearance and finished up his end of things before drywall. He also brought over all the ductwork, the furnace, and the AC heat pump.
We bought a reddish color paint to paint the underside of our deck. I began painting as it got dark, so I had my wife pull the Trailblazer nearby and I painted as much as I could by headlight. I'm guessing I missed a bunch. it's very large, 14'x22', so I have a ways to go. It should be interesting to see it in the morning.
The insulation sub is coming in the morning and he will finish the blow-in out in the garage and we'll be ready for an inspection so we can begin drywalling. The drywall will start on Friday. The materials should be here today. My shed should arrive sometime this week as well.
The lady from the bank came by today. She loves the house and thinks we should start a business doing this. We have talked about flipping houses, so it may be something we explore. She thinks that when we are finished the house should appraise at over $300K, which would be great.
Comments (1)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 10/22/2007
And more pictures
Photos
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| More brick finished |
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| Still getting used to the country, so I find these bugs are neat. Here is a stick bug or is it a bug that looks like a stick? |
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| Cutting brick is a dirty job |
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| Our sand mound is growing beautiful green grass |
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| One of our many log piles |
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| The Man Deck from afar |
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| Better view of the brick |
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| View of the basement entry |
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| Adam the mason says safety first. He finally started wearing a respirator mask instead of breathing brick dust. |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 10/22/2007
More pictures
Photos
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| B-I-B insulation in the master bedroom |
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| The world's best masons hard at work |
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| Garage floor after five days of curing |
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| Media-center box with cable and Cat-5 phone line |
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| Main electric panel |
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| What will be the nucleus of our security system |
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| City water meter installed |
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| Manifold, unfinished still from pressure test |
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| My rototiller that I just picked up at a great price and named it "Attila" |
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| Basement doors with brick |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 10/22/2007
More pictures
Photos
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| Tried to catch one of the masons taking a nap at lunch |
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| Brick being laid in the back of the house |
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| Dan Steffy of Everlast Insulation using his stilts to put up meshing |
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| Steffy Sr. on the staple job |
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| My wife's egg shaped door knobs in rubbed oil bronze |
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| The front door handle |
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| View from a sun tube |
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| View up the attic steps |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 10/16/2007
The water authority stopped by today and hooked up our water meter, and we put an adapter on the line so we could have a hose to use for water. I'd prefer that the plumber was on site to hook it all up and get our hose in the back ready to go, but for those of you who have followed my journal know what a hard time we have had with him.
The mason started laying brick today in the back of the house. Its tough to get a good feel for the brick until all the salt gets washed off. We picked Cortez because its the only one we could both agree on.
The insulation sub came out today and I was blown away. They originally said they'd be there on Wednesday, so I was happy that they'd be in a day early. They filled all the holes and filled around the doors and windows. They got all their webbing up on all the exterior walls and even got half of one side of the house blown in already. We are using Everlast Insulation, it's a virgin fiberglass that almost looks like cotton.
The electrician came out and added two receptacles on the kitchen wall that faces the garage. We are going to put a refrigerator and small freezer in the garage. the one wall from our bathroom bumpout was bowed out. I never noticed but the insulator did. The framers missed about three or four of the 2x4's so I nailed them down.
I put the heat caulking in the electrical and plumbing holes in the walls around the vents. The plumber did it already, but I wasn't happy with it and neither was my inspector.
Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 10/13/2007 11:36:48 PM
Here is the original draw schedule that we submitted when we first started, obviously the order of things and the actual numbers have changed but we had to set it up when we did our loan. Each week our lender sends someone out to check on the progress of the project to make sure the funds are being allocated in the correct manner.
Example... We allocated $1,350 for the dumpster but it actually ended up at less than $500. If we need it dumped and brought back, it costs $450 each time.
DRAW SCHEDULE
1. $72,500
· dumpster $1,350
· port-a-john $375
· h2o tap $825.00
· electric tap $500
· excavator $26,000
· foundation $28,000
· order windows and doors $14,000
· order tubs $1,500
2. $73,000
· shell $58,500
· brick $14,500
3. $36,000
· electrician $12,000
· plumbing $12,000
· heating/AC $12,000
4. $23,500
· insulation $6,000
· drywall $10,000
· paint $2,000
· cement work $5,500
5. $19,000
· interior $4,000
· cabinets $11,000
· countertops $4,000
6. $6,000
· carpet $3,000
· tile work $3,000
Comments (2)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 10/13/2007 10:44:15 PM
This is the first time I looked at this since we started, and I just giggle because it changes so much, no matter how much planning you do prices are going to change. Luckily for us so far (knock on wood) all our changes have been to the good. I'll have to put together the original with the actual one here when I get some time to go over it.
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COST BREAKDOWN SHEET |
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ITEM |
MATERIALS |
SUBS |
OWNER |
DISCOUNT |
CASH |
TOTAL |
LOAN |
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ONLY |
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LABOR |
SAVINGS |
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DISTRIB. |
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PERMITS |
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SEWAGE permit |
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$804 |
$804 |
$ - |
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BUILDING permit |
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$725 |
$725 |
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HOME DESIGNER |
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$1,915 |
$857 |
$2,772 |
$ - |
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1. LOT |
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$42,587 |
$12,414 |
$55,000 |
$ - |
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2.CLEARING |
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$3,600 |
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$3,300 |
$6,900 |
$ - |
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DIG FOUND. |
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$25,125 |
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$25,125 |
$25,125 |
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INSULATION on FOUNDATION |
$2,000 |
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$1,000 |
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$3,000 |
$2,000 |
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DRAINS |
INCL’D. |
INCL’D. |
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$-
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$ - |
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FOUND.WALL |
INCL’D. |
$26,000 |
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$26,000 |
$26,000 |
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SEPTIC |
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$15,000 |
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$15,000 |
$15,000 |
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H2O TAP |
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$825 |
$825 |
$ - |
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ELECTRIC TAP |
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$200 |
$200 |
$ - |
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3.SHELL |
$37,878 |
$13,875 |
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-15% |
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$51,753 |
$51,753 |
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ROOF |
INCL’D. |
INCL’D. |
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INCL'D. |
INCL’D. |
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SHINGLES |
INCL’D. |
$3,546 |
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$3,546 |
$3,546 |
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EX. DOORS |
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INCL’D. |
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INCL'D. |
$13,759 |
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WINDOWS |
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INCL’D. |
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INCL'D. |
INCL’D. |
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INTER. STUD WALL |
INCL’D. |
INCL’D. |
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$- |
$ - |
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CEMENT BOARD |
INCL’D. |
$275 |
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$275 |
$275 |
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BILCO DOOR |
INCL’D. |
$125 |
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$125 |
$125 |
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GARAGE DOORS |
INCL’D. |
$360 |
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$360 |
$360 |
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DELIVERY |
$- |
$- |
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NO CHARGE |
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4.MASONRY |
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SIDING |
INCL’D. |
$1,120 |
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$1,120 |
$1,120 |
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GUTTERS |
$1,140 |
INCL’D. |
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$1,140 |
$1,140 |
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SOFFIT |
INCL’D. |
$1,368 |
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$1,368 |
$1,368 |
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FASCIA |
INCL’D. |
$552 |
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$522 |
$522 |
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BRICK |
INCL’D. |
$14,500 |
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$14,500 |
$14,500 |
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5.WIRING |
$6,482 |
$3,240 |
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$9,722 |
$9,722 |
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PLUMBING |
$8,872 |
INCL’D. |
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$8,872 |
$8,872 |
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HEATING/AC |
$11,874 |
INCL’D. |
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$11,874 |
$11,874 |
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6.INTERIOR WALL |
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INSULATION |
$5,200 |
INCL’D. |
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$5,200 |
$5,200 |
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DRYWALL |
INCL’D. |
$7,696 |
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$7,696 |
$7,696 |
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PAINT |
$1,500 |
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$3,000 |
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$4,500 |
$1,500 |
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7. COMPLETION |
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TRIM |
INCL’D. |
$3,248 |
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$3,248 |
$3,248 |
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INT. DOORS |
INCL’D. |
$340 |
$940 |
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$1,280 |
$340 |
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COUNTER TOPS |
$3,627 |
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$1,000 |
$ 1,400 |
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$6,027 |
$3,627 |
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CABINETS |
$10,200 |
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$1,050 |
$10,200 |
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$21,450 |
$10,200 |
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cabinet pulls |
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$100 |
$350 |
$86 |
$536 |
$ - |
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PLUMBING FIXTURES |
$2,957 |
INCL’D. |
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$986 |
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$3,943 |
$2,957 |
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ELEC. FIXTURES |
$2,000 |
INCL’D. |
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$2,000 |
$2,000 |
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foyer light |
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INCL’D. |
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$315 |
$145 |
$460 |
$ - |
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3 pendant lights |
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INCL’D. |
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$157 |
$83 |
$240 |
$ - |
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CARPET |
$1,620 |
$600 |
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$2,220 |
$2,220 |
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CERAMIC TILE |
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$1,401 |
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$690 |
$345 |
$2,436 |
$1,401 |
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GRANITE TILE |
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$300 |
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$814 |
$407 |
$1,521 |
$300 |
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TRAVERTINE TILES |
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$270 |
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$341 |
$341 |
$952 |
$270 |
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PORCHES |
INCL’D. |
iNCL’D. |
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INCL’D. |
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SIDEWALKS/DRIVEWAY |
INCL’D. |
$5,500 |
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$5,500 |
$5,500 |
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FINAL GRADE |
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INCL’D. |
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$- |
$ - |
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SEEDING |
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$3,000 |
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$3,000 |
$ - |
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TOP SOIL |
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$8,500 |
$1,500 |
$10,000 |
$ - |
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ON SITE DUMPSTER |
$1,350 |
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$550 |
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$1,350 |
$1,350 |
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ON SITE LAVATORIES |
$375 |
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$50 |
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$425 |
$375 |
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PROJECT MANAGER G.C. |
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$35,000 |
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$35,000 |
$ - |
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CONSTRUCTION INSURANCE |
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$433 |
$433 |
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SITE MANAGER |
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$20,000 |
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$20,000 |
$ - |
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TOTAL= |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 10/13/2007
After we picked our drywall sub we asked for a takeoff on materials. He said he'd have it to us the next day. Of course he didn't, so we proceeded to try and get in touch with him to no avail. After two weeks and about 8 phone calls we made the decision to move in another direction. I called the guy and of course got his voicemail. I made sure I told him that I thought it was very unprofessional that he could not return a call or let us know what was going on and that we felt it was best for us to move along without his services. We then called the guy who came in second place and he gladly accepted the job and can start in about one week, two at the latest.
Ironically we went to Lowe's the same day and one of the workers told us that the drywaller came in and told them he got the bid. I said good, hopefully he comes in and brags about how he got fired now.
Our electrician gave us an original bid of nine days on his rough-in. Two months later he was still working at it so of course I had to call him and tell him we were getting an inspection for electrical, plumbing and framing and he had to be done by Friday, so we could get an inspection on Tuesday after Columbus Day. He said he'd have it done, but he didn't. My next call on Wednesday was a little more forceful and I told him that my father-in-law and I would be assisting him, and this would be done by Friday and we would work as long as it took to get it done.
Wednesday, the three of us worked from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM we did a bunch of stuff and got about 2,500 feet or Romex run, we also finished up some framing work as well. Thursday we worked from 3:00 PM until 9:30 AM running the rest of the wire, cable and phone line and making everything presentable. There is no way in hell this guy was getting done. If we hadn't helped he'd be there at least two more weeks. He worked right up until it was time to get our inspection at about 3:00 PM on Friday. We also picked up and installed all of our exterior door knobs and deadbolts
The mason came out on Wednesday and tamped the gravel in the garage and laid out all his rebar in the garage and for the front porch. The brick was also delivered, it was right around $12,000.
The inspector came and we passed all three phases. This was a big one and we were all worried. But we passed so now we can move on.
Sunday, we will insulate the pipes and the floor in our bathroom bump out into the garage then frame out the bottom with treated boards. We also have to level off gravel for my pad that the shed will be placed on as well as cutting some limbs of the surrounding oak trees before they set the shed.
Monday, the garage floor and front porch will be poured. We communicated with our insulation sub and he will be on site Wednesday to begin his portion of the work, then drywall will start and after the floor is done, the brickwork will begin.
Last week we came across a very good deal at Home Depot. They had a 10% special on for Columbus Day. Then Behr paints had a deal going as well. The had a $5 rebate on one gallon cans of paint and $20 rebates on five-gallon buckets of paint, primer, etc. We asked if we could combine both deals and they said yes, so we decided now was as good a time as any to buy our paint. We ended up getting Behr paint which is one of the best for around $14/gallon.
We were uncertain of the color scheme, so we kept it there and came back two days later after we selected all our colors, had it all mixed and took it home. We were pretty excited to get a deal like this. We had figured on paying at least $1,500 on paint and instead we payed less than $750. The best part is that we had no idea the sale was going on, it was just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.
Today, we had the landlord who owns several properties around us stop buy to look at our current house, which we haven't even put on the market yet. We asked $5,000 more than we wanted because we figured he'd haggle and we'd get at least what we needed to get. Well, he didn't haggle and he agreed for the asking amount. So we agreed he'd pay $5,000 down for us to agree to sell, and the balance would be paid when we are ready to move out. This worked out great, now we won't have to carry two mortgages and two sets of utilities until we get rid of the old house, so that is a big stress relief. Plus, we'll actually make a little bit of money which will cover all of our appliances and TV's and it won't have to come out of our house budget, which is always a good thing.
Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 9/30/2007 7:13:20 PM
Here is the sample we were going by. It's kind of neat to check it during different phases to see how much you diverted from it or how yours may change.
| Sample Construction Work Schedule |
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Ave. |
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| Task |
Duration |
Sub name/phone: |
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Weeks from start |
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5 |
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10 |
11 |
12 |
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14 |
15 |
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
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| Site work and excavation |
3 days |
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| Temporary utilities |
1 day |
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| Foundation preparation |
1 day |
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| Underground plumbing |
3 days |
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»»» |
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| Foundation Inspection |
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| Foundation erection |
5 days |
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| Slab, basement and garage |
2 days |
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| Rough framing |
2 weeks |
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| Windows and exterior doors |
2 days |
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| Rough Plumbing |
7 days |
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| Decking and sheathing |
5 days |
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| Rough electrical |
7 days |
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| Cornice trim |
2 days |
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»» |
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| Roofing |
4 days |
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| Exterior paint |
5 days |
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| Rough HVAC |
7 days |
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| Four-way inspection |
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| Insulation and inspection |
3 days |
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»»» |
v |
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| Brick work or siding |
2 weeks |
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| Hardwood floor & underlayment |
4 days |
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| Interior wall finishing |
12 days |
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| Interior trim and doors |
one week |
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| Cabinetry |
3 days |
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| Interior paint |
13 days |
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| Countertops |
2 days |
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| Vinyl and tile floors |
3 days |
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| Plumbing trim |
one week |
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| Heating trim |
one week |
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| Electrical trim |
one week |
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| Appliances |
one day |
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| Carpeting |
4 days |
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| Clean-up |
3 days |
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| Landscaping |
4 days |
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Comments (0)
Posted to Bobs-Blog by Bob in New Florence, PA
on 9/30/2007 7:12:12 PM
Here is a list of contractor questions to keep in mind, there is some good info. Some is guided towards remodeling. My wife found it somewhere on the net.
01. Contract Documentation
· Drawings
o Are any detail drawings promised for during production?
§ Is it noted on the Construction drawings so the lead knows to ask for them?
o Are these details included
§ Exterior Trim
ú Pilaster detail
ú Frieze / dentil molding detail
ú Exterior paneling
§ Interior Trim
ú Multiple-piece crown molding?
ú Mantel work?
ú Stair trim?
§ Built-ins
ú Elevations & materials specified?
§ HVAC
ú Are proposed exhaust & return or radiator locations specified?
ú Are all existing exhaust & return or radiator locations specified?
· Are any existing ducts assumed to be in walls to be demolished?
· Completion date and schedule
o Has the lead reviewed this?
o Are the Contract pay dates drawn from this schedule?
§ Are they listed on the schedule?
o Are all on site Architect meetings listed?
o Have all subs been notified of our current projected start time?
· Products and Finishes List
o What has been identified on the Internet and thus has not been seen first-hand?
§ Has a related ‘Buyer Beware’ clause covering uncertain, untested suppliers been relayed to the clients?
· Allowances
o Do allowances represent an acceptable % of the construction budget (i.e. less than 1%)?
o Are allowances provided because of a bona fide need or because of sloppiness?
o Have any subcontractors noted any “sight unseen” allowances for anything that should be pinned down sooner rather than later?
o Are all allowances clearly listed, and is it clear how cost adjustment will be made once allowances are firmed up?
o Have we included an appropriate corrective framing allowance?
02. Project Management and Setup
· Permit Applications
o Does permit need to be signed by homeowner?
o Are energy calculations required?
o Is a demolition debris form filled out?
o Does the town require a special format for the site plan?
o Does the town require a smoke detector plan to be approved by the fire department?
o Do we need an engineer’s calculations and stamp for steel or engineered lumber?
o Do we need engineering approval for a rainwater collection system?
· Building Code
o What part applies? 1 & 2 Family or Multi-Family?
· Does site plan show…
o Avg. height above grade (required in Newton)
o Floor area ratio
o Setbacks
o Required parking spaces
o Special Rules for corner lot or lot with two front yards?
o Septic system location?
o When will the as-built survey be required—before pouring foundation or on completion?
· Site Protection
o Have we thought through crew access points?
o Have we thought through dust wall locations?
o Have we figured out homeowner access to and through work areas?
· Temporary Kitchen setup
o Equipment & sub cost accounted for?
o Location?
03. Demolition
· Has Lead Carpenter approved the determined extent of demolition to pre-existing finishes?
· Contract Specs
o Is the demolition scope clear on the drawings and in the specs?
o Do the written specs reflect the submitted quote from the demo sub?
· Appliances
o Is it clear what will be re-used in finished setting or given to Building Materials Resource Center?
o Any temporary relocation of appliances?
· Asbestos
o Possible areas to be considered: vinyl tile, mastic, utility room panels, pipe wrap, duct wrap, siding, roofing
o Is bid or allowance for asbestos removal included and/or mentioned in the specs?
· Is there evidence of urea formaldehyde insulation?
· What lead paint precautions might need to be taken?
· Is oil tank removal required? Included?
04. Foundations & Masonry
· Are there sufficiently detailed drawings for the foundation?
· Does budget include cost of any trenches required for buried pipes or wires?
· Is damp-proofing or waterproofing spelled out on drawings and in specs?
· Does there need to be a perimeter drain?
· Sump pump?
· Rainwater collection system?
· Are surveyor’s stakes in place to locate freestanding structure, or allowed for in the budget?
· Are all special footings noted under all point loads?
· Bulkheads
o Will bulkhead operation be impeded by any additions or decks we’re building?
o Is the bulkhead worth salvaging?
o Have we specified all new bulkheads with pre-cast steps?
05. Framing
· Drawings
o Are all necessary plans and elevations accounted for?
· Engineered Lumber
o Do we know that new floor joists or beams match the height of existing floor joists? When can we verify? Does that leave enough time to order the engineered beams or lumber?
o If new joists/beams will not be flush with existing, do drawings adequately represent where beam soffits will be?
o Ordering Lead Time:
§ Date needed for production:
§ Needs to be ordered by:
· Steel
o Will any steel require cranes or movers to install?
· Existing conditions – has necessary scope of correction to existing framing problems been determined?
o How plumb are the walls?
o How level are the floors & ceilings?
· Any framing or blocking necessary for:
o Toilet
o Vent stack
o Shower controls
o HVAC duct runs
o Pipe or wiring chases
o Recessed radiators
· Joist Depth
o Are we able to match existing floors & ceilings?
· Floor reinforcement below appliances
o Washing machines (especially front loaders)
o Refrigerators
06. Windows and Exterior Doors
· Ordering Lead Time:
o Date needed for production:
o Needs to be ordered by:
· Have both architect and client confirmed the order?
· Should flange windows be considered?
· Screen and hardware color?
· Factory primed?
o Inside
o Outside
· Exterior door hardware
o Verify back set, bore, entry, passage privacy, deadbolt
o Hinges
o Knobs
o Any or all exterior doors, within or beyond scope of work, to be keyed to match?
· Verify swings of all doors or casement windows.
· Verify which panels are active on all sliders (windows and doors)
· Verify which panel is active on all double doors.
· Verify rough openings of all windows and doors.
· Stud pocket sizes confirmed?
· Storm doors? Manufacturer, model, color, style, hinging.
· Do we need tempered glass anywhere?
o Windows adjacent to doors
o Windows within 18” of floor or stair treads
o Windows at tubs or showers
· Privacy glass?
· Garage Doors
o Glass windows?
o Insulated?
o Material – Wood or Metal?
o Finish – Painted, Stained, Factory Finish?
o Door openers?
o Keypads?
· Bulkhead Door (see foundation and masonry section)
· Skylights
o Fixed or operable?
o Is the proper flashing package or curb accounted for?
o Verify roof pitch and confirm with skylight vendor.
o Wired required for electric openers or screens?
07. Exterior Finish
· Drawings
o Are all necessary details & elevations accounted for?
· Trim profiles – stock vs. custom?
· Decks and additions built on piers – what is the skirt material?
o Is an access panel required?
o Has wire mesh animal protection been budgeted for?
· Siding
o Ordering lead time (if any)
§ Color for pre-painting:
§ Date needed for production:
§ Needs to be ordered by:
· Vented rain screen details are clear?
· Material for cap flashing?
· Mounting blocks for plugs and vents shown on elevations?
08. Decks and Porches
· Decking material?
· Fastening method
o Face nail
o Face screw
o Eb-ty
o Other
· Rail system—style, material, finish, supplier
o Top rail
o Bottom rail
o Balusters
· Posts & post caps clearly specified?
· Columns clearly specified?
· Finish – stain, paint, or nothing?
· Skirt material?
o Is there some sort of lattice skirt called for? What material/style?
o Is an access panel necessary to get under the deck/porch?
o Is wire mesh animal protection included if needed?
· Custom metal work for railings or other components
o Is the scope clear?
o Does contract make it clear that pricing to be finalized based on field verification?
o Lead time?
o Is installation included in fabrication quote?
· Piers and stair pads
o Are layout, placement, and dimensions clear on foundation plan?
o Are they included in the masonry quote?
o Are the masons on board with the schedule?
· Lead time required for any components?
o Date needed for production:
o Needs to be ordered by:
· How is the deck ledger fastened to the house? Has this been approved by an engineer?
· Porch Screen
o Wood or aluminum assembly?
o Screen door type?
o Bug screen beneath decking?
o Screen Fabricators
§ Order confirmation lead time:
ú Date needed for production:
ú Needs to be confirmed by:
§ Contract specs
ú Do the specs reflect the quote submitted by the screen system supplier?
09. Roofing, Gutters & Downspouts
· Contract Specs
o Do the specs reflect the quote submitted by the roofing sub?
· Are shingle brand and color identified – or is there an acceptable alternative?
o Lead time for shingles specified?
· Valleys
o Cut, woven, or metal flashed valley?
o Do any valleys land over doors or decks or other high-traffic areas, requiring extra run-off protection?
· Flashing
o Material/type:
o Color:
· Skylight curbs accounted for?
· Gutters & downspouts
o Material allowances for both?
o Do we have a hard quote (and notification lead time for scheduling)?
o Aluminum gutters
§ Pre-made corners have an 8” minimum jog - is a smaller jog required anywhere?
10. Electrical
· Contract Specs
o Do the written specs reflect the quote submitted by the electrician?
o In his/her quote, has the electrician included any disclaimers or exclusions that should be transferred to the contract specs?
· Salvage fixtures to be re-used
o Has the electrician confirmed that any fixtures that are to be re-used are in suitable condition for re-use & in compliance with current code?
· Are there fixtures or plugs to be relocated whose boxes are acting as junction boxes for circuits that extend beyond the work area? Has the client been notified that there may be extra work as a result, in other rooms?
· Verify communications and data connections are included and all locations noted on the electrical plan:
o Phone jacks
o Cable TV jacks
o Internet access wiring
§ Home-runs to where?
§ Are there sufficient electrical receptacles at that location for all computer appliances? (cable outlet, electrical outlets for cable modem, router, printer?)
o Any computer equipment to be relocated? Do specifications note who is responsible (or not responsible) for moving and connecting the equipment?
· Doorbell
o Doorbell buttons & door chime
§ At all entry doors?
§ 3-way? Different chime for second door?
· Thermostats
o Thermostat specifications – Size & type (digital, etc.)
o Who should specify and/or supply thermostats—plumbing, HVAC, or electrical sub?
o Are locations shown on interior elevations and plans?
· Switching
o Device style, color (e.g. Decora white)
o Dimmer locations
o Are multiple dimmers inadvertently shown on any circuit?
o Do ceiling fan switches come with unit?
§ If multiple remote control ceiling fans in adjacent areas, can frequency of control be changed so that fans can be operated independently?
o Are timer switches specified for:
§ Bath fan?
§ Electric heaters?
§ Exterior outlets / lights?
· Exterior wiring and fixtures
o Fixtures
§ Any trenching required for buried conduit? Is it accounted for in someone’s estimate?
§ How are exterior lights to be controlled? (photocell, timer, motion detector, manual switch)
o Exterior outlets
§ Locations?
§ Should any be on switches or timers?
· Service Upgrade
o Has anyone done a load calculation to determine if existing service is adequate for possible new loads? (added a.c., electric oven, electric dryer, other major electrical load)
o Location of service access from street
§ If underground, when will a trench be needed?
§ Any coordination with electric company required?
ú Are there any fees called out in the Electrical quote not included in their price? If so, is there an allowance in the budget for that cost?
· Cable service drop relocation
o Often cable companies will only deal with the homeowner directly regarding this — has this been investigated and confirmed as something we can implement for the homeowner, or should the electrical plan specify “Cable Drop To Be Relocated By Homeowner”?
· Main panel upgrade
o Electrical service cable relocation?
o Phone line or Cable TV service relocation?
o Sub panel relocation?
· Light Fixtures
o Are all fixtures UL-listed?
o Have fixtures slated to be re-used been inspected and approved by the electrician? Who will remove and store them?
o Are fixtures specified for locations that are hard to reach to change bulbs—stairwells, cathedral ceilings, etc.? Has homeowner approved those locations?
o Recessed lights
§ IC, Standard, or Remodel light kits specified as appropriate?
§ IC boxes accounted for in insulated spaces?
§ Is it clear where recessed lights are to be installed into existing plaster ceiling, or new?
§ Do plans and/or specs note that the location of recessed lights is subject to framing constraints?
o Undercabinet lights
§ Lengths required?
§ Wall switch or integral rocker switch?
§ Type of bulb?
o Fluorescents
§ Dimmable ballasts required for dimmers
§ Required for closet lighting
o Low Voltage
§ Any special hardware or transformers required? Are they accounted for in the specs and estimate?
§ “Light Rail” required?
o Sconces
§ Are precise locations shown on elevations?
· Garage Door wiring required?
· Stereo Wiring
o Speaker & component placement?
o Is a sound system consultant involved? Should one be?
· Wiring for built-in stereo and communication equipment
o Outlets & telecom heights for in-cabinet locations?
· Smoke Alarms
o Locations & Count
o Confirmed by fire department?
o Upgrade to existing bedrooms necessary?
o Who will do the work—the electrician or the alarm company? Is that clear in the contract?
· Other alarm work
o Burglar?
o Basement flood?
o Temperature?
· Appliance Specifications
o In-cabinet outlets desired for appliance storage areas?
o Range
§ Gas, electric, or dual fuel?
o Oven
§ Gas, electric, or dual fuel?
o Refrigerator
§ Outlet location specified?
o Microwave
§ Built-in or countertop?
§ Is a plug accounted for?
o Range hood
§ Remote fan wiring?
o Washer
§ Is there a hard-wired overflow protection device?
o Dryer
§ Electric or gas?
o Water Heater
§ Electric or gas?
o Boiler/Furnace
§ Electric, oil or gas?
o Steam Shower?
§ Generator Location
§ Control Locations
o Jacuzzi or whirlpool?
§ Motor Access & placement in relation to tub?
o Towel bar heater
§ If electrical – timer switch?
o Garbage disposal
§ Switching mechanism: Pneumatic, batch-feed, or wall-mounted?
o HVAC wiring
§ Humidifier/Dehumidifier?
§ Dedicated circuit by windows for future or potential AC units?
§ Are there dedicated plugs shown for expected through-wall or window-mount room air conditioners?
o Central Vacuum?
· Electric Radiant underflow heat
o Supplied by whom?
o Lead time to order?
o Sized/specified by whom?
11. Plumbing & Heating
· Contract Specs
o Do the specs reflect the quote submitted by the plumber?
o Are there any “sight unseen” items listed on the quote that homeowner should be aware of and that should be spelled out in the contract?
· Has the plumber confirmed that any fixtures to be re-used are in suitable condition for re-use and in compliance with current code?
· Do existing shut-offs for all work areas currently work? Who tested them?
· Do exterior sill cocks show up on the elevations (both existing and proposed)
· Bathroom (s)
o Is shower head height & position side-to-side shown on an elevation?
o Bathtub characteristics:
§ What is the location of:
ú Controls
ú Faucet
§ At which end is the following:
ú Headrest/heated backrest
ú Drain
§ Tile flange
ú Integral, or field-applied?
§ Remote air blower or pump
ú Is motor location shown in finished space w/intake ventilation?
o Steam shower
§ Location of generator, controls
§ Supply requirements
§ Is the ceiling to be tiled because of the steam shower?
§ Is a good vapor diffusion retarder specified?
o Sink
§ Pedestal sink requires dead-level floor and clearly noted location for in-wall blocking?
§ Wall-mounted sink requires clearly noted location for in-wall blocking.
§ Corner sink wall-mount sink requires perfectly square corner to mount into
§ Vanity-installed sink
ú Undermount or drop-in?
ú Does faucet have enough room behind the sink?
§ Medicine Cabinet
ú If mounted above sink, will mirror door swing clear faucet height?
o Toilet
§ Is it a noisy toilet that homeowner should be warned about?
§ Is there enough side-to-side clearance?
§ Any special finishes for the lever or other hardware?
§ Is there clearance for access to the tank from above?
· Framing adjustments necessary for pipes?
· Laundry
o Washing machine
§ Overflow pan beneath it? Drained to where? Trap primer needed?
§ Has a mechanical shut-off been specified and included in the sub’s quote?
§ If a front-loading washer, is floor reinforcement necessary? Has homeowner been warned about vibrations from spin cycle?
o Dryer
§ Gas or Electric?
§ Adequate make-up air?
§ Has vent route been thought through?
· Kitchen
o Kitchen Sink
§ If two bowls – which side is getting the disposal?
§ If irregularly shaped – what are the placement guidelines (total width centered on _____, large bowl centered on ______)?
o Faucet
§ Clearance under cabinet door swings?
§ Placement in relation to sink
ú Are there cabinetry or countertop depth constraints?
ú Does the Client expect its placement to be behind the sink or to one side of it? Which side?
· Water filtration system
o Device located remotely to filter whole house drinking water?
o Or under-sink unit?
§ Has the owner approved what comes included with the unit?
§ Filtered water dispenser location and style approved?
· Refrigerator
o Does it need a water line for an icemaker or water dispenser?
· Ranges and cooktops
o Electrical, natural gas, or propane?
· Oven
o Gas or electric?
· Under-counter water heater
o Has dispenser style and finish been approved with client?
· Hydronic heating or heating work requiring the plumber:
o Are relocated or re-used radiators clearly marked on the plans?
o Is there a clear boiler change-over strategy?
§ Time of year?
§ If a full system upgrade, has the plumber and lead carpenter reviewed the proposed work with the homeowners?
o Humidifier
§ Drain & water supply?
o Dehumidifier
§ Drain?
o Has boiler, dryer, or water heater make-up air (fan in a can) been specified? Has it been included in quotes by the plumber or the electrician?
12. Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning
· Contract Specs
o Do the specs address hidden ducts which might affect work areas?
· Drawings
o Are all existing HVAC exhausts and intakes documented on the demo plans?
§ Have all existing duct routes been thought through and accounted for in all areas of work and all neighboring spaces?
· HVAC quote
o Do the specs reflect the quote submitted by the HVAC sub?
o Are there any “sight unseen” items listed on the quote that the homeowner needs to be aware of?
o Are supply & return grille locations (both existing and new) noted on the drawings? Has the HVAC sub reviewed and approved these?
o Are locations for condensing units and air handlers clearly marked on the drawings?
· Thermostats
o Are locations shown on interior elevations?
o Who is supplying it, and what model?
· Furnace change-over strategy
§ Time of year?
§ If a full system upgrade, has the plumber and lead carpenter reviewed the proposed work and schedule with the homeowners?
· Does the chimney flue need relining?
· Has make-up combustion air been accounted for?
· Has any required HVAC wiring been accounted for?
· If air conditioning is to be added, has anyone done load calculations?
· If HVAC equipment or ductwork is in the attic, are the rafters insulated, or have we budgeted for insulating them?
· Have appliance duct routes been thought through? Have vent cap locations been shown on the exterior elevations?
o Bath exhausts
o Range hood
o Dryer duct
o Dehumidifier
o Central vacuum
13. Insulation
· Contract Specs
o Do the specs reflect the quote submitted by the insulation subcontractor?
· Type, amount & location
· Ridge and soffit vents required?
· Are upgrades of existing insulation called for?
· Has a blower door/infrared audit recently been done on the existing house?
· If HVAC equipment is located in the attic, are the rafters insulated (or have we budgeted for them to be insulated)?
· Any acoustical insulation included?
o Batts, acoustical strapping, or other mechanism for deadening sound required?
14. Plaster & Drywall
· Is it clear which walls will get new plaster and which will be patched and painted?
· Is patching by allowance or fixed price? Does the contract reflect that?
· Smooth finish everywhere?
· Is interior of garage to be boarded and plastered?
· Is fire code drywall required anywhere?
15. Interior Doors & Trim
· Interior doors ordering lead time:
o Supplier:
o Date needed for production
o Needs to be ordered by:
· Drawings
o Are all necessary elevations/detail accounted for?
· Trim
o Custom?
§ Are profiles documented and is there a setup charge?
o Curved > Flex / cast foam trim called for?
o Painted vs. stained? Does paint budget/quote account for that?
o Can all profiles be coped or will some require mitering?
· Was original plaster wall horsehair & wooden lath?
o If so, should shoe molding be called for at baseboard to avoid patching flooring?
o If so, should wall framing be furred out to match existing door jamb widths?
· Stairs – rail details
o Do stairs meet code?
§ Riser height
§ Tread depth
§ Width of stairs
§ Winder configuration
§ Ceiling height (6’-6” at nosing)
o Balusters specified?
o Newel posts specified?
o Top & bottom rails specified?
o Handrail, handrail brackets specified?
· Interior doors
o Door style, material, and finish called out?
o Door hinging and rough openings clear?
o Should any doors be double-rabbeted so that head casing aligns with adjacent doors that swing the other way?
o French Doors
§ Door width and number of lites confirmed with client? (5,10, or 15?)
§ Special glass on any French doors?
· Door hardware
o Hinges:
§ Square mortise or rounded mortise?
§ Finish?
o Knobs: privacy, passage, keyed?
o Stops & ball catches?
o Chrome in bathroom?
16. Cabinets, Countertops & Accessories
· Cabinets
o Ordering lead-time:
§ Supplier:
§ Date needed for production:
§ Needs to be ordered by:
o Is glass for cabinet doors accounted for?
o Do door swings and drawers clear obstructions, especially at corners and at appliances?
o How are toe-kick details to be handled, and is it documented?
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