I've been reading through this forum for a couple of years now and found it to be very informative. Enrique in Dinuba, CA

Kirk's Forum Posts: 2
Journal Entries: 28
Interview Answers: 50
Average Forum Rating: 4.00



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Exterior Paint

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 3/6/2008

The house was painted this week and it was quite a chore to pick out the exterior paint colors. The actual color on the house was much lighter than the color chips, so I went back and forth several times on the final choice.  I like the results.

Photos

Bay on master bedroom	Front porch	Garage side view
Front of house

Exterior Stone Finished

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 2/29/2008

The exterior stone is finished and looks great, again very happy with results.

Exterior Stone

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 2/26/2008

The exterior stone was installed and again I was very happy with the results.

Photos

Front column base	Stone installation started

Exterior Stucco Finished

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 2/25/2008

The stucco is finished. I think it looks great. The facia trim turned out fantastic. It looks very much like cantera stone.

Photos

View of facia	Back of garage

Interior Column Shots

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 2/23/2008

Installed 6 interior columns. They are 7 feet tall on 20" basis.

Photos

Columns Installed

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 2/20/2008

Well, I picked up 8 columns to install, 6 interior columns and two exterior columns. The columns come in halves and are heavy! So I went and picked up a couple of day laborers. The outside columns was pretty tough to set; they were heavy, and when vertical, very difficult to move and adjust.

The interior columns were also tough to set, but not so much due to the size and weight as it was getting the halves to match up and then shim to perfectly vertical AND match up to the bases. I had adjusted the height of the bases earlier to make the installation easier and with minimal gaps.

Photos

Exterior column shot	Column half	Moving a column
Columns on trailer

Drywall & Stucco Pictures

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 2/13/2008

Drywall is ready for nail inspection and the stucco crew finished up the brown coat today. They will do the deck interior walls tomorrow and then were ready for tape and texture. I'm very, very pleased with the results of the framing detail and how well it turned out with the drywall overlaid. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Photos

View of living room and formal dining, toward family room and kitchen nook	foyer looking toward back door	Main hallway. In fact, this is the only hallway in the entire house. There is a foyer at the end of each hallway also.
Closeup of dome in master bedroom	Master bedroom, looking into master bath	Foyer looking thru arch inter family room at fireplace
Looking back from family room toward main hallway and main foyer	Grolin ceiling above main foyer	View across room at kitchen nook and family room fireplace
Closeup of kitchen nook	View to RV section of garage	Looking back from RV section of garage, door on left is 12' high by 18' wide
Front view of exterior	Another front view of exterior	Rear view
Side view

Granite Countertop Picked Out

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 2/10/2008

Here are some pictures of the granite I chose. It's a level four, and I got it for a level-two price! I purchased 7 slabs, and the only full-shot picture I got was of the least-impressive slab. I like lots of variation and color. The 7 slabs will cover the kitchen, laundry, master bath and all the other baths in the house.

Photos

Granite close-up	Slabs in the rack

Posted by Dave in Boerne, TX on 6/24/2011 Dave's Forum Posts: 4 Journal Entries: 43 Interview Answers: 90 Average Forum Rating: 3.50 Image from Dave's blog 6/24/2011

Nice choice ...we have very close to that in our kitchen... and it looks great!!

Drywall Done, Stucco Started

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 2/10/2008

Drywall is 75% done. They will finish up this week with the corner bead and tape and texture. Stucco crew started also, and did one-half the house in one day; they also should finish up this week. The drywall is really making the house pop!!!! It's really bringing out the detail.

Things have pretty smoothly to date. I'm under budget and the house is on schedule for completion in April. It could easily be finished earlier if I pushed the contractors but no need, we're right on track.

I ordered the doors this past week and how they will look. I also upgraded the trim on the doors and will be adding crown mold in certain areas.

We had stormy weather and lots of rain for a desert climate. The deck leaked badly and caused minor water damage. May or may not need to be replaced.

Photos

Interior view	Fridge/freezer area and niche	Breakfast nook
	Bedroom ceiling	Leak from deck and water damage
Close up of water damage	Winter weather, snow on Superstitions

Insulation Installed

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 1/27/2008

Insulation was installed as I mentioned before. See pictures.

I did some framing yesterday. I framed in a pony wall for bedroom three, and also a hall linen closet. I also relocated some electrical boxes that were in the wrong locations for cabinets and door trim. I have several other minor issues to resolve before drywall. The HVAC and plumbers need to come back and relocate some ductwork and plumbing for the kitchen hood area.

While out on the job site, I went up on the view deck to inspect the first phase of the poly-coat application. I was surprised to find out nothing had been done. It was supposed to be done two weeks ago. I was very disappointed and notified the roofing contractor. He was also shocked since his sub told him it was done. I'm not happy AND we had a pretty good rain roll through today. I went out and checked on the house today and it was leaking heavily from the deck area. This soaked all the insulation in the surrounding area and now I will have to wait for it to dry out before we can start drywall. The roofer is on the hot seat and will be under strict orders to get the deck done once it dries out. Hopefully we get sunny/windy weather for the next several days so it can be done before our next rain, which is forecast for a week from today.

Photos

Insulation insided dome	Kitchen nook area	Master bedroom
Another view	Theater room

Passed Inspection (On Third Try!)

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 1/25/2008

Failed inspection on first try due to the insulation being up and covering the wires, plumbing etc. So I pulled down all insulation covering the trades' work...

Second inspection failed due to ten minor items, but they still need fixed. Electrician and framer had the most fixes and came out and had them fixed within a few days. Plumbers-fixes were so minor, I did them myself in less than 10 minutes...

Third inspection went well, a few more items were found for the electrician to fix, but they are minor and can be fixed before drywall. So I got a pass and could finish insulation. Insulation crew was out within a few days and did an excellent job, very thorough and no gaps or loose batting anywhere.

I also met with a couple of cabinetmakers and finally decided on one. The guy busted his butt to get the job, was superb on his follow-ups, no pressure - and the best deal. I will spend $18,700 over budget, but that is due to my consultant greatly underestimating this phase. I could have gotten  a decent cabinet package for just above my low, low budget of $14K, but it would have looked cheap and unsuitable for this type of home and price range. So my final cost ended up being $32,700, but I'm getting first-class cabinets and lots of extras that make this cabinet package pop! This will certainly be money well spent, you couldn't ask for anything more. I will go into more details around the time of install and finish.

While all this was going on my stucco crew was doing great work on the lathing. I used to do this work 20+ years ago, and it's more advanced now with pre-cut foam and corner-bead wire. They are really good in the detail work, and my fascia and window trim will look like Cantera stone. Paid nothing extra for this work and it looks like $20,000 in Cantera stone. I'm very pleased. See pictures!

Photos

Lath detail on fascia	Close-up of fascia	Lath detail fascia west side

BIG BIG Inspection Day!

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 1/13/2008

Big inspection tomorrow. Roof was loaded and lath is done. Inspection will look at rough plumbing, electrical, HVAC mechanical and roof dry-in. The low voltage and central vacuum are roughed in also. Hopefully not too many fixes will need to be done. It would be great if it passed as is, but the inspector usually will find something.

I spent a day cleaning up the outside of the house (lot) and all of the inside. I picked up all the loose debris and swept out the entire house. Everything is ready for the insulators and then drywall. If inspection goes well, I should be loading drywall by Wednesday.

I still have the front area of the lot to pick up. The trades have done a really good job picking up after themselves, they got all the really big stuff but there is lots of little pieces here and there.

So far, I'm under budget overall and just over halfway through my construction funding. Currently I'm at $387K. Everyone (including suppliers) has been paid in full to date. It seems like I have a lot of money to finish up the house, but this is when the costs start to get expensive, as they say "it's in the details".

Go cheap in the details, and the house will look cheap! The trick is to find the best-quality details for the least amount of money. My entire effort on this house is to spend money on the bling items where the visual details are eye popping. My cabinets and flooring will be first class, the doors will be solid core but paint grade, countertops will be granite but only the kitchen will come from the same slab cut.

10% of my remaining funds will go to simple (pavers and block fence). Not a big bling item, but necessary.

Photos

Tile loaded on roof
House cleaned out		Garage area

Rain Delay

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 1/7/2008

Lots of rain today, heavy at times. However, I met the low-voltage guy at site and reviewed placement of Cat 5 (phone/data) and RG-6 (cable) outlets. For some reason he forgot to mark the "locations" when we met three weeks ago. 

I also met the insulation rep, and we decided to stick to the original plan and insulate the bottom of the roof. I will need to seal up the attic venting by Wednesday before the roofer loads the tile. Real fun, just what I wanted to do. This is the second wasted-material issue on the house. My bad for not going over this issue with the roofer. Who would think you would need to review insulation designs with the roofer and vice versa? Another lesson learned.

Posted by Justin in Chandler, AZ on 1/8/2008 Justin's Forum Posts: 119 Journal Entries: 102 Interview Answers: 59 Average Forum Rating: 3.79 Justin's Selected Image 1/8/2008

Are you putting unfaced fiberglass in the walls there? Would you be using batts on the underside of the roof too? I am curious to see how that all goes. Is the inspector okay with having a non-vented attic? Did you use a radiant barrier or a radiant-barrier-lined roof sheething? Sorry for all the questions, but we are in the final design/bidding stages and I still have several unknowns... Thanks for posting all this great information! Justin

Posted by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 1/8/2008 Kirk's Forum Posts: 2 Journal Entries: 28 Interview Answers: 50 Average Forum Rating: 4.00 Image from Kirk's blog 1/8/2008

Unfaced in the walls, we are using unfaced batts in the roof also. Decided to leave roof "as is" and now batts will go just above ceiling drywall. No radiant barrier being used, attic will be vented after all. This home is more or less a spec home, I will try to sell when completed, if market still slow I'm going to move into it and live in it for two years. Sorry not much help! Kirk

Subcontractor Jumps the Gun

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 1/6/2008

My insulation subcontractor started insulating the house before needed. I still had an inspection to call in for several items, and was just waiting for the roof tile to be loaded. The insulation crew showed up on Friday and began installing insulation. I was able to contact the foreman and have them stop. They only got four walls done and strung retaining wire over 50% of the house. I also have to change how they were going install it and where, or remove the attic vents. The plan was to wire the insulation to the rafters just below the roof sheething; this would insulate the entire attic space and improve overall cooling efficiency. However, with the roof vents cut in (36), this ruins any gain in efficiency. So I either seal and remove the roof vents or insulate the house in a normal fashion. I paid extra to do the advanced install and will most likely not get that back.

I also got a picture of the collapsed underground electrical conduit. That has to be fixed. This week I absolutely need to pick a door-and-trim contractor and cabinetmaker to keep things going.

Photos

Damaged electrical conduit	Central vac outlet	Damage to conduit by plumber
Insulated 14' wall	View looking west	Insulation batts awaiting installation.
HVAC flex duct	Main fireplace

Niches Enlarged

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 1/1/2008

I enlarged a couple of niches, there are 4'x7' niches located in a mini-foyer at each end of the main hallway. They originally were 7" deep into the wall with a ledge another 9" over an arched base extending from the wall. The 7" depth would only allow for a picture or simple wall hanging. I didn't think it was deep enough, so I knocked out the false wall and deepened the niche another 5". This will allow for a vase or some type of shelf display, etc. (See pictures.)

I also finished the deck drain plumbing and resheethed the deck columns.

The lathers are nearly done and the low-voltage wiring should finish this week.

Photos

Niche	Niche #2	View of the front lath

Deck Drains Installed

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 12/30/2007

I did my first hands-on work on the house yesterday. I had to pull the shear sheathing off the deck support pillars/columns to gain access to the hollow cavity inside it. I then drilled 3.5" holes in four locations on the view deck. I inserted 3" drain pipe inside the hollow columns to provide drainage for the deck. The initial idea was to use scuppers to drain the deck, but the deck height is 21' above the ground. Water falling from that height would dig a nice-sized hole into the ground. With the drain pipe, the flow and end location of the water will be controlled. I had to strap the pipe in three locations to make sure it didn't come loose in a heavy rain. The framers will need to come back to build crickets on the deck to direct the flow to the drain pipe inlets.

The roofers dried in the roof and the stucco crew is 70% done lathing the outside of the house. Just waiting on the low-voltage sub to finish up and for the roofer to load the roof with tile so I can call for inspection.

My first delay due to materials being unavailable will stop all work for at least a week. The roofing wholesaler is low on the tile I selected and has enough tile for the job, but the tile is from two different production runs. So the roofer and I will wait for a NEW production run of tile to be produced, so all my tile will be from the same production run, and no issues and tile matching will be encountered...

Photos

View of lathing and roofing	Drain pipe inside column

Framing Done, Other trades started

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 12/26/2007 8:55:49 PM

Framing was complete around the 15th of December.  I had alot of detail framing done and you will need to see the pictures for the details. 

The windows were installed 10 days ago, one was broken in transit and has since been repaired.

Then the HVAC installation begun, it took them one week and I had three seperate units installed.  I had  a 4 ton unit to cool/heat the Master bedroom and den and 1 bedroom, I then had a 5 ton unit to cool the family, living, dining and kitchen areas, then 1 more additional 5 ton unit to cool the remaining 3 bedroom and game room.  So I have a total of 14 tons cooloing 4334 sq ft.  Its quite alot of cooling power but when the temps hit 115+ in the summer for weeks on end the house will easiliy keep cool and for less money than running two 5 ton units full speed all day long.  Also the home is set to cool 3 different zones individually so seperate areas of the home can be set for the users in thast area of the home.

The rough plumbing went in in just 4 days and the rough electrical in just 2 days.  Currently the Low Voltage / Central Vacuum installer is finishing up his work and the roofer is set to dry in the roof tomorrow thru Friday.  I have been meeting with several cabinet and door makers to get the final details and bids worked out.

I got a really good bid on the Stucco and Drywall both from the same contractor, I checked his work and it looks great so I was happy to get that awarded and have to only deal with one contractor on that.

I have some electrical accent lighting to go over.  I will probably end up doing that myself versus calling the electrical sub back out, they are simple additions to do and I dont want to pay the high change order costs, I also have some detail framing to alter and will do that myself also, again simple stuff but expensive to have them come back and do it.

Stucco to start this week and then we're into the New Year holiday.  I hope to be ready for inspection by the second week in January. If everything goes smoothly Insulation will be in by the 10th and drywall done by the end of January.

Photos

Windows #1	Windows #2	Electrical
Duct work	Main fireplace	Hallway ceiling framing
PEX Plumbing	Breakfast nook dome	Breakfast nook dome close-up
Ceiling in den	Master bedroom dome	Over the master bedroom tub

Framing Nearly Done

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 12/9/2007

Well, the framers took a couple of extra weeks to get the job done. Home building in Arizona has really dropped off. The framing crew on my job is one of two crews remaining for the subcontractor I hired. He has no new jobs starting for a few more weeks, so he laid off half of his remaining workers; so I've had only three workers on my job for nearly three and a half weeks. The framers have been working on finishing up the detail framing (see pictures). 

I ordered an iron door for the front of the house, and even though it was 8' tall it looked way to small for this home entryway. The door cost me $4,300 delivered but I couldn't use it. Fortunately, my framing contractor wanted it and agreed to compensate me $2,600 for some of the additional detail framing that I requested. I have had an additional $6,150 worth of work done in the ceilings and the movement of a couple of walls. That is 25% of the original bid. The work I've had done is in very detailed and time-consuming. I added 6 more growling domes to the main hallway, and another dome above the breakfast nook. Also more detail in the family room ceiling. Every ceiling in the entire house (less the bath and laundry rooms) has a coffered ceiling and/or a dome with or without rope lighting. 

The HVAC started installation this past week, and the plumbers will be in this week along with the electricians. The roofer will follow as soon as the plumber places all his venting work. The windows are going in first part of this week also. Things are going to get busy again for the next two weeks then nothing will happen until after the holidays.

Photos

#1	#2	#3
#4	#5	#6
#7

Framing Details

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 11/26/2007

Exterior framing nearly completed and interior detail framing taking shape, the pictures don't show the beautiful, graceful lines of the arches or 'groin vault' ceilings.

Photos

Pic #1	Pic #2	Pic #3
Pic #4

Posted by S.A. in Grass Valley, CA on 12/6/2007 S.A.'s Forum Posts: 2 Interview Answers: 1 Randomly Selected Image 12/6/2007

The framing looks awesome. It is a shame to cover it all up, especially those arches and coffers.

Saved $ 2,400 on HVAC!

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 11/24/2007

I received a late AC bid and it was about $2,400 less than the one I really wanted. The higher bid had several upgrades and superior equipment. So I called my preferred contractor and reviewed the bid with him. He said his bid was superior in every aspect and said I was getting a really fair deal at his price, but he didn't want to chance losing the work so he agreed to put in the equipment as per bid, but at the reduced price of my recent bid. I was very pleased and signed a contract within the hour in case he changed his mind! 

Status Update

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 11/24/2007

Well the framers mislead me, due to a language barrier and not understanding Spanish very well, I misunderstood the framing supervisor, he meant Wednesday of the following week. So they hopefully will be done this week. Unfortunately, I'm leaving town for the week and sure hope things go as planned, I won't be here to check up. I have to order additional plywood for them to complete the interior details. Over 50% of the ceiling needs to be dropped down from the 14' truss height...

Moving Along, BUSY BUSY Week Ahead

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 11/18/2007

Framing, despite the first moisture (light rain-sprinkle) we've had in three months, is moving along at a quick pace. I allowed two weeks to complete, and yet they will be done in just 8 days. Unfortunately, due to the Thanksgiving holiday I will lose two workdays this week. This has pushed the window delivery and installation back to Monday the 29th. On Wednesday, the HVAC and electrical will mainly do a walk-through/layout preview and then start installation next week. All the rough electrical, HVAC and windows should be done before the end of the month unless inspections don't go well...

Variance Hearing Result: DENIED

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 11/14/2007

I finally had my meeting in front of the three-member Board of Adjustment for the county of Maricopa, AZ. This is the third largest county in the nation by amount of land covered. It is also the county for metropolitan Phoenix. My lot is located in a county island within the Mesa city limits, so I'm subject to county building codes. 

I have had issues with the county from the outset. The county required a ridiculous amount of infill for my building pad. They also required I retain a dry wash that no longer receives flows in a storm. County reps say this is for the historical preservation of the natural terrain...

Then I was turned down for a request to raise my fence by two and a half feet, from 3.5' to 6'. Without going into a lot of detail, the chairman of the board already had a bias to lot splits in the county islands and rarely if ever grants a variance, he strictly enforces the code, regardless of any unique or special circumstances...

I have included my rebuttal letter since I was not allowed to comment after they made there argument since public comment had closed. It's hard to debate or refute an ignorant conclusion when they have their 'for-or-against' AFTER public comment is closed.

Also you can view the VARIANCE REQUEST APPLICATION by entering: Maricopa County BA2007100

Trusses Delivered

Posted to Superstition-Views by Kirk in Mesa, AZ on 11/14/2007