You might think that choosing a tub was easy. Not so I say. Early last year we went to a local pluming supply, sat in some tubs, and chose one based mostly on look. You might remember this picture. Fast forward 9 months and we started looking over the spend with a microscope, it wasRead more about The tub[…]
We finally pulled the trigger on the plaster work, and there is quite a bit of it. In addition to the large wall we put up between us and our neighbors, we need to plaster the light wells, the exterior stairs, and the area between the siding and the dirt around our house. As withRead more about Plaster progress[…]
The storm and resultant mudslides in January had a big impact on our area and on our construction schedule. Now, this week we are bracing for another storm that is set to bring as much rain as we’ve had so far this season. There is a lot of concern that the storm could cause anotherRead more about Preparing for the next storm (and the ones after that)[…]
The stone fabricators installed quite a few tops last week, and they look gorgeous. We have just a few left to do now. The mud room (between the garage and the house) and the bar got the same honed black granite as the kitchen. The bar is still waiting on the top part. In theRead more about Lots of stone tops[…]
My wife and have been managing scheduling of all the work for the last couple of months, hoping to try and get things done enough to move in sometime in May. It is a seemingly herculean task to schedule all of the various trades to work around each other and that depend on each otherRead more about The Schedule and increasing difficulty of getting things done[…]
We might actually see the end of the cabinet painting this week. Because the cabinet paint needs to be more durable than normal house paint, it is a lacquer based paint and is quite noxious when painting is occurring, and for some time afterwards. That means that most other work inside the house needs toRead more about Nearing the cabinet painting end game[…]
The blue stone is coming along nicely. The latest application is on the front porch. We’ve also gotten our stair treads and risers, which are a single piece, for a nice look.
Our pool house has a bit of a twisted story. We started it, got all the way through framing and rough plumbing, and then realized that we would not be able to afford a pool right now. When we looked at the overall cost to complete the pool house (almost as much as the pool)Read more about Pool house progress[…]
Materials have a limited useful life, and more so when they are in the ground. This became evident recently at my parents house, which they and remodeled over 40 years ago. At the time when laying irrigation pipe, one used galvanized pipe. But galvanized pipe can and does corrode over time. In this case apparentlyRead more about The lifespan of materials[…]
When painting cabinets, it seems we have two choices, factory painting, or painting in place. Both have their pros and cons. With factory painting, the painting is done in a painting booth under controller conditions, and the results are consistently good. But, cabinets almost always get damaged on installation, especially with a big complicated installRead more about Cabinet painting[…]