2007 04 30

The siding was finished today.

2007 04 30

We (Gary & I) got the kitchen floor and the french door deck done this weekend. Derek and Brandon are finishing off the siding today it looks like.

2007 04 26

Nothing was done today as we are in limbo about the fire sprinkler system. Mike says it could cost $6000 which is 2x what I have found. The siding will be completed soon as they ran out of material. The french doors will be fixed as they do not close easily anymore, The old south porch light will be installed in the siding as it was missed. Mike says the block/footing will suffice as it is not hanging off the edge.

2007 04 25

The cement pad (footing) was poured again today, but instead of pouring to the West, it was poured to the South. Mike has been notified. The siding was worked on but not completed as they ran out of material. The interior walls were firred out or in where needed. I also notified mike that the french doors are real tight at the top now.

I looked up online and fire sprinkler systems are roughly $1 per square foor in new construction, so I assume it will be $2-3k for the installation of them. ...fuck!

2007 04 25

Yesterday (Tuesday) the drywall was delivered. It is 1/2" so that means Mike/Jackson ignored my request to look into going up a size in drywall thickness. They quoted me $800 and was going to say no but instead they just had the 1/2" delivered. So long as they make the walls flat and the insulation does its job, I don't care.

Mike called me yesterday afternoon and said his sprinkler guy is out for a week so he will see if he can find someone else to bid the job.

2007 04 24

Mike just called and the inspector yesterday said sprinklers are needed. Mike said he missed some checkoff on the plans and that means we may end up having to not only have them put into the addition but also the existing house. There is a 75% rule and we are within 30 feet or so. Mike suggested they could fir in the back wall a foot and that would take care of it... I said no way. Mike is having their sub that does sprinklers do a bid on the job and dropped off a set of plans with them last night. He said he spent time with Jason last night going over the plans to see how they could make it so sprinklers would not have to go in the old part of the house and are thinking of appealing the rule as they are just right over the 75% threshold.

2007 04 23

Friday the siding was worked on but they cut out early as it started to rain. The cement pad under the hous for the footing was done on Friday but as I let Mike know, it is offset off the bean by about a foot. The crawlspace entrance was also done on Friday.

This past weekend (2007-04-20 through 22, Megan, Jim, Pat, & I framed out the bathroom pony wall for hanging stuff, the walking closet walls were also shored up with 2x6s as the doorway is there. I got the attic sheets loose and ran more wires for cameras and speaker wire. I also got the kitchen almost sheeted.

Today (2007-04-23) the framers are back and are working on the siding.

2007 04 19

Jackson met us at the house today with Mike. Mike suggested that I get with Jackson to obtain a credit for not pouring the pad on the back of the house for steps. He said we had defined within the build document, a 15 square foot pad off the french doors. I suggested it be done with wood so we do not have to remove a pad when we do the deck.

The shower pan was hot mopped today. The new bathroom toilet service line was move today but again it needs to be moved as it will be too high. The from service line to the house was replaced, the 5 or so feet of it that was damaged when the sewage line was replaced. The gas line was run to the laundry center and the kitchen vent pipe was run. A house block was under the house but it was crooked and it sunk into the ground from the pressure of the block above it with the joist resting on it. Now Mike is having a 20x20x12 cement block placed and that will have wood bottle jacked into place.

I reminded Mike we are getting rounded corners instead of square ones, for some reason he had told the drywallers square. Mike said the pony wall will stiffen up with the drywall, I will see about doing some red heads this weekend. Mike asked that I raise the sheets in the attic to allow the insulation to be installed. The shower valve did not show up today when we had Pat bring all the plumbing fixtures over from the house.

Mike asked me to get the exterior lights, the ceiling fan for the living room, the vanity cabinet overhead lights.

The siding is going on today with Derek, Brandon and Riley. They got the trim done and the bottom three rows on the back and south side of the house. Derek suggested that I caulk every possible crack on the siding to make it a moisture barrier... bugs too.

The framing inspection will be done on Monday which will allow the drywall to start. The electricians will button up after the drywall is done.

2007 04 19

Forgot to add that on Tuesday the 17th, they poured the south living room steps and the shower pan drain fitting area.

2007 04 18

Just got off the phone with Mike and he said they will do a concrete pier underneath the existing 2x6. I am cool with that. As long as something gets put there, I can always make it better. The new window in Trins room is going to get stucco underneath it as waterproofing that corner would be difficult to do and something about codes. I am fine with that as long as long as it looks good. Mike said around the french doors will get foam or insulation. He also said Derek should be siding today and that drywall will not go on until next week as insulation still needs to got in.

2007 04 17

The papering on the exterior walls was almost completed today, all except for the north side of the addition. Mike did not tell Derek to run the siding up to the south door so I asked him to do so. I also asked Derek to see if he could fix the door shutting issue. I tried it today and it did not seem any different, maybe tomorrow when they do the siding. I left a vm with Mike this morning and this afternoon, an eamil yesterday and on friday, all of which have gone unanswered. I'll call again and if no response I will call Jackson.

2007 04 17

Nothing happened yesterday, Today (2007-04-17) Derek, Brandon and the short "boss" have showed up to paper to prep for siding. Since three are there I would imagine siding will be delivered or they brought it along. I will call Mike in a bit regarding my last two unanswered email... specifically the 3/16 drop that has occurred where the new beam is in place. It needs a footing. This past weekend I got the flooring in the kitchen removed, a door lock on the french doors and the shower niches and more caulk around the windows. Josh and Chris stopped by and both noticed small issues like the door ways needing more fire blocks. I also got the kitchen lower and upper cabinetry blocks in place.

2007 04 12

Meeting today went well, text below is what was covered which I will copy and send to Mike in its own email.

Kitchen
2x6s in stud bays to hang cabinets - Mike said this is fine for me to do
Kitchen window crack - Mike said he would have the window replaced
Stucco around kitchen window - Mike said he will have it covered with stucco
Kitchen door does not close easily - Mike will have the edge surfaced so the door closes properly
Kitchen plumbing finish - Mike said in the next couple days, before the drywall of course
Laundry gas line and lint vent exit to outside - Mike said it will get done
Extra canned light - We bought one at Lowes this afternoon and took it back to the house, it will be installed tomorrow per Luis

Living Room
Show Mike the poorly manufactured windows - Veronica said she will get me the warranty info tomorrow. Mike said he will get the windows fixed/replaced
Window sash - Mike will get it fixed
Finishing of the french doors - We will get a cheap lock set on this weekend and Mike will have the finish set installed when the job is done, I will try to get a piece of pipe set for the pegs instead of just drilling a hole into the wood frame

Bedroom
Shore up pony wall in bedroom before drywall - Mike is having two bolts put through bottom plate into the cement
Toilet pipe re-routing - Mike will have it re-routed so it comes out the North wall instead of out of our granite
Bathroom medicine cabinet lights - We will buy them and leave them at the house for them to be installed by a sub
Shower niches - Mike will have one fire break removed so we can freely place the shower niche

Outside / Other
North roof transition line is bad looking - It does not look as bad today, it may have been flattened out by the guys walking on it
Cement slab out front - Mike is going to have it fixed
Cleanout under kitchen window - I will fix it myself
Attic fan to be reinstalled - I will mark the location with upside down paint and Mike will have it installed on the North side of the house
Plates over wires - Will only be installed where the wires are not in the center of the studs, I will put some more on this weekend
Water service line to the house - Mike said it will be completed (the exposed/damaged area by the fence)
Crawlspace access - Mike said the hole will be accessable via a wood frame covered with screen. The outer area will be cement like a dam.
The AC unit placement - Dirt still needs to be sloped away from the house so the pad for the AC unit can be placed, I will move it later so it will be out of the way
Sub-Panel location - Unit will be wired via the walls and attic. unit will be flush mounted on the outside of the house so it will not interfere with our shower niches
Cement for missing step on south side of the house - Mike said it will be done at the end of the job, along with the cement in the living room where the steps were not poured close enough to meet with the wall

2007 04 12

Luis from Viking Electric (619 247-0796) just called. He will put the 220 jacuzzi into a junction box on the north side of the house to keep it out of view. He also said we are short one canned light for the larundry room. We will get it tonight and drop it off tomorrow AM before work.

2007 04 11

The HVAC guys only showed up today to pick up their extension cords. The roofers apparently showed up but stopped, it looked like as they did not have the valley flashing... so essentially nothing was done today.

2007 04 11

Mike just called and and we talked about the AC unit placement. We apparently had agreed it would go outside our shower area so it would not be right under Trins window. If it drives me nuts, I can move it later myself as it is just a few electrical lines and a water line. As far as the shower niches go, we never brought them up so that is our fault. I will just do two on the left for Megan and one large one on the right with a small mirror (not permanantly mounted) in it for shaving.

Mike said the cement pad will be fixed and that it was idiotic that the driver drove over it. He said it will be fixed at the end of the job when other cement work is done. He said the asphalt was already in poor condition and that Jackson and I can deal with it at the end.

The roof looked finished on the south side this morning so that will be done today it looks like and the HVAC guys are supposed to button up today too. I would imagine Derek will start papering and siding Thursday then.

Mike and I said we are still on for our scheduled Thursday meeting.

2007 04 11

Were were told we would get to choose what heat/AC unit would go in as it may be only a couple hundred dollars to go from the 4 ton to a 5 ton unit, and there are options available which we would want to choose from. Yesterday the HVAC people were installing a heater unit which has the lowest efficiency available for heaters (80%). To boot, they ran the electrical and water line where I wanted to put a shower nook. Also it looks like they plan on putting the AC unit very close to wher eour head board is going to be in our new bedroom. And... it is going to cut the walkway in half between the north fence and the house. An email has been sent expressing my discontent.

The HVAC guys should be done today. Maybe the roofers, plumbers, or framers will show up today.

2007 04 10

The HVAC guys were there yesterday (Monday the 9th) and the roofers wwere there too. Mike called and asked if we could move the car so we left work early to do it. Th roofers helped push as we could not get it started. The HVAC guys ( MauzyAir.com) were setting the lines into the ceiling and looked like they stayed lated to get it done. Th roofers got the roof loaded by parking where the car was and started on the north side of the house. The supervisor of the roofers wearing the cast said the roof looked like it was professionally done, except for the one valley. The roofing company (Discount Plywood & Roofing Supply) truck drove over the cement pad and took a huge chunk out of it, so they will definitly be fixing it now.

2007 04 08

We got the wiring done this weekend, the coax, ethernet and speakers. The kitchen window is craked and the one on the east wall closest to the south wall has a broken sash cable. Mike will be notified today via email. The soffit was finished last Friday. The plumbing was worked on and the eave was primered.

2007 04 05

The windows were installed today and the french doors minus the kitchen window. The bedroom window does not look like it is tempered. Mike is going to have bolts put into the bedroom pony wall. Derek and Brandon were there doing the windows and the soffit. The plumbing need sot be completed. Mike says in two weeks the drywall will be up. Some sort of inspection will be done next week and then the siding can go up. The siding will be going up to the door and the old window in Trins room to have a less noticable transition to the old siding/stucco. The roof will be done next week maybe too. I brought up the hard wood floor to Mike and Jackson as it is very scratched up in Trins room and around the old furnace. I suggested it will need to be resurfaced. HVAC will be next week too. We decided to opt out on the base boards as it was not included and they will be a pain anyway with us doing the painting and the flooring. It would have been $420 to have Lars do them. Mike says the pad cut out from the back steps will be done at the end of the job.

In case I did not note it before, we had 34 yards of concrete poured for the slab... wow.

2007 04 05

Jackson just stopped by my work to have the electrical Change Order signed. It includes all the additional electrical items which were no included on the orginal build documents. He asked if we would still like the additional panel and of course I said yes. That way I will still have breakers left in my panel. Once they are done I will go back and clean up the wiring mess and make sure it is all labeled and routed correctly. I just got lazy knowing the remodel was coming and stopped knowing it would get partially redone.

During todays meeting I will show Mike the pony wall in the bedroom, the scratches on the hardwood floor and the buckle in Trinitys room. Jackson said he will try to make it out today. He said they will also be paying the $500+ for the additional panel. Nothing was said about the additional $2125 so I assume it will be added to the next scheduled payment. Jackson said they should be out of there in about two weeks so very soon we will be working our ass off at the house, installing all kinds of stuff :-)

2007 04 04

The saga continues. After a couple conversations with Jackson and Mike, we settled on paying $2100 which will include everything extra we wanted on top of the original build regarding the electrical. Jackson (Lars) presumeably will be covering the additional $2200 along with Viking Electric possibly eating or reducing some costs. Jackson said he meet me tomorrow morning in the parking lot to sign the Change Order. I assume the $2100 will be collected at the time of the next scheduled payment.

Jacksons stand in the last conversation is that he does not want us to have to spend the next possibly couple or more weekends rewiring the house. He said we should not have to pay for the additional box needed for circuitry or the run to it. He also added that he had an arguement with Mike so I assume there was some disaggreement about who should pay for what.

Whatever the case, we are getting a lot more electrical stuff than we had originally paid for and we are paying half for what it would normally cost.

I ordered four in ceiling speakers today from eBay and will order more if they turn out to be good. They pop into holes made after the drywall is up and are held in place by brackets that pivot out and pinch the back of the drywall.

2007 04 04

Jackson sent me an amount of $4300 to complete our electrical the way the electrician laid it out. I responded with we will sign today if it includes the rewiring of the entire house. That is way steep for what is proposed I believe.

Derek just called and asked about the exposure of the siding we picked which was the James Hardie Hardie Plank Colonial Roughsawn which is 8" wide (tall) 12' long and 5/16" thick. It has an exposure of 6.75". He asked about trim sizing and I could not find it on the web but he said it should be around 3/4" x 3.5" which sounds about right based upon what we saw at Dixieline.

2007 04 03

We dropped off the bamboo at the house today and the four 5 gallon buckets of glue and four 5 gallon buckets of moisture barrier. The plumbers were there today working on the master bedroom plumbing. We noticed the flooring around the old furnace hole is heavily scratched so I will let Mike know about it.

2007 04 02

No work was done today but we did make it out to Dixieline and picked out our siding (James Hardi HardiPlank Colonial Roughsawn). Mike called me today and said regarding the last email I sent, that everything was fine. He also said it was okay to run the speaker lines where ever I wanted. The FAX was not recieved by Don so I sent it again today. I will call him tomorrow to confirm everything is okay.

2007 04 01

I sheeted the bedroom pony wall today and frinished the living room pony wall. I got the race car and put it on the side of the garage too. Megan and I decided on fiber cement for our siding and will pick it out tomorrow at Dixiline. We picked up the french doors Saturday and got the 5" canned lights