The real story is selections

Progress continues.  The siding is almost complete.  The electrician and plumber will be through next week and then we insulate.  My thoughts are we will start drywall in two weeks.  We hope to start the stone work in about a week as well.  That’s the mechanics of the build.  The real story is selections.


The questions and choices never end.  The electrician is driving me crazy with questions about light locations; where do you want a spot light, is this going to be a can light, how many fans do you want.  The plumber has questions about pot filler heights, where do the hose bibs go, locate the hand held shower head.  HVAC guy wants air return locations, gas drops, vent placements.  It never freaking ends.  The bad thing is, if you choose wrong, cha-ching! That will cost you more. Then it’s “No, no, wait, wait, ……… I meant put it over there.”  But it’s too late and the budget just went up another $175.00.  And that’s the other thing.  Susan and I are real good at avoiding the $1000.00 budget busters.  It’s the $100-$200 dollar ones that gets us.  You know, “Oh get it; It’s only a $135.00”.  The next thing we know we are $50000.00 over $150 bucks at a time.  I’ve been patted down more times than Al Gore during one of his hotel massages.  The fun just never ends.

Rock will veneer the block porch wall.

The siding is moving right along.

Exterior Trim Begins

The framing is finished and the trade’s people have started. The plumber is working now. The HVAC guys are finished. The electrician comes at the end of the week. While they are inside stuff is happening on the outside. The windows are in. The roof is on. The garage and porch have been poured. The exterior trim and siding has started. I’m just happy that the mustard colored house wrap is finally getting covered.

Pouring the front porch and garage.

Felepe starting the siding.

Front windows trimmed

The front fireplace.  You are looking out of the dining room.

Running like clock work

The framing is complete and the trade’s people start next week.  The roof is scheduled for Monday, plumbers are coming Wednesday, HVAC next and electrician last.  Susan is way behind on selections and we are already over budget so things are just about right on schedule and running like clock work.

The rafters are going up

The framing is complete. 

The different color plywood along the bottom is AC grade and will be exposed and painted underneath.  The house will have exposed rafter tails like most old Craftman style homes.

Adrian and "Thu Crew"

The rafer is 24' long so I had to photo shop the 3 pictures to get them all in.

Framing has begun!

We started framing today, sort of. The framing material that was setup for first load over a week ago finally showed up at 10:30. Adrian, our chief carpenter had a new crew together to start that morning and they had to sit around cooling their heels. It seems that was just fine for the new guys. As the heat rose they decided it was too hot to work and wanted more money. We let those guys go and were fortunate that the regular crew was back the next day. But with the late material and the labor dispute, about all that happened Monday was cutting the bands on the lumber bundles. Things are now back to normal and we are raising walls on the first floor.

The framing material has arrived, late but here finally

Starting to frame

Basement walls going up.

Adrian, the main man.