Archives for the month of: March, 2011

Loco-no-motion

March 24, 11 //
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I would think that any homeowner experiencing a massive renovation always takes some comfort in seeing movement and progress, no matter how minute. However, when you’re told by the contractor that completion is just weeks away, and even a week passes without seeing major progress, this particular homeowner goes a little crazy.

Dandeneau Contracting IS installing the birch ply ceiling panels slowly but surely, Butch from United Electric IS installing the lighting finishes in those ceiling panels, the drywaller IS doing a beautiful job on the installation. However we still have gaping holes where glass is supposed to go, such an awful job on the new roof that we’ve called do-over, we’re back to square one on a front door entry after weeks of wasted effort from various parties, and we’ve got a Change Order of Damocles swinging above us as the waterproofing is finalized.

Thank goodness we love, love, love our camper life so much. But wait, the camper owner needs her camper back in a few weeks…! Yes, we are happy to announce that we will be moving from the camper into the top floor of our unfinished home in a few weeks’ time, to languish on air beds and sleeping bags. Be careful what you wish for out there. It may make you loco.

A house by any other name?

March 12, 11 //
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Bill Thorne and his team have installed the majority of the Berridge zincalume siding in super quick fashion. 
Honestly, no matter how crappy I feel about the problems that are still arising, I can’t get the smile off my face upon seeing the cubic shell starting to look like a house!

Patricia McQuaid, our architect, is back on the job and working remotely from Italy to help finish up. We are now getting quotes on the wood flooring installation and bathroom cabinet fabrication, but we can’t do anything until the builder and architect figure out how to resolve the waterproofing around the glass.


My one unwavering bright spot is the bathroom. Chris at Tile Market helped finalize tile choices and gave us his blessing, and Josh Eberling is lined up to finish installation in two weeks. Will this be the one item that is completed on schedule? I daren’t hope.

Meanwhile we’re enjoying the first siren songs of spring. The oak leaves began dropping the last week in February, followed by a serious pollen drenching that continued into last week, and this week the maple tree across the little side creek began dropping helicopters all over our camper lawn, whirling down and remind us of our childhood.

downed helicopters

helicopters on the pool deck

H2Oh No!

March 5, 11 //
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Highs are inevitably followed by lows. Upon closer inspection of our glorious new sliding WinDoor systems, we found large gaps in some areas between the window frames and jambs that are not easily sealed, and everything has ground to a halt while the experts scratch their heads and figure out how to keep water out AND still make the architectural detailing look good AND not require us, the hapless homeowners, to sell our first-born. The huge fixed glass pieces arriving next week will have similar issues. My suggestion of pillows of pink expanding insulation and metallic spray paint was met by cold stares.

Nay! Gaps!

Pressure treated wood reveal, gap, aluminum door frame

The over-arching problem (oh that’s so negative! how about “consideration?” much cheerier!) with this house has been, and always will be, waterproofing. Every single major decision that has been made in this project has first been based on waterproofing. And here we are, within keen eyesight’s view of the finish line, and we have a new major waterproofing…consideration.

I’m going to go sit outside and watch the mullet jump (must be some seasonal thing? they splash around all day and night right now), forget my problems and let the experts mullet over. Ba dum bump.

A juvenile mullet

Lifting the veil

March 3, 11 //
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After six months of staring at a black plastic-veiled shell, we are overcome by the sight of plywood sheathing on the exterior walls and sliding glass doors and windows in place! Normal people may not get a charge out of such a sight, but normal people don’t live in 300 square feet without proper plumbing or heat/air. A huge shout out to Willy and his crew from Architectural Windows & Cabinets – they have worked until 6 pm the last two days to install cumbersome windows and sliding door systems on all four levels, and they’ve been in a jovial mood for most of it. Whistle while you work, indeed!

THAT'S what's underneath?!

Richard and I are on our own for a lot of the finishes and have been working feverishly to complete our research and make decisions. Today we ordered 2500 square feet of bamboo flooring, my dreamy dining room pendant lights, kitchen cabinetry, bathroom countertops, kitchen appliances, and a whole house tankless water heater. We are still finalizing bathroom tile choices but Josh Eberling will be here tomorrow to install the Schluter-Kerdi shower system and related Ditra subfloor in the first bathroom (supposedly rendering said bathroom a stand-alone floatation tank in case I fall asleep during The World’s Longest Indoor Shower, which I plan to commence immediately upon the grout being dry).

insulation around bath fixtures

Feel free to send ideas for an art installation or other reuse for our dear black plastic house veil…I’ll miss that sudden snapping sound at 2 am when it caught in the wind and woke me from a dead sleep, its funereal drape, the way it gaped in all the right places to tempt the driving rain…