Category: Update

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Picking up where we left off

Soooo, it’s been a while. I’m sure you’ve been on the edge of your seats all winter, wondering what is up with my house. And the answer is, not much really. But, I’ve got a few things done and there’s some progress and I’ve got some help, and my intention is to be ‘done’ by the end of August 2020. There will always be things to do, because that’s the way it is with home ownership, but my renovation will be done.

That’s lofty, given how many times I’ve said that kind of thing over the years. For a renovation that was supposed to take 5 months, to still be at it 4 years later is crazy, actually. But I can see the end of the tunnel and there appears to be a light there.

I’ll fill in the details in some upcoming posts, but I’ve done a few things since last summer:

  • grading from front to back is done
  • stone driveway done
  • balcony done
  • fence at back done
  • back patio done
  • deck for garbage and recycling bins done
  • main floor and upstairs joists sistered supported
  • teleposts for supporting staircase put in, and floor cranked mostly level
  • basement stairwell gutted (plaster slumped after asshat builder let it rain in my house)
  • new drywall in basement stairwell
  • header at bottom of basement stairs moved, can now go down without knocking one’s head
  • some new electrical switches in basement
  • closet at back door done
  • original living and dining room ceilings taken down (lath & plaster)
  • confirmation no knob & tube in house that is still connected
  • upgrading of some electrical outlets and switches
  • house grounded (grounding was disturbed when new furnace put in and no new grounding put in) – no more shock treatment at my house
  • stripping of trim begun
  • stairway to upstairs now without a turn, with landing in new open area (was a bedroom)
  • entrance way to spare room moved
  • spare room enlarged
  • bathroom enlarged
  • plumbing for bathroom moved
  • new fan in bathroom
  • bathroom wired for in-floor heat
  • drywall stripped from exterior walls on spare room and new open area, insulation on those walls, redrywalled

That’s a lot, when it’s noted down like that. I’ll post some pictures when I have time.

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Where we at?

So, you’re wondering why I haven’t posted anything new for a couple of weeks, when I have an excellent builder moving full-speed ahead and there should be lots of good photos and stories and excitement.

Well, the new builder is turning out to be similar to the old builder. While he promised glory in 6-8 weeks, we are 5 weeks in and are nowhere close. He sends a single guy to do work for a couple of hours once or twice a week.

The builder said he expects the drywall to take another week to complete. I agree, if someone is spending just a couple hours a day working, then it will take a couple of weeks to complete.

The walnut floor installation went like this: On Monday nobody showed up. On Tuesday a single guy showed up. He worked for 4-5 hours and left. He got about 6 courses of flooring in. Admittedly, it is slower going than using brand new flooring. But again, he did not work a full day. I can do 6 courses in about 2 hours. The next day I got a call from the builder that the flooring guy broke his hand playing soft ball after he’d left my house, and wouldn’t be able to finish the floor. The builder was going to try and round up someone else to finish the floor but it would take a day or two. I said, just take the week off and have someone back the following Monday.

I said that because I want as much certainty as possible each day, so I know what is expected at my house: Who will be there, do I need to set my alarm, do I need to clean up, make beds etc? Not just arrive home and find unexpected people have been in the house.

The following Monday, which was last week, nobody came. Nobody came all week, except for said drywaller, who spent 2 hours on Wednesday taping a couple of seams.

I started finishing the floor myself.

The quality of work by the carpenters is good enough, except where they did not understand or appreciate the use of reclaimed trim. For example, they cut into a 9″ baseboard in order to use it as door casing. For &%*! sake, the 9″ baseboard needs to be used as a baseboard!! It’s not like I can go out and locate vintage 9″ baseboards any given Saturday. And I had told them that if they did not have appropriate trim available for any specific piece, then they should use new fir (which I supplied).*

And in a couple of spots, someone used screws to install window casings. Screws! What the hell?? Why not finishing nails?? They used finishing nails on other parts, so why screws in other spots?? I’m not planning on painting the trim, so filling the holes will leave obvious, glaring garbage spots. Awful, and crappy craftsmanship.

Anyway, this is the work of a ‘show home’ builder. Readers, you must have LOW expectations when dealing with contractors and builders.

*Update on this aspect: When I took a closer look at the door casings upstairs and down, I recognized the work of a different builder. That is, the first builder I dealt with understood the use of reclaimed trim and demonstrated craftsmanship with it. Someone else did the bad casing trim – SANDED IT, CUT IT, SCREWED IT. That patina is lost forever! And, it will never match the other trim pieces! And I will no longer have enough of it! WTF!!

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Springtime update

Time flies whether or not you’re having fun. For my part, no fun has been had for a long time.

After firing the asshat builder last spring, I have tried to hire someone new to finish the renovation. This was not easy. A few companies came to look, and chatted as if they were interested, but in the end they were not. I had one company lined up that I thought would work out. The owner was very decent, came to my house several times, took measurements, and gave me a detailed written estimate, which I accepted. And then I didn’t hear from him for 4 months.

I’m now on “serious builder” number two. He promises he is showing up April 15, 2019, to begin work.

In preparation for his arrival, I am pulling up walnut floor from my original living room/dining room, for installation into my new master bedroom and closet. The floor is up, but I now have to trim off a thousand nails/staples.

I also have to empty out my basement completely, and everything from the addition. I have a storage unit out front, on what used to be my driveway but is now a mudbath. But not everything will fit in it, so I have to cram the rest into my livingroom/dining room, once I have all the layers of floor pulled up (which may or may not contain asbestos). All in the next two weeks.

The landscaping is also a priority this year. I have a verbal contract with someone, we are just working out the details. I don’t know when he plans to start, but the ground is still frozen so no rush yet. I will be relieved to sit outside this year, without looking around and seeing construction debris and mounds of weeds/work to do. I’m also looking forward to not having the dog bring in mud from the yard every time he goes outside, from the trench left behind after the power line was put in the ground during the fall. My house really looks like it has a dirt floor right now.

I do not have it in me to be truly excited, as this renovation experience has killed my spirit, but it does appear to be heading towards moving forward, and it could actually be done by the late summer. Perhaps once I see the new builder actually showing up and doing work day after day, I will begin to get excited.

Anyway, that is a general progress update.

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Updates in Bedroom

Final coats of paint are on. Fan and light installed. Window trim on. Space cleared out, mostly.

Fan purchased from Home Depot

Lovely windows with original trim. Vent covers purchased from Old Quebec Hardware (https://oldquebechardware.com)

A new ‘old’ window pull. Looks great!

The floor will have to wait until all the work is done on the main floor, because I intend to pull the walnut that is in the original part of the house and use it upstairs. Then, I will refinish the original fir on the main floor. That’s waaaaay down the line, so I’ll have to live with subfloor for a while in the bedroom.

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Nearing Completion

I hope I’m not being stupidly optimistic in saying this, but the building seems to be nearing completion. In  December my friend Craig took over managing the project and dealing with the Builder for me. I was at wits end, ready to commit assault, and he very kindly stepped in and has been saving the day.

Craig reminds the  Builder that he also has to come to work everyday, stay for most of the day, and get some work done. Amazing that a so-called professional needs that babysitting, but he does. It hasn’t been 100% successful, in that some days the Builder still doesn’t come or do anything or stay for any meaningful length of time, but it has helped significantly as we’re nearing completion. I’m quite confident I would not be saying that if Craig hadn’t been babysitting.

Right now we have my beautiful windows installed, the insulation is almost complete, and poly on, with City inspection in a few days. If Craig hadn’t been on site, the Builder would have then disappeared for a month after he’d installed the windows. That’s his “m.o” But with Craig’s help, the Builder came back the next day to keep on working! Amazing!

One issue with the insulation is that some frost developed behind some temporarily installed pink insulation, where the Builder now has to put in foam insulation. Foam insulation can’t go onto frost, so we have to get rid of the frost. So, today, since the weather is supposed to be nice, I’m going to remove the pink insulation and set up a strong fan. It’s a small area. Hopefully by tomorrow the frost will be out and Builder can get sprayfoam done and final poly installed.

Then there is a chunk of concrete in the basement the Builder has to crack out. He’d installed it as a landing, but it is no longer needed. Then rim joist insulation down there and all small holes filled, widen the doorway area to the original basement, and clean up. The doorway area has to be widened because the plumber installed heating ducts through that door and now I can’t walk under it without ducking. So, new door location required.

Then sub-floor, and  upstairs: bathroom fan, poly, attic hatch, et voila! Builder should be off my property until the springtime, when he comes back to  clean up his work site, grade the elevation, and do a gravel driveway.

Oops, one more unresolved issue: the Builder did not put any heat into my upstairs bathroom. Yes, that’s how clever he is. It is wired for in-floor heat, but that is not sufficient in my climate So, either electrician comes back and installs electric wall-heat or plumber comes back and installs furnace duct.

Final electrical and plumbing inspections will be my responsibility, because I’m installing the drywall, flooring, and fixtures. With my friend Craig helping, I think I’ll be able to be motivated and educated on how to get that all done. It’s possible that by March I could be sitting in my addition, at least with sub-floor, drywall, and fixtures. Final painting, wood trims, and decorations might be longer.

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Update – or lack thereof

I know a blog with no posts is worth little. There isn’t a lot to talk about, however.

I have a builder who is treating my project like his hobby and dabbles at it a few hours a day for a couple of days a week. He does not have a full crew and brings ’round whomever he is able to rustle up that day. Many days nobody shows up at all.

When I talk to him about moving this project along, he sounds reasonable as to why things can only happen in a certain order and what the hang ups beyond his control are. He really does sound reasonable. But when I step back and see that this is a build that he started in JUNE, then the fact that he’s still puttering at it in DECEMBER is unbelievable.

I’m shocked at myself for allowing it to go on.

But, the updates for the last month: Most of the shingles have been installed. Not completely, of course. That would be too straightforward for this builder. But day by day someone comes and does a bit of work and the so far the shingles have taken 3 weeks. Apparently he has ordered a special material to cover the flat spot on the roof, which of course he couldn’t have ordered any time in the previous 6 months. But now he’s waiting on it.

The shingles themselves are beautiful. I’m glad I ordered them.

Carriage House

 

 

 

Now the builder is working on flashings, fascia, soffits, eavestroughs etc.

The HVAC appears to be done. I elected to go with 5 vents off my current furnace (3 on main, 2 upstairs), with in-floor heat in basement and in upstairs bathroom, as well as wall-mounted electrical heat. Had I been offered choices a few months ago, I probably would have chosen a high velocity furnace for the addition.

My main concern was having air conditioning on all floors.

The plumbing is roughed in. I had to take the advice of the plumber on where the toilet and sink HAD to go for the powder room, so we’ll see how that looks in the end. (I’m afraid I might be so renovation-weary that I make those “I don’t care – just do what you want” decisions).

The electrician is scheduled for next week. Then after that will be complete insulating and sealing up.

Very funny is that my end of the bargain – refinished windows – is not completed. When reglazing, the putty takes weeks to set, and I can’t paint the sashes until the putty is set.

Further, I have to build the window jambs, and I’ve been balking on that. I went to the hardware store and saw that fir for this project (8 windows) would cost $600 or so. It’s hard for me to just go and buy that. On the other hand, new wood windows would have cost $12,000, so I should just go and do it. I think another thing slowing me down is that I’m not a carpenter, so I’m not sure I’m making the right decisions on the wood or building the jambs correctly. Obviously they have to fit the actual sashes, so there is some customizing of the jambs as well. Plus, the sill has a downward bevel to it, in order to allow water to pour away from the window. Don’t know how to do that.

The stairs are still in the planning stage. Builder says he does not want to start those until after the building inspector has been by on the other parts. I’ve reiterated that I want the builder done before Christmas, so I expect we’ll come to blows shortly because there’s no way he can do all of what is left in the next three weeks.

Being a customer of a useless builder is no fun.