Remember last week when I was so excited about the countertop decision (and payment)? Well, today the fellow came to measure the countertop "deck" and make the template for the actual quartz countertop. I haven't gotten the report from M yet about how it went, or how long he thinks the fabrication will take. I can't wait to find out!
We had a BIG DISCUSSION this weekend about when we actually think we'll need to move in. Those of you who know my work background won't be surprised to find out that I'd like to have a date. I'd like to see milestones. I'd like to have a written plan for crying out loud. But we're very different, M and I, and she's still hoping we can move in before Thanksgiving. Well, in all seriousness, she knows we can't but can't abandon that as a goal as it's helped her stay motivated. So we do not have a date, and I'm planning to cook one of the two Thanksgiving dinners we'll have (the second one will follow our first by about 4 hours and be at M's Brother and Sis-in-Law's house) at our current house. It's ok. We'll get there soon--we can both agree that we're DYING to move in!
So we don't have a plan, and we'll likely push out our appliance delivery (they were supposed to come on the rescheduled date of Friday after Thanksgiving. But since warranties (etc) start at delivery, there's no reason to rush them.) I'm DYING to see them in the space, but the smart thing to do is to wait and postpone them a bit longer. Sigh. It's ok though.
I promise a post soon about the following:
Vanities (there was some small progress on these this weekend!)
Kitchen cabinets
Sink selection
This week, with the decking 90% done on the outside, M and her dad have built the scaffolding on top of the deck and so she's back on finishing up siding. We believe all our neighbors are tired of seeing TYVEK in big bold blue letters (back of the house) so getting this done will be a nice accomplishment! More rain predicted this week, so some work will likely switch back to in the house. Stay tuned!
Monday, November 19, 2012
Friday, November 16, 2012
And back to your regular deck coverage
So, back to the deck progress after yesterday's counter-top-ordering-excitement. (Sidebar: have I mentioned how much I hate seeing the totals of all these materials add up? Geez, the counter top was bad enough, but composite decking is EX-PEN-SIVE!)
So let's cut to the chase and show those photos! I was able to get to DG a few minutes before the sun went down on Wednesday and snap these:
Still a few more cuts to do at the one end, but very much progress. Easier to see in the middle photo, the small blocks (a few inches high and a foot or so high) represent the railing supports (the little ones) and the pergola supports (the big ones). Yes, we're planning a pergola that has some kind of panels that can be retracted. This deck faces west, and in the summer this side of the house bakes. We could use a few more trees, but as it is, we had to carefully maneuver around the septic hatches (we're just far enough out of town that we don't have city sewer). Notice on that middle photo how the footings are not even? That's because the long stretch is straddling the septic tank. That's part of why those beams had to be so large and strong, because we had to bridge a long gap for that dumb tank. I guess it's not dumb, it just limits the construction and tree location in the back yard.
Yes, it's a pretty big deck. We have a deck just almost this size at our current house (albeit a much shadier one) and we LOVE it in the warm weather. With the west facing exposure here, we hope to be able to enjoy it much of the year. Yes it's big. But in a good way.
In other news, M and her dad installed the "ceiling" for our front porch. Kinda hard to see here (and still needs trim and paint) but more progress.
Happy weekend, everyone. It's supposed to rain here all weekend, so we hope to move back inside to vanity sanding and maybe painting. And then next week, there's lots happening. Yes, it's Thanksgiving, and NO we will not be in. But it's ok. It's getting closer every day.
So let's cut to the chase and show those photos! I was able to get to DG a few minutes before the sun went down on Wednesday and snap these:
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| M giving the royal "I built this" wave |
Yes, it's a pretty big deck. We have a deck just almost this size at our current house (albeit a much shadier one) and we LOVE it in the warm weather. With the west facing exposure here, we hope to be able to enjoy it much of the year. Yes it's big. But in a good way.
In other news, M and her dad installed the "ceiling" for our front porch. Kinda hard to see here (and still needs trim and paint) but more progress.
 |
| See, underneath there? |
Happy weekend, everyone. It's supposed to rain here all weekend, so we hope to move back inside to vanity sanding and maybe painting. And then next week, there's lots happening. Yes, it's Thanksgiving, and NO we will not be in. But it's ok. It's getting closer every day.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
We interrupt this deck post . . .
With exciting news: we ordered our counters! The guy comes out to make the template Monday! We think they'll take a couple weeks! I am so excited.
You might remember here where we thought we had our counter plans made. Well, we think on stuff long and hard here at chez DG, and that plan was modified. First we thought Quartz. Then decided too expensive. Then we came up with the concrete plan, then decided maybe it was too rustic, even though it would save $$. Then we thought we could use 24" x 24" tiles with tiny grout joins (I happen to have an in with a tilesetter) but then I hated the counter edge options (few and all icky).
So we went back to Quartz. We had a color in mind (Caesarstone Raven) but then got swayed by another manufacturer's color Ural Gray. Slightly cheaper. Maybe. It's difficult because each situation seems different: some suppliers sell only the slab (pre-determined sizes, created by the manufacturer) and some also include fabrication (making the edges, sizing, and cutting out any necessary holes--like for the sink). Some suppliers give you a list of names for the fabricators and you have to figure it out with them yourselves. Sigh. It's hard to compare apples to apples.
In the end, we went with the best deal we could find (Costco, of all places) that also has my #1 color pick: Raven. It's dark gray. But not black. It looks pretty with cararra marble, which is what the Island will be. The Quartz is a big expense, but it's what I really, really wanted. We've tried all along to choose more economical choices whenever possible to save up for the big splurges. This is one.
In case you're not familiar with Quartz countertops, here's the skinny: It's an engineered stone made from approximately 95% natural quartz and 5% polymer resins. It is priced in the range of Granite, but comes in more color choices, and is considered to be more durable and more scratch resistant than other natural stone choices. In the end, I just prefer it to Granite. And I'm really excited to see the new counters. Now if we could just get that large workbench (that's currently in Island position) out of the kitchen so I can show the cabinets. . .
This is not a truly representational image, but it gives you the gist.
You might remember here where we thought we had our counter plans made. Well, we think on stuff long and hard here at chez DG, and that plan was modified. First we thought Quartz. Then decided too expensive. Then we came up with the concrete plan, then decided maybe it was too rustic, even though it would save $$. Then we thought we could use 24" x 24" tiles with tiny grout joins (I happen to have an in with a tilesetter) but then I hated the counter edge options (few and all icky).
So we went back to Quartz. We had a color in mind (Caesarstone Raven) but then got swayed by another manufacturer's color Ural Gray. Slightly cheaper. Maybe. It's difficult because each situation seems different: some suppliers sell only the slab (pre-determined sizes, created by the manufacturer) and some also include fabrication (making the edges, sizing, and cutting out any necessary holes--like for the sink). Some suppliers give you a list of names for the fabricators and you have to figure it out with them yourselves. Sigh. It's hard to compare apples to apples.
In the end, we went with the best deal we could find (Costco, of all places) that also has my #1 color pick: Raven. It's dark gray. But not black. It looks pretty with cararra marble, which is what the Island will be. The Quartz is a big expense, but it's what I really, really wanted. We've tried all along to choose more economical choices whenever possible to save up for the big splurges. This is one.
In case you're not familiar with Quartz countertops, here's the skinny: It's an engineered stone made from approximately 95% natural quartz and 5% polymer resins. It is priced in the range of Granite, but comes in more color choices, and is considered to be more durable and more scratch resistant than other natural stone choices. In the end, I just prefer it to Granite. And I'm really excited to see the new counters. Now if we could just get that large workbench (that's currently in Island position) out of the kitchen so I can show the cabinets. . .
This is not a truly representational image, but it gives you the gist.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Deck construction
Though I haven't seen it since the weekend, I understand deck construction is nearing completion. The actual decking part, that is. The railing is another story. As are the stairs. But real progress has been made on the deck itself. Here are some pix from a week ago--I hope to take some more tonight after work, though the sun goes down just about the time I get there, so I'm only cautiously optimistic I'll really be able to get decent pix in the dark . . .
Yes, it's gray. Eventually the house will be something other than this yellowish gold that it currently is. Something grayish or taupey. Then the decking will match.
Yes, it's gray. Eventually the house will be something other than this yellowish gold that it currently is. Something grayish or taupey. Then the decking will match.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
You'd pay for this?
Last week, I was chatting with a friend who lives on the East Coast (we worked together for many years, and now keep in touch by phone). He's one of my biggest fans (thank you!) and talking to him always makes me smile. He was giving me the update on how he and his family fared during Super Storm Sandy (no damage, but now power for 10 days or so). He also wanted a house progress update, and we talked about how we both had childhoods that featured a lot of concrete pouring. And then he said the magic words "I love your posts, Karen. I'd pay to read them." Really? Nuh unh. Well, he did say it, but I think he's nuts. A fan, but nuts (in a good way). It really touched me, tough, as I started this whole Adventure 3-1/2 years ago when I left NJ and moved to Cali as a way to document the 2 week trip and keep in touch with my East Coast Peeps. I guess it worked. Smile.
So what's been happening at DG? A lot more, though we're still not really finished with any one thing. Most prominent in the last week has been continued Deck building. Thanks to M's "crew" (her dad, who's been spending at least part of every weekday helping), it's nearly complete. At least the decking part. But I get ahead of myself.
After spending Saturday (over a week ago) pouring footings, M and I spent Sunday getting ready for her "crew" to start building the deck on Monday. While I weed whacked around our orchard, M got the footing area leveled out with the tractor, and then we moved on to moving the huge beams that were required for the deck structure. Yes, it's over engineered. The building codes are stupid. We devised an interesting way to move these big guys from the front driveway (where they were delivered) to the back. Think Egyptian.
See those bad boys to the right of me? BIG and heavy.
Note, the "driveway paving." Our driveway area is sloped toward the house, and is dirt and gets really really muddy in the rainy season. When we tore the house down, we repurposed the stucco with it's wire backing as kind of an impromptu driveway. It's uneven and looks like a mess, but really keeps the surface from becoming a muddy mess.
Multiple medium size guys, successfully moved to the back yard. Isn't this exciting?
Big guys laid out next to their footing brackets, ready for Monday construction to begin.
Larger view, with string lines.
Ready to go!
So what's been happening at DG? A lot more, though we're still not really finished with any one thing. Most prominent in the last week has been continued Deck building. Thanks to M's "crew" (her dad, who's been spending at least part of every weekday helping), it's nearly complete. At least the decking part. But I get ahead of myself.
 |
| OOOOhhhh. Footings. With post brackets. Exciting. |
After spending Saturday (over a week ago) pouring footings, M and I spent Sunday getting ready for her "crew" to start building the deck on Monday. While I weed whacked around our orchard, M got the footing area leveled out with the tractor, and then we moved on to moving the huge beams that were required for the deck structure. Yes, it's over engineered. The building codes are stupid. We devised an interesting way to move these big guys from the front driveway (where they were delivered) to the back. Think Egyptian.
 |
| Walking my Cart Buddy |
See those bad boys to the right of me? BIG and heavy.
 |
| With a Big Guy loaded |
Note, the "driveway paving." Our driveway area is sloped toward the house, and is dirt and gets really really muddy in the rainy season. When we tore the house down, we repurposed the stucco with it's wire backing as kind of an impromptu driveway. It's uneven and looks like a mess, but really keeps the surface from becoming a muddy mess.
Multiple medium size guys, successfully moved to the back yard. Isn't this exciting?
Big guys laid out next to their footing brackets, ready for Monday construction to begin.
Larger view, with string lines.
Ready to go!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Footing day!
Yesterday, we poured the 12 footings for the back deck, along with two small pier bases for the stairs that will come out from my office to the side patio. It was a VERY successful day in the end.
At about 8:30, M called the rental place to find out if they had any concrete "Pups." These are the tow-behind mixers that you can rent for the day. MUCH easier than mixing all the individual bags, and just about the same cost. Unfortunately the place that's about 2 miles from the house had some trouble with their concrete plant, so wouldn't have any Pup rentals for another few days. Plan B: luckily there's another place in Newcastle, about 5 miles away. They had some available, so we ran over to M's parents to borrow their Suburban, ran down, got the Pup and got him home to DG. It was exciting on the freeway!
We immediately started pouring. We got the hang of dumping a small load into the bucket of the tractor (that tractor has been a lifesaver. M has said over and over that she could've never built this house without it!) and then drove the tractor over to a form. Then we'd shovel the concrete into the holes, place the rebar, smooth it out, insert the post holder, and move onto another.
M's dad came right after we started to help, so he and I were the manual labor. M drove the tractor and operated the mixer (which made for a loud morning as the mixer keeps mixing--loudly, and the tractor was running the whole time). We got a good system down, though I was so in the midst of my tasks I couldn't take any in progress photos. But we completed the task within about 2 hours. Here are the forms, ready to go:
And here are the finished footings:
It really was a great, satisfying (though exhausting) day. The weather was perfect--warm enough that all the water involved (constant spraying of the tools) didn't make us cold, and cool enough that we weren't drenched in sweat.
Up next: deck posts, beams and under structure. I'm sure we'll be tired again tonight.
At about 8:30, M called the rental place to find out if they had any concrete "Pups." These are the tow-behind mixers that you can rent for the day. MUCH easier than mixing all the individual bags, and just about the same cost. Unfortunately the place that's about 2 miles from the house had some trouble with their concrete plant, so wouldn't have any Pup rentals for another few days. Plan B: luckily there's another place in Newcastle, about 5 miles away. They had some available, so we ran over to M's parents to borrow their Suburban, ran down, got the Pup and got him home to DG. It was exciting on the freeway!
 |
| Looking out the back window at the "Pup" |
 |
| Are you as excited about this as I am? |
We immediately started pouring. We got the hang of dumping a small load into the bucket of the tractor (that tractor has been a lifesaver. M has said over and over that she could've never built this house without it!) and then drove the tractor over to a form. Then we'd shovel the concrete into the holes, place the rebar, smooth it out, insert the post holder, and move onto another.
M's dad came right after we started to help, so he and I were the manual labor. M drove the tractor and operated the mixer (which made for a loud morning as the mixer keeps mixing--loudly, and the tractor was running the whole time). We got a good system down, though I was so in the midst of my tasks I couldn't take any in progress photos. But we completed the task within about 2 hours. Here are the forms, ready to go:
 |
| gee, haven't you seen enough of these already? |
And here are the finished footings:
It really was a great, satisfying (though exhausting) day. The weather was perfect--warm enough that all the water involved (constant spraying of the tools) didn't make us cold, and cool enough that we weren't drenched in sweat.
Up next: deck posts, beams and under structure. I'm sure we'll be tired again tonight.
 |
| As always, Willie supervises |
Friday, November 2, 2012
Upcoming work day
So, footings are ready for concrete. M hoped to pour them Wednesday (when her Dad was available to help) but we got a fair amount of rain on Tuesday night, so it was too wet. Instead she's spent the the last couple days putting the finishing touches on our new "eclectic" fence and shoring up the old driveway gate so Willie can't escape the back yard.
Tomorrow, Saturday, is our new planned work day. I think both M's Mom and Dad are planning to come help. We'll rent a "pup" and hopefully need only one. It's exciting. When I was a kid my dad poured a lot of concrete, and though I doubt I'll get to press my hand print and scratch my name into these footings, it'll be fun to see the progress nevertheless.
Our decking is being delivered today. That's a big chunk of change. But it'll be nice to get it up (and it's not just a nice-to-have feature--since the slider drops off by about 4 feet, we have to have the deck and all it's stairs and railings complete before our CO/last inspection. Yesterday at lunchtime we took a drive to settle on what style of posts/railings we liked. SOOOoooo many decisions.
I took a photo last night of a framed footing, but it's totally boring. So I'll leave you with a pic of the house as it looked when we bought it:
And I guess I need to take a recent pic, because I can't find any that show the today. This sort of cute, sad little cottage-y house sure has had a transformation!
Tomorrow, Saturday, is our new planned work day. I think both M's Mom and Dad are planning to come help. We'll rent a "pup" and hopefully need only one. It's exciting. When I was a kid my dad poured a lot of concrete, and though I doubt I'll get to press my hand print and scratch my name into these footings, it'll be fun to see the progress nevertheless.
Our decking is being delivered today. That's a big chunk of change. But it'll be nice to get it up (and it's not just a nice-to-have feature--since the slider drops off by about 4 feet, we have to have the deck and all it's stairs and railings complete before our CO/last inspection. Yesterday at lunchtime we took a drive to settle on what style of posts/railings we liked. SOOOoooo many decisions.
I took a photo last night of a framed footing, but it's totally boring. So I'll leave you with a pic of the house as it looked when we bought it:
And I guess I need to take a recent pic, because I can't find any that show the today. This sort of cute, sad little cottage-y house sure has had a transformation!
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