FRONT DOOR! FURNACE!

Our front door was delivered, complete with transom (window across top) and side lights (windows down each side). It's a beaut!

Sergei chipped out the existing bricks to place the door in it's new home.



Currently white - primer coat. It will be black in the end.







Andreas stopped by and low and behold, there was a furnace in the house as well! He took some shots (ok, like about 20) of plumbing...?! Here are some, very exiting for our blog followers, I am sure!

This is the upstairs bathroom


The duct that was re-routed (under duress) instead of it running clear across in front of the window!




Furnace in place with some of the 'special order' ductwork - runs along the top right in the second picture...click for a bigger version!

One more time, let's go over this

Wednesday November 28th, 2007

Poor Andreas, he says he feels like he is repeating himself and it's no wonder why. Now that Sergei is back on the job, Andreas is over there now, 9:00am this morning, to review all the items that need doing!

Monday Andreas went by the house to speak to the ducting boss. He reviewed all the locations of the bulkheads and pipes and the guy took exact measurements for some custom pieces we need. And here I thought that the last week and a half that they weren't at the house, was because we were waiting for the custom pieces!

Other exciting news, the 'Stair Guy' (the first non-Russian!!) came as well on Monday to measure for our oak stairs.

How embarrassing, to be escorted out

Tuesday November 27th, 2007

Every day there is something to do, and usually in the evening as some of us have workplaces to go to during the day.

Tonight I think I would like to have a go at getting my midnight, last minute kitchen pencil sketch into a computer. Well, we are looking at IKEA cabinets (as the budget is swayed heavily in the direction of my range...but I digress) and the software you can download from their website works incredibly badly on our home computer.

I convince Andreas that we should drive out to the store, during rush hour, so we can get a couple of hours at their workstations. We do this, and it was actually a little past rush hour so not too bad, and while at IKEA we grab a bite to eat.

It's 8:00pm by the time we sit down at the workstations, but not too worry, there is plenty of time since the store does not close until 10:00pm.

Several false starts later, and I am well on the way to 'designing' the kitchen in the computer. Lo and Behold, doesn't it crash, and I have to start ALL over again. A while later, I go to save the 2nd attempt, only to find that Ikea is offline and you can't save it. Not even locally to the workstation, because they are dumb terminals. I could not be more irritated, however all I can do really is to print out the list of products plus 87 different 3D views and this takes some time.
Andreas is working beside me on the crackhouse kitchen, and gets a hold of one of the IKEA guys...who at this point, has come over to remind us that the store is closing. Andreas perseveres and chats him up so the guy, Sam, starts to help him with the design.

I am still printing and then they are off to a display to measure something...by the time the manager comes by and rattles his keys at us, it's well past 10pm and Sam has to escort us out of IKEA! Oops. He actually takes us through the back stairs (much shorter than going through the whole store, for those of you familiar with IKEA layouts...). We are laughing and apologizing at being escorted out...but we get to the exit and isn't there at least 20 people still in line at the cashes waiting to check out!

We at least got some good designing done, even though we could not save it.

Slow week at the house

November 18 - 24th, 2007

No sign of the stucco guy, he seems to be taking his sweet time at the other site so although we were promised to have stucco complete by Nov 20th, it was not to be. We don't even have revised completion date as of yes, Marat just says "soon".

Slava the plumber has put in a number of drains and vent pipes, and discovered one small issue that he says 'happens all the time' - the toilet drain in the concrete in the basement bathroom is too far away from the wall. He just shrugs and says, we smash out the concrete and fix it.

Marat brought in another carpenter, Boris, so Andreas explained all the outstanding items to him. As far as we can tell, he flipped the front bay side windows, because they were in backwards, and then installed two windows in the basement (incorrectly) and then didn't do anything else. The two windows were just put in too far forward towards the outside. We think it is because the new guy assumed, incorrectly, that we would be covering the whole house with stucco. It's VERY common to do this, but we hate that look so even though the drawings quite clearly show the exisiting brick remaining, it's like they don't think to check the plans!

You must have the fixtures...tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

We must have been on a hundred shopping trips for bathroom fixtures. Finally, we had to actually purchase something because the plumber was coming on Thursday and Marat pinned us down on this.

Andreas and I had been to yet another store, this time one with a HUGE showroom and actually knowledgeable and helpful staff. And (amazingly) open hours for normal people with full-time jobs! I went straight from work and met Andreas there. We had narrowed it down to 2 tubs for the master and 2 kinds of toilet and we also had a general idea of what we wanted in the master shower controls. You'd think this wasn't rocket science, but let me tell you sometimes it feels like it comes very close.

Here is Andreas 'testing' out a tub :)


In the end we got shower system ordered (with rain can head), 4 toilets for the house ordered and a MAAX 'Palace' tub with air bubble system (instead of jacuzzi jets). I prefer the air bubbles...and there was a promotion on where we got "Chromotherapy" thrown in. What is that, you wonder? Well, me too...so I looked it up, and it's underwater mood lights. Ok, it was free.



Then we got home and Andreas says to me, you know, is the kitchen design sorted out as well? the plumber will need to know where everything is going for that as well.

AAAAAACK! No, it's not. The kitchen has been a source of contention since I wanted a professional designer, but the one I wanted was expensive, so then we went to Marat's guy, who designs very nice kitchen but not AT ALL to my taste. I had pretty much come to the conclusion that it was going to be a U-Design-It situation but figured I had more time!

Not so much. So, I get out all my idea books and magazines and previous attempts at designs. By midnight, I had 2 versions sketched out that we discussed before finally deciding on one of them. So, I better like it, because the plumbing is going in!

The plumber, Slava (you'll remember him from the basement plumbing) met up with Andreas at the house on Thursday to get started. I say only started, because once Andreas left that day, it seems Slava did too!

The last sound you expect to hear

Poor Andreas was outnumbered by Bosnian (Milan) duct guys and me
practically crawling through the phone because I couldn't be on site.

Bulkheads are here, there and everywhere.  Here is Andreas' account

Tuesday November 13th 2007

So it's ducting time!  Yea, progress is occurring.

"Where's the ducting plan?", Andreas asks of Marat.
"What do you need that for, these guys are professionals; it will be
fine", says Marat.

"Well, it's Thursday and they are coming on Monday to install the Ducts
so I would like to see where everything is going to go", says Andreas
"Ok, here's the name of the Ducting Engineer, Dan. Contact him for a
copy of the plans", says Marat.

Andreas emails Dan. Nothing. Friday call Marat and ask for Dan to
contact us. Nothing.
Saturday we finally reach Dan by phone and ask him for a copy of the
plan. He sends them and we look over them over the weekend.

"There's a bulkhead running in front of a doorway in the basement!",
say Andreas
"There's pipes blowing air downwards into the second floor bedrooms!",
says Lianne.

What the h*ck is this!

So Monday the ducting installers come. Andreas is there. Andreas asks
them about the bulkhead in the basement, and the attic pipes.
"Oh, the engineer is crazy; nobody installs supply ducts in the attic.
That's too much work, too many bends, too much airflow is lost so
almost nothing comes out at the end", says Milan the duct installer lead.

Dan the duct engineer is called.

"Dan, what's up with these bulkheads and attic ducts?", Andreas asks.
"Why, would you like them somewhere else?", asks Dan.
"Yes, they block a basement door and the installer doesn't like the
Attic ones", says Andreas.
"Ok, I'll revise them and email you the update.", says Dan.

"Email, where do I get email on a construction site?", thinks Andreas.
Fortunately on of the neighbours (whom Andreas has performed computer
salvation on several occasions), let him use their computer and printer.

So while Andreas is fiddling around trying to get the important bits of
11x17 PDF diagram to fit onto 8.5x11 paper he hears a loud and
terrifying noise:
BRAAAAAAAAA!!!!  BRAAA!  BRAAA!   BRRAAAAAA!!

Get this: IT'S THE SOUND OF A CHAINSAW!
(...cutting up our newly built house!)

So Andreas finishes the printing and races over there. By now the noise
has stopped and the whole house smells of oil and gasoline.
Any fires?; any collapsing floors or caving in walls?   No, Phew!

Turns out Ducting Installers use a Chainsaw to "simplify" their work.
Yea, Right!
We've seen what duct installers do. In fact in another house (with
ducts put in a long, long time ago), a duct installer cut entirely through
a supporting floor joist to accommodate his precious duct.

Fortunately here the chainsaw was only used to put in the square-corner
floor vents and returns.  Panic averted.


So the new plans from Dan the Ducting Engineer feature no more ducts in
the attic (He blames cheap and lazy Duct Installers for not wanting to
install them).
So even though the new plans don't have Attic Ducts, Andreas asks for
one be added (in addition to a floor vent) in the master bedroom over
the bay window to help with air conditioning in the summer. Milan
reluctantly agrees and puts it in.

All is not perfect however, as the ducts in the floors upstairs now
need to have a huge bulkhead running the length of the house on the Main
Floor.
In front of the Bay Window on the main floor, another giant pipe runs
that needs to be covered with an ugly wart of a bulkhead.
"You can't have open concept and no bulkheads", says Milan the Duct
Installer

"Why can't you put the duct behind the supporting beam over the
window?", asks Andreas in reply.
"Oh, we don't dare cut any wood near that beam, as it could collapse",
says Milan.
(More likely a slip of the chainsaw could be fatal to the house!)

Andreas leaves, and the Duct Installers work late into the day to
finish their ducting of the upper floors.
The following day Andreas goes back again, and figures out that if the
Carpenter (Sergi) cuts the path for the ducting, the Duct Installers
can relocate the pipe over the bay window.

That's the plan anyway.  Now we just have to convince Sergi to cut the
path and Milan (or his boss), to move the ugly pipe.
Oh, yea. Then we have to "negotiate" with Marat to use some spray foam
insulation instead of fiberglass around this rerouted duct.  If we
don't it could get very cold from it's detoured route, and not move heat
where it needs to in the winter!

Mum and Hatfields on site!

November 4th, 2007

Sunday what a day...the Hatfield's threw me a bridal shower on Saturday (did I mention that in the middle of all this we are also planning a wedding?!)...well anyway, the Mothers Diane and Linda got to use the temporary stairs to see the construction in progress! Pem came too and Sarah as well. Jordan actually joined us by fluke, so all the family got a good look.

Erin wasn't able to join us, but no worries she'll get a personal tour later.

Mum is here, standing in the front door (which will soon be relocated to the left).



The infamous temporary stairs, which run from the bathroom to the laundry room upstairs, exactly the opposite of how the actual stairs will run!



Here we are in the basement, where Lianne is pointing to the future location of the stairs!

Shingles are now in, so is the skylight

Friday November 2, 2007

Here the roofing is almost complete, they finished by the end of the day.

View through the front bedroom window, to the guy shingling the porch roof



Front of the house, with shingles!



Here is the skylight installed. I love it!



Next up we are expecting the stucco to start soon, then ducts, and plumbing.

Night Vision on Temporary Stairs

Friday November 2, 2007

Al and Sarah came with us last night, in the dark, to see how the framing looks. Al is off on world tour business trip so we wanted him to see it before he went.

Earlier in the day, Andreas went by and saw the shingles being installed! Carpenter was working on the front peak detail...


...and Marat finally picked up the skylight!



After an all-carb, all-yummy dinner last night at the local Italian joint, we went over with Sarah & Al to see the place. Lights were available so it was great to be able to show them.

Also, the skylight was installed & WOW we could see the stars :) Also having the temporary stairs put in to the second floor is easier & nicer than scampering up a ladder.

Unfortunately, the carpenter again read the drawings incorrectly so the basement bathroom is a little squidgey! Andreas was at the house during the day to day to point out that the shower drain is not supposed to be in the wall, and the bathroom is really not a 4' by 10' tunnel.

Looks like that whole wall will be moved and there will be some other reconfiguration becuase of it. It means the bedroom next door needs the door reframed, which then means a reframing of the transition of ceiling from the main basement ceiling to the lower part...You think a dollar store set of reading glasses would be a better choice!

Witches and Goblins and Carpenters and Builders

October 31, 2007

Halloween... dressed as a witch, black teeth and all, I wanted to see what was going on! I had not been to the house since Saturday so I wanted to see the windows and the foyer and all that fun stuff.

Front hall with step-up to living room


Front of House with windows in front bedroom, as seen from outside and inside



Main Bay window (mostly there)



Here is the master bedroom windows



View from the back window into the house & the basement laundry room framing.