Nearing the finish line

Cabinets getting started

Wood floor ready to be installed

Office with blue

Tile at entry




A lot to tell since the last post.  We've been busy and I've had a computer go bad........in short, lot's of reasons for no post up until now.  Since I left off, the home has been sheetrocked, painted inside, cabinets installed, finish truck (Inter-Pak Supply) has come and gone, and the flooring has started.

Let me retrace so perhaps our experience will hopefully prove useful to someone else building with Adair.  After framing and plumbing and electrical rough in......we sat.  We were waiting for a sprinkler sign off when I left off and that's when some fireworks started.  Our whole schedule was completely in the hands of the fire marshall and we hadn't received word when he was going to inspect.  Finally, through a couple of well placed calls, I got the word that he would inspect.  After his inspection, he called me back and told me that most of it looked fine, but in a not so nice tone, told me a couple of things that he thought had to be fixed.  He indicated he had told me to do these things and couldn't understand why I hadn't done them.  Needless to say, I had never been told to do anything and when I told him so, he said "oh, you're the homeowner, I thought I was talking to the contractor" (as if to explain why he had been so harsh.)  Naturally I asked, "what difference does it make who your talking to, there's no reason to speak in such a way."  There were a few other interesting notes in the conversation, but suffice it to say........issue with public servant number one.

We did get the sprinklers signed off, but next we needed framing and plumbing.  It was our hope to get both at the same time, thus saving a few days which we really needed.  Jeff at Adair told me the city inspector wouldn't sign off on both because of erosion control and he didn't know if it fit into his schedule.  The next morning I was at the building department when they opened.  After some very interesting conversation about how framing and plumbing had nothing to do with erosion control, and the fact that any issue (bio bags, which are just bags filled with wood chips) with erosion was in fact his oversight, not mine - I left, but not before some choice words with the building official in charge.  I left being told that they wouldn't sign off and we would lose valuable days (with a weekend coming up).  I found out that afternoon both were signed off.......we got our days back and the drywall folks were there the next day!  I have respect for everyone who has to do their job, but over the course of these couple of days, I really wondered if these city officials realize that they have a job to serve the public - not do whatever they want.  Probably the exception, not the rule, but I can't remember being that angry in a long, long time.  It ended well and we are thankful, but word to the wise, make friends early and often with officials who will help you through your project!

The drywall company did an excellent job!  They were fast but also very neat.  Drywall is by it's very nature a pretty messy ordeal, but there is a neat and organized way to keep garbage and there's a very messy way to keep garbage......these guys were excellent at keeping it neat.  I can't tell you what a difference it makes cleaning up organized garbage.  I am definitely appreciative of almost all the subcontractors that have been on this job site........neat, organized, thoughtful and efficient.  The drywall job inside the house I have been told is excellent. 

With drywall complete, our painter got right in and got through in a couple of days.  Next up the tile installer and I went and picked up hardy backer board on the rainiest night of the year.  I have a new respect for tile installers - hardy backer board is heavy and there's a lot of it (plus, I'm apparently kind of a wimp).  The backer board got installed the day before the cabinets showed up.  The cabinets got installed the day before the supply the supply truck showed up.  The supply truck showed up as scheduled, actually a little early so we could get our concrete work done.  If you've ever tried to get concrete work done in December you know that there is a lot of planning, flexibility and luck involved.  It can't be too wet, can't be too cold and that makes cement work in the month of December interesting to say the least.  Regardless, due to persistence and understanding on behalf of our concrete contractor we have most of that completed.  Only a couple of hurdles left.

After the supply truck came last Thursday and the good people of Inter-Pak Supply assured that our finish materials are at the house, we're installing tile and wood floor this weekend.  It's great having all the decisions made and to be on the home stretch!  After moving boxes of tile last night and today, I know I'm a wimp and I also know that hardy backer board is not that bad!

In short, we are so very blessed and thankful to be this far along.  Other than a few stressful nights with the city and a few tense decision making times, the whole process continues to be fun, exciting, and certainly a learning experience.  Have a great weekend and a Merry Christmas!

Matt