Days 110-112: Windows completed/ Drywall Almost Done / Failed Inspection

The last two windows have been installed! So happy that's done and I love the triple window in the front! The siding isn't completed; it looks like they have 2-3 days worth left. The back is almost done as well as the left side. All that's left on the front is the 2 gables with Shakes; I saw the shakes laying in the front yard so those will probably be done first.

There was a note posted on our inspection sheet that said "Seal boxes in envelope" This had yesterday's date on it; and looks to be the only thing they need to do in order to get the power turned on permanently. I wonder what that means? I can only think of the caulking around the windows. Those last two windows they just installed were not caulked so maybe that's it and we will have power in a few days. Then the "finals" begin!

I think the first of this week will be drywall repair; I noticed lots of imperfections. The last of this week should mean painting and trim! This is when it will get fun.

Pics are below, nothing majorly different from Wednesday, well other than the drywall but you can't really tell that in the pictures! I probably won't go back until next Sunday; because this is my final week of school for this semester and I have lots of studying to do.

Triple window, loving it!

Girls enjoying their new steps, blurry pic :(

My Favorite View of The House

Days 107-109: More Siding & Second coat of mud, Cracks in cement and drywall

 

The house is looking great! We made some compromises today about the exterior. The guy was there that was over the siding and had already done some more that was incorrect :(. We talked and he said he asked the PM several times about the style of siding and was told the wrong stuff. So even since I emailed Sunday night about it being wrong; he continued to work on the wrong stuff unknowingly! Poor guy! I felt really bad because he had been working hard on it and I could tell he was frustrated however he was so nice and said he would change everything for us to make us happy because he didn't want us to settle on something we didn't love. After all that we decided to leave it as-is for two reasons. 1) We are sick of this building process, haha, but seriously. We don't want any more delays. 2) It does look really good...we would have loved to be a little different but this set up is a little more traditional and will never go out of style.

Almost done with the exterior, just these two sections left of regular horizontal board

The siding guy is also the window guy and still has the last 2 windows to put in; I can't wait to see the front with the massive triple window!

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Some questions now about some things we found. The basement floor has a TON of cracks...and they are not hairline small ; they are thick and crumbling :-/. This worries me.  I know some cracks are normal, but there are several cracks that span the width and length of the basement; and that's a large space. Our superintendent is going to check them out and get back to us. What can they do at this point?

 

Another issue is the drywall has major cracking and creasing on all of our arches in the downstairs. I'm wondering if this is because the windows and doors stay open and the cold air (we've had 30 degree days/nights lately) is making It shrink to fast? Because the upstairs arch has not one crack in it and there are no open windows up there? Not sure, I know they'll fix it.

I can tell they did the second coat of mud today because some of the walls felt dough-y still. Hopefully drywall will be completed by Friday and we'll have painted walls next week! Exciting!

Lanie's Room

Lanie's Room

Addi's Room

Addi's Room

Media/Bonus Room

Master

Entering master bath

Master bath

Master bath. Toilet on left, hallway to master and Justin's closet on right

Guest room--Who's my first visitor? :)

Living room through to Kitchen

Breakfast area to kitchen, garage on left

Garage

Dining room, to the far left is the family room

Another view

Family room

Kitchen through to living room

 

 

We will go back Sunday-I wonder if we will see paint? Probably next week...

Days 96-99: Insulation, Drywall & Hardiboard

Went to the house today and was surprised to see a team of workers there. They were installing the hardi-board around the back of the house! It still has to be painted but I loved how the trim around the windows looked, still a long way to go but it's looking great so far!

I stepped inside to find all the insulation completed and stacks and stacks of drywall in each room. I had been told they would insulate the ceiling of the basement but they insulated all the walls, great surprise. I plan on using that basement a lot as a workshop type of thing so this is huge! There are still 2 windows that aren't installed, the master bath window and the triple window in the family room. I saw the family room window sitting against the wall and I love it! I didn't know we were getting this particular style. (will add pic below)

We will probably go back on Wednesday to show the girls their rooms. The insulation makes the rooms look smaller, I can't imagine how it will look with drywall up! So deceiving.

There are some weird plastic looking things on the angle above the rooms, anyone know what they are for? I'm adding a pic below.

So happy to see progress, I am so anxious to get into this house. I love my in laws and we are so thankful they have let our family of 4 stay with them these past 8 months (YES 8 months, lol) but I am really missing my own space and 'identity'. The girls are ready for their own space too. I am really hoping we can get finished up before Christmas, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Now for the pictures!

Basement Insulation

The beginnings of siding!

Lanie's room

 

Anyone know what these are? they go down this whole side of the house above each room

 

The family room windows , love them!

Days 86-95 : Delays, Final Tile Selections

Well, we found out today that we still have not passed inspections, we are still waiting on windows too. Pretty annoyed. We will most likely be in at the first of the year now. UGH!!! So so so annoyed. So since my last post, nothing has been done, at all. According to what I was told a few weeks ago we should have been at the end of the drywall stage at this point.

We did finalize our master bathroom tile; we wanted to upgrade it because we didn't like the one choice we were given of the same tile with 5 different color choices. This is what we chose.


Happy Floors Golden Light Collection. We chose the color white and 12x24 tiles. These will go in the master bath floor and the walls in the shower. The shower floor will be the 2x2 mosaic mix.

Stock pic of the floor and wall tile

Stock pic of the shower floor tile

 

I tried rotating, this is the selection in store

 

My sweet helper

 

Days 79-82: Roxul is in! So is our front door and our windows!

I got to the house at 6:15 and took some pictures before my husband got there. By 7:15 it was completely pitch black.  The roof is completely done (yay!) they put the metal accents on the roof (above the garage in the front in the first picture) and the front door is gorgeous! It will be stained a dark brown. Most of the windows are in too! We are still missing about 9 windows but the majority are in and I love them; they are tan prairie style.

 



 

When we were discussing the type of cement siding we wanted last week (vertical/horizontal/shank) I kept looking at the elevation and something just didn't look right. I was comparing it to the model home picture and finally realized we have an extra "peak" not sure of the technical term but the big peak on the very top that goes from the garage peak up and connects with the 2 smaller ones is an extra. I love it, it really adds a lot to the exterior look of the house!

 

Missing the double and triple windows here...I saw them laying inside, they'll probably finish them today

Forgot to rotate this one, sorry! Right side of house windows are in.

All of the back windows are in except for the small kitchen window.

Our master, I love the double window! (I know I've said it a million times, sorry!)

 

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And now for the Roxul insulation/sound proofing. OMG I couldn't be in construction for sure. This stuff was not what I expected it to be. Maybe I thought it would have a wrap around it but it didn't. It is super dense fuzzy stuff with shards of rock/minerals in it. it was super easy to cut, most of it I just pulled apart with my hands. There were a lot of studs that weren't the 23''-24'' apart and we had to cut a LOT of this stuff.

 

It took us a full hour to do this one room (not even 3 full sides). And we ran out of daylight quickly so we had to use our phones and ipad for light (pretty comical looking).

Finished product, the builders will insulate the exterior wall. 

The girls were really good, they played on the phone/ipad and held the light up for us to see.

I was wearing a sweater and pants and felt pretty bad, the insulation was all over me and so itchy/scratchy. I should have worn a face mask b/c I felt it in my throat too, ew!

 

I didn't get many pictures while it was still light outside, but I did get a picture of our patio door. I forgot that it had a transom up top, looks really good! I wish I had gotten a close up of the front door, there is a cute little ledge on it that will be good to decorate:)

 

I noticed they put up an inspection sheet, it seems that all inspectors sign off on this one sheet up until the C/O is issued. I saw the HVAC was done (last week when I posted) but I didn't see the electrical or plumbing was done yet. I figured they wouldn't let us insulate until the electrical had passed but who knows, maybe I'm missing something. The electrical was completely finished and it seems the plumbing is as well.

 

I will probably go back Sunday afternoon so I can take a good look at everything before they drywall. I'll be out of town next weekend so I won't see the house for a week and a half, hopefully we'll be dry walled in when I get back!