February 2006



Feb
28
2006
 0

Proud Supporters…


Dear Tile Guy, I regret to inform you that I could not convince my husband to install hard tile flooring in the kitchen and dining areas. I have amazing persuasion skills, yet he was unmoved. I promise to give it one more go at the last minute on your behalf, but don't hold your breath. Nevertheless, we are looking forward...


Feb
28
2006
 2

Tumped


One thing I did not expect during this project was the rash of petty crimes. Potty borrowing, dumpster borrowing, peeing with the lid down, raccoons in the toilet, shyster tree trimmers (not Ryan, Ryan's cool), and last night our Port-a-Potty was tipped. Exactly how bored do you have to be to push over a Port-a-Potty?


Feb
27
2006
 1

It’s a Trussmas Miracle!


The clouds have parted, the sun is shining, a hint of sawdust lingers in the air, and there are trusses piled in our front yard! No rain in the 8-day forcast. Should be an exciting few weeks.


Feb
27
2006
 0

I Truss You Up, Schuckaz!


I looked it up. I'll be damned, there is such a thing as a truss machine. And they look like they break all the time. Today? Trussmas?


Feb
27
2006
 0

In the Kitchen


Before I start talking about the kitchen we ordered, I should say a few words about Chuck, our neighbor-cabinet guy. He's local, he's a small business, and he's got tons of experience with custom cabinetry and historic restoration. He'll be doing the trim for the interior of our entire house, for sure, as we want to match...


Feb
26
2006
 0

Sigh-kea Part II


A long rainy drive to the big box on the highway. In 3-4 weeks we should have 2000 lbs of wood, glue, and hinges delivered.


Feb
24
2006
 0

Git Yer Own Dumpster


I dropped by the house on the way to work. No trusses of course, but there was a bunch of not-our-dang-stuff in the dumpster. a small table a few mops toy tunnel two cots igloo cooler flower pots a propane tank Worse than a stocking full of coal on Trussmas morning.


Feb
24
2006
 0

Trussmas Morning


Every time I see a flatbed truck with wood on it, I check to see if it is heading toward our house. If there aren't any trusses in our yard by the time I come home from work, it's going to be a really long weekend. Update 11:00pm: No trusses. Truss machine broke. Monday. Fee fie foe phooey.


Feb
23
2006
 5

Basics


While talking to people at our open house I was reminded of a few basic things that I learned while designing our house. Here they are. In Crestview, houses cost about $150 - $200/sqft, and you can build for about $100 - $175/sqft. A construction loan is based on the value of the property after work is done, not the current...


Feb
23
2006
 0

DIY Solar Power


Speaking of reducing those energy bills... David and I have tried hard to design the house for eco-friendliness. Although the house will be pretty conventional in form, we decided to: Angle the roof for the best access to capturing solar energy Reduce the amount of windows (and thereby heat) on the west-facing portion...


Feb
23
2006
 0

Earthships


Treehugger reports on the Earthship trend happening in the UK. The developers, Biotecture, claim the homes will be so energy efficient they will have no utility bills. Gotta love 'em. The homes offer a way of tackling two of Britain's biggest environmental concerns - the growing waste mountain of discarded tyres and the high...


Feb
23
2006
 0

I Dream of Carport




Feb
22
2006
 0

Crestview Station Web Site


I just stumbled upon www.crestviewstation.com. Seems to be a quickie site. They just posted a pdf of a print brochure and translated it to Flash. Still, there are grainy maps and artists depictions. The PDF is 1,143 KB, and has the most detail. I'm sure there is a lot to learn, but for now it all looks like good news. I'm pretty...


Feb
22
2006
 0

Small Adjustments


Building the model revealed an awkward spot around the front door. The steps to the front door don't make sense with the posts from the porch above, and because we're moving the front door to the left, the sidewalk doesn't line up with the door. Angling the porch fixes this and turns the two posts into a gateway. Christiane...


Feb
21
2006
 0

Zowie, Zillow


When I do information design, I usually look for data that tells a story so plainly, that it seems blunt, almost a little rude. This is where Zillow comes in. It has some really blunt data. How about the value of your home trended over the past 10 years, against average homes in your zip code, city, and the United States? But...


Feb
21
2006
 0

Fire Up the Shrink Ray, I’m Ready to Move In!


After our open house, I had time to glue on the windows. This is at least slightly related to the mania that drives old men to build elaborate model trains in their basements. Good thing there is some practical value.


Feb
21
2006
 0

Thanks!


Thanks to our lovely neighbors (and our contractor and site supervisor) for joining us this evening. I think we learned a great deal, too, and we are so pleased to see the direction this neighborhood is going in. If you were unable to join us this evening, feel free to leave a comment with any questions or concerns. We...


Feb
21
2006
 5

Modeling


Measuring the siding Originally uploaded by cmwoodley. David is a hands-on kind of guy. For those of you coming to the open house tonight, be prepared to feast your eyes on the 3D model he's been working on. Measuring the siding Building the model From the east From the south If I have time today and tomorrow,...


Feb
20
2006
 1

Green Is Beautiful


looking out from the dining room Originally uploaded by boristheblade. When there is nothing going on at the house, I surf the midcenturymodern tag @ Flickr. This is dangerous because I come up with ideas. Ideas can be very dangerous when one is in the middle of construction. So, I distract myself with philosophical...


Feb
18
2006
 3

Crestview Station


We got a notice in the mail alerting us to an application for site development at Crestview Station (where the old Huntsman chemical plant rests in peace). The applicant is proposing to construct four multi-family buildings and four parking garages, with associated streets and utilities. The applicant in question is Bury...


Feb
17
2006
 0

Week 3 Wrap-up


There was little visible progress this week. We got a Pod, which looks like a small one-car garage, dropped in our yard. And that's about it. The trusses will not be ready today. They will be ready next Friday (they better), which means less will happen next week. Somewhere, they are still building trusses, and windows,...


Feb
16
2006
 5

Countertops


Since we're on a kitchen kick... Here's the laminate I picked out for the countertops. I dig the cabinet faces too... but I'd rather have white than birch. (Click it to see full-size)


Feb
16
2006
 0

Mmmmmmosaic


...for the kitchen backsplash. Colors and mixture by Christiane, and it fits the Apollo-space-program-chic that I want the kitchen to have. I have an old boat from 1959 that has those influences: chrome, gold, gloss white, red, gray, and black. The mosaic generator on hakatai.com is a nice bit of interface design (except...


Feb
16
2006
 2

Sigh-kea


The Ikea kitchen is cheap, but inflexible in design, and it comes from a factory, not a craftsman across the street. If anyone has had a bad experience with Ikea cabinets, we really need an excuse to not use them. Btw, this is one of the last things Christiane did before her computer melted. Did Ikea kill her computer?...


Feb
16
2006
 3

Christiane’s Laptop


The video card on Christiane's laptop blew a gasket last night. It leaked electrons everywhere. We're still cleaning up the mess. Really, the screen went random, then white, then did this thing where it faded to black from the edges like burning film in a Nine Inch Nails video. If I had seen it in a movie I would have thought,...


Feb
15
2006
 4

Greeeen!


Yes, I am still geeking out on the landscaping theme. I spent some time yesterday trying to figure out where to put the rainwater barrels. After surfing for a while, I realized that we may need more than one or two 75-gallon barrels. In fact, we may need a high-capacity cistern. See, since our roof is a shed roof that...


Feb
14
2006
 0

Somewhere, Trusses are Being Built


Monday night, way past his bed time, Chuck came by to talk about kitchen cabinets. I really hope he can do them. I like the idea of a neighbor building part of our house. He told us about the drunken barber that lived in our house in the 70s, and how he crashed his car on Lamar and Airport while having a heart attack (the...


Feb
14
2006
 2

Modern Austin


Some friends of ours live in a small section of town with a number of homes designed by A.G Stenger. They remind me a bit of some of the homes in our area that we're designed in the 60's. Just a hint of modern and very retro chic. He signed their house, ya'll. Isn't that cool? (Yes, you may now label me as a geek in whatever...


Feb
14
2006
 0

Come On In


IMG_1583 Originally uploaded by cmwoodley. Spring must be around the corner because I've caught the gardening bug. I was driving around our neighborhood admiring some of the landscaping people have done. I started taking pictures, but when I got home I noticed that it isn't really the right time of year to do justice...


Feb
14
2006
 1

L.A. Obscura


I just stumbled upon this great mid-century modern exhibit site. Really, gorgeous architecture AND great photography? I just don't know if I could handle it all in one viewing. *droooooooooool*


Feb
13
2006
 2

Saturday, Sunday, Monday Update. Warning: Boooooring


Saturday: We had a meeting with the communications guys. When they called I really thought Ace was handing daily management of the job over to a lackey. Communications Guy: "Hi, I'm the communications specialist for Ace." Me (thinking): "Oh well, Ace is a busy guy, he has to delegate." Turns out the communications guy runs...


Feb
13
2006
 0

Letter to the Editor


Last week, I attended the City Council meeting to address the "McMansion Moratorium." The Statesman reported that Of those who signed up to speak, 268 were against the moratorium, 103 in favor, and 8 neutral. Fearing a never-ending hearing, the council limited comment from each side to one hour, then abandoned its usual...


Feb
12
2006
 1

A 1:1 Mockup


I believe in mocking things up. So yesterday, I used the kids' sidewalk chalk to draw a life-sized version of our new kitchen on the back porch of our rental. I was trying to explain the concept to our older boy. Boy: Why are we building the kitchen in the back yard? Me: It's just a drawing. Boy: It's really flat. Me:...


Feb
10
2006
 1

I See Irony




Feb
10
2006
 5

Goodbye, Urban Density


I feel very privileged to have attended part of last night's City Council meeting to discuss the moratorium on building "McMansions" within the Austin metro area. Along with a crowd of angry residents who were indignant to have found out at the last minute that the Council intended to halt permitting new construction and remodeling...


Feb
10
2006
 0

Floor Plans and Elevations


I was just at our County Commissioner's campaign web site. I had one question. What does the County Commissioner do? Not a clue on the web site. So I thought, "What obvious first question is not being answered on the Erwin House Blog?" Thus, I present floor plans and elevations. (btw, this is what a County Commissioner...


Feb
9
2006
 0

Mmmmmm, Chrome


My sister's family sent us a super-nice gift certificate wedding present to Rejuvenation. I've been drooling over the catalogues for years. Now. I'm. Going. Shopping!


Feb
9
2006
 0

It’s really happening!


David took me to the house today to look at the new piers. WOW! I realized that I have been avoiding going there during the day because I am a woman alone. At night, I don't feel safe walking through the rubble in the darkness. Seeing the piers up close was exciting. Even though we have gotten our money's worth from...


Feb
8
2006
 0

Foundation Photos


Tuesday was a no-visible-progress-at-the-house day. Hopefully there won't be too many of those. Here are a few pictures of the work completed last Friday and Monday. 1. There is hole in our living room floor where they are putting in 3 new piers. They really cut out the minimum. I can't imagine standing in one of those...


Feb
7
2006
 0

White Flight


Regarding David's previous entry on the proposed moratorium for adding on to inner city homes, I find the cover story of the Austin Chronicle rather enlightening. Another proposal, this time facing the Austin Independent School District, suggests closing under-enrolled schools (like our own Brentwood Elementary) starting...


Feb
7
2006
 1

An Angled Setback


From the Austin Chronicle "At last Thursday's City Council meeting it was McCracken vs. McMansions. A resolution initiating changes to city code to ensure that development is consistent with existing neighborhoods, sponsored by McCracken, passed unanimously. Council is set to vote on similar interim rules at tonight's meeting...


Feb
6
2006
 0

Week One


They finished clearing the concrete and dug the holes for the piers that go around the exterior edge of the house. Most of the concrete in the back porch will remain. No reason to remove it. So, someday years from now when the new owners puzzle over what the house looked like before the renovation and addition, there will...


Feb
6
2006
 1

Mouseover Mockup


This is a little hacky, but you get the idea. Mouseover for a before/after:


Feb
5
2006
 0

Last of the Last Minute Stuff


Tonight I ran over and popped the groovy "7308" numbers off the house, drug the boat to the back of the yard, took down the last 6 jute blinds and hauled the last two window units over to the rental. A couple of observations: 1) This would have all been a lot easier without a hole in the living room floor and a 2 foot drop...


Feb
5
2006
 1

Off with the carport!


...and the detached storage. This is where Christiane's presence is important to getting things done. See me in that picture? You can't tell, but I'm thinking, "Hmm. I wonder if that was such a good idea." The kids got a tour of hazards. Don't fall on nails, pick up broken glass, open natural gas lines, step on live wires,...


Feb
5
2006
 0

Dumpstermania!


Everybody's got it! Well, not everybody, but they are pretty common in our neighborhood when you start to look for them. Christiane was so excited to get ours that I ran over and took pictures before work to show her. They've already filled this one up and brought in a new one.


Feb
5
2006
 0

Better?


My sister told me last night that she couldn't see the difference between the before and after pictures in the previous post. "Did they just move the bushes?" Maybe it's more dramatic to us. In fact it was staggering to me. Is this shot better? See, the porch is gone, See? SEE?


Feb
3
2006
 0

Friday, Carport and Storage gone.


They demolished the car port bright and early in the morning. I had a small panic about my antique boat parked next to the storage and raced from my office to go push it out into the middle of the back yard. A couple of the demolishers came over and helped me when they heard me grunting. The wheels had sunk into the ground...


Feb
2
2006
 0

Day 3


Just a warning: At this point, we may not be able to blog at a pace that reflects the rapid progress that is being made on our property. Day 3 - dawn: Day 3 - dusk:


Feb
2
2006
 0

Hackberry No More


I just happend to drop by as the hackberry was felled. Exciting and a little sad. Nobody likes hackberries, so naturally I am fond of them. I am also fond of good advice, and I hear that a hackberry is a plant that grows like a weed, then falls on your house like a ton of bricks.


Feb
1
2006
 3

Day 2


In a mad dash to prep for the fact that the project officially kicked off YESTERDAY, I put an ad on Craigslist: free stuff, in the carport, come and get it. What doesn't get taken gets thrown in the dumpster (which is now sitting in our driveway!!! eeeee!!!). Well, the freecyclers decided to help themselves to our whole...