People always talk about what a nightmare remodeling is. When I first started telling people about our plans, long before we had even hired a contractor, people would tell me their stories.
“Our master bath addition took seven years!”
“Our kitchen contractor practically lived with us. I made him scrambled eggs every morning.”
“Did you hear about Mark and Sally? They couldn’t agree on what color to paint the trim, and they ended up getting a divorce.” Tsk, tsk, tsk.
So far, our experience has been wonderful. The last month has been stressful. We’ve had a deadline to move out of our rental, and there were a lot of small details (a LOT of them) that either needed to be resolved or completely changed.
The railing on the deck and stairs was a big one. When David and I were designing, we decided that we wanted the railing and wood of the deck and stairs to match, creating a seamless flow of indoor and outdoor space. We didn’t know anything about building staircases, but we knew that we wanted (a) for it to be open and airy since it would be in the middle of the entrance and dividing two rooms and (b) we loved the look of cable railings that others were using in modern builds (I had also read that this was a cheap solution to railing).
Our contractor scratched his head over the cable railing bit, but decided it could be done. He spec’ed it and then went all out building the stairs and deck in gorgeous Brazilian hardwoods.
Enter the last minute woes. Rumor had it that horizontal railing wasn’t up to code because it could be used as a ladder. We never did confirm that suspicion, but in the interest of time, we were forced to find another solution. I wanted something modernist, like interlocking squares or circles, but these too could be used as ladders, so we eventually settled on the very simple iron balusters you see in the pics.
The stairs have been without railings for so long that to walk in yesterday and see them there was a shocker. My first impression was that they were too dark, too imposing, too overwhelming in that room. I felt a little like we were jailing the hardwoods. I was disappointed at best.
But I’ve slept on it. And today I looked at the pictures… and they are starting to grow on me.
The stone wall, our one bare wall in the house, will go up today, I think. I’m pretty sure the wood, iron and stone will all complement one another beautifully.
But when people ask me down the road what I thought of our remodeling experience, I won’t tell them about the contractor who practically slept at our house or how it took seven years. I might instead mention the little things, and how nothing can ever really be completely planned for, so get used to surprises and welcome them with an open mind.
Thursday, two items crossed off.
Hallway fire alarm
Stairs pendant light
The railing in the stairs is not done yet. Maybe today. We got the release for moving the electrical meter to the house. City of Austin cheerfully told me it would be done in 1 - 3 business days.
The floor in the master bath is done. Walls today.
Everything left is painter, plumber, mason, and AC. None of those crews were at the house.
Mood - crunched.
1 day.
13 items checked off of the punch list today.
Deck - Railings
Downstairs Bath - install lights
Downstairs Bath - Fix pipes under sink
Downstairs Bedroom - Install or replace fan
Exterior - cut bolts out of concrete pad
Exterior - remove 2×4 from concrete pad
Hallway - window latch
Kids Bath - Shower trim
Kitchen - outlets and switches under counter
Kitchen - outlets in cabinets
Kitchen - install dishwasher
Laundry - Fix cut in drywall
Whole house - Weather striping all exterior doors
Cross fingers that electricity will be turned on tomorrow.
Mood - serious.
63 items left.
2 days.
Continue reading Crunch Time Part III
We’ve got a big crew at the house, it’s hot, they are working hard, and everybody is getting punchy.
Plumber: Hey, Sparky!
Electrician: Aww, I was just thinkin’ about you.
Plumber: Pervert!
Electrician: I was just thinkin’ I wish I’d got here before you put in this goddamn gas line.
Later, in front of the house.
Me: It’s looking great.
Jimmy: Whut?
Mark: Why you telling him that? He ain’t been here all day.
Me: Looking good, Mark.
Mark: Well, thank you.
Jimmy: I’d rather get beat in the head than go to Home Depot four times in one day. Where’s your plumber going?
Me: Home Depot.
Jimmy: Ahhh, I could’a gone for him!
Week 23: Trimmy-trim-trim.
Monday. Trim.
Tuesday (July 4th). Trim.
Wednesday. Trim. Pocket door frame.
Thursday. Trim. Pocket door drywall.
Friday. Dumpster is gone.
Saturday. Cabinet guy quits.
Sunday. Re-install most of the cabinets.
Week 24: Hold the baby, I’m opening a can of woop-ass and I need both hands!
 
Monday. Front part of the deck is done. Paint.
Tuesday. Side part of the deck is done.
Wednesday. Railing issues, Electritian doesn’t show up. Paint prep. Interior door knobs are here.
Thursday. Electrician shows up, does nothing. Paint prep.
Friday. Can o’ Whoop-ass, long story, later. Electrician shows up again, does nothing. Paint primer. Water Heater and AC are installed.
Saturday. Nothing
Sunday. Ron and I install cabinets, doors and drawers.
Week 25: Electrician? Electrician?
Monday. Another coat of primer. Electrician shows up, half installs one fan, and puts a trim kit in the wrong place. We start packing to move.
Tuesday. Paint trim with gloss white. We buy Microhood and refrigerator. Still packing. Trying to decide what railing to put in stairs and deck. Rejuvenation order arrives, short 2 lights and 1 shade.
Wednesday. Railing arrived, painters finished up. I went on a rampage and stuck blue post-its to everything that was not finished. I wrote a list everything that was not finished and gave it to Jimmy. New tub was installed.
Thursday. Ron and I installed the microhood. Countertops were installed. Jimmy fixed the outlets on the bar just in time. Shelf by the tub in the master bath was built, and apron was put on the tub. The apron gives is something of a 50s look, but the tub is so huge, we are going to look like miniature 50s people bathing in it. Thermostats were installed. refrigerator arrived, we will need to remove the baseboards (like, I so told you so) and rub butter on both sides to fit it in that space. Jimmy eats a lot of shark.
Friday. Posts for the railing on the deck were installed, but not the railing. Vent covers were installed (except for the hall and master bedroom, and the land was graded for the AC condensers. Our stove was delivered. No sign of an electrician. Jimmy took the afternoon off to go fishing in the gulf.
Saturday. I put in the last of the cabinet fronts, and one of the shades for the kitchen lights (the other should arrive Wednesday). I changed the way the corner cabinet door swings.
Have I mentioned how awesome our rental experience has been?
A million times, I have wanted to blog about our rental. This place rocks. Hardwoods, ceramic tile in the kitchen, and a HUGE covered back porch that was a lifesaver for the kids on hot or rainy days.
Our landlord was a real peach and got the house in tip-top shape before we moved in even though he didn’t have to. Our rental manager lives only a few blocks away and has always been responsive and on top of stuff.
I had promised to put the word out about the place when we were close to move out to help find a new renter, but it is no wonder that I didn’t have to do much boasting. They found a new renter right away.
And everyone has been sooo patient about our move-out date! We seriously cannot have been luckier. For all the crappy rental experiences I have had, this one has made up for them all.
David and I are definitely a little freaked out. Our lease is officially up on July 31 (so much later than we had originally anticipated), and I doubt that Erwin House will be ready on time. There is still a long list of things that must be taken care of prior to move in, electricity being at the top of the list. I’m not sure what we will do or where we will go, but I can hardly complain. Our rental home has been a charmer, and we’re very lucky to have found it.
Off I go to search the Craigslist postings in hopes of finding something short term. Keep your fingers crossed that our contractor is able to make some miracles happen in the next week!
That’s right, baby! Countertops!!! This day has been anticipated almost as much as the day the dumpster arrived. A kitchen just doesn’t look like a kitchen without countertops.
We chose Wilsonart Laminate in Slate Gray. I chose it a few months ago based on a walkthrough the Houston IKEA and a photo in a kitchen remodeling magazine. What I love about this color is that it looks black but isn’t reflective like granite. Instead, it absorbs light and has a matte finish. Loving it.
Of course, it will look even better when the fridge (delivered yesterday) and the stove (delivered today) are in. And I am counting the seconds until the Bungalow Blend from Mosaic Tile Market it on the walls….
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