Overall: Ended the week with kitchen countertops installed as planned. While there is a VERY long list of details yet to be done; from kitchen cabinet handles, to towel racks, closet shelves, clothes rods, curtains, and on AND on…. here is the short list of what must be done next week before the building department’s final inspection on the 14th. 1. complete the deck railing project. 2. connect wiring and final install of kitchen ovens, dishwasher & cooktop. 3. Connect and install washer and dryer. 4. Connect drains and water supply to kitchen and laundry sinks. I’m the guy completing the deck railing project this weekend. Chris (plumbing) has promised to complete his stuff on Wednesday. Ralph & Joe (electricians) said they will be here on Tuesday. Movers are scheduled for the 19th, as we feel confident about the final inspection/occupancy permit result next Friday.
Monday: Kyle and I worked kitchen cabinets in preparation of granite install on Friday. The guy measuring for the countertops last week, said we were responsible for supports for the great room side of the island. The granite will be cantilevered about 16 inches and needs to properly supported. Spent Friday, researching materials – steel or wood. Quickly determined wood as the winner. Came up with a design for Kyle to reproduce using 3/4″ thick oak boards. We will need three supports.
Tuesday: Kyle produced the oak supports overnight in his woodworking shop, and they look terrific. Some island cabinet disassembly was required to fit the supports and modify fillers previously installed between island base cabinets. I spent most of the afternoon, flattening a small mountain of cardboard boxes, and loading them into the truck. We will have every bit of construction related “trash” (cardboard, styrofoam and boards) removed before the 14th. They are inspecting the structures, but I firmly believe how the site looks in appearance is an indication of our build quality and detail.
Wednesday: Dropped off – a lot – of cardboard at a recycling center located on the way to the site. I don’t want to pay for a rolloff dumpster from a cost standpoint, nor do I want to send cardboard to the landfill. The first of several trips.
Thursday: Ralph and Joe were here today, installing ceiling light fixtures and wiring receptacles in the shop. Kyle and I installed a wood deck railing cap, using treated lumber deck boards. All that remains is installing the 1/8″ wire rope. With 4 men on site, I used the opportunity to move the raised hearth – a piece of cut limestone, 36″ wide, 60″ long and 3″ thick. On week 56, we used a tractor with fork lifts to get the hearth from the trailer up to the deck, placing it on a moving dolly. I also visited Mike and Cindy Baker, who donated a beautiful Vermont casting wood stove to the project. Mike & Cindy replaced this vintage and well used stove with a new and identical example last year. We made quick work of getting the stove from Mike’s shop (a 1/2 mile away) into our great room. I think the stove weighs more than the limestone hearth… Wood stove installation will be in the future, sometime before winter.
Friday: Granite installers arrived around 8am and were done around 9:30. Obviously… having kitchen counter tops in place makes the room look finished. Kyle worked on screens and screen doors for the breezeway and I worked on deck railing wire rope installation. A really beautiful day, and was so pleased with how close we are to completion, decided to drive the convertible home instead of the truck. I had no idea rain was in the forecast until watching the late evening news. whoops… Covered the car with a tarp and went to bed.
Saturday: Woke up to a downpour, but the tarp was doing it’s job; keeping the interior dry. In the 9 years I’ve owned this BMW convertible (bought cheap without a top) have only had to deploy a tarp 3 times. Had I been “weather-aware”….. oh well. Spent the morning getting caught up on the computer, to include this week’s blog. Rain ended around noon, I left the house an hour later. Worked on deck railing wire rope.
Sunday: up early and out to 6619. Spent some time with a cup of coffee on the deck. Thinking mostly about details; framed art, the large task of moving into a new shop, that sort of thing. Carole and the dogs arrived around 10am. We continued the casual relaxation – and conversation – on the deck, watching birds. We finally got up from our comfortable seats and went to work. Carole assembled 4 ceiling fans and I installed them. After she left, I loaded each and every piece of styrofoam into the truck. I’m fortunate to have been provided a dumpster to get rid of this material. Tomorrow afternoon, I plan to flatten every box and haul 100% of the cardboard we have accumulated. Next week should be interesting !
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