Thursday, June 28, 2007

Theory- All Roofers have brain damage

#1. Previous post see May's "WTF Roofers Chapters 1 & 2 "

#2 Still no new skylight which was supposedly ordered at that time, I called last week "It's on order" Yeh right.

#3 Roofers (different Co.) to replace/repair removed parts of remodel roof supposed to do it last Friday, couldn't make it, be there monday, couldn't make it, maybe Wed/Thurs, no show....

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Monday, June 25, 2007

Challenge=Opportunity+Angst


The challenge- replace large sections of roof/ceiling due to dry rot. Creates opportunity to replace obvious termite damage in ceiling in bathroom not otherwise being worked on. 2X8 T&G had to be custom milled because they are smaller now than what's in house. We also removed a skylight that was prone to leakage and didn't fit in with reconfigured floor plan.

Also an opportunity to replace/move wiring run between roof and roofing material. We can run wire for track lighting in the hallway.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Visual signs of progress

Or the REAL reason we got permits. (Nothing else shows from the outside)

BEFORE

NOW

Still needs some trim.

Lily is home

She's back, but not too happy with us.
This is the view we get most of the time

Mostly she sits in her cell..I mean crate, with her back to the wall, bouncing a baseball against the wall and catching it. I think she might be plotting an escape.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Lily is fine

Lily's surgery was delayed due to another emergency. She is out now and the doctor seems pleased with the outcome. She has her first two and hopefully last screws. We pick her up tomorrow afternoon. Casa De Silly just isn't the same without her. Michaela has been vocalizing all day, although I think it's probably a matter of she want her some TJ Tuna! Girl got a major Tuna Jones happnin'

Here's a gratuitous Lily pic. It'll be 4 to 6 weeks before she gets on her "tree" again.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Keep Lily in your thoughts on Friday

We came home Wed night a bit later than we might normally. When we called Lily, she showed up with a VERY bad limp, unable to put weight on her right hind leg. Worried that she had been hit by a car we rushed her to a 24 hour emergency vet. We didn't get to bed until 1am today. Moonrabbit met with Lily's surgeon today. Her leg is broken where the femur meets the knee. There is no evidence of a car strike. Like many Siamese, she loves to climb and be on the high ground. I think she either slipped off our new roof, or most likely fell off our tall Crepe Myrtle tree that she loves to climb. I have seen her lose grip but catch herself several times there.

She will be getting screws to reattach the bones Friday in surgery. They may be permanent or have to be taken out later.

She's been a trooper, no complaining, but when she comes home to her new residence, a borrowed dog crate, she may be unhappy for the 4 to 6 weeks where she's not allowed to jump around.

Here she is in happier, lower altitude times.


Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Friday, June 15, 2007

Not a bad day

This is the good part. Floor poured, joists hung. Sill set (hmm, I need a picture of that)Yesterday the electricians came and hooked up the new service panel unsupervised. They came back today to finish up. They cut off the power to the garage where the fridge with my frozen TJ chicken enchilada's are. (lunch) Hey, I didn't have to defrost it today!
Cabinet man showed up, decisions were made and measurements taken. Roof guys were there early and started removed sections of roofing...which leads into the Not-So-Great part.

That white "snake" is the electrical to the garage, which got cut today, so I'm using a
VERY long extension cord.

This is near a skylight where we thought we could just replace the bottom boards. I THINK we have enough to do it?

Thursday, June 14, 2007

"Upon further review..."

Yesterday, with the visit from the Nice Floor Lady, and they have very nice floors, a tile material AND style was selected. The choices were Dura Ceramic or porcelain. Porcelain was eliminated by the presence of a black mastic on the slab floor which I AM CERTAIN NEVER HAD ASBESTOS TILES. This reacts badly with the porcelain tile mastic. So the plan was Hardi board underlayment throughout, then Duracermic tiles WITH grout lines. (an option)

NFL called today, tech says no can do. Dura Ceramic doesn't like hardi board. We would have to "float" the concrete floor, which I assume means a thin coat of something concrete like. The rest would have Halex 1/4" plywood underlayment.
There would have to be some sort of "transition" between the slab floor and the plywood floor base. This seemed obvious to me many months ago, but I was shunned and shamed into silence. I'm sure there must be transcripts floating around that will vindicate me, UNLESS THEY'VE BEEN DESTROYED!

This may bring porcelain back into the picture, and it was even muttered by the power that be "I can see why they had carpet everywhere"

So the ball has been returned to it's original spot, and we lost a down in the challenge.

The pictures are for my former supervisor, HI MIKE!, who has been to the house and wanted to know how we supported that beam after taking out a post in the middle of the room. That problem was one of the main driving forces for the redesign.
The post is next to the right side of the chair in #2 pic.

Just before I took out the post with "The Persuader", visible just above the table, a bulge was noted in the beam. It's gone now, the post AND the bulge.

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

1 Hurdle climbed over, however haltingly

BEFORE (a reminder)

Now


Had the plumbers out last night after 6pm. Got inspected this am, passed, Poured concrete about 1:30 pm!

Also had the flooring estimator out for measurements and Q&A's. Electrician came by, PG&E wants a 3 foot higher mast on the power drop. I should mention that EVERYONE who looks at the long power drop goes "WOW, I've never seen one THAT long before" It's between 125-150 feet across an intersection. Cabinet guy's coming Fri to measure. Monday the roofers rip into the roof, we have the custom made lumber to replace what we need to tear out. ( 2X8 T&G)

Monday, June 11, 2007

Oh the HUMANITY!

In the mortal words of Arlo Guthrie, I been Inspected, detected and REJECTED!

The inspector DENIED permission to pour concrete! Minor details over how the sewer lines were installed and inability to hold pressure.

I OBJECT!

I STRENUOUSLY OBJECT!

SIGH,

Got the appliance delivery delayed for 2 weeks.

Saturday, June 09, 2007

Moving incrementally forward

Permit issued. (Again) Inspection scheduled for Monday. Concrete on Tuesday. Roof/ceiling boards are ready for pick up. Lots of pipe has been installed or replaced. New electrical service panel is on site awaiting installation. Gas lines are ready.

Oh, and the kitchen appliances are tentatively scheduled for delivery Tues also, not that we're ready for them.

Sunday, June 03, 2007

Pictures from a lazy afternoon-Plumber's aftermath

Spent several hours vacuuming up wood chips from the plumbers auger. No wonder you have to bolt the house to the foundation. With all the studs turned to wood chips, courtesy of the plumbers, the house has lost half it's weight!

Note the callous movement of rebar!
The yellow line is one inch flexible GAS line. Who knew?
The unfortunate part is there is no water to the house now. There is one yard faucet with water, so I have to fill buckets to flush the toilet.

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Remodel Update

This is a picture from yesterday. Today it looks different because the plumbers are crawling under and through the house running new water and gas lines for the on demand water heater and stove. Last night I was downloading the installation specs for the stove when I noticed that the WRONG stove had been ordered, so we called the salesman and corrected things.

It will look different because they have drilled large holes for the toilet and shower through the forms for the concrete. They say the first thing a new plumber learns is how to start a chain saw.

Also we have to run a conduit for a 50 amp 220 line for the garage for Moonrabbit's kiln through here.

The boards for the ceiling/roof are 2X8 T&G knotty pine, aren't made anymore, so we are having to have it custom made, $250 just to set up the saws I am told. Since the roof is being torn up, we are going to take out a skylight that no longer fits in the scheme of things, and replace some termite damaged boards that show in the main bathroom.

The boards will take about a week or two. The new, larger, front windows will be coming about then also. Still haven't hired a cabinet maker...



Also, I had a lotta splainin to do...A big beautiful geranium bush got accidentally uprooted while digging a trench for the waterline for the front hose bibs.