Separation anxiety. Really?

Separation anxiety.  Really?

October 26th -- November 3rd:  This has been a pretty crazy time but the strangest thing of all was when the contractor told me that as a project gets close to completion it has been his experience that clients begin looking for more things for the contractor to do.  I said, "Really?  Why is that?"  He explained to me that it was all about separation anxiety.  Hmm, I have been thinking how great it will be when my house is done and there are no more people traipsing through.  I guess we will see if there will be separation anxiety, but right now I would not put money on it.  Of course, I'm still about maybe 2-3 months out to completion, so we'll see.

Progress continues, but as my contractor told me, when it gets cold, everyone doesn't move as quickly as they do when it is warm.  Hmmm...the framing crew still has a few more things to complete, but they are probably 95% done.

They did frame in the wall in the foyer, shown below, that will replace the doorway from the foyer into the former downstairs bedroom, with a closet for the guest suite.  You can also see where the electricians installed a recessed light fixture so that the closet will have a light -- even though it is on an angle -- which is just another thing that gives an old house "charm."

There was a chimney stack in the kitchen that has been removed, and framing for the wall has been set.

Above the original hutch in the kitchen, which I insisted be kept, there were two old electrical boxes, shown below, that will be removed.

This photo shows the maze of water lines and sewer drains just in the main-level ceiling.  So much of the ceiling and upper level floors were demolished that the structural engineer has come out several times.  You can see the 'red' steel supports (in the following photos) that the engineer ordered be installed into the ceiling joists for reinforcement.

The soaking tub in the master bathroom has new framing so the plumbers could install the 'rough in" plumbing for the future front mount tub faucets.

                                                                                   







In preparation for the framing inspection, the insulation crew has come in and started to spray foam insulation in strategic locations.  These photos show the orange foam that was sprayed in between planks used for framing.  Other photos below show how the insulation foam was sprayed around electrical and switch boxes.

In the mean time, I've undertaken a full out jihad against the construction dust, and find myself continuously cleaning.  I'm afraid I am losing the battle as the dust is everywhere.  The photo below shows how thick the construction dust is in my 'living room /  kitchen" as you can see the particulate matter in the beam of sun pouring in through the south window.

As I fight the dust, I know that the dry wall crew will come in after the framing inspection.  As my architect told me, "When the dry wall crew comes in you will be entering the period of time when it is best for you to avoid wearing any article of clothing that is black."  Can't wait for that!

However, I'm ready to do battle as I've put up a heavy duty blue tarp to ward off the drywall dust from my temporary kitchen area.  I also doubled the plastic barrier between my living area on the upper-level and the construction zone.  Except for periodic sneezing bouts, I'm so surprised that I have not contracted some upper respiratory thing or some water-borne, intestinal illness.  I guess working out three times a week and eating healthy does have its benefits!

These photos show the venting material that has been installed between the roof and the wiring, plumbing, and venting.  Once we pass the framing inspection then the insulation crew comes back and goes to town installing insulation before the dry wall goes. up 

And, the only functional bathroom continues to morph during this process.  Here the furnace chase has been framed in, also awaiting the dry wall crew.

 The painting crew worked over the weekend and are hoping to get most of the house primed before the predicted snow hits.  Turns out that painters can do their work as long as the temps remain above 40 degrees.

Well, that was interesting....

Well, that was interesting....

November 2nd --  The last few weeks have been very trying and I will catch up on the blog post showing the progress on the house tomorrow, but tonight it is all about..."well, that was interesting" -- but first I need to explain....

I have been back in my house for a few nights as my friends who were out of the country have returned.  It is getting colder, and I typically find that my diet changes with the seasons.  During the summer, it is easier to get away with cold meals, but that is not the case with fall and winter, and as the temps drop, there is something wonderful about a warm meal.  With only a microwave at my disposal, and as someone who is NOT a big fan or either overly processed or fast food, this should get interesting.  This week I ordered and paid a small fortune for all of my kitchen appliances (dishwasher, double ovens (one with convection), microwave, and refrigerator), and a professional six-burner range top (a splurge).  Sit back, because there will be a lot of irony coming your way.  As a promotional item, the salesperson proudly handed me a "free" spatula with the name of the manufacturer of the professional six-burner range top ---- yeah, that has got to be the most expensive spatula...ever.

I just paid a small fortune in appliances, yet I am discovering there are amazing things one can do with a small 800-watt microwave, or "nuker" as I like to call it.    I wanted something warm for dinner tonight.  So, I figured out how to make couscous (flavored with fresh-cut scallions, olive oil and lemon juice) in the nuker, and it actually turner out pretty well.  Always a fan of ethnic cuisine and on the lookout for alternatives to freeze-dried meals for backpacking trips, I had discovered "Tasty Bites," which are pretty decent Indian entrees prepared with minimal artificial ingredients sealed in a foil pouch.  Living among the ruins is very much like urban backpacking.

"Tasty Bites" is part of the Tata group, which is an amazing conglomeration of businesses in Mumbai that go back to its founder in the mid-1800s (Google it).  So, tonight I actually had a decent warm meal of  "Tasty Bites Punjab eggplant" served over couscous.  Very tasty.  The new bottle of merlot that I had opened and was sampling while cooking probably didn't hurt, either.

Fortunately, for me, I also discovered that besides "Punjab Eggplant" there are 15 other "Tasty Bites" entrees....and, snow is predicted for Tuesday!  

True colors.....

True colors....

November 1st --   Thanks to everyone who weighed in on the exterior paint colors.  Although there is variation in the color settings on across computer monitors, and these photos were taken at different times in the day, here we go..

The base is called Edgewood rocks, the trim is called Boothbay gray, and the accent is called blue gaspe.

The painting crew arrived today to begin the prep work.  

They want to work this weekend to take advantage of the mild weather, with a forecast of high 60s by Sunday.

When I met the painter last week and he saw the sample colors I had slapped on the house, we immediately bonded because he said, "I really like your colors.  They are fun and true to the historical period of your house."  

Of course the base color will look much lighter once it goes on, but I'm pretty psyched because at least I'll have my blue accent.

Phone home....

         

Phone home.....

October 25th:  In an earlier post I described how the phone wiring was messed up, but I still had DSL, and if anyone wanted to call me, it was best to call my cell.  So, the electricians passed their inspection this week (as did the plumbers!), and that raised the still lingering issue of my phone service.  At an earlier point in the construction process there was a "phone box" on the back of the house that the wiring for the phone jacks inside the house went through and then connected to the phone supply line to the poles along the alley in the back of the house.  Well, at some point during demolition that phone box was removed and my DSL connection consisted of a direct wire to the phone pole because there was no box.  The photo below  to the left shows the mass of phone wires (outside and next to the new electrical box) that include wiring to new phone jacks and the old ones.



And the photo below and to the right is the new telephone box and the service line that climbs up the house to the pole.  The roll of wires will be tidied up eventually.  








So, thank you to whoever deregulated the telephone companies (maybe back in the Reagan years?), it only took about 3 hours yesterday when I called to request a repair order.  During those 3 hours I was transferred to 12 people -- yes, 12 (not a typo) -- during which I received contradictory answers to my questions, a few "Gee, that is a good question, but I don't have the answer, let me transfer you to someone else," to finally someone who didn't know but then tried to sell me an upgrade for faster Internet.   Of course, one of my questions was whether the "wire maintenance agreement" that was part of the "bundle" for the discount for my Internet service would cover the service call.  Again, I received a range of contradictory responses from "You are covered," to "No, that will be $85 for the service call and whatever other charges incurred for the box, labor," and so on.  

When the technician, who was a very nice guy who spent about 2.5 hours getting everything to work, was about to leave, he asked about the age of the house and congratulated me on a great looking project.  I thanked him for getting everything working -- now you can call me on either the landline or cell -- I asked him if I needed to do anything (code for "what is the charge") and the guy said, "Don't worry.  You're all set and don't need to do anything else."  I am so hoping that is code for, no charge.  But I'm sure I won't know until next month's bill arrives.

And, just in case you were curious about that one mile of wire, on the other side of the wall where  the electrical and phone boxes are, it looks like this.

So, I will continue to spend some time cleaning up even though the framers need to do a bit more work on the walls in the upper-level bath that is NO LONGER the master bath.

Next are some shots of the cleaned work site, because the framers are back and it won't look this clean for much longer.

The view from my office (current living space) through the hallway that goes past the master bathroom and into the master bedroom

This is the west wall of the master bedroom, with the door that leads to the covered deck.

This is the south wall of the master bedroom with the fireplace and windows.

Standing in front of the west wall of the master bedroom, here is the view back down the hallway with the master bathroom to the left and the closet to the right.

The view of the morning sunlight as it comes through the sliding door off the dining room

The view from the dining room looking through the galley kitchen to the gathering room

The back wall of the house or the west wall of the gathering room (with the fireplace!)

The view down the stairs to the basement where the new sewer connections have been made and covered with dirt, awaiting a concrete pour that will create a landing at the bottom of the staircase.

Standing in the gathering room looking south to the mud room

Finally, as I was getting ready to leave I looked down the street.  I can't believe it, but it looks like they are about to cut up the street in front of my house, that will mean a blocked street, while the city continues to lay new drainage pipe in my neighborhood.

Sure enough....my street will be closed all next week.  More detours, more traffic delays.

 There is no escape from construction!!!!!

That really sucks....

That really sucks...

October 24th (Thursday) -- Right when I think that the most trying and stressful parts of this process are behind me, something happens that just really sucks.

As a lot of the recent photos have shown, with progress, comes a lot of debris.  On Wednesday, I came back home to pick up my mail and found that a major cleaning had taken place.   I knew that this would happen at some point, but I didn't know when, so it was a wonderful surprise, until it wasn't.

I have become used to having lots of people in the house, and we've had an "unspoken understanding," that anything that has a tarp or plastic over it is my stuff and it isn't to be disturbed (and it hasn't).  The one room I've been living in has a closed door, with plastic over it to try to keep the construction dust out and no one has gone into that space, unless: a) they have asked my permission first;  b) in the case of the window replacement crew, I knew in advance and removed s lot of my stuff; or c) the electricians who needed to do new phone/DSL jacks, outlets, wiring issues, carbon dioxide/smoke detectors, which I didn't have advanced warning about, but knew at some point it would happen.  Before this project started I had asked the contractor if I needed to put a lock on the door of my living space, and he said no.  He was right, until he wasn't.

So, while I was reveling in the glow of the site clean up, I started looking around and noticed that things that were off limits had been "messed with."  I didn't think too much of about it because they were just minor things (e.g., I have two large flats of bottled water and some bottles were missing -- no big deal; some one had been in the refrigerator, but as far as I could tell, no beer or anything else was missing).  Remember, I haven't been living here because of the wiring in my living space and the bathroom plumbing had to be reworked.  Then I noticed that things that were under the tarp, but either displaced (e.g., and broom and dustpan on the upper level was now on the main level) or I could not find (e.g., an upright vacuum cleaner that had been under a tarp that I was using to keep my living space as clean as possible).  OK, the vacuum cleaner was a big mystery.  And, other, cleaning-related things were missing -- a mop; a broom and dustpan; a basin that I was using in my temporary kitchen to catch water from my 4-gallon water jug; a 50-foot extension cord, and the upright vacuum cleaner.  The contractor said that maybe the cleaning crew just took these items by mistake -- reasonable enough explanation, until it wasn't.  

After speaking with the guy who owns the cleaning company, he said he would speak to his crew.  Interestingly enough, he said that when leaving they notice that a mop and broom weren't theirs and left them in the front yard as the house was closed up.  The next day the owner of the cleaning company met me at the house and we went through it to see if my vacuum cleaner was moved.  By the way, they realized the extension cord was taken by mistake and he brought it back, so some of the items that were missing were returned, but not all of them. 

Still the vacuum cleaner was missing and the cleaning crew members said they hadn't seen it and didn't take it by accident.  The owner of the cleaning company assured me that his crew was bonded and insured, which my contractor requires, and that he understand that because most of his cleaners are immigrants, uneducated, and unskilled, that if anything was missing, he knew the finger would be pointed at his crew.  Nevertheless, the cleaning crew members were the only ones who had never been in the house before, the missing items were cleaning-related, and even though I was assured that they were trained not to "mess with" things under tarps, it was clear that someone had messed with things that they shouldn't have and the vacuum was missing.  

So, it really sucks that my vacuum cleaner is missing, especially when I still need to do another layer of cleaning to move back into the house and it has been a GREAT vacuum cleaner.  Right before the start of construction, I even bought new filters for it because I knew it would get a workout.  The cleaning company owner, while defending his crew and not wanting to damage his relationship with my contractor, accepted responsibility and said he would replace the vacuum.  I thought that was appropriate and reasonable and I went on the hunt to find a reasonable replacement, and the company owner would reimburse me.  I had invested in new filters, so I wanted to find the same model, but I did think that mine was used and whether it was appropriate to receive a new model, so maybe the owner should give me enough to cover its value.  I dunno...I was mulling it over to try to determine what was fair for everyone.

So, far everyone was being reasonable and it seemed like this was just a little bump in the road, until it wasn't. 

I do not take lightly the fact that the only logical conclusion is that someone on the cleaning crew messed with my stuff.  I had a sleepless night worrying about the consequences of this situation.  Would an unskilled laborer on the cleaning crew be fired over this?  What other possible explanation could there be for the missing item?  The only evidence was a logical conclusion and that all the other subcontractors said that hadn't messed wtih stuff or seen the vacuum (which we did have evidence of because they have been in and out of here for months).  My missing vacuum will be replaced by the cleaning company owner, but still that "unspoken understanding"  had been violated.  The owner assured me that he had a spoken understanding with his cleaning crew members and staunchly defended them, but also assumed responsibility

After spending several hours in the house cleaning, and this was more time than I had spent here in the last week because I had been staying at friends' house, I noticed a few other things were missing.  One of them was an expensive electronics device, and there was other evidence that my stuff was messed with (e.g., a container of batteries kept in the refrigerator was now on another floor of the house in a corner).

This has become really disturbing, and although the missing items will be replaced, this situation has soured the joy of a cleaned up job site.  This is a real downer, not to mention that not having my vacuum cleaner right now, just really sucks.

Swing the wire....

Swing the wire....

October 23rd -- The electricians and plumbers are working fast and furious these days.  I can't imagine how they handle 4 or 5 projects at the same time, but that is what they have told me.  Both the electricians and plumbers are a pair of guys who do all the work themselves.  I guess they need to get the work when they can because the economy is so unpredictable.

A major impediment to me being able to move back into my living space among the ruins turns out to be the local energy public utility.  The electricians need to "swing the wire" before scheduling their final inspection.  This is the term that is used to move the power line to the newly wired electrical service box from the utility's source (the overhead wires in the back of house).  When the electricians called the public utility to order this, they were given a window of "7 to 14" days before a crew could come out to do this.  I was told that electricians would swing the wire all the time, but recently the utility has specified that they want to do this. However, their 1-2 week window is not reasonable for any construction project, so, as shown in the photos below, the wire has been swung and the final electrical inspection is scheduled for today.  Who do you think swung the wire?  

    

The plumbers continue their work, including installing the copper supply lines for the double sinks in the master bathroom:

Connecting drain lines and plumbing vents:

    

Setting supply lines and drains around the electrical outlets in the kitchen

Roughing in the shower in the 3/4 bath off the gathering room...

and the sink in the guest suite bath.

My job these days is to finalize the selection of lighting fixtures, research ceiling speakers for the gathering room (home theater surround sound???) and master bedroom, and to gear up for tackling tile selection next week.