and now, a word from Gary...

Thought I would comment a little about this construction. The stucco is cracking in. As concrete is a ‘living product,’ as explained to us, it always cracks. And stucco being basically cement/concrete it will crack. So they put on two thick layer and wait for it to finish cracking and then they put on the color coat. As Angie has said we are looking at, I think, terracotta or jade, and as with everything else these are the premium colors. More $ but better stuff.

The choosing of the colors for the tile has turned out to be quite a project. We are going with basic white with big stripes of rainbow colors. The white tiles are cheap but the colors get much more expensive with red being the most. So, of course, we like red. Think of a birthday cake for a 4 year old, which is our style. The tile guy looked at our design and said, “You have to give me a complete print out of this.” So we printed out a complete wall design with every tile showing the color. Thank god I have experience with drafting programs. The floor will be two shades of blue, to look like water. And will be heated.

If you are ever going to re-do your bathroom I highly recommend in-floor heating. It has gotten much easier and cheaper and will make the bathing experience … well extravagantly nice. There were discussions about sitting on the toilet and would you want your bare feet on cold or warm tiles. We chose warm.

Then there is the bidet, the plumber and the rest of the construction guys seem a bit embarrassed to even talk about it. But we have pushed on and after I had to read up on how to use one, I am converted. One item we found out is that a bidet is very good for people, as they get older. It seems that the inability to clean up ‘the nether region’ is one of the main reasons that people have to move into assisted living facilities. So we are planning on being here a long long time.

We are at the point of having a punch list of all the little items that must be done. And that is quite a list. We are very lucky to have such a good crew and project boss.

I think the end is in sight. Or at least the light at the end of the tunnel can be seen, albeit with a telescope.

We seem to have designed the ultimate bedroom/bathroom/walk-in closet. We’ll be having a bedroom party when it is done to show it off. And we might have to rent out the room to actually pay for all of this. Want to use our bidet with a heated floor? A shower built for two, a 60” bath? That will cost you, big time.

Enough blathering, I do feel somewhat guilty about all the extravagance, it did not start that way, but …

little things mean a lot

There aren't really any changes now to see, visually, so there are no pictures, but things are happening.

The tile man has put the shower pan in and it's been inspected; we have a pattern for the tile in the bathroom, and are getting estimates on cost; everyone is fascinated and discussing the "Nu-heat" floor system - electric wires under the tile, which emit enough energy to keep the floor in the bathroom at 76 degrees - yippee! - but it hasn't gone in yet.

The bidet has arrived, but not the tub.

The pocket doors for the closet and bath have been ordered- "rain" pattern glass, to match the windows in the bathroom. We are going to be so-o-o fancy!

Today they are busy digging a trench around the house for the water line so we have water in the back yard. When the water system was re-configured, the backyard got cut off, and we have been running hoses all around the house from the street to water the plants. Right now, the noise from the drilling (into cement, naturally) is more than annoying, but the result will make it easier for us in the long run.

And, the stucco guys are ready to come back and invade us again. We have to pick a color for the final coat. We're thinking haystack or honeydew - otherwise known as pale yellow or light green.

Everything has a fancy name - the pattern we want uses a combo of rainbow colors - you know, the old ROYGBIV - but you can't get "red" or "orange," you have to get "pacific coral" or "tangerine."

As my mother always said, "this too shall pass."

we have our house back

The stucco guys came in with a vengeance, put up scaffolding everywhere, taped all the doors and windows shut, sealing us in, and proceeded to slop plaster all over - the house, the roof, the yard, the plants, the walkways, you name it.

We had to sneak in and out through the side garage door while they were working.

But, 3 days later, it is done, and we have our house back. They still have to come again after this coat "cracks" to put on the final layer, and we will be sealed in again for 3 days.

the week in review

I am getting mighty tired of this "experience." It's getting on my nerves. People here every day - even the weekends sometimes, which although admirable, is still a pain. For instance, it might have been a holiday weekend last week, but our crew was around fixing the little stuff and prepping for the next week. Bill made all the frames for the doors and windows, so the painter could paint them the same forest green as the eaves etc, before the stucco guys come. Saturday the scrappers came, to clean up after the drywall installers, and next, the mudders came to tape where the screws are and slap a layer of "mud" on the drywall to make it smooth. Well, actually, not smooth, that takes a lot of work - we opted for a finish that supposedly dries with just enough texture to make the paint look interesting. And, the painter came and did his thing, and also brought some samples of wall paint. We're thinking orangy-red and pale goldy-yellow.

While prepping the chimney for the stucco (because we had a leak near it in the big rains last December) it turns out the chimney was inadequately made in the first place - it needs a far larger flashing, called a rooster, and, as a result of the inadequate flashing, the paper underneath got wet and it all has to be replaced. So now we have people in the front, AND in the back, at the same time. That's the chimney, stripped of its stucco box (and our decimated fig tree).

The good news is, the mudders finished with the front door ceiling and walls, and we tore down the breathing Art installation! We have our new front door!







We ordered bathroom cabinets, and since oak is the same price as the plain wood stuff we were thinking of, oak it is! We still have to order the tile. Got an estimate of the square footage from the tile man.

After the stucco guys put 2 layers on, it has to dry for a couple of weeks, to make sure it doesn't crack. After all, it's 16 pounds per square inch weight, hanging off that chicken wire and holding up our house.

During those 2 weeks, the crew will be working inside the new room - pocket doors in the bathroom, and the closet, light fixtures, etc.

next steps

What did I say about no more rain? Forecast for June 28 was rain, from Tuesday night through Wednesday. Of course that was the day the crew removed the stucco and prepped the chimney for re-papering, re-wiring, and eventually, with the rest of the house, re-stuccoing. It is, as we speak, wrapped in black plastic, because it did, indeed, rain Tuesday night!

Little things are finally getting done, such as the new (wide enough for a wheelchair) door to the bedroom from the hall, and replacing the door on Gary's study; installation of the double-paned, tempered windows in the back and the solarium door; moving the front hall closet door, necessitated by the re-configuration of the front entrance way with the double French doors. Of course the "natural breathing" art installation, aka plastic sheeting, is still up and breathing in the front entry way; we are still using the garage to go in and out of the house.

The new walls and ceiling are now insulated, and inspected, meaning the Sheetrock can go up. The Sheet-rockers showed up at 7:30 AM to put up Sheetrock - not only the new room, but also the front area and the garage where they had to tear out a wall to put up the "strong" wall that helps to support the connection between the old part and the new part.

As long as the garage wall was torn out, the crew could reconfigure the cleaning closet, the washer, dryer, and cabinet, leaving room for a washtub sink!! yeay!!

But all is not well in paradise. The (expensive) double French doors we were talked into buying for the bedroom have a flaw, either in shipping or at the factory, but not our problem. Back they go and replacements will be forthcoming. Just one of those little annoying delays.





And, of course, the main telephone line to the house is out. The electrician spent over an hour trying to trace where and why, no luck, He's supposed to be back... In the meantime, use the cell phones!!