Rassd71 project update - drywall & finishing

[rassd71]

Hello Everyone,
Well the updates and my time will be very limited, we're into the real crunch of the project. The drywall is up in the house and the tape & mud crew start tomorrow. Then it's really off to the races as we scramble to get the house finished before the Ides of March (March 15th) deadline.

But here is a shot of the main room...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2006.jpg

[rassd71]

ok, so there have been some complaints that this update
was 'lacking'... so here are some more pics of, drywall!

This is the great room from the other corner...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2014.jpg



This is the most amazing drywall area, the owner boss of the crew was able to do this as a puzzle cut!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2024.jpg


And lastly the pile of scrap...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2022.jpg


as there is actual progress, I'll post more. :-)

[countryjo]

Thanks for the update......coming along nicely. You didn't say how much has to be one by March? Did the bank put a deadline on when you had to have the house completed?

[rassd71]

ah, 'what has to be done'...

We have to have the house 'finished', which at this point is going to be a race to meet the counties requirements. All of the electrical has to be finished, the house has to have one working bathroom and a 'working' kitchen. The major appliances have to be in. The HVAC has to be finished. The only interior door that has to be hung is to seperate the toilet from living space.

The working kitchen means it has to have a working range, sink and fridge. So, to install the sink, I may just put a garage sink in temporarily if we don't have time to get the cabinets in.

Today I'm going to try and sit down and figure out what is the best way to get through to the finish and what needs to be done in what order.

Time is now my biggest challenge. My loan date is March 15th. That means that I either need to have a final signed off and be in the process of rolling it over into a mortgage or I need to pay them back all of their money, or buy another extension which we can't afford!

[rassd71]

lol, ok so it's been a while since the last update.

There have been some good things and some not so good things. So like everything else, I'll start with the not so good.


... we had another break in! This time in the actual house. Well, it wasn't really a break in, the contractor doing the tape and mud on the drywall hass bee working late and has had his own key. Well, he evidently failed to make sure all the windows were latched shut. So, someone was able to push window open and get into the house. We lost one extension cord, the contractor lost about $5000 worth of tools!

Where the crook came in...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/footprints021307mbfloor.jpg

footprint inside...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/footprints0213071.jpg

and one of the many footprints outside...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/footprints02130715.jpg

To finish with the bad stuff, the drywaller followed the footprints right out our sliding glass door and straight to a neighbors property. So we called our neighbor and he came over and they followed them right to a trailer of a guy he's been letting stay on his property! Well the police came and unfortunately let him go! They didn't find any of the stolen property, so they didn't have evidence. Nobody has explained to me why he wasn't arrested for trespassing!

Ok, enough of the badand onto the good...


In response to the latest break in, I hooked up the exterior security lights and made them hot...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2166.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2163.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2160.jpg



Well the good news this week has been in the worlds of drywall and tile...

The drywall is done and we got the tape and mud guy to spray and roll a coat of primer...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/drywaltextureprimed3.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/drywaltextureprimed1.jpg


One big flaw with having him spray the primer, he failed to mask any of the floors. And as gravity works, there is/was more primer on the floors than on any of the walls and especially the ceiling! So then we had to borrow a floor sander from a friend. And the tile guys spent a full work day grinding and sweeping and vacuuming the floors where the tile is going.



But the tile is also where the majority of the progress was...

main bath tub shower surround...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/drywalltapemudprep2.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/tilemainbathtubsurround.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/tilemainbathtubsurround6.jpg


close up of the detail around the window...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/tilemainbathtubwindowdetail.jpg


And then the master shower....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/drywalltapemudprep.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/tilemastershower12.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/tilemastershower111.jpg


Now that's not grouted as of when these pics were taken, I'll get pics of it all grouted and post them monday night.

[disleksic]

hey rassd how are they or u making the transition from ur tile to ur tub is it grout or are they or u using silicone or *a siliconized product oh and is your tub acrylic if not what kind of tub is it * * ill check back later for answer jeff

[rassd71]

The trasition is grout, but I'll also be laying in a bead of silicone caulk around the tub and in the corners. As for the tub, I don't think it's acrylic, but I'm not sure, it's a molded plastic, not fiberglass. It's a Kohler if that helps, I wanted the 'AmeriCast', but couldn't find one at a decent price in the size we wanted!

[rassd71]

The tile in the main room going down...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2199.jpg


the tile in the main room finished...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2282.jpg


A detail shot of the entryway tile 'rug'...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2289.jpg


Big Daddy Leo laying out the tile pattern in the main bath...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2207.jpg

(Leo is my brothers best friend and one of the nicest people you could ever meet. He and his crew have been great with helping us out on the tile and doing a job for us that belongs in a million dollar home. Thanks Big Daddy!)


The main bath floor and 'rug'...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2283.jpg


And a detail of the main bath floor...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2286.jpg



They say into every life some rain must fall, well that's true, but generally it's OUTSIDE! Terri was standing in the mud room area just admiring the tile floor when she felt a drop of rain! Well sure enough, the light fixture was dripping! I climbed up into the attic and discovered that snow had blown IN one of the vents and was melting.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2274.jpg

So, now come winter it appears we'll have to find a way to block off the vents on that side as the wind is dominately driven from the West to the East on our piece of property.

Well that's it for now. As always, more to come...

[rassd71]

The master bath is coming along, I've roughed in the cabinets and will finish them this week...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2300.jpg


As well, the shower door is in!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2298.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2299.jpg

[Matthew]

The house is looking great! I have one suggestion. I noticed in one of the pictures your dryer exhaust vents. I would suggest putting some type of screen on those to keep the birds out. I had a huge birds nest in mine one time which was a real pain to fix. Just a thought...

The shower is looking awesome!

[rassd71]

Thanks Matthew,
The vents have screens, the other big issue here is also wood rats! They'll find anyway in they can.

Yeah, the house is looking great, we're building a million dollar home on a small budget. I'm really proud of it and us.
I would do it differently if I had it to do over.

[DavidOH]

Wow!
Rass, that tile work makes the place look like a Palace!
:D Congrats on seeing your work progress.

[disleksic]

nice job rass Im glad ur using 100% silicone to make the transition Ive seen hundreds of bathrooms like yours and the ones who dont use silicone for the transition always get cracks soon after. And alot of people that do caulk but dont use 100% silicone always have problems later also. keep up the good work Rassd it looks great jeff

[nancy1340]

Rassd, what would you do differently?

Looks beautiful to me.

[rassd71]

Rassd, what would you do differently?

Looks beautiful to me.

What would I do differently??? Well, I would start by acquiring the land and making the improvements slowly. Starting with well and power and then add a septic tank designed for the eventual house, but use it for an RV. And then I would build a garage workshop and live in that and build the whole thing a LOT slower and do more of it myself.

[rassd71]

And now for the latest update...

The tile for the bathroom countertops is in...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2316.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2318.jpg

...the rough in float.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2330.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2400.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2404.jpg


The tile for the woodstove surround...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2331.jpg


And the front step...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2334.jpg


oh, and speaking of the woodstove, today was a big day, we got to go pick it up today...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2398.jpg


As well, our kitchen range was also available to be picked up and it's now in...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2363.jpg


Yesterday we started to set the finish plumbing...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2324.jpg
... that's the shower panel in the master shower


And here I am in the master shower...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2325.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2326.jpg


Oh and because I figure everyone needs a rainbow, here's one I painted in the girls play room...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v473/tukwut/IMG_2321.jpg

[candy]

Wow rassd that is one nice kitchen stove !

Got any specifics on that pretty thing?

[disleksic]

I really love your frameless shower doors and panel for the shower it really sets it all off looks great and yes candy that is quite the range nice job rass

[rassd71]

lol, thanks. ;D

The range is 48 inches wide, with 6 burners each at 28,000 BTU's it has a raised 12 inch griddle with broiler underneath and dual 20 inch ovens. At full power the range will put out a wopping 221,000 BTU's! :o It's made by Imperial.

The kitchen was pretty much designed around it! This is the stove I've wanted since I quit working in restaurants so many years ago.


As for the shower panel, I hope it works as good as it looks. I'll let you know after we move in!