Diary

Date

Mood

Diary Entry

2-7-00

Half of the metal clips for the cabinets arrive. The builder is definitely playing games with us. He had several forms of written communications which specified 40 clips were needed. One of the features we liked about these cabinets (which Tim tried to talk us out of) was the metal clips holding the shelves not plastic. About half of our cabinets still have the plastic shipping clips holding the shelves up. Come on Tim get it together.
There has not been any other progress from any of the punchlists.
Door handle broken to the door to the garage.

1-18-00

Steve from Custom Comfort came back to add a zone valve in the master bedroom.
It is finally warm in our bedroom. It was pretty cold up until now. Thermometer in the bathroom

1-5-00

Started getting cold outside and master bedroom in the 50's, very cold showers in the morning
We have done all we can to adjust the system. The propane people came back to adjust the pressure of the propane. The guy from Custom Comfront had said the propane pressure was at 8 and was supposed to be 11 for the furnace. The furnace was running constantly and blowing cold air. The propane pressure wasn't enough to adequately heat the air. We also were going through a ton of propane. Don has been persistent in trying to get the system working right.

12-8-99

   Heard from Tim:
                             He has received all of the bills and will soon be ready to complete the punchlist.
                             The heating people did come back and the bedroom is warmer now.
                             We replaced the bulbs in the ceiling fan ourselves.

   Outstanding from initial Punchlist:
                             Flashing above the breakfast room
                             Exterior chalking/flashing
                             External sir source cover in fireplace
                             Shower light goes off by itself
                             Chalk tub in master bathroom
                             Sliding door toe locks (Great Room and Dinning
                             Room)
                             40 Metal clips for kitchen cabinets
                             Screen for David's room
                             Spring for the Master Bedroom door
                             Exterior trim on the east side of the reverse gable
                             (about a 1 foot piece is missing by the gutter.)
                             The exterior light by the Mud Room entrance is
                             supposed to be on the same switch as the garage
                             door light. We can't see to unlock either door and
                             need to walk back and forth to get both lights off.

30 Day Punchlist
                             The vent above the Mud Room door was broken
                             when the sills were put in
                             Drywall tape is coming up (Great Room: West wall
                             north of door, above bedroom door, Stairway
                             going upstairs, southwest corner of the master
                             bedroom)
                             Board by the garage door
                             Crack in the master bedroom ceiling

10/30/99

Finally take some pictures!
East side of the house
West side of the house
The Fireplace with the mantel from our woods
Kitchen

10/11/99

Left Tim a message:
When will the heating people be back. The bedroom and bathroom are freezing.
The garage and side door lights were supposed to be on the same switch. They are separate and it is a real pain running back and forth in the dark. Also the bulbs in the ceiling fans have already gone out. can/will Roy change them?.

10/8/99

Total Appliance looked at the stove and said your right it doesn't work. They will order a part and call when it comes in.
Called Homestead Carpet to find out when they will be here to finish the closet. They forgot about me and realized they haven't received the carpet they ordered yet. They said they would put a trace on it and schedule a time to install it.

10/7/99

Doesn't look like the cleaning guy is coming back. Got the punchout guy to get the stickers off and clean the sky lights since I don't have a ladder to get up there. Looks like the rest of the cleaning is up to me. No real surprise. I've been cleaning up after these guys for months.

10/5/99

The cleaning guy isn't back to finish the job.

10/2/99

a light bulb is out in each of the light kits on the ceiling fans in the great room. The ceiling is 26 feet high. We don't have any way to get up there and change them. We weren't expecting to have to deal with this so soon. Something isn't right. These bulbs were supposed to last a long time. Called the Light Warehouse. They don't want to replace them. It's not major just annoying.
Still haven't used the griddle yet. This morning it isn't working.
Cleaning guy said he'll be back Tuesday to finish cleaning the windows and get the stickers off the sky lights in the breakfast room.

10/1/99

Anxious to make breakfast on our awesome new range, but a guy is here working on it. It was not converted to propane as it should have been. We were worried because the flame was about as high as the upper cabinets. Bought a fire extinguisher before our cooking our first meal just to be sure.

9/30/99

Well we made it. Had the final walk through and moved in today. New tenants moving into the apartment tomorrow.
Items to be finished by the builder:
Sand sewing room posts
nail cover missing on sewing room balcony
Paint needs cleaned up off trim in front bedroom
Caulk sinks
Trim in linen closet
exterior chalking
study balcony
fireplace external air source cover
french door missing spring
bathroom shower door glide
carpet in master bedroom closet
gutters
sandstone sills
final locksets
stainless trim on the range hood
chalk tub
sliding door toe locks don't work
metal clips for kitchen shelves
kitchen window hardware
tray holder and wastebasket cabinet accessories
breakfast room register doesn't fit in hole
Septic aerator light isn't working - is the aerator working?
Vent doesn't work in basement
humidifier isn't in yet
screens
steps to entrances
The mason said they would clean the brick

9/23/99

There were about 30 guys on site today. The front porch roof is on and they have started the decking. The hipped roof looks great.
The carpenters finished up. Everything looks great except the molding on top of the posts in the great room. The crown molding sticks out past the floor above. Looks funny. Have to talk to Tim about doing something with it.
Most of the lights are in and working. The electricians are also working on switches and outlets.
The plumbing fixtures are all in and the water should be hooked up tomorrow.
The furnace and hot water tank are in.
Carpet was put in today. Only the master bedroom closet needs to be done. They had to order more carpet .
Trim on the outside is going on. Masons finishing up the last side of the house. The sand stone sills still need to go in and the garage isn't done yet.
Door knobs are on
The washer and dryer are on site.
The propane will be hooked up tomorrow.

9/21/99

Got a message from Tim,
He never updated his paperwork when we changed our mind on the finish on the faucets. Told him again the finish is satin.
Tim now said he won't caulk the bathroom floor under the shoe molding. He had said before he would.
The propane tank will be delivered Friday. Luckily Don called this morning! They usually need 7-10 days. We lucked out because there was a cancellation. The stove, hot water heater, furnace and dryer need to be in by then.
I called the appliance guy to let him know. Tim told him not to deliver it until he calls and is ready. I let him know Tim WILL be ready by Friday.
The occupancy inspection is scheduled for next Tuesday.
They have a lot of work to do in the next 7 days!

9/20/99

The dumpster was replaced.
The painters were there today.
The masons were there in the morning but left soon because it was raining
The furnace was delivered and they have started working on the ductwork in the basement.
The brickwork over the breakfast room was done. There is NO tyvex on the corners!! There is supposed to be tyvex on all the living areas.
We had specifically requested this be done.   We will make an adjustment at the end.
Insulation in master bath in ceiling and behind the pipes of the shower. It is wide open all the way behind the shower all the way to the ceiling. This is an outside wall! We don't want frozen pipes.
Chalk the around bathroom floor before the shoe molding goes on. We will pull the molding off to check.
Tim said he would put the mantel on. It is done.
Carpenters:
Finish handrail in sewing room,
Trim on Windows,
Trim on posts
Secure post to chimney
Trim on study and sewing room floor
Vents in fireplace need covers
replace 4 bricks in hearth with the solid bricks we ordered. We didn't like the small piece on top to cover the holes in the brick on the ends.
Masons need to pack where the beams are in the basement, they are wide open.
Cover for ash pit in basement
There is a window missing in the basement.
Kitchen cabinets:
Spice cabinet north of stove doesn't shut
both lazy susans need adjusted
two upper cabinets next to sink are off the left one looks crooked.
we haven't seen the wastebaskets for the recycling center anywhere on site.
The temporary plastic clips need to be replaced with the metals shelf holders. in all of the cabinets
Where did the cold air return in the laundry room go? We thought there was one but it has been covered over.
2 screens in the basement need to be replaced.
Don will mark the shingles that need replaced. The flashing on the chimney is not completely fastened.
The lights in the ceiling of the garage are hanging from wires and need to be fastened.
We want to know when the grading will be done so we can be there.
Tim needs to move the trusses they are in the way. The final grade can not be done until they are moved. The dumpster and the masons trailer also need to be moved. We do not want the escavator grading around this stuff. We don't want that to be n excuse for not completing all of the job.
Porch guy didn't show up again.

9/19/99

The clean up guy spent a little time he was throwing bricks into the woods. We spent several hours cleaning up the around the house after he left.
From previous experience if we don't clean up our yard will end up being a landfill. The dumpster is full
ONLY 1 MORE WEEKEND OF GARBAGE COLLECTION!!!!.
Porch guy been on the job 4 days.
1st day dug 6 holes and put the concrete in.
2nd day put poles up tapped ground down
3rd day put 6 boards up, worked all day.
4th day didn't show up.
Left Tim a message. We still want the Monticello faucet for the bar sink in the kitchen island. As we had discussed at the pre construction meeting.

9/14/99

Hung up Tim after he started yelling at me when I told him we were not happy that the painters had not painted the great room before the hardwood floor was finished. In the original schedule no one was supposed to be on the hardwood floor once it was finished.
Don ordered the satelitte today.

9/13/99

The staining looks great. Toni did end up staining the pine windows a different color as we had originally asked. They look great.
The hardwood floor was sanded a
The garage door is on. One of the panels was damaged in shipping and Tim left a message to let us know he has ordered a new one.
The lights were also delivered. We checked them out and are happy with our selections.
Brick work is moving along nicely today. No one was there Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We were beginning to worry but, today they got a lot done. The West wall and the front are completely done and they made some progress on the east wall as well.
The septic was done over the weekend and is now covered over.

9/12/99

Called Tim, 1 oak door is missing. Tim charged us for 7 oak doors but only ordered 6. He forgot the half bath door is oak. He will order the correct door.

9/9/99

Tim will have the floor contractor leave a sample of the stain for the hardwood floor they think will best match the trim Monday. Tim asked us to chose a Miniwax color but since we don't know how the wood accepts stain or how it will applied we would rather have the contractor make a recommendation which they feel will match the trim.
The shelving guy will be contacting us to set up a time to go through the closets. Left Tim a message. This time we want Tim there as well. When we walked through with the Electrician we had no idea how much anything would cost until after the work was done awe got charged for it. Don't want to make the same mistake with the shelving. What is included and how much will anything extra cost.
Stain the porch floor to match the front door.
Asked Tim to look at the problem with the brickwork below the dining room door. The balcony above has not been flashed or built yet. There is water coming in the sliding glass door and the brick below it is buckling.
Verify that noone will be in house when the hardwood floor is finished .
3 Weeks to go

9/8/99

Chose walnut stain on the front door. The Therma tru kit will be used.
The roof was flashed
The outside of the white doors will be painted to match the windows and the inside will be painted to match the walls.
Make sure the gutters match the trim on the windows.
Hardwood installation is almost done.

9/5/99

The Fireplace is done!
Spent the weekend sanding the stairs.
The masons were working on the outside of the house. They need to finish the front and side so the porch can be built.

9/2/99

The brick is around the bottom of the house
Got to go home and sleep in a bed!! The appliance were returned to the distributor.

9/1/99

It's nice to see things getting done.
We asked Tony the painter about using 2 different color stains for the pine and the oak so they would look more the same. After a heated discussion he assured us that he is an expert and that 1 coat of the same stain would match since the stain is dark. In the kitchen he is using 2 different colors since we are going with natural and the difference will be more noticeable.
The pine did not take the stain like the oak trim surrounding it on the dark stained windows either. It was noticed by the painters doing the job as well as us. Paged Tim this morning asking him to make sure all dark stained windows and doors have 2 coats of stain on the pine. Tim said he would do it but it will cost us $10.00 per window.
We want the job done right . But we are disappointed that we have to pay extra to get the job done right. We feel the painter should have known this if he has the 20 years experience he repeatedly mentioned.
It's a real bummer to have top pay extra to get the job done right!
Brick work continues to look excellent (slow, but excellent)
The tile people are doing a good job as well and the kitchen floor looks excellent.
We decided to put the knobs on ourselves on the cabinets.
Also ask about the septic that was supposed to be put in today.
The woodwork in the sewing room balcony
The master bedroom doors with 2 coats of stain

8/29/99

The appliances were delivered. We are happy to see them however, they are sitting in the garage which does not have a door.    The floor in the kitchen isn't even done yet. We are spending the night in a tent in the garage until either the garage can be secured or the appliances are installed. This may be viewed as paranoia but there was a front page article in our local paper about the rash of construction material theft in our county.
The oak trim looks good. The carpenters worked all weekend. The rails look great. They didn't have enough railing to complete the sewing room balcony.
The rest of the wrong oak skirt was put up. Tim claimed he did not know about the problem at all and was upset with us for letting it proceed. We agreed to accept the addition of a smaller piece of trim to fill in the white space.
There were also problems with the kitchen cabinets. The wall between the breakfast room and the kitchen was longer than the it was supposed to be. There was a 3 inch gap at the end of the cabinets that the carpenters
Kitchen Cabinets

8/28/99

In watching the carpenters put up the trim the oak skirt specified in the drawing as a 1x12 was really a 1x8 piece with a 4 inch gap under the trim of white drywall. Don mentioned to the carpenters that this was a problem he also called Tim and mentioned the problem immediately.
We are upset that Tim changes the design we put together without even telling us. We understand there needs to be a certain amount of latitude. But we expect to be consulted before changes occur.

8/24/99

Tim talked to the mason about the shoulder courseon the reverse gable.
I also talked to Tim about the anchor bolts for the window boxes . We are not sure that is the best way to go. Over time the bolts will rust and the window boxes will deteriorate.   and the anchor bolts may rust so that we can't get them off later when they need replacement. Tim will talk to the mason and not use anchor bolts and see if they can recommend another option for attaching window boxes.
Called Tim -- Don didn't remember seeing the shoulder course in the brickwork, maybe they aren't that far yet.
The brick is AWESOME!!
They started the brickwork on the outside of the house yesterday and Don said it looks great!
I was canning tomatoes so I didn't get to see it yet. Don just kept saying over and over it looks better than we had hoped, it's awesome. Pictures will be coming soon.
Benjamin Moore Paint Colors:
239 -Foyer, great room, dining room, entire upstairs
247 -- Kitchen, breakfast room, mudroom, pantry, half bath
492 -- Master bedroom, master bath
Wilsonart countertops in all bathrooms:
2932-60 Almond Leather

8/23/99

We decided to paint the ceilings ourselves.
Tim said they were planning to blow the insulation in above the upstairs bedrooms. We were planning a whole house attic fan so we need bat insulation up there.
Paged Tim:
Beige switches and face plates for the house, white was installed in the garage. We would prefer beige in the house.
Ask about the light fixture in the sewing room closest. There is a switch but no fixture. Last time I asked about this Tim said they hadn't cut it out yet. Check that haven't forgotten this. Will do with final electrical.
Ask about the electrical problems why the electrical inspection failed.
Confirm that we will be staining the stairs and that Homestead knows to carpet only the landing.
Ask how the furnace is vented and if it requires electrical.. There is only 1 flu in the chimney and we didn't see any accommodations for venting the furnace. It will be vented out the side of the basement and electrical will be done with final electrical work.
Confirm that Tim will have the final grade complete by September 15 as he has said. We are planning to seed the yard this fall. 21 working days to complete the exterior and the final grade.
Insulation:
Above the upstairs bedrooms is not complete yet. Breakfast room ceiling
Move the vent above the side door before the brickwork is done. The current location will interfere with the future breezeway between the house and the garage.
I need to get the paint colors and countertops to Tim. It didn't look they were ready to paint yet. There is damage to the drywall where the fireplace work is being done. The masonry is also very messy. They can't paint until the fireplace is done and the mess is cleaned up.. Progress has been slow on the fireplace. They started last Saturday and added about five or six rows of brick each day. It took all week to to get to the ceiling (26 feet).

8/20/99

The site is much cleaner now. There wasn't any food laying around this weekend -- YEAH!!!
The drywall is all up and mudded. We were surprised they dry walled the breakfast room ceiling. Since the roof has not been flashed yet there has been water damage to that ceiling. All of the insulation is moldy. We assumed that since they didn't drywall that room until last that they would wait until after the brick work is done and the roof is sealed. Tim is aware of it though so he can take care of it.
The block work on the fireplace is up to the ceiling. It will be interesting to see how they cut through the drywall, insulation, and roof for the chimney. They haven't started any masonry outside. More brick was delivered and it looks like they have set up to begin but haven't started yet. We are still anxious to see how the brick looks. Eventually they have to start. Only 41 days until we are scheduled to move in.

8/16/99

Don talked to Tim about the fireplace. Tim said he would take care of it.
Don caulked and filled in the gaps where the bolts are on the foundation. The holes are big enough for rodents and with all the food left by workmen there are a lot of rodents. Now we know who buys Pork Rinds. Once again spent the weekend picking up ant filled half eaten bags of food. Only 6 more weekends to go!!

8/15/99

Paul came and checked out the house. He suggested using 2 different colors of stain for the different types of wood to make them look the same color. The pine on the windows and the oak trim will look different if they are stained the same color.

8/14/99

Started the fireplace today. The mason didn't know about the external air source. We asked him about it and he didn't know about it. He was able to add something to accommodate it but he did say he wished he knew about it before he started.
After he left we were looking at it an realized that is is in the wrong place. It is about 5 or 6 inches away from the wall between the study and dining room. The plans show the fireplace next to that wall without a gap. Don will talk to Tim about it Monday.

8/13/99

Left Tim a message about the light in the sewing room and the dumpster which needs to be emptied.
Also one of the OSB coverings over the stair treads came off and the treads are all oak underneath. We had wanted a wood staircase originally but Tim talked us out of it. Tim said the carpenter substituted the oak treads because that was they had. Since we have the wood we would prefer to stain it then carpet over it.   The only problem is the landing which is OSB. We may just carpet the landing and stain the rest.

8/12/99

The drywall is coming along. They are almost done hanging it and will then be mudding and taping. Turns out I know one of the drywallers. He is a friend of my little brother. I know he is a good guy and a conscientious person so we aren't worried about the quality of the drywall job anymore.
There was supposed to be a fluorescent light fixture in the sewing room closet but it is completely dry walled. That is the only fluorescent we have so I wasn't concerned when there wasn't a box like the rest of the lights. I assumed they knew what they were doing. I'll ask Tim about it. I hope someone besides myself verified that all of my selections have adequate wiring and switches. It doesn't appear so.
The front yard looks like a landfill. A pile of garbage was used to back fill around the house. We don't know who did it but we spent over 3 hours trying to pick shingles, cardboard, pallets and garbage out of the yard. They also spread about 3 yards of gravel over the yard. We could have used the gravel in the driveway that is all mud. We think it was supposed to go under the front porch and some of it is there but a lot of it is all over the yard. We once saw a suspicious looking guy who claimed to be the clean up guy. He has never been back that we know of. We are getting really tired of spending most weekends picking up garbage. Just venting we can't wait for this to be done!! Don messed up his back pretty bad early last week picking up a pallet of mortar that was knocked over. It rained the following morning and we figured that we would probably have to pay and wait for new mortar if that pallet was ruined. All of this cleaning out garbage is just aggravating both his back and us. We feel like the garbage collectors and not the homeowners. 49 Days and counting!!
David checking out his room .

8/10/99

Left Tim message:
We haven't seen the sandstone sills at the site. Won't they be needed soon?
The Masons have them in stock and will be cutting them to fit when they are needed.

8/9/99

Don Talked to Tim:
Drywallers will do the joints as we want which is standard.
Brick is scheduled to start wednesday. The mason estimates 5 weeks to do the job. They will cover the windows and Tyvex.
Drywall was delivered.
Left Tim a message:
1. Spring Valley Medium stain for bath cabinets
2. Dry wall
-- Will the drywallers mud under the tape and mud again. The drywallers who did our neighbors house did a terrible job and all of the joints had to be redone.
-- When will the garage ceiling be done? We need to get our stuff out of the garage.
3. Brick
-- Cover the windows before the brickwork is done so they are not damaged.
-- The brick is sinking into the mud. Will it be cleaned, not used? How does that work?
-- Tyvex needs to be put up before brick goes on.
4. Stain
-- How many coats of stain will be put on the trim work and will it be rubbed? I'd like to go with a darker color but the application must be good or it will be uneven.
5. Electrical outlet and cold air returns behind the wall in the study.
When the wall was made wider to accommodate the vent for the stove the electrical and cold air ducts are still on the old wall, behind the new one. Need to be moved before drywall.
6. Costs. We are waiting for costs for:
-- the kitchen cabinets.
-- Kitchen and bath paint package
-- Hours left for final grade. Will the job be done by Sept. 15 as you had said? We plan to plant grass then

8/6/99

Called about the propane tank. We will need to decide where to put it.

8/5/99

Insulation started. The house is much quieter and hot with the heat coming up from the curing basement floor.
We need to select the wood species and stain color for the bathroom vanities. and the countertops. Will visit Babin with the bathroom floor sample to decide. Leave Tim a message on his pager.
This year's crop of garlic in the garage

8/4/99

Poured the concrete floors in the basement and the garage.
Called Tim:
Electrician mentioned 1 doorbell. We thought there was 2.
The electrical wiring needs to be moved down on the south wall in the breakfast room where we would like to add a window.
The ceiling fan in the great room needs to be moved about 3 feet south to line up with the other one.
Decided to go with standard kitchen sinks. Tim was worried that the under mount sinks were not secure enough.
We received the bill for the electrical installation.

8/3/99

We need to staple the wiring for the phones, TV, computer and speakers down to the studs for the electrical inspection tomorrow.
Tim's standard hand rail is not available so we needed to select something else. Don chose something larger called Hampton. Sounds nice can't wait to see it. We also decided against the square posts for the stairs. All of the posts will be the same. We end up saving $15.
Still anxious to see the brick work begin. Tim says maybe Thursday.
Picture of the kitchen window and wiring.

7/27/99

Found the website for the Thermatru door we have. We will need to pick a stain color and make sure the manufacturers stain kit is used

7/26/99

J

The roof was fixed. It looks much better now.
Added halogen light kits to the ceiling fans in the great room.
Don put braces in the bathrooms for the towel bars and tissue holders.
Tim ordered sound board for the bedroom wall.
We also decided to brick the back of the garageas well.
We will not be putting in a concrete pad now.
Also only the ceiling in the garage will be dry walled.

7/25/99

Bought towel bars and tissue holders for all of the bathrooms at Home Place. Also found matching cabinet hardware for the bathrooms and kitchen at Home Depot.

7/20/99

Finalized all of the flooring selections. Actually came in a little under what we had decided to put into the allowance.
The waterline was dug.

7/19/99

Tim will have the roof fixed. He looked at the roof and said it looks like the installers got off there lines.
After the electrical walk through we decided not to dry wall the garage so we can later add outlets.
Talked to Tim about putting sound board in the wall between the master bedroom and the great room.
I need to buy towel bars and tissue holders and also a medicine cabinet. Tim will install. We don't really like the standard ones. Tim will credit us the difference. We talked about the bathroom mirrors.   We will go with Tim's standard stuff.
We also need to decide which propane supplier to use and arrange to get a propane tank.
Don can do the wiring next week the dry wallers won't be in yet.

7/15/99

Walk through the HVAC with Steve from Custom Comfort.
Concerned that much of the wall between the master bedroom and the great room is uninsulated to accommodate ductwork.   Look into sound board for the wall.

7/13/99

J

Walk through with the electrician. They plan to begin Thursday and finish up on monday. The walk through took 3 hours to cover everything! The electrician was great he really knew his stuff and gave us some great suggestions that we had not thought of.
Placing outlets along the bookshelf wall in the study.
Putting a motion sensor in the walk in closet. We couldn't decide where to put switch, this way we don't need one.
He asked if I would be putting electric candles in the windows at Christmas and put outlets near the windows .
He will also put floor plugs in along the balcony so I can decorate the railings with lights.
He recommended going ahead and putting light kits on the ceiling fans in the great room even through they will be up high. The room doesn't have any other general lighting.
We also decided to add a small florescent fixture in the closet in the sewing room.
He was especially helpful in helping us figure out where to put fixtures in the breakfast, dining rooms, and study.
We would rather the garage not be dry walled so we can later add outlets when we figure out where they are needed. Since the garage is a separate building it does not need to be dry walled by code.
Talked to Homestead Carpet and got quotes for the carpet and vinyl. Gave Brian at WCCV directions so he can measure for the quote on the hardwood and tile. He will be out to measure tomorrow.

7/12/99

Plumbers working on rough plumbing.

7/8/99

The roof went on today. The pattern is off on the front of the house. It will need to be fixed.

7/7/99

Talked to Tim
Move skylight -- So the light fixture can be centered above the table in the breakfast room.
Exterior faucets-- under kitchen window and outside behind washer and dryer. We had talked about putting a faucet on the garage but Tim pointed out that it would be susceptible to freezing pipes. Don agreed that we can use the faucet off the laundry room to wash cars.
Exterior outlets -- There will an outlet by each door, except maybe the breakfast room and laundry, Tim wasn't sure It is covered by code.
Electrical Walk through -- The electrician will call to schedule, end of next week. Tim will be on vacation.
4 Additional recessed lights -- 2 in the sewing room and both sides of the chimney.
Tim will check with Dave from MAS on the dimensions of the appliances to make sure the cabinets will fit.
Tim checked into Soundproofing insulation. CertaSound isn't anything new same stuff just marketing.
Don is planning the audio, cable, computer and phone wiring.

7/6/99

It's raining ! There is water everywhere! Don spent a few hours mopping up the water so the floors don't warp to badly.

7/3/99

Reviewed the Kitchen and bathroom cabinets with Tim and the Cabinet guy
Changes:
18" cabinets on both sides of range , except 6" spice drawers on north side of range.
Base corner cabinets match on both sides of sink wall 36" lazy susans.
Dishwasher then recycling cabinet under glass doors.
Switch the microwave and 12" cabinets same on the base cabinets.
Move the island down so it is not in the way of the oven doors.
No extra shelves for the utility cabinet it will be used as a broom closet.
Other stuff we covered:
Reviewed Change order.
Make sure pocket doors aren't behind future desk area.
Bathroom vanities will have drawers on both sides in aster and upstairs bath -- cabinets will be Merrilatt I will go look at colors to decide.
Paint -- Tim will price his Kitchen and bath package -- flat finish every where except eggshell finish in the kitchen and baths.
I decided against the colored sinks in the master bathroom.
The chimney may need to be get smaller to fit between the rafters where it goes through the roof. Don will look for a chimney cap to be installed now.

7/1/99

Progress on the front of the house
Windows were installed today and Garage was framed.
Tim and the cabinet guy laid out the cabinets yesterday. I'll go check it out tonight. Tim said we can save money if we can go with the Merrilatt series instead of the Amera. Merrilatt doesn't offer the natural finish we like though. Tim will get sample doors of the Merrilatt Nutmeg and Cider stain for us to look at.
Don would like to put the phone, speaker, cable and computer wiring in. Tim said that would be no problem as long as we use UL approved for in wall use cable. Don is also going through to determine where he wants drops for speakers, cable TV, computer drops and phone jacks.

6/30/99

Called Tim this morning
Both Mom and Donny thought we should put skylights in the breakfast room -- Great Idea!! Tim said the shed roof will be vaulted and he can frame for skylights We need to decide by the end of the week if we want to put them in now they will cost around $400 a piece.
Also asked Tim to check into CertaSound soundproofing by Certainteed for the master bedroom wall. After going through the house yesterday Don is already talking about upgrading his stereo equipment and buying more speakers. I'll regret it later if I don't soundproof the bedroom wall.
Also thought more about the posts for the under the sewing room and study. The antique beams won't match the rest of the woodwork. Since the posts are so close to the stairs we think it would be better to build something that will match. Don also isn't to sure about the structural integrity of an antique post. There may be dry rot problems. He talked about putting oak over a post and mitering the corners with 45 degree angles so the posts look good. Posts on the outside walls would probably be in the way.
After walking through the house yesterday, we think we need some light fixtures in the sewing room. I'm not sure what to put in there. We selected all of the light fixtures from a single manufacturer so they all match nicely. They don't make much that really matches the light hanging in the foyer in the stairway. Track lighting doesn't seem right -- everything I've seen is to contemporary looking. Maybe recessed lights . The sloped ceiling may be a challenge.

6/29/99

Tim called this morning. He thought the posts would be a good idea for the sewing room and study balconies. They need to be about 8'6" high so they can be cut to fit and 6" to 8" diameter. He suggested posts for the other end of each balcony by the wall to balance it out. We will call Historic Woods to see what they have available.
Tim also said it would be no problem to lower the windows in the breakfast room. He planned to line the top of the windows up with the top of the door. 8" lower. That will be perfect
About the floor, they will grid down the seams where the wood has swelled from the water.   There will a sub floor below the tile but everything else goes on the OSB. There should not be any problems. The floor place guarantees the floor.
The roof is going on today. The porch will be go on after the brickwork is done.
Windows will go in Thursday.

6/28/99

Tim will send change orders later today.
Tim will also get us how much time we have used for the excavation so far. We talked about where to put the clay from the basement. Also Tim confirmed that we will get more stone on the driveway after the construction is done. Told Tim about the antique hardware
Dave from MAS called and he changed the back splash on the range back to the shorter one.
It poured today and the floors are warping everywhere. Asked Tim if the floors will be ok. Checked in a book on hardwood floors and it says using OSB as the sub floor leads to problems down the line -- Check with Tim if there will be another subtler over the OSB.
The 2nd floor walls and the rest of the first floor walls were done today. The sewing room looks like it could use some extra support. Left Tim a message asking if we should get the antique barn beams we had talked about early on for the sewing room and study. There will be a lot of weight in the study.
Tim was right the windows in the breakfast room look a little to high. We left him a message asking if he can still lower them.

6/26/99

Moved the shed and tent.
Bought a bunch of antique hardware for the kitchen cabinets.

6/25/99

Most of the second floor floor joists are in and more 1st floor walls and braces.
Talked to Tim --
Tim is working on our change orders. He has everything he needs he will email it to us this weekend.
The bathroom windows will be just above the tub.
Tim will have the electrician leave the outlets out a little in the kitchen so we can put in a tile back splash later.
Tim asked us to move the shed and tent.
Framing around the fireplace is a little confusing since the brick is exposed all around.
Looked at the roof -- looks good.

6/24/99

Framed the first floor walls. It is finally starting to look like a house!! They didn't cut out the master bathroom windows yet, they look to high. Didn't hear anything from Tim today. He said he would have the change orders done today. The trusses are still all on site. Left Tim a message asking about the height of the master bath room windows and also asked about an external air source for the fireplace.

6/23/99

7:58 am -- received message from Tim. He will take care of the problem with the height of the ceiling in the master bedroom.
Framing started today . The first floor is framed .

6/22/99

11:00 pm. -- Don just got home. The wrong trusses for the master bedroom were delivered today. Left Tim another voice message.
6:00 Checked the final document package. The ceiling in the bedroom is noted as vault in Tim's handwriting. Left him a voice message.
3:00 -- Left Tim a voice message. I found my notes from the pre construction meeting where he told me the ceiling height in the master bedroom was 10 '8" to the peak.
1:15 -- Sandy from Homestead Carpet verified that we can get the builders discount on the flooring. She has scheduled someone to measure the dimensions the week of July 5th . Once she has the measurements she will give us a complete quote.
11:30 -- Called Tim to confirm that we will deal with the back splash later, don't quote Corian without the small back splash, We would like the quote for concrete walks to both the front and side doors by the laundry room. Tim said said the house at 1071 Featherstone has the same roof we have selected..
Not only is the master bath ceiling not vaulted, the entire Master Bedroom wing is not vaulted. It looks vaulted on my drawing and it is also included as a standard feature in Tim's standard feature list included with the contract. Tim will be on site to measure the wing to verify that the trusses he ordered will fit. He ordered 16'. The actual dimensions are 14' 8". Tim will call later this afternoon.
10:30 -- Called Tim - He didn't get the page. He will have a complete change order done Thursday with costs for the Oak Doors, deletion for porch rails, costs for sump pump, 2 drains, and utility sink for basement, trim upgrade, costs for Monticello faucets, colored bath fixtures, concrete pad and walks to the front and side doors .
Tim will get me samples of the bath fixturesso I can select the flooring and tile to match.
We won't know how much of the $1416 allowance fort he electric we will save until they do the work after the framing is done.
We discussed possibly tiling the kitchen back splash. After talking with Don, we will probably do this later ourselves.
He is hoping the framers will start tomorrow morning. He hasn't confirmed that though. 9:30 am. -- paged Tim, He didn't answer his phone.
New Issues to discuss:
Quote for deleting railing on porch
Is the ceiling in the master bathroom cathedral as I want? -- No the trusses have already been ordered.
Drain in basement -- Required for Humidifier, future air conditioner, Don would like to discuss the location for the floor drains.
Color of tub in master bath so I can select flooring and back splash to match
I saw that the selections are filled in for the cabinetry in the master bath.. Can I reevaluate this and select something to match? What are my choices? What are the new dates for when final selections need to be made. We have long past the original schedule outlined in the owner's manual.

6/21/99

We went out to watch the framing begin The drain has been fixed and the electric trench had been filled part way in.
He said he wouldn't have the wood delivered until he was going to use it.     The wood was delivered Friday.    There have been a lot of police patrolling the area since there has been a theft problem of building materials in the area.
Left message for Tim asking for the address of a home with the same roof we selected. I'm nervous after Don said the neighbors vinyl looked pretty good up close. I don't want to make a mistake by making a bad selection because we didn't really understand how what we selected will look on the complete house.

6/18/99

The wood for the framing was delivered.
Left Tim a message, we would like quotes for a few things.
Left a message with the appliance guy -- we would like the 6" back splash on the range instead of the 24" shelf.

6/17/99

Don meet Tim at the land to review the grading and decide if we should raise the garage floor. He also signed the papers for the first draw 15% . The framers are supposed to start Monday. We shall see originally they were supposed to have started framing a month ago.

6/15/99

Saw Tim and his Dad at the land. Daryl had dug a trench for the electric but Ohio Edison never showed up. Daryl was also grading the front yard and working on the driveway.
The mason was there and cut the places that were missed for the back beam.

6/7/99

No framers, apparently there is an Amish wedding and the framers are still working a ranch somewhere.

6/3/99

Called Don Walter Kitchen Distributors to find out microwave dimensions that will fit into the microwave cabinet: Max. width = 26 1/8 ", max. height = 18". I will also need a 27" trim kit. I called Dave Cundiff at MAS to give him these dimensions so that he can put together a final quote for the appliances. We need to order the range soon since there is a 10-12 week lead time.

6/2/99

Completed basement masonry. They did an excellent job. The lines were drawn Friday. Work was started on Saturday and they finished up Tuesday. They put one parge coat on and said they didn't need to put the asphalt coast over it because the Tuff-n-Dri included that. The mason had told us that Tim was different because he did the extra coat. Tim never got back with us as to why they didn't do the extra coat. The mason has shipped back the asphalt they had delivered. Will we be credited for the materials that were not used or will they redeliver and put the asphalt on?

6/1/99

The Masons worked on the basement over Memorial Day weekend to get the job done before the framers start Tuesday.
The foundation

5/29/99

The basement is halfway done.

5/28/99

Block in the basement

5/21/99

We picked up the blueprints which looked great!
The drain tiles are finished in the basement also.

5/20/99

We received the latest cost estimates from Tim. The kitchen costs are higher than expected. Based on our original time table we were supposed to have the kitchen cabinet layout finalized by today. We didn't even receive the cost estimates until today. Now we don't know what we are getting. Apparently between Tim and the kitchen people they both have been redesigning and changing our specifications. I asked for a meeting to figure out exactly what is going to be in the kitchen and costs broken out for everything.
Tim will be getting a new copy of the selection sheets to us which includes the changes we have requested.

5/18/99

Foundation

5/17/99

There seems to be a problem with the mortar color we picked. The mason is discouraging us from going with the dark brown mortar color. Originally the mason had said the colored mortar looks really good. Apparently the person we originally spoke with doesn't work with our mason anymore and now they are discouraging us from using colored mortar. We will talk to Valley City Building Supply to try to figure out what's going on with the mortar.
Things are moving slower than we had originally hoped. The footers will be done this week. The crew doing the basement can't schedule us in for another 2 weeks so we won't begin framing until June.
Tim has updated drawings for us and he is working on getting all of the latest cost estimates to us.

5/14/99

The driveway is almost done. The excavator is waiting for Tim to tell him what to do with the garage. After removing the topsoil, the garage is about a foot below grade. He is waiting to hear what to do. He stopped the driveway part way until the garage is resolved. He also put in the waterline under the driveway. We received an email from Tim updating us on where we are.

5/12/99

The basement is dug and the drainage ditch is done. Looks good, we can start to see how big the house will be.

5/10/99

Break Ground!!
In the first day over half of the basement is dug. The baby loved spending the day out at the land. He even had a little shovel for him to dig the first dirt for the basement. We planted the garden and cut down some trees that were in the way while the excavator was busy.
Put in the application for permanent electric service.
It was very fun watching the dirt pile up higher and the hole get bigger. To bad we have to go back to work tomorrow.
Progress by the end of Day 1

5/8/99

Finalized the lighting selections and paid the difference between the allowance and my total. Visited WCCV to look at flooring. Made the first round of flooring selections.

5/5/99

Received an e-mail from Tim. We are ready to break ground Monday! He has the zoning permits and will be submitting the building permits today.
Tim called to have us put in an application for electric service with Ohio Edison. Since the house is set so far back it will take Ohio Edison 2-3 weeks to install the service and $300 which will be credited to us from Tim. Ohio Edison - 1-800 633-4766 Put in application for temporary to permanent service. Ohio Edison will install. We will be ready for permanent service in about 2 months. The electrician will be Beverly Electric @ 330 784-4372. Tim will be in contact with Mike Anderson in the Planning Department at Ohio Edison to work out the details. We haven't determined if we will add a pole or go underground.

5/3/99

We were originally scheduled to be breaking ground today. It is a beautiful sunny day and we are waiting to get our building permits.

4/30/99

Land prior to construction
Talked to Tim, he has been busy this week with the Parade of Homes. There may be a problem getting the building permits. The zoning board does not like the garage being in front of the house. We put the garage there so that it would block the view to our neighbors house and give us more privacy. He has talked to the excavator and we are ready to begin next Monday

4/26/99

More closing costs, $92, looks like a Mortgage identification cost of $165, will call tomorrow. Tim was suppose to call or e-mail today on the extras from the pre construction meeting. Didn't get anything.

4/25/99

Dropped off two drawing with basement 1.5 and 2.0 feet. Moved shed.

4/24/99

Meet with the excavator to review the excavation plans. Ground is low on NW side, first floor height will be 5 ft. up from the new mounded ground level. This is a problem and will cost us big time in brick. The front of the house is 3.5 feet from existing ground level. Excavator seemed very knowledgeable and he would take a couple more readings, to try to figure out what was in the engineers mind.
Selected the mortar color.

4/19/99

Pre Construction Meeting
Tim answered all of our questions. We reviewed all of the changes that needed to be made to the drawings. We also received and reviewed a book detailing all of our selections and when they need to be made. We are still awaiting quotes for a few of our changes. Tim will be emailing us by Monday.

4/18/99

Checked out another house being built by Tim. Been raining for two days and all interior framing lumber & OSB board laying out uncovered. We will buy tarps if necessary.

4/16/99

Closed Mortgage - No problems

4/15/99

We expressed our disappointment to Tim with the "blue prints". He explained that they don't do detailed blue prints for residential projects.   We documented the changes to the drawings.   Tim said he would make the changes by our pre construction meeting monday. Don checked in a book on home building which confirms what Tim had said about the house plans. Almost 2 weeks until we break ground -- if it stops raining!

4/14/99

We picked up the "blue prints". We were disappointed, they were only enlargements of the last drawings we had, nothing new, none of the things we had already talked about had been updated.   We were expecting "blue" prints with overlays of heating, electrical, plumbing,...

4/12/99

Get Builders Risk Insurance

4/3/99

We tilled the garden, planted the fruit trees and moved the herbs into the garden.

4/1/99

House survey done

3/29/99

Schedule pre construction meeting

3/15/99

Wall Street Journal article on drywall shortage. Sent message to builder to make sure our drywall will be available when needed.

3/13/99

We checked out the balusters specified for the staircase at Lodi Lumber. They seem pretty nice. We also found a fireplace insert we liked at Lehmanns.

3/8/99

After looking at brick samples, driving around looking at brick buildings we selected the brick -- Richtex 431. The brick is available and is under our budget! $295 per 1,00 or $275 per 1,000 if delivered on site. Our budget is $320.

2/26/99

Interest Rate went up 1/2 % before Don got home! We lucked out again

2/13/99

Dropped off application at the bank on the way to take Don to the airport. By chance our loan officer was available so we paid the application fee and locked the interest rate.

2/19/99

We visited the Brick Yard and discovered there is a brick shortage due to so much building through the winter. There are yellow stickers on about half of the samples warning that the brick may not be available.

11/98

We receive a notification that the Code in our County has changed and we qualify for a grandfather clause which gives us until February 1999 to apply for the Septic permit before being subject to the new code. The new code requires a leach bed the system currently specified for us is an aerator system. The pressure is on to select a builder and get going by February. The leach bed would be megabucks more.

3/22/96

J

Petition for Water to County Engineer-- They had planned to put city water in further down the street. The County Engineer said he would include us in the project planned for the spring since we had put in our petition. $100.00 well spent!

3/25/96

Driveway culvert and PERC Test

3/22/96

We discover we have enough land to qualify for the CAUV program. You need 10 acres and 1 acre doesn't count because it is for the house. We bought 11.2 acres.

3/21/96

Purchase land.