Tile, Flooring, and Interior Paint

Tile, flooring, and interior paint selections have been made. 

Tile selections include the following:

• Grey hex on bathroom floors with iron colored grout: Spearteck Buckhead Collection; BHGY1 HexMat; Grout: Maipei 107 Iron

• Long, white subway tiles in showers with iron colored grout : Florida Tile, 310, 4 x 16 Arctic Streamline, Gloss; Grout: Maipei 107 Iron

• Kitchen backsplash and rec area / bar wall in inverted, white subway tiles with iron colored grout: MSI White Glossy Inverted 3 x 6; Beveled; Grout: Maipei 107 Iron

• Laundry room in slate porcelain tile with matching grout: 12 x 24 Formations Flint

Hardwood floors will be a white oak with natural knots, markings and variations in grain and color to give the space real character.  An engineered product will be used on the first floor because of the slab construction, and solid hardwoods will be used on the second and third floors.  Somerset, the company that makes the floor, manufactures the product in the United States from domestically grown and harvested Appalachian hardwood.  The material conforms to Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers, Inc.’s Verified Sustainable Seal.  Go here for the product information page.

The interior paint colors will be Sherwin Williams Extra White (SW 7006) and Repose Gray (SW 7015).  Kitchen and bar cabinets, trim, and ceilings will be in white while the walls will be gray.

Week 35 Construction Update

Since the prior week 27 construction update, several items have been completed. The plumbing, electrical, gas, and HVAC rough ins are done. The roof membrane and roof tiles have been installed. The walls have been insulated with spray foam. And finally, dry wall is mostly complete.

Sneak Peak - Rooftop View

The rooftop makes for one of the best features of the house. Check out this sneak peak panoramic view during sunset. (Touch or click on the image to turn the panorama.)

Week 27 Construction Update

Since the last update, several construction milestones have been achieved.  These include completion of framing, installation of roof membrane, construction and installation of indoor staircases, and installation of exterior door hardware.  Apparently, the staircases were heavy and long.  HVAC work begins this week.

Sunset Cheers

Climbing up three stories on somewhat unstable aluminum ladders is a bit unnerving. But, it was worth it for the first rooftop sunset toast.  Cheers to many more rooftop drinks and sunsets when the house is complete. 

Be an Opener of Doors

“Be an opener of doors.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Week 21 Construction Update - Windows and Doors

Framing is almost complete, and the windows and doors have mostly been installed. The windows and patio doors are the Andersen 100 series with sound reducing glass in dark bronze (inside and out).

Week 20 Construction Update

Framing is almost complete.

Rooftop Deck Tiles

The builder has researched rooftop deck tiles and recommends rubber pavers from Versico. Below are the color options and a sample of a black tile. It’s probably best to go with a light color so that it doesn’t get too hot in the direct sun that the roof will receive.

Week 19 Construction Update - Top Floor

The third floor is now taking shape.

Week 18 Construction Update - El Piso Segundo

The framers are working on the second floor. It’s going up fast now that we’re back on track!

Week 17 Construction Update - Call in the (Steel) Reinforcements!

Building has been stalled for about 5 weeks because of an engineering problem. The original plans called for 2x10's over a large span between floors. The builder flagged that this would not be structurally sound, so the builder, architect, and a new engineer collaborated on an update to the framing plan. The update called for several steel beams to be installed between floors. So, the LVL construction is now complemented by steel beams. The builder joked that the house could double as a bomb shelter. I probably wouldn't go that far, but it should definitely withstand the quakes in the Central Virginia Seismic Zone, including the 5.8 magnitude quake that struck in 2011.

After the framing plan was re-engineered, additional materials, like the steel beams, were ordered. The framing crew returned to the job on May 8, and they should be complete in the next few weeks.

Week 10/11 Construction Update - We've Got Wood

Wood was delivered on Wednesday, March 20, and framing started the next day. It’s starting to look like a house. The framing uses a fair amount of laminated veneer lumber (LVL). According to Wikipedia, LVL is an engineered wood product that uses multiple layers of thin wood assembled with adhesives. It is typically used for headers, beams, rimboard, and edge-forming material. LVL offers several advantages over typical milled lumber: Made in a factory under controlled specifications, it is stronger, straighter, and more uniform. Due to its composite nature, it is much less likely than conventional lumber to warp, twist, bow, or shrink.

Week 9 Construction Update

The City passed the slab inspection yesterday, and the slab was poured today. Onto framing soon!

Week 8 Construction Update

This week saw backfill rock around the foundation walls, both inside and outside. Ground works plumbing was completed as well. After waterproofing was finished, the City conducted the foundation inspection, which passed. The slab is now ready to be poured. Prior to pouring, the City conducts a slab inspection. The original plans show a drain in the garage floor, but after conferring with the construction manager, we decided to slope the garage towards the driveway as an effective but less costly way to address any water. Unfortunately, the City failed the slab inspection since the drain wasn’t present. So, the construction manager will red line the plans, have it re-inspected, and hopefully have the concrete truck out next week.

In other news, the house next door may have gone into foreclosure. A neighbor mentioned this, and then I found foreclosure announcements for the property in the 02/21/2018 and 070/4/2018 editions of Style Weekly. Though, there isn’t anything more recent that I found. I’ll have to monitor to see what happens. I do know that the tenants of the property moved out a few months ago. Just before that happened, the owner of the property called me to ask if either (1) I would be interested in buying his house or (2) I’d be interested in selling him my land so that he could combine it with his as a house and lot for sale. Obviously, I declined both offers.

Week 7 Construction Update

The foundation is complete and has passed the City inspection. Waterproofing measures include TUFF-N-DRI barrier and a French drain.

Week 6 Construction Update

An engineer issued the foundation certification, and the surveyor completed the foundation survey.  A concrete truck arrived and pumped in the foundation walls.  Pre-work for plumbing is complete.  The builder took the first draw, representing 11.58% of the budget.  Next up, the city should inspect the foundation, and then the dirt around the foundation can be backfilled.

Week 5 Construction Update (Part 2)

The foundation is now completely bricked. The bricks are Onslow manufactured by Palmetto Brick Company in South Carolina and ordered through Shade & Wise in Richmond. Check out the brick product page here. There has also been some work to start the utilities.

Week 5 Construction Update

The foundation is starting to take shape. The cement walls have been built and the brick base is underway.

Week 4 Construction Update

The spoils (extra dirt) from the footings were removed this week.  The foundation was pinned.  And, the bricks and blocks for the foundation arrived on site.

Funny, not funny family story… When my parents built their custom home in Texas in the early 1990’s, our family was still living in Florida until the house was finished. My mom picked out a solid red brick for the house but was not able to be on site to look at them when they arrived. My dad, who’s colorblind, took a photo like the one below of the bricks on the site. They looked a bit orange in the photo, and my mom asked about that when she saw the photograph. My dad said those must be for the house next door and that the nearby pile of red bricks was for their house. My mom’s next photo update of the house occurred when the masonry was complete. That picture showed orange and black bricks on the house. Turns out the wrong bricks were ordered and the red bricks were for the house next door. My mom hated those orange bricks on her house her entire life.