Starting New House Finally!

[Alan L.]

I learned form my first house on exterior lighting, put your exterior lights up high. Those coach lights next to the man doors do nothing to shed light on a patio. We also went to the lighting houses and got better pricing.

Rox, the porch lights are all in the ceilings, none on the wall. We have 2 landscape lights under windows on the front of the house where there is no porch, and we have lots of floods in eave corners. The designer advised against those coach lights on the wall of a porch as bug attractors to the front door.

We have one coach light on the brick wall between the two garage doors.

 

[Alan L.]

Status report: The plumber just connected the sewer (to the septic) and the water. Electrician is putting up some light fixtures today and hopefully we will get the HVAC running. One the HVAC runs for 7-10 days the wood floors can be finished. Tile guy is laying tile on the floors.

The stair people are coming back to fix a screwup and the resulting re-staining and such will set us back.

The countertop people spoiled the granite slab for the island by cutting the sink opening wrong. Mrs. Alan L. is going to look at another slab that is supposed to be similar to the other cabinets, so hopefully it will match. If not, I guess we start over on the kitchen countertops.

Rock has been layed on the fireplace and the painting is finished, subject to touchup.

Will try to get some pics when I can.

 

[EddieWalker]

Alan,

Looking forward to new pictures. I bet your place is greening up nicely, some outside pics would really be appreaciated also!!!!

Eddie

 

[_RaT_]

Alan,

Looking forward to new pictures. I bet your place is greening up nicely, some outside pics would really be appreaciated also!!!!

Eddie

Eddies right, I would really enjoy some outside shots that also show the land.

 

[sr160009]

Sounds like the move in date is getting close, hopfully everything is working out like you hoped!!!!

 

[jinman]

The countertop people spoiled the granite slab for the island by cutting the sink opening wrong.

My countertop is Silestone. When it was put in, there were two guys doing it. One of them spoke enough English to tell me that they had been doing countertops for two weeks. Luckily, mine was right except for the backsplash and they cut 3/4" off of it with a special jig they had. It all worked out, but I felt pretty lucky. When you are paying $55 per square foot, a mistake gets expensive in a hurry.

 

[rox]

Hope I'm not to late on this. My sister had the same thing happen with the sink hole being cut wrong. The granit countertop people paid for a custom stainless steel sink to be built, which was very very veyr nice bTW. it was less costly than starting with new granit.

 

[Alan L.]

I'll try to get some outside pics. However because we have been so busy with the build, we are way behind on our mowing and cleanup. It is VERY green and the grass is tall, and so are the weeds.

We got about 6 inches of rain tonight and my tank is finally full!

Had an adventure coming home tonight. Water was high on the farm-to-market but I got through it, but I live on a creek and there are bridges either direction to get to it. The way I usually come home was block by water rushing over the bridge. I went the back way and found that the water in the main creek which runs through my property was up to the bridge but not over it. However there was 100 yards of high water before I got to the bridge.

I stopped my Accord and got out, took off my socks and put on some old shoes I had in the car. Raised my britches legs and started into the water to test it for depth and current. About 20 yards out it was probalby a foot deep. It was dark but in the light put out by my headlights I saw a snake swimming across the road about 15 feet in front of me, then there was a huge bolt of lightening straight ahead. My extravehicular activity terminated at that point. I drove the car through the water and it was up to my headlights at one point, but I made it home.

Mrs. Alan L, who is very curious about our creek level drove the (Kawasaki) mule down checking the level and managed to get it stuck right at creeks edge while the water was on the rise.

Figuring the mule would most likely be in lake Ray Roberts in the morning, we managed to get it unstuck and in the shop building when I got home. Thought I would have to use the tractor, but I managed to drive it out using the differential lock.

So it has an exciting, wet night.

 

[Alan L.]

Rox, if the slab they have is not acceptable I will bring up the idea of building a custom sink. I don't know if the hole they cut does not match the sink, or if it does not match the allowable opening in the island cabinet itself. About 8" of the end of the island is used by a bookcase for cookbooks, thus reducing the room for the sink, which is on that end, but on one side.

Its ashame because the slab for the island was really beautiful, with some very interesting movement in it.

 

[sr160009]

Any updates? I know it is really busy times, but I have been checking in every day to see if there are any updates. I would really like to see the finished product.