WEEK 7 - A REWIRED CHRISTMAS!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Today Isaak finished up the foyer.  It is amazing how they wired this house back in 1934.  One outlet in the bedroom can be connected to a light in the foyer, receptacle in the dining room and the washing machine in the basement.  No rhyme or reason for the direction of the wiring.

Isaak leaves early today once he finds out that his dad is undergoing a procedure to get nutrients pumped directly into his heart.  I don’t think we’ll see Isaak tomorrow.



The deco limestone mosaic for the powder room arrived at the office today.  It is a special order tile from Marble Systems, Inc. (http://www.marblesystems.com/)   A very cool tile that Wayne & I fell in love with right away!  We thought is was great for the style of our house and our design.  The remainder of the tile is coming from Daltile (http://www.daltile.com/), the Apex Tile Gallery(http://www.apextilegallery.com/) and Virtue Tile (http://www.virtuetile.com/).  I still have to make my way to their locations to pick up the tile.

Today I found out that Isaak hired another helper that will start on Wednesday.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

No Isaak today, he is preparing the house for his dad’s tentative release. 

No word on windows yet.  I think it is too late to ask Santa for windows.

There was a tag on our front door tonight; notifying us of an attempt to deliver all of the Kohler plumbing fixtures for the powder room.  But no one was here to accept delivery.  That was a nice heads up from my distributor…Not!  It is customary for the distributor to call Plumberry to arrange a delivery day.  Someone skipped a step.  I am grateful they did not leave it all on my front steps!  I do not think a toilet on the front steps will pass as Christmas decorations!

It must have something to do with this morning’s lunar eclipse and the winter solstice.

Now that it is officially winter; I can say that I am COLD!!!  Yes, me Mr. Heat Miser is cold!  The house has been quite cold for a while.  It feels like Mr. Snow Miser is wining the war! 

The windows are all gone from the back of the house, and the majority of the first floor no longer has insulation in the walls or ceiling.  There is a "little" bit of a breeze every now and then.  One thing I did not think of during the remodel was the increased cost in utilities.  Our furnace has been working overtime since the thermostat is in the cold kitchen area.

No windows yet!  Still boarded up!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Isaak back today.  He was able to bring his dad home yesterday.  I’m sure he is glad to be home.

Today the master bedroom is completely finished with wiring; and I see that Isaak has been working on the wiring for the attic.  I see more wires and breakers appearing in the electrical box.

The Kohler plumbing fixtures arrived today.  It was truly a curbside delivery.  Isaak said the driver opened his truck dropped the pallet at the end of the driveway and it was up to Isaak to get it in the house.  Thankfully, Isaak had a new helper start today.  There are so many little extras that contractors do for clients that no one gets to see all the time.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

The morning starts off with trepidation as we await the arrival of the new helper.  A little late, but he does arrive! 

At the end of the day Isaak mentions how well he worked out today.  They were working on Wayne’s office today and running wires from a small alcove in the attic.  In spite of the new additions of interwoven AC ducting, his helper’s agility proved to be a great asset for Isaak today.

The office was completed and checked of the list today.  Finally there are enough outlets now for computers, monitors, printers, flat screen tv, etc. Hooray!! 

The best part of today was having a wall sconce I got Wayne 6-7 years ago installed.  Wayne was very surprised to see it installed when he got home!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Even though the calendar says that Friday is the observed holiday for Christmas, Isaak is here and ready to start work at 7:00AM along with his helper!  I’m always happy to have a great contractor with a superb work ethic.  Wayne, on the other hand, was not too thrilled about having to wake up early on his day off.  Fortunately with the office being completed it gave him and the dogs a place to retreat.

I got a call today about the windows.  They will be on the next truck arriving at the warehouse on December 30th, with a tentative delivery to the job site in Jan 3rd.

Isaak did not work the entire day, after all it is Christmas Eve.  But before he left, he and his helper completed the guest room and all the lighting in the closets.  We are now officially rewired and have the rough electrical inspection scheduled for Monday!

Just a small sample of what was removed from our home!

Saturday, December 25, 2010

May the spirit of Christmas be with you year round!

PEACE, LOVE & JOY

MERRY CHRISTMAS

from all of us at

PLUMBERRY DESIGNS, INC.

 

 

WEEK 6 - THE GIGANTIC STRING PUZZLE

Monday, December 13, 2010

No contact with Isaak today.  It was a travel day for us coming back from Florida.  When we got home we could see evidence of more wiring.  Isaak has now moved out of the kitchen and is starting to re-wire the entire house.  It appears he spent most of the day in the living room.

The tech from Pure AVS was also back today to run one more cable to our home office. 

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Isaak is right on time, but we were dragging a little!  Always nice to sleep in your own bed after traveling; especially since it was so cold this morning.  Isaak and I sit and chat as I have my breakfast.  I truly jinxed him when I talked about his helper last week.  The new helper has not returned.  So Issak is back looking for another helper.  Three tentative interviews today and not one of them show up.  Hard to believe with this time of year and the economy that people do not want to work hard!  Instead...they hardly want to work!

  

Isaak tells me how time consuming it is when you are trying to run and snake wires by yourself.  Sounds like a lot of trips up and down the basement stairs. 



The infinity staircase!

Exhausted and frustrated, Isaak leaves early today because his dad is being checked into the hospital.

On top of that there is disappointing news today about our windows.  They have not arrived yet.  We were expecting them to be delivered tomorrow but that is not the case.  The French door required an additional 2 week lead time because we ordered special laminated glass.  Because of the locking mechanism on these doors, we cannot install a deadbolt.  So we opted for laminated glass that will stay together if broken.  The extra security is important to us since there was an attempt to break in our house during the summer.

Note the broken glass pane below the door knob.  The double keyed dead bolt
and an alert neighbor helped to foil the attempted burglary.

The window company is consolidating their deliveries; therefore even though the windows are ready, we have to wait until the door is completed before they will ship.  It was also explained to me that the window manufacturer was closed for the entire week of Thanksgiving, which adds another week to production.  Now looking at a calendar it appears that if the windows do not arrive by the 22^nd we will have to wait until January 2011. Brrrr!

We come home to find new lighting and switches at the bottom of our staircase, new electrical switches for the foyer and front porch, and new wiring to all the living room receptacles.



Oooh! Ahhh! ... Switches!  How exciting!

  

Breaking through the baseboard plaster to get to the wires.

 

The three white wires are for low voltage picture frame lights

Isaak calls later in the evening to say he will most likely head back to the hospital in the morning.  No problem with us.  Family first always!  It is only a kitchen; not the end of the world!  The kitchen can wait.  I wish all people carried the same sentiment.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Isaak texts me in the morning that he is headed back to the hospital to see his dad.  Another day of tests and waiting; which is physically and emotionally draining.  We keep our fingers crossed and keep his dad and family in our prayers.  BTW…Isaak is just one half of Mester & Son, Inc.; his dad Nachum is the other half!  We have the good fortune of working with Mester & Son for over 11 years now!  He has been teasing me about our kitchen for the last 8 years, so  I jokingly sent Nachum a message to stop lying around and get back to work!  We wish him well and a speedy recovery!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Another day of wiring!  It’s not all that exciting.  Isaak and I head upstairs to the bedrooms to review all the electrical receptacles and switches.  His plan is to work upstairs on Friday.  Remember we are having the entire house re-wired.

When we get home we are excited with the addition of lights to both our main staircase and our basement staircase.  Our staircases are completely illuminated, along with 3-way switches at the top and bottom of each run.  We are both like little kids…”look at me as I turn the light on here…and then turn it off from here”  Yes it takes very little to make us happy at times!



Now we can see going up & down the stairs.

All of our Hansgrohe plumbing fixtures for the kitchen and powder room shower arrived today too!  It’s feels like Christmas!

Friday, December 17, 2010



It is an early morning for us today.  I know Isaak is planning on working in the master bedroom.  So Wayne & I wake up early so we can move the furniture away from the walls and pick up the lurking dust bunnies.  Everything that is light enough gets piled onto the bed.



Today we received our doorbell!  Very cool retro look.



Isaak got most of the master bedroom completed today.  Rewiring is like working a gigantic twisted string puzzle that is hidden behind walls.  It would be so much easier if everything was gutted to the bare studs, but that would have pushed us further beyond our budget.  It would certainly be easier having two people to do the rewiring.



So at the end of Week 6 here are the accomplishments:

• All demolition is completed.
• All windows are framed.
• The Powder Room is framed.
• A new subfloor has been installed in the kitchen.
• All the lighting in the kitchen has been installed and wired.
• All the lighting for the dining area has been installed and wired.
• All the lighting for the living room & foyer has been installed and wired.
• All the receptacles for the powder room, kitchen, dining area, back porch, living room, foyer, hallways and master bedroom have been installed and/or rewired.
• All the audio visual wiring has been installed for current use and the things we plan to do down the road.



This is a huge amount work to be checked off the list!  If this was just a remodel of a kitchen we would be ready to install cabinetry by now, pending the completed rough inspections by the township.  So in the scope of things we are right on schedule, with the exception of the windows. 



Either way the triumph of PROGRESS CONTINUES!!



 

WEEK 5 - WIRED FOR SOUND AND MORE!

Monday, December 06, 2010

The start of a new week!  Isaak is tweaking some of the light fixtures and planning on doing more electrical.  He is also working on the exterior lighting, ie. motion sensored flood lights for the side yard and back yard areas.

Pure AVS came in today to get their preliminary wiring completed while the walls and ceiling are still open.



Wow the amount of wires is surprising for our entertainment center in the living room.



I left early for a vendor meeting.  By the time I got home it was dark and everyone had gone for the day.  I could tell Isaak was not the last person out of the house today.  He always runs around the room with his big shop vac and leaves the site extremely clean. 

The prep team for the home theater forgot to sweep up after cutting and drilling holes for the wiring.  Even though it is a construction site, I still expect it to be clean at the end of the day.  I also have to remember that my expectations cannot be met unless I share them with everyone, which I did not do.  Tomorrow I will set up those expectations so I am not disappointed again.

Speaker wires hanging from the ceiling.

 

Wires to outside volume controls for music on the porch and in the garden.



Wires for kitchen TV/Monitor.

Isaak installed the trims and switches for the low voltage accent lighting I specified for the living room and dining area.  So when Wayne got home tonight we were able to move and angle the lights to see how the light will hit the walls.  Of course the lights were perfect where Isaak installed them!

 

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Today is more electrical.  It is hard to tell how much work gets done at this stage because it is all wiring.  I didn’t even notice that yesterday Isaak had wired for all the under-cabinet lighting.  The amount of wires are starting to multiply; along with all the wires for the TV’s and speakers through out the house. 

I did receive a call this morning saying the AV tech had to leave unexpectedly yesterday and that they were sorry for not cleaning up thoroughly.  They said they would be back today to finish up.  I was relieved to know that it was not their standard way of working.  However, I did take the opportunity to set up expectations; which I should have done beforehand.  I have to remember that no one can read my thoughts.

Everyone must remember to ask questions and speak your mind when remodeling.  There is no stupid question!  Remodels are not an every day occurrence for most people.  Do not be disappointed if something is incorrect and  you have not expressed your concerns and wishes.  Good communication is vital from the homeowners, contractors and designers.  Isaak and I speak every morning and every afternoon before he heads home.  But some homeowners do not always have that luxury.  We as designers and project managers then become the job site liaisons.



Therefore a communication log is a great idea.  This is a notebook that is left on the job site for all to view each time they visit the job site.  Many times in the evening after the contractor is gone you may think of a question or comment.  Write it down in the book, because in the hustle and bustle of the morning rush, you may forget your question.  The contractor can then read your question and answer via phone or log book pending the response.  This log is also good for the client, designer and contractor to keep track of items that have been delivered and when the designer has dropped by the job site.  Communication is a great tool when everyone uses it!

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Isaak is fine tuning his remodeling skills further by attending a seminar today.  Therefore, no work has been done at our job site today.  But we did notice last night, that Isaak wired up one of the new lights outside our side door!  This is a great help since we now use this door when we grill at night!

 

Thursday, December 09, 2010

Wayne & I left early this morning for Florida for a visit with Wayne’s parents.  His mom’s birthday is this weekend!  The big 80!  

We left before Isaak got to the house, so you know we were out early!  Isaak is usually outside the house by 6:30AM.

Today he will continue to run electrical lines from outlets and switches to the main electrical box in the basement, which is on the other side of the house.  He is also running dedicated lines for each of the appliances.  These are individual electrical lines running from one major appliance to a breaker switch in the electrical box.  Only one line because that is what the building code requires.  No longer will we pop a breaker and loose electric when the microwave and toaster are operating at the same time.  I will not miss those trips to the basement breaker box!

Yellow wires for dedicated lines and circuits now appearing!

Another full day for Isaak and his helper!  Yes the new helper is still around!  After seeing such big changes with demolition and framing, this is usually the time when some clients come home and say…”What has he done all day?”  You may not see much of their work visually, but I know there is a lot of time and effort in running wires from one side of the house to the other. 

 

Friday, December 10, 2010

Brrr!  Florida is colder than expected!  But the forecast looks good for the weekend.  Today we started off by speaking with the AV guys about running one more cable.  Another…as long as we are doing this…moment!  I have to stop that, because it keeps adding to the price.  I normally suggest to clients to have an additional 7-10% built into their budgets for these as long as we are doing this moments.

Isaak already checked in with me this morning to lay out the expectations for the day.  I must have jinxed him by talking about his helper yesterday, because his helper called in sick this morning. 

I let Isaak know that the AV guy will be back today at some point.  Today will be another day of running wires.  This may seem a little longer than normal, but he is doing more than just the kitchen wiring; the powder room, living room, dining room, porch and exterior lighting.  He is tentatively planning a rough electrical inspection by the end of next week. 

Even from Florida…PROGRESS PREVAILS!

WEEK 4 - ELECTRICAL

Monday, November 29, 2010

Isaak is back and ready to work.  His helper has not returned to work.  Therefore a new helper is hired and starting today.  He’s on time and pleasant…a very good start!  Except for the Jets sweatshirt!

Issak is working on moving some of ceiling joists in order to get the recessed lighting where I would like it.  Lots of noise and vibrations. Dogs are underfoot and very scared.  Over the weekend Wayne noticed that Fred has licked a hot spot on his leg.  So remember even your pets get stressed during a remodel.  Their routine is changed and their environment has changed.  Remodel affects everyone in the house.  It is important to make time and make your pets comfortable too.  A trip to the dog park is definitely in order today!

I am still fighting a nasty cold and decide to head to the doctor; it is a cold turning into bronchitis. Argh!  I don't have time to be sick!

Isaak has to leave to receive a late morning delivery for another one of my clients.  The delivery truck was delayed and he is gone longer than we all expected.  Not much gets accomplished, but my client is happy.  Happy clients are my favorite kind!

He heads back mid afternoon, but not enough time to start anything else.  Therefore no pictures for today.

Meanwhile, I am taking advantage of Cyber Monday and shopping for deals on our home theater components.  I scored some great deals on speakers and sound bar, and missed out on a few others due to limited stock.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Our temporary kitchen is located in the basement.  The old slop sink is being used everyday for dishes and is now draining very slowly.  Isaak and his helper try to snake out the drain lines, but just cannot get through.  So now I have to call a drain cleaning service.  They will be here between 1:00-4:00PM.

Before heading out to the office, Isaak and I review the lighting locations.  Recessed lighting is always challenged by locations of floor joists, plumbing and unforeseen objects in the ceiling.  I know we will have to tweak locations, but everything looks good…so far!

When I returned home, I found all the large recessed cans have been installed and only off 1½” from the original plan.  Not much in the scheme of things, but it is very exciting to see the cans in the ceiling!  The drain cleaning guy did not show up unitl 5:30!





Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Isaak and I play around with the location of the low voltage recessed cans.  Some of the upstairs bathroom plumbing has proposed a challenge, but we work it out.  By the time I leave for the office, all 9 of the recessed lights are wired and working.  Let there be light!

Roxie praises Isaak's work! Thank you!

Fred needs camera time too!




Note the big white waste line is exactly where I wanted the outlet!

 

We then review the specific locations for switches and receptacles.  Just as I mentioned about the lighting, there are challenges with switches and receptacles too; plumbing lines, vent pipes, steam heating pipes, etc.  Some outlets need to be relocated due to a steam pipe and waste line from the bathroom above.  It ruins my idea of keeping perfect symmetry for the wallplates; however there are no other options, unless we rebuild the house and move the obstacles.  Not happening here!

At the end of the day, the boxes for the outlets and switches have been installed.  The recessed lights have been hooked up to a three way switch that is working!  How nice it is to come into our kitchen and flip on the lights.  Now Isaak can see during the day since the windows are all boarded up.

Thursday, December 02, 2010

Quiet day on the home front, no Isaak today; yeah I can sleep in a little bit!  Isaak is sitting at a previous job waiting for the inspectors to come and give him a final sign off.  Not a fun day for him since he does not know when the inspectors will be arriving, but a good time for him to get paperwork done.

I decided this would be a great day to layout the kitchen plans on the floor.  Wayne got home just in time to help.  We were both so excited to see it taped out on the floor when we finished.  We are both pleased with the layout and even more enthusiastic about our new kitchen.

The main cooking and cleaning area of the kitchen.

Wow!  We are going to have so much counter space!



Our social part of the kitchen is a peninsula on the right side.

Friday, December 03, 2010

Isaak is here bright and early as usual.  We review the work he completed on Wednesday.  He spends his day working on more electrical and lighting.

I met with Lee of Pure AVS, www.pureavs.com,  to review speaker and wire locations for the home theater and music system we are having installed.  We are so lucky to have these guys at Pure.  He put together our dream/wish list for an awesome home theater.  Of course we have some very expensive dreams and we were very discouraged that we could not afford the concept.  Fortunately, Lee worked with us to fine tune our want list vs. our need list to a point that worked for all of us.  Compromise is the key!  Thank you again Lee for being so patient with our revisions.

Well another week is done and Isaak had a helper for the entire week! 

PROGRESS PREVAILS!

WEEK 3 - THANKSGIVING

MONDAY, 11/22/10 - Not only was the exterior sheathing rotted away, but so was the sill plate.  Isaak spent the day jacking up the end of the house to replace the sill and sister the existing 2 x 4’s.   Just another typical Monday!  I can feel a cold coming on.

The exterior walls of the Powder Room repaired!

TUESDAY, 11/23/10 – Isaak’s helper is well enough to come pick up his paycheck.  I don’t think we’ll be seeing him again since he has his check.

Isaak spends his day removing windows and framing them out according to the rough openings of the new windows.  Since the new windows have not arrived, Isaak covers the rough openings with plywood, making the kitchen very dark inside. 

First window gone!  Parsley still going strong!

WEDNESDAY, 11/24/10 – A very slow morning for me, I am feeling worse and try to sleep in a little; but this is very hard to do when your GC is working one floor away.  I am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow, which is Thanksgiving!

The New Powder Room!

The Powder Room window has been framed.

Wayne's Window over the future sink.

Isaak has removed the large double window and the new powder room has been completely framed.  Another step of progress!   This is a short week for everyone.  I will spend the time this weekend getting this blog started.  Finally!