End-Game

Lights! And, really a bunch of stuff besides lights, but the lights are a milestone. Quick catch-up. Cabinets are in, appliances are on the way, Countertops are being cast (concrete) and bathroom is waterproofed and ready for tile. The 12 x 9 aluminum and glass garage door is now in the space occupied by the plastic tarp in the above photo. It looks AWESOME! All in all, things are coming together nicely.

One of the coolest things that has happened recently is the grading of the yard. Another shovel day for me, but the efforts were aided by the little skid-steer that started the project in the first place. In the end, the space went from construction site to yard, level, free of debris and looking a lot bigger than what I was used to seeing for 6 months. Next Saturday we do the front yard and all my Pleasure Point neighbors can have the same feeling of satisfaction. Might even get rid of Porta-Potty soon!

With everything being finalized, some unexpected expenses have been realized. Little stuff, but it adds-up. You buy butcher block counter, but you have to finish it. You have a nice concrete floor, but you have to seal it. You have to buy a mailbox! I've spent about $5k on these types of things in the last month. 

Anyway, more to say, but as usual job and house beckon. Pictures of the last month or so are here. More pictures are in the camera waiting to be harvested. Keep you posted!

:W

 

Yep, it's been a while. Sorta forgot about this blogging project, it has been busy and fun around here. But, things are progressing nicely. I promise - the the loyal viewers that still check in - that I'll post some story (and some more pictures) soon. 

Anyone considering building a house? You should prob give me a call! 

:\\/\\/

Too Busy to Think

I wonder about people who complain about the pace of building a house. To me, it is going waaaay too quickly. Maybe because the house is so small, or because we're at a point where many decisions need to be made, or maybe because my job is off-the-charts-crazy right now, but for whatever reason, things are moving too quickly.

To wit, we are pulling electrical wiring and this leads to a number of quick decisions. We cannot get certain places due to framing that has changed, and other spots are unsuitable due to building code. So, in many cases things that I *thought* were already decided upon are now decisions that are made in the field ("as-built" is a code word I've learned, it means figure it out as you go). 

And, of course those as-built decisions are not as well thought-out as the ones I made with the plans in front of me and time to relax, which inevitably leads to other decisions needing to be changed. It is enough to send my planning-happy mind into a revolt. I've definitely said, "Fuck it" a few times and gone with the default answer.

In the end, I'm assured by all around me, everything will be fine. I have faith that it will be. That, and some recreational drugs and alcohol, have allowed me to hold on to my sanity so far.

New Stuff Makes Me Nervous

When I was a kid I used to hate new stuff. Whenever I got new stuff (clothes, bikes, watches, etc), I would usually do something to scuff them up so they didn't look new. My folks, who didn't have much money to spend on new stuff, we're not too happy to see my new blue jeans with a self-inflicted tear, or my new BMX bike stripped down and painted. So, when my new concrete slab developed its first crack, I was thrilled. Well, I wasn't devastated anyway. The look of the floor is supposed to be industrial, not artsy and my little crack only adds character.

This is part of a larger process of acceptance. In the beginning, the house was a bunch of pristine ideas laid out on the drafting table, completely unencumbered by rules or physics. An innocent child, naked to the world and about to be introduced into the compromise-filled world of construction, fees and ordinances.

The structural engineer takes his swipes first, he points out the reality of impossible spans and walls that need to intrude into open space. The changes are digested and eventually accepted as the new reality in what will be a repeating cycle of loss and acceptance.

As the initial wounds heal, the Title 24 Energy consultant steps in to take his whacks. He explains the problems with a wall made entirely out of windows or a 100 sq foot garage door in the living room. Is my vision not clear to him? These are requirements!

The reality show continues and the County steps in and takes their licks in the form of bureaucracy, fees and rules. Changes require paperwork and lengthy trips thru the maze of the 100 Ocean Street offices. Information often contradicts previous information, new rules are added and apply retroactively and sometimes it seems like moods are the deciding factor.

What emerges from this process is a seasoned set of plans, a bit bloody and filled with compromise, but something that can be built, on Earth, with all of its gravity, rain, wind and parasitic insects.

Framing: Instant Gratification

Two days with the framing crew on site and there are walls. Real tall walls! I've been staring at drawings for so long, I was a little shocked when I saw the scale of the house. It is pretty big for a small place. I'm expecting to be equally shocked when the roof goes on, 14 foot ceilings are probably pretty imposing from ground level.

The transition from drawings to reality is just part of a larger metamorphosis. In the beginning, the house was a bunch of pristine ideas laid out on the drafting table, completely unencumbered by rules or physics. An innocent child, naked to the world and about to be introduced into the compromise-filled world of construction, fees and ordinances.

The structural engineer takes his swipes first, he points out the reality of impossible spans and walls that need to intrude into open space. The changes are digested and eventually accepted as the new reality in what will be a repeating cycle of loss and acceptance.

As the initial wounds heal, the Title 24 Energy consultant steps in to take his whacks. He explains the problems with a wall made entirely out of windows or a 100 sq foot garage door in the living room. Is my vision not clear to him? These are requirements!

The reality show continues and the County steps in and takes their licks in the form of bureaucracy, fees and rules. Changes require paperwork and lengthy trips thru the maze of the 100 Ocean Street offices. Information often contradicts previous information, new rules are added and apply retroactively and sometimes it seems like moods are the deciding factor.

What emerges from this process is a seasoned set of plans, a bit bloody and filled with compromise, but something that can be built, on Earth, with all of its gravity, rain, wind and parasitic insects.

For now, there are walls. Not quite enough of them to hold-up a roof, but enough to get an idea of what is to come. My little baby is all grown-up.

Pictures from weeks 3-4 are here.