The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

I started out 5 1/2 years ago on a fun run, but soon found out it had turned into an ultramarathon.  I am finally limping towards the finish line, but not there yet.

Progress has been made, but not without a number of setbacks along the way.  

COVID has had some impact, but it mostly seems like it is used as an excuse for workers not showing up. 

I was going to do another month by month progress report, but since it has been a year, I thought I'd try something different.  It is called the Good, Bad and the Ugly.

The Good

Some trim was installed on the deck rails.

Cotton batting insulation was placed between the metal studs.  And blocking was put in place behind where cabinets were to be installed.  

We manage to escape to the mountains for some much needed family time close to nature and away from the construction.

  

The drywall was installed. 

The solar panels were installed.

Bathroom floors went in.  I'm happy with the click together Marmoleum I chose.  Visitors say it looks like concrete.

And after sitting in storage for a year, the kitchen cabinets went in.

Work began installing the floors.  It was hard to image that these boards could be restored.

But after a lot of sanding, they are looking pretty good!

So far I have been able to apply the tung oil  to the ADU floor.

The house was painted.  Painters did the outside, while I did much of the interior painting.  

The boys picked their own room colors.  Hendrik helped paint his bedroom his favorite color!

Tile was installed.  Since all the tile was scavanged, it was a fun challenge to put them together in coordinated designs, each one very different.

 

Sidewalks and driveways went in. 

 

Yes, plural.  I was required to put a sidewalk in front of the existing house.  That also required new driveways for both houses, as well.

Pavement was placed to connect to sidewalk.

A pathway was built using reclaimed composite decking that I acquired from 2 different sources.

There wasn't enough decking to make a walkway all the way to the street, so I was able to salvage some redwood from friends who was redoing their deck.

The Bad and the Ugly

The biggest shortcoming of mine was not being able to speak Spanish.  This resulted in a great deal of frustration.  I would think the workers understood what I wanted, only to come back later to see something completely different done.  

The second one was being too trusting.  Workers took advantage of that.  For instance they asked for money ahead of work being done and then never finished.

What I noticed about the workers is that every one of them is quick to criticize the work that others did.  But some go on to do the exact same things themselves.

The workmanship was not up to my expectations.  I was raised by a perfectionist  and expected workers to take equal care and pride in their work.  

Stair rails not up to code.  

Unfinished work.

A year later and still not completed.

Indoor stairs not up to code.  They had to be torn out and rebuilt.

Few walls were plumb and level.  For this reason, the sliding doors didn't work properly.  When we removed a door to adjust it, we saw lots of rust and water penetration.  The fix required removing all the doors and fabricating trays to prevent the water from entering the house.

There was no caulk or weld to keep water for coming in under the door.

There were other leaks, as well.  The leaks in the garage are still a mystery.  

Water comes in 4 corners after only 1/10th of an inch of rain.

And then there is the rust--growing by the day.  This is the powder coated deck rails.  The installer is of no help.  He just says it is not surprising as we are on the coast.

So here I am.  Almost done, but struggling to get the last details and fixes figured out.  The next and last post will be upon completion.  I have no expectations of when that will happen.  The question I get asked most often is "when will it be finished?"  I always decline to even guess at a date.  Send positive energy that this journey will be over soon!!!

Nine Months Later

I'm sorry that it has been so long since I wrote a new blog.  I've been so busy moving into the new house that the blog got put at the bottom of my to-do list.

Or not.......

OK, the truth is the house is not finished yet.  I could come up with a lot of excuses for not writing a blog, but I'm sure you'd rather read about the project itself.

My last blog was in September when the containers were placed.  That was definitely the most dramatic step of this process and was the most fun to document.  While we have made a lot of progress since then, it has been very slow going.  Occasionally the place is buzzing with lots of workers, but there are more days without any work being done at all.  When you see the latest photos, you will see a lot of progress, but for me it isn't so dramatic.  It is similar to the way we see a child grow and develop.  When you see them every day, the changes aren't as noticeable as they are to someone who hasn't seen them in a year.

Here's the progress in pictures and a few words.

Once the containers were in place, work on the garage slab began.  The concrete also helped to secure the posts in place.

After the foundation was poured and cured, the metal framing was installed.  This included the framing for the garage and decks.

The metal framing also included the roof rafters and interior walls.

As well as the hybrid section between the containers.  

Inside the hybrid section is the staircase.

By now it is the middle of November and there is a rush to get the house enclosed before the rains come. The roof is insulated and covered with decking.

OSB is put on to enclose the garage and stairwell.

Some windows are installed.

But the rains didn't wait until we were ready.  

The rains came before all the windows and doors were in or caulked.  And water entered the house from all directions.

Tyvek was added over the OSB between rain storms.

Plumbers did much of their interior work in December.  It was challenging work.  They had to cut many holes in the floors of the containers to run their lines.

In January a sewer line was put in to connect to the line in the street.

Trenching for plumbing and electrical was done in February.

Electrical work began in December and is just now being completed.

In March the kitchen cabinets were delivered.  I had been paying storage fees for 8-9 months.

In April the siding finally went up on the garage

And on the stairwell.

Next, the deck railing went up.

In May, the exterior stairs were placed, but still needed adjustments.

It is now June and the final spray foaming is done.  We've passed final inspections on plumbing, electrical, and fire sprinklers.  Now we are finally ready for the interior finishings--insulation, drywall, paint, cabinets, etc.  I'm busy struggling with ordering supplies.  I spend hours researching products, trying to find the best sustainable ones, but when I finally settle on something, I find out it is no longer made, is not sold around here, or is not in stock, but that's a story for another blog.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!