I made a quick stop at the house this weekend the see the fruits of last week’s labour. The framing is now 95% complete with only a few more details on the second floor to finish. Walking through the skeleton of the house is an amazing thing. Last weekend I brought Melissa and the kids over for our first interior walk-around together as a family. Melissa and I made our way upstairs to the catwalk and looked down to the kitchen and dining area with a clear picture in our heads of what the final product will look like. The boys came up after giving the first floor a thorough inspection – They were ecstatic to see their rooms. We moved to the master bedroom to get a feel for the space it provided. The master was the one room we felt a little unsure about because of the space we lost to achieve the double-hieght ceiling over the kitchen and dining room. To compensate for that, the second floor has been cantilevered on three sides. We’re really happy with the way the master has turned out – the extra width makes it perfect for our needs.
Things will likely seem to slow down a bit now as we move into plumbing and electrical. I’ll still make my morning visits and will try to post a little more consistently.
6 Comments
Paul Anthony Webb
I am looking forward to the plumbing and electrical news! It will be interesting to see your take on it, and what is involved.
— posted on November 13, 2010 at 2:32 pmGeoff Teehan
We’re looking forward to it too Paul. Thanks for following along.
— posted on November 14, 2010 at 11:44 pmSean
You might want to consider
1) a gravity fed hot water recirculation system which will result in not having to have the hot water tap turned on as long in order to get hot water flowing;
2) lead soil pipes (or less expensive plastic ones wrapped in a noise dampener like loaded vinyl) to reduce noise when people flush toilets;
3) a power-pipe drain water heat recovery system, which uses outgoing hot water to heat incoming cold water, thereby reducing hot water heating costs;
4) something like a brac grey water recycling system (bracsystems.com – Canadian co.) which can reduce your water usage by about 1/3rd;
5) a constant temperature mixing valve for the powder room which provides a constant temperature for water coming out of the tap (ie warm vs hot or cold) for washing hands);
6) a whole-house water filter for any faucets that supply drinking water;
Also, many builders, including high end ones, are moving to pex water pipes instead of copper with shut off valves for each fixture at the supply manifold in the basement. Pex is easier to install, has few or no sharp elbows and therefore provides better water flow due to reduced friction. I’ve also seen it on being installed Holmes on Homes a number of times.
— posted on November 15, 2010 at 2:29 am7)
Geoff
Great info and suggestions Sean. Thanks as always for your input.
— posted on November 20, 2010 at 8:17 amGeoffrey Grace
Drove along Pine this morning and caught a great glimps of the house Geoff. It’s great to see the building envelope up and I think it suits the lot very well.
— posted on November 20, 2010 at 7:04 pmPaul Le Comte
Wishing you guys the very best for Xmas and one heck of a great new year. What a year 2011 is going to be for you all. All the best and looking forward to more updates (when you have half a minute to yourself).
Happy Holidays guys
— posted on December 22, 2010 at 12:38 am