So we are about 2 months behind schedule now on our house construction. A full 4 weeks is due to one major change we made to the project. We chose to have ditra underlayment installed over our concrete slab foundation. Once all the old flooring was removed, we found some significant stress cracks and didn't want that to ruin the beautiful tile floors we were putting down. Our ditra is commercial grade at 5/8 inch and we could drive a car over it without damaging the tile. It should be good enough to last us the rest of our lives! In addition to the ditra, we chose a new grout called Fusion. It never stains or discolors - again good for the rest of our lives.
Aren't my new tile floors beautiful??
We have been painting as we have access. Our first paint run looked like this below. Then add to it the extra 6 gallons we bought for the living room and sunroom. To date we have finalized painting in guest room, office, great room and hallways. The south facing wall in the great room can't be painted until the large slider is removed once the sunroom is closed in. The master bedroom has yet to have the ducting for HVAC into the sunroom and will be the last space we paint.
Our first paint run...
We have been gathering some furniture. Mike found a beautiful Ethan Allen sofa for our sunroom at a local consignment shop. I purchased new southwest design fabric to recover the 1980's Miami Vice pastel plaid that is currently on it. And as we are going Mexican/rustic for our "theme", we've been going up to Tucson to check out import shops. So far we've bought a queen size guest bed, a dark stained alder dining table with mesquite inserts, a split rail fence & old wagon wheel chair for the office, coffee table and end tables for living room which nearly match our dining table. I ordered a couch and two side chairs from Macy's in a mocha linen fabric and those are being made for us right now. Everything is piling up in the garage until we can move them into place.
Dining table with Ethan Allen sofa behind
Mike had a meeting with our contractors yesterday. First there was the "Bambi in the headlights" look when he asked if they'd be finished by
April 1st. We knew they would not but it was good for him to complain since originally they'd told us they'd only take 2 months and be finished by February 15th. So Mike and Kim went thru what needed to be completed, got together some tentative dates which she was to firm up last night, and today she will give him a written schedule plan with resource allocation. She told him the new finish date is
4/15/17. We are moving in 3/31.
For us to live there during the sunroom construction, the contractor will be sealing off the Master bedroom area & the great room. So when we want to go to the kitchen, we will walk outside thru the courtyard and enter the kitchen thru the garage. Should be a fun 2 weeks, right? I'm not too upset because we knew they were behind schedule. And it's not like I didn't camp out there for 6 weeks last fall. At least this time I'll have a bed in the guest room, the office will be set up with WIFI/cable from Cox, and a truly functional kitchen. and I won't be doing demo and tear out work every day - just watching the crew do it for me! Hooray!!
This week they are going to start on the sunroom with the concrete prep. They should be cutting existing patio to frame out new walls and add in the rebar for the additional concrete pour to level the floors with living room & master bedroom. It will require 5 Pima County inspections prior to completion.
Cabinets have been on site for about 10 days and will be installed the 20th & 21st. This
Thursday I am having the Blue Star range delivered but not connected. I want the range there so that when they measure for quartz they can get it sized right up to the range. Then 23rd is install the Blue Star and the fridge, freezer & microwave will be delivered and installed. Quartz will be installed around the 29th and then backsplash will be added (this has been sub-contracted) so that the last appliance, the range hood, can go up on
April 6th. I see light at the end of the tunnel.
Rustic birch cabinets on new tile floors
