Drywall Complete

We passed the drywall inspection on Monday so the crew is taping the seams. Here is the schedule for the next week:

Stucco - Oct 29th
Exterior doors - Nov 3rd
Garage Doors - Nov 4th
Shelving in closets- Nov 5th
Texture and sanded drywall date - Nov 5th
Painting - Nov 6th

It occurred to us yesterday that we did not have any wall sconces in the hallways so we're paying out the nose to have four installed. It will be worth it in the end as they'll add character to the walls and I've convinced Joe it will keep us from needing to buy art for the hallway (wink wink).

Insulation, Drywall and More

Big news to share - the insulation is in, the front door is installed and drywall has begun! Best yet, my folks arrive from Wisconsin tomorrow (they are snowbirds here in AZ) and will be able to see the final stages of construction.

I met the GC today and selected the tile for the bathroom showers...now we're waiting to see if the numbers fit in the budget. Fingers crossed!

Ceiling insulation in the family room and kitchen:

Front door - rain glass to be installed near completion:

Ceiling in formal dining room:

Guys hanging drywall in family room:
Shower tile layout for master and casita:

Windows and Crown Molding

The windows are in...that's the good news. The bad news, the windows in the entry open so there is a bar blocking the views. On the other hand, the window in the Guest Casita does not open. Ugh! While it won't delay the project, we'll be out of pocket if we decide to change things around. The GC is working with the window company to see if we can get a credit.

The crown molding has also been installed on the roof and columns. The framers, low-voltage and electricians were at the house today finishing up their stuff and we're scheduled for an inspection tomorrow. If we pass, insulation will begin on Monday and dry wall should follow a week from tomorrow.

Good news on the paint front, we're saving $8,000 by using one of Joe's contacts.

View From Above

Not much has happened the past few days. The low-voltage guy has been wrapping up the wiring and our good friend, Mark, is coming out today to inspect the house. He's been in construction for years and will give the house a good once over to make sure all is in order.

Yesterday we searched for Granite Slabs and found a ton of cool pieces at the Stone Quarry in Tempe. We should have 3 more bids coming in tomorrow to compare to the pricing from the GC. We want to do something a bit funky in the game room and are debating on the edging throughout the house. Times a ticking so we'll wrap up our decision mid week.

Here is a picture taken from the mountain behind our house (click on the image to blow it up). We are the white styrofoam house in the middle/left. It's a bit deceiving as the cul-de-sac shown appears to be at the same level as our house, but it's actually several feet above us. The slope runs with the highest point in the bottom right hand corner to the lowest point in the upper left hand corner.

Pool Boulders

Here is a picture of the pool with the boulders set in place. I learned something new - boulders darken over time and there is a mineral spray (eonite) which can be applied to speed up the process. The cost is $450 and includes the boulders around the pool and the big pile in the front yard that will be used for decor.

We are debating on the pebbletec and pool tile colors. Hmmmmm decisions, decisions.

Status Update, Plumbing Fixtures and Pocket Door

We met with the GC tonight for our standard progress meeting and were joined by the solar water heater guy from the home show. We will likely install an 80 gallon solar tank and a 50 gallon electric tank. Our net cost for the solar water heater will be $500 to $700 plus we'll save in monthly utilities. Can't beat that!

We also discussed the status of construction and as of now, it plays out like this:
10/13 - Windows installed
10/14 and 10/15 - Lathe completed
10/16 - Drywall begins (expected to take 12 working days)
TBD - Stucco applied to outside
10/30 or 11/2 - Inside Painting begins
11/4 - Flooring begins

Great news on the budget front, we found a number of plumbing features at the Great Indoors and saved big time with their Friends and Family sale. We saved $80 per toilet for the exact same model found at the GC's store. That saved us $480 (we have way too many bathrooms). We also found a roman tub for the master saving $1,200! I'm running a spreadsheet to find out our exact savings, but estimate it to be around $3,000.

This past week the large pocket door was installed. Here is a pic with it closed followed by a shot with Bailey enjoying the breeze when the door is pushed open.