New home main page

Phase 1 - Construction - 2001 Q2

[2001 Q1] 2001 Q2 [2001 Q3]

• 2001.04.22 - Foundation excavated. Although some nearby lots were already sold before me, I was so fast with getting my custom selections in that my lot moved ahead in the construction schedule.
  
  
  That's Rich walking around in the excavation
  
  
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• 2001.05.01 - Concrete footers poured. By now The Quaker Group has raised the base price of the Mercer by $8000 - sales at Sawyer's Creek are going so fast that they're raising prices across the board to slow down business, so they can catch up on construction! I'm glad I got in sooner.
  
  
  
  
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• 2001.05.11 - Forms for foundation walls installed
  
  
  
  
  
• 2001.05.12 - Concrete for foundation walls poured
  
  
  
  
• 2001.05.15 - Forms removed; bituminous coating applied
• 2001.05.16 - Foundation and garage floor concrete poured; foundation back-filled; roof trusses arrived
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 2001.05.18 - Framing has started!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 2001.05.24 - 2nd subfloor complete; OSB sheathing on 1st floor frame
  
  
  
  
  
• 2001.05.25 - Most of 2nd floor frame with OSB sheathing; stairs installed
  
  
  
  
  Something I didn't expect: the half-wall between the family room and the service hall (i.e. in front of the closet) has a post at the end (so why do they call it a half-wall?). The marketing floor plan doesn't show it, but a somewhat more detailed plan showing electrical wiring also shows the post. I ask if the post can be removed, even if it will cost me for the change notice, but it looks like it's load-bearing, I doubt it can be removed at this stage. I missed it earlier, so I won't raise a big stink about it. Maybe it won't be so bad when it's done.
  
  
• 2001.05.30 - No progress; however the windows and ducts have arrived, are being stored in the "garage"
  
  
  
  
• 2001.05.31 - Installation of roof trusses started
• 2001.06.01 - Roof trusses and OSB roof sheathing in place; front door has arrived
  
  
  
  
  
• 2001.06.03 - Roof sheathing complete; windows and front door installed
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 2001.06.05 - Duct installation started; front porch concrete slab poured
  
  
  
  
  
• 2001.06.07 - Excavation for water and sewer; roof shingles arrived
  
  
  
  
• 2001.06.08 - Roof shingles installed
  
  
  
  
  
• 2001.06.09 - Confirmed: the post on the half-wall in the family room is structural, not decorative - the post must remain.
  
  
• 2001.06.10 - I've noticed that at this time of year the front of the house is in shadow in the morning. The lot faces south and a bit west, but when I was first looking at this section of Sawyer's Creek back in February these lots got morning sun in the front. (The sun is lower in the sky in winter.) It's disappointing it's not that way all year long. Maybe I can spin it this way: not getting morning sun in the summer will help keep the house cool?
  
  Also, now that the roof is covered, there's much less light inside than I thought there would be. The drywall is not up yet, it's just wood and OSB inside instead of white walls, perhaps it'll look brighter when the walls are done. The model house is certainly brighter, and not all of its walls are white either. I'll wait and see.
  
  Meanwhile, here are some remodeling ideas for me to consider in the future.
  • Cutouts in the 2nd floor half-walls, both the one in the foyer and the family room overlook, or maybe replace the half-walls entirely with railings
  • Replace single south-facing window in master bedroom with double windows
  • Solar tubes in family room
  • Extra window(s) in higher portion of family room
  • Glossy white paint
  • Mirrors
  • A "judo" lighting philosophy: use lack of lighting to advantage, like using spotlight track lighting for highlights
  
  
• 2001.06.11 - Plumbing installation has begun! The two bathtubs and the hot water heater are installed.
• 2001.06.14 - Siding installation has begun! Contacted MBC Inspections and set an appointment for framing walkthrough on 2001.06.25 at 1100.
  
  
  
  
  
• 2001.06.15 - Siding installation complete.
  
  
  
  
• 2001.06.25 - Framing inspection with Richard Lukoff, MBC Inspections. Framing looks up to code so far, with a few minor issues.
  
  
  
  
• 2001.06.26 - Due to GE discontinuing the range and dishwasher in almond color, I now need to make new color choices: bisque for the range; black for the dishwasher.
• 2001.06.27 - Garage door installation is complete. Standard range hood color is now restricted to white - I elect to add an option to specify a black range hood, adding $110 to the price of the house, but avoided the $250 charge for a change notice.
• 2001.06.29 - Electrical wiring has started!

New home main page

Phase 1 - Construction - 2001 Q2

[2001 Q1] 2001 Q2 [2001 Q3]