Drywall Woes

I've often said that we combined all of the frustrations of a new build with all of the problems of a renovation!  These past two weeks have been nothing but problems and frustration about the drywall.

First, the original drywall subcontractor fell through.  Our contractor had checked with the subcontractor on a Friday to confirm they were starting Monday.  They confirmed, but then on Monday didn't show. When our contractor called on Monday morning, they said they couldn't do it.

Woe...Woe...Woe!

So our contractor found someone to start a week later: this past Monday.
(I recognize that finding a good subcontractor on such short notice and on budget is a gift from God!)
Drywall was delivered last Friday. The new drywall subcontractor got to work first thing Monday morning.  Halfway through the day on Tuesday, he realized that some of the drywall was crumbling and falling apart. We apparently received a defective product.  Today 61 sheets of hung drywall were torn down and replaced.  The supplier is replacing the product, so this isn't a hit to the budget, just the timeline.

We are grateful that the subcontractor realized the problem and is taking the steps to make sure everything is right.  But still...

Woe!

Next time you watch HGTV and see the dramatized problem that gets quickly resolved, know that is only a small glimpse at how it really goes down.

Keepin' it real.

Front Door

We have our front door!  I may have squealed a little this afternoon when I saw it!

It only took an extra 3 weeks longer than we planned, not to blame any big box stores that rhyme with "Slowes."

I plan to paint the door the same green as the siding and the sidelight trim white.    Here is the interior view.  

 

The insulation is also completed.  Drywall next week.

No time for quippy song lyrics today.    

We've come a long, long way together

I wonder if I could title all future posts based on songs from my high school days?  That's probably a bad idea.

But sometimes a house renovation is overwhelming, and it is valuable to be reminded that we HAVE come a long, long way!

From this:

To this:

To now:

For real! Just breathe, we can do this... (did you catch that one?)

The past few weeks we have been finishing up details to prepare for the rough in inspection by the county.  This includes a second HVAC unit for the upstairs.

The deck was also installed on the front porch.  We went with a cost-effective pressure treated lumber.  This needs to be left alone for 6-12 months before we stain it, but that makes one less choice we have to make right now.  The posts will be wrapped to match the siding.

The plan is to get an inspection in the next day or two and to insulate next week in preparation for drywall the following week!

Oh yeah, and we ordered all of our cabinetry!  And mostly stayed in budget!

We're going the distance.  (Sorry, I couldn't resist another lyric.)

Shingles

We have shingles!

And they are on our roof!  

And I love them!  Owens Corning Oakridge in Twilight Black.  

AND...all the new windows are in.  

The front door still hasn't been delivered; so it is still plywood for now.  

All in all, it was a beautiful day at the HWCV.

Barn Treasure

We spent the rainy Saturday morning cleaning out another part of the barn this weekend.  

And we found dirty, rusty  treasures.  

There was some great rough sawn wood, some rusty metal, and the greatest treasure of all...

an old bumper.

We noticed this old bumper in the back of a pile of wood many months ago.  When we dug it out, we were excited to find it in such great condition.  I believe this will become wall art or a shelf in our son's bedroom.  

Artichoke and Guests

Artichoke

The house has been painted!  We went with Sherwin-Williams Artichoke for the color.  I love how it looks in the shade, and we have a lot of shade.  I wish it was a tad darker when the sun is bright, but then it would be too dark in the shade...dilemnas.

I am curious how it will look when we get the shingles on.  The shingles still haven't been delivered - we special ordered to get the color we wanted.  Now we are hoping they arrive tomorrow.

Guests

We love to host guests, but we haven't invited many over for the lack of restroom facilities.  But something I am loving about country culture is that people are more likely to "drop by."  We have had some guests recently, and their kids all left in some sort of combination of wet, dirty, stinky and sticky.

So, if you don't mind gross kids, drop by anytime!  

Rough-ins

I haven't posted recently for two reasons.
#1 - the kids started school today, so the last couple weeks have been INSANELY busy.
#2 - this picture isn't riveting:

The past couple weeks have been filled with rough-in stage plumbing and electrical.  These are exciting and important aspects, but I didn't know if everyone would love seeing pictures of my can lights and washing machine drain.  

 

OOOOHHHH....AAHHHH....yeah right.  

Most of our lighting is recessed.  We have to select ceiling fans, and we have several "statement" lights to choose:  a chandelier for the entry, a dining chandelier, vanity lighting, etc.  Right now we are still debating oil rubbed bronze or aged pewter finishes for lighting, drawer pulls, plumbing fixtures, etc.  I prefer the aged pewter look, but it isn't as widely available as the oil rubbed bronze. 

 

Our contractor started last week on the exterior trim.  The siding and trim will be painted this week, then the shingles will go on, and the special order windows will be delivered and installed.  

We chose a grayish green called Artichoke for the exterior color with white trim.  The shingles will be a dark charcoal/black color.  

Also, the new front door has been ordered.  I wish I had a picture to share, but you can see it after it is delivered.  We need to decide on a color for the front door.  I think we will go bold. What do you suggest?