Category Archives: deck

Notes, 29 Jan. 2016

Ron is home sick. Day three. He and Steven suspect a virus. The plumber was sick a couple of weeks back. The garage door company pushed back into next week because the install team is down. Steven compared symptoms with Peter, one of the carpenters — sinus cavities so blocked you gasp for air. Combined with allergies to ceder pollen, because ceder is off the scale.

We campaign on without our leader …

Above, the team from Gilsa continues to lay weed block and cover it with gravel, extending the gravel deck off the kitchen side door around to the front of the house.

About an hour later, the gravel extends to the front porch and dirt is going in between the concrete pavers.
About an hour later, the gravel extends to the front porch and dirt is going in between the concrete pavers.

Steven signed off on change order 26 — we went $600 over on the lighting budget.

Steven also signed off on draw 7 — and Ranserve has begun to reconcile all the line items, change orders, monies not spent, as we approach what promises to be the final month of construction.

It’s one-third the massive truck that Ron drives, but Steven was able to transport two eight-foot-long and two six-foot-long lighting tracks inside his serviceable Honda Element from Lights Fantastic to Emerald Hill. Now the electricians can finish putting up the track in the office.

Since the garage doors are reportedly on schedule for next week, Steven cleaned up the random pile of lumber stored in the garage, moving it clear of where the doors will be assembled, sweeping the floor clean, and shifting out of the way Ron’s desk, a pile of pavers and a second pile of bricks. That leaves only a second pile of dried-out 60-year-old studs that the framers cut from the garage when joining the existing two-bay structure to the new garage shed; Ron plans to recycle these.

And … between conference calls and work, Steven began assembling the specs requested by the Austin Green Build program. This homework will take a while.

Notes, 27 Jan. 2016

Steven met today with Miki Cook from Austin Green Build to walk Emerald Hill. Miki detailed specs she requires to qualify the house for the Green Build Program. Steven has homework.

Above, Gilsa today compacted the fill for the gravel patio outside the kitchen, rolled out weedblock fabric, stapled it down, then shoveled out the gravel.

At break time -- shoveling gravel is heavy, hard work -- this is what the patio looks like from the roof outside the master bedroom.
At break time — shoveling gravel is heavy, hard work — this is what the patio looks like from the roof outside the master bedroom.
David Garcia began to apply primer to the new garage structure.
David Garcia began to apply primer to the new garage structure.

Notes, 26 Jan. 2016

Above, Luis from Landers Flooring is back to remove and replace one stair tread. The balusters for this tread were drilled in the wrong place. Today, Luis removed the balusters and existing hickory tread, then fitted the replacement. At the end of the day, he clearcoated it with polyurethane.

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Mauricio and the team from Gilsa Construction today began to install the heavy steel edging for the deck off the kitchen door.
Mauricio welds the straight metal edging to a rebar post he sledgehammered into the ground.
Mauricio welds the straight metal edging to a rebar post he sledgehammered into the ground.
Joel from the City of Austin inspected the boxes and location for the new residential electric meter. Steven called Dispatch to ask the City to install the meter.
Joel from the City of Austin inspected the boxes and location for the new residential electric meter. Steven called Dispatch to ask the City to install the meter.
Binswanger Glass today delivered and installed the obscured glass door to the water closet in the master bath ...
Binswanger Glass today delivered and installed the obscured glass door to the water closet in the master bath …
and the second door to the shower in bath 2, Jadin's bath -- the panel at right, with the long chrome handle.
and the second door to the shower in bath 2, Jadin’s bath — the panel at right, with the long chrome handle.
The tankless water heater is installed upstairs in the laundry/utility room.
The tankless water heater is installed upstairs in the laundry/utility room.
Ron Dahlke asked Steven to start a "punch list" of items that need attention. Here's the first one -- this is one of the showerhead fixtures in the master shower. It's missing an escutcheon. As a result, the cutout in the tile is exposed.
Ron Dahlke asked Steven to start a “punch list” of items that need attention. Here’s the first one — this is one of the showerhead fixtures in the master shower. It’s missing an escutcheon. As a result, the cutout in the tile is exposed.

Notes, 16 Nov. 2015

The work week begins with the construction team continuing to build the forms for the garage foundation, filling sandbags, and, for the first time, compacting roadbase. Steel rebar is scheduled for this week, to be inspected possibly as soon as Thursday or Friday, depending on weather.

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The forecast calls for heavy rain. We don’t want water flowing off the roof down to the dirt where the kitchen deck stood until it was demolished last week. All that water would quickly pool and, dammed behind dirt berms, would become a lake, spilling into the house. Ron asked the construction team to lower the elevation of the exposed dirt and to remove the berms by Bobcat.
Inside bath 2 downstairs, Ron Dahlke practiced his drywall skills, sealing up the wall where the plumbing was reconfigured to connect properly with the vanities when they are installed.
Inside bath 2 downstairs, Ron Dahlke practiced his drywall skills, sealing up the wall where the plumbing was reconfigured to connect properly with the vanities when they are installed.

Ferguson reports the plumbing fixtures are on schedule for delivery Wednesday this week.

Notes, 10 Nov. 2015

Above, the plumbers are back to correct the fittings behind the vanities — so that we don’t have to carve the vanities into pieces with power tools.

Shane is carpenting in the hallway to "Jadinland" -- bedrooms 1 and 2 and bath 3 -- installing door casing.
Shane is carpenting in the hallway to “Jadinland” — bedrooms 1 and 2 and bath 3 — installing door casing.
Here is Shane prepping the lumber that will become the vertical casing inside bedroom 2.
Here is Shane prepping the lumber that will become the vertical casing inside bedroom 2.
Peering down the upstairs hall, Shane and Peter have stacked lumber in place to build the door casings for the hallway closet, bedroom 4, on the left, and bath 3 and the utility room on the right.
Peering down the upstairs hall, Shane and Peter have stacked lumber in place to build the door casings for the hallway closet, bedroom 4, on the left, and bath 3 and the utility room on the right.
Peter nails trim into place near the front door, wrapping intricate cut around cut at the windows and stairs.
Peter nails trim into place near the still-temporary front door, wrapping intricate cut around cut at the windows and stairs.
Chris from the cabinet shop was just leaving as Steven arrived. He's been busy, installing the upper shelves and base cabinets in the pantry hallway ...
Chris from the cabinet shop was just leaving as Steven arrived. He’s been busy, installing the upper shelves and base cabinets in the pantry hallway …
The drawers into the cabinet where we will store cutlery and plates and glasses ...
The drawers into the cabinet where we will store cutlery and plates and glasses …
... and assembling the bank of utility cabinets to the right of where the refrigerator will slide against the wall.
… and assembling the bank of utility cabinets to the right of where the refrigerator will slide against the wall.
The construction team that will pour the garage foundation today trucked out a pile of dirt and rubble at what was the kitchen deck.
The construction team that will pour the garage foundation today trucked out a pile of dirt and rubble at what was the kitchen deck.
And they began trenching for the garage-slab footings.
And they began trenching for the garage-slab footings.

The deck is gone, shower glass and door hardware approved

The concrete team today removed almost all the stone decking, leaving behind the base dirt and rubble that will be trucked away.

Why take out a perfectly good deck? We need to bring the impervious cover percentage down.

For perspective, here’s what the deck looked like Saturday, two days ago.

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And here is what it looks like today from nearly the same vantage point and camera angle.

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In other steps forward, Steven today approved the bid from Binswanger for the glass doors to the showers, and the bid from Push Pull Open Close for the front door hardware and pocket door pulls and handles. Progress. Steven is preparing to order the interior door handles and some exterior door handles online at nearly 40 percent savings.

The big dig — weekend update 1

Saturday morning. Raining. It looks like Gilberto and Joe on Friday finished most of the major excavation for the new garage bay, and swung around to start breaking up the stone deck at the side of the kitchen in front of the garage.

All this stone deck is coming out. We need to reduce the impervious cover percentage on the lot, per city regulations. The oaks need more open ground for roots and water.
All this stone deck is coming out. We need to reduce the impervious cover percentage on the lot, per city regulations. The oaks need more open ground for roots and water.