Another item scratched off the list

Today we applied for the building permit at long last. The plans are drawn, the engineering is done, the septic field permit is in hand and all the necessary steps have been fulfilled. We are told the permit will be issued in about a week and then we can begin actually pouring concrete.

In the meantime the work will continue. The excavator will dig a big hole in the front yard tomorrow. We'll also pull the porch off the old house and move all of the organic dirt around the side as well. We'll put it to good use later as we shape the yard when construction is done.

Two of the signs for the contractors are now done, ready to put in place when the construction begins.

The excitement builds as the countdown to construction continues...

-grampa dan

Check, check, check

Yesterday we visited a house under construction and saw first hand the type of windows we are seriously considering. We opened and closed each type of window, measured and imagined how our windows would work and look in our house. We liked what we saw, but it also became clear we needed to make some fairly big changes to our design. A phone call from the engineer in the early afternon mandated a few more changes based on structural reqirements. This house is no ordinary space and typical rules do not apply.

Much of my working time today was spent changing, reviewing, and checking the window and door schedule thre times over. Changes at a later point will be very exensive and are to be avoided if possible. 

Tomorrow we'll review the list one last time, then go to the window place and go over things one last time. Then it is time to pull the trigger and go on to the next item on the list.

Tomorrow the engineer will stamp the completed drawings and we head down to city hall to see about the building permit at long last.

Then we can build for real.

-grampa dan

Eevy ivy over

With the design of the outside of the house largely in the bag it is time to nail down the direction of the interior. The living room/dining room will have high walls and a higher vaulted ceiling. It will be bisected by a bridge over the center linking the bonus rooms upstairs. We are talking of an upper, routed molding separating the ceing from the walls. This fancy molding will house LED lights that will wash the ceiling with a warm glow. It will tie into the trees and vines we will sculpt as visual support for the bridge. 

Over the next days I'll be routing some samples and we'll paint them up to see if they work in the way we envision. It is going to be fun. Stay tuned...

-grampa dan