Moving Week

Melissa said this week that building a house is like having a baby.  At first it is very exciting, then you are sick, time drags on and then you are ready for it to be over.  After nine months we are ready for it to be over.  We have done something at the house every day for the last month, many days have been 8, 10 sometimes 12 hours long.

A few photos to remember where we started, the reveal with be posted this week.

The Garage

For now Ella's arena and later the garage and workshop.  We decided to pour the slab now so that we could repair the driveway and not worry about the cement trucks breaking it up.

Melissa's baby

All that know and love us understand that we don't do anything the easy way.  The stairs going into the loft are a labor of love and time.  This idea came from a photo on Houzz and the rest is history.  Special order stair risers to get the perfect 90 degree angles on the stairs and lots of hard work from Chris the metal guy to build the metal hand rails.  We think that they came out perfect, the stairs are the feature that we had hoped would welcome our guest.

Mud Pies

We had to install some drainage and pipe the gutter down spouts.  Ella was a big help cleaning out the ditches, but after the work was done she was ready to play in the mud.  You shoud have seen her after she was done.

The warehouse

We had to get out the heavy equipment to clean out the warehouse.  It is now cleaned out, organized and has a new roof.

Our little diva can get her hands dirty and help.  She was a big help installing the new space for our chicken collection, that will be coming as soon as the city ordinance is approved.

Decks

The codes states that we must have a landing out each door, the deck on the side of the house was easy, it have been designed for a while.  Well wait a minutes let back up there, the design was easy putting it together was a bit more of a challenge.  We had to build and engineer as the project went along.  

 The back deck was a have to but will definately be getting a face lift in the near future.  We just don't know what kind of lift it will get at the present time.

45 hours

Here's a quick peek at the floors that took over 45 hours to complete.  The floors are stained and the first coat of poly has been applied.

It's crazy around here

I am sorry that we have not added any pics over the last few days.  That's what happens when you are putting in 12 hours a day trying to wind things up.  If everything goes as scheduled we should finish up on June 8th.

The plumbers are set to finalize the install of sinks, toilets, tubs and such tomorrow.  The cool air is flowing from the vents and it sure does make it a nicer environment to work.  Thanks to my buds Al and Toby the hardwoods have been sanded.  There are several ways to know that you have a true friend.  If you call in the middle of the night and they come pick you up, you ask them to help you move and they don't hang up the phone and lastly, they spend their Sunday helping you sand hardwood floors.  I want to publically say thanks fellas!!!

Have you ever had a moment when you think what the hell am I doing, that was me today.  We spent over 40 hours sanding the hardwoods at Gifft Hill and today Mel and I took all kinds of implements of destruction and beat the hell out of the floors.  We used logging chains, hammers, boards with nails in them, crow bars, padde bits and small metal objects to pound those floors.  It was sort of fun and stressful at the same time.  This procedure is called distressing and Brent said that it was a must because we could never blend the old and new floors and get that furniture appearence.  The stain will go down Thursday and we will find out if all that hard work has paid off or if we are back a square one.

Check back Thursday for a happy update or tears.

May 23, 2012 - Official 30 Day Notice Given

So - it all gets crazy now.  Got so much to finish it seems and we gave our thirty day notice to the apartment place today.  Time to get out of dodge and into Gifft Hill alright, already.

We have a ton left to do to get ready for final inspection - finish floors, lighting, plumbing, stair rails, shower door, decks, landscape, painting.  Oh, and then we have to also be moved out and place cleaned for final apartment inspection.  Are we sure about this?

Don't anybody ask us for social events - right.  We are so easily tempted, but we must sleep, too.

And we keep thinking about when we will train for the Peachtree before July 4th.  May just be a drink beer and party along the route kind of year.  We deserve it, don't we?  Well, I guess it would be nice to be back on a regular routine, too.  Did anybody ever tell you that there is a House Construction 15 - sorta like Freshman 15?  I think we've all gained nearly that much trying to get everything done and no time for ourselves.

So - who wants to help us move?  Hey, where did you go.....? hee

Granite Part I

 We really didn't have much understanding of how steep the driveway is at the top until we observed the granite being delivered.  It just didn't want to make it all the way up the hill.  I guess a nearly full slab piece will do that - something about gravity perhaps.  Anyway, here they are getting ready to unload.  Talk about totally nerve racking watching six guys try to get this full piece of granite in your back door without tearing the place up.  It nearly made Mel sick.  They really did a great job though.

Short on shots today, but here is the very first piece that went in the kitchen.  We will get some more shots to post soon.  It all really looks great and can't want to get the appliances and lighting set in the kitchen to make it all come together.  Should all be done by the first of next week.

Electrified!

 And so a photo of the lights actually working.  We love the can lights.  Not so sure about the smoke alarm that didn't get a battery - it just keeps on beeping.  Oddly it is not such a nuisance when you don't have time to go buy batteries.  Oh well - this weekend maybe.  

This our electrician - Manuel (with a temp light overhead - gotta order the track light unit for that location).  He wasn't so sure about the photo - first for everything we guess.  I think he will pass on the final visit to the next guy in his company though, as someone has to get up in the tower and set either a temporary cover or the final fixture.  Since we haven't been able to find the right piece, I guess it will be temporary.  Either way - it's 24' up in the air.  All the Contractors love that.... :)

Ella's room

Our little designer helped choose the colors for her room.  All that know and love her, know that she is a fan of the blue green waters of the carribean and mermaids.  Hince her room is going to have aqua blue walls and many other fun features.  Check back for new details about our little princess and her room.

Heating and air

The heating and air units are installed, the house is so cool right now, I am hoping that the units are not going to get very much use.  It is amazing how a properly sited house and trees can have such an impact the temperature inside.  That's right 78 degrees and the units are not running yet!!!

Lights,camera, ceiling fans

The details are coming together, we have working lights and fans in the house.

Now I can laugh

Long story short, I had to get the bathroom vanity installed so that the granite people could make the template and I ended up working on it very late, that's typlical in the Casteel house work on something into the night.  The funny part is that Brent the builder said that I could cut the drain line to make it easier to install, boy was he wrong.   He didn't know that the plumbers had pressurized the lines and when I made the cut 20 gallons of water spilled out onto the bathroom floor and ran into the closet and master bedroom.  I spent the next hour mopping up water and cleaning up the mess, I had to finish the job the next day because I ran out of time.  On a positive note, the floors are fine, the cabinet is installed and we are getting granite tops tomorrow.

Side note,  the Casteel's find it very tacky for men to wonder around town without a shirt.  Ella once said to me as we were riding down the road, look at the man playing tennis he's so tacky, he needs to put his shirt on.  Fast forward to night I was putting in the cabinet, water running is through the house, I take off my shirt to stuff it into the water line and have to ride to the apartment without a shirt to get towels to mop up the water.  I am glad that Ella was in bed, I don't want her to think her dad is tacky, right now she thinks I'm cool.

Hard work all day

No, I am not drunk, I have fast eyes and they always close when the flash goes off.  If you can believe it Mel, Ella and I are out to dinner with the Swanepoels in Woodstock after a long day of working at the house.  I never thought we would go out in public with the grung look but here we are.

Appliances are here

No pictures yet but let me tell you there are so cool!!! If you are in the market for a new kitchen check out the GE Profile line.  I always wanted Viking, these are almost as cool, convection oven Mel will be baking up a storm really soon.

Appliances

GE is making the appliance delivery on Saturday morning, thanks Papa Rea for putting the deal together.

Our dream kitchen

For those that know us, it's no suprise that the kitchen is a very important feature in our home.  This kitchen was designed for cooking, baking and entertaining.  The island had 44 SF of space, a walk through pantry and plenty of prep space near the stove.  The lower cabinets have deep drawers with slow close guides and many spaces for baking pans.  There is seating for 3 at the island and I know that we will enjoy breakfast here for many years to come.  

 Ty wasn't sure about this cabinet over the frig and he still thinks that it is wasted space.  But he admits that it looks really cool and ties the spaces together.

 As always we have to include a picture of our little model.  She should be baking away with her mom in a short few weeks.

Trim, floors, stairs and bears, oh my

Going up, really cool stairs, just wait until we get the metal rails installed, for the local folks think Copper Coin.

 Picture frame windows, this is what the windows in the grand tower will look like. As you walk up the stairs you will have views on all sides and I must admit, most of the views are as pretty as a picture.

 Wood is down and now Ty will have some fun sanding and finishing the floors.  Mel will get a chance to take out some frustration beating the hell out of them, we going to distress the floors, a better chance for the old and new to blend.  As Marisa Tomei told Danny Devito in "My Cousin Vinny"  you blend.  Had to do that for Mel, I know she expected it and I think that she really hates it when I say it, jab jab poke poke!!!!

 Simple trim 8 inch boards on the floor and 4 inch boards on the windows and doors