Man’s Work

We eventually did get our doors with the hinges on the appropriate side. But they were not ready to be installed as there wasn't anywhere to install the door hardware – intentionally as Chris wanted to do this work himself. It is precise enough and finicky enough that to hire it out costs a considerable amount and if the work is done not well, our door is a write-off. Or so I was told when Chris informed me that he was going to install our mortise locking system on the two doors.

So he setup a workspace on the main floor (this was before we ripped out the existing flooring and subfloor to install the radiant heating system) and proceeded to review the requirements of the locking mechanism.

Measure way more than once and then cut once, or rather drill the holes, in the two doors.

Until finally the door is prepped for the installation of the lock system and we have a finished door.

I still don't understand why this work had to be done by Chris versus hiring out, but he had fun and I have two pretty doors so this man's work was greatly appreciated!

The long and winding road

We are going to play a little game of pretend. Let's pretend that I didn't drop the ball on this entire blog thing and this update was actually uploaded in early February (even before the Olympics came to town) – aka only a month after the last update rather than four. Needless to say there will be several moments of pretend as I get back on track.


For the first time in several years, I went shopping on Boxing Day. But after a long hiatus, I didn't do something normal like show up at the mall at 6am for the early bird deals on flat screen TVs. Instead, Chris and I drove to two different big-box stores, compared the deals available and then purchased appliances for our eventually-to-be completed home (less the wall oven and washer/dryer set that were purchased during a Christmas Eve Blowout Sale). I'm still not sure why we couldn't have gotten the Best Prices of the Year in early December or even late March given that we were buying 8 large appliances, but according to all the stores Now Is the Time to Buy.

At this point a valid question arises in some people's minds: why was I worrying about appliances in December when I didn't yet have interior walls? Well, in order to know where interior walls and things like water and gas connections need to be, one needs to know where rooms begin and end. In order to know how big various rooms need to be, one needs to know the layout of spaces with large appliances/fixtures like laundry, bathrooms and kitchens. And in order to know how a kitchen will be laid out, one needs to figure out what appliances will be purchased. And when various appliances result in significantly different room layouts, the appliances have to be finalized much sooner than later. In fact, it was in late November that we discovered, with our designer, that our refrigerator (which is nowhere near a countertop) needs to counter depth or we had to forgo a powder bathroom on the main floor. It's a long story, just trust me. For anyone looking for a quick and easy way to design a kitchen, check out the design tool on Ikea's website. We did get our designer to vet the design, but the bulk of the work was done with their nifty tool. We might buy our cabinets from them yet!

Admittedly, some of the appliances could have been deferred, such as dishwashers and microwaves, as they mostly are standard sizes. But we were working on the assumption that a larger order would get us a better deal. I don't know if that was true in the end, but we bought stuff we liked for not super-crazy prices, so I guess that's that. Our goal was to purchase good quality appliances with very good energy/water consumption ratings for non-expensive prices. For those interested, I'll note the brands and models of what we bought at the bottom of this update. We didn't end up buying a wine fridge – officially mostly because "we" aren't entirely sure we would make good use of it. Unofficially, I think that if we buy it, we will fill it.

Similarly, we went shopping for bathroom appliances and fixtures before Christmas, but this was not as critical since a 14" wide sink versus a 17" wide sink doesn't change where the water connection needs to be. What was deemed critical path was to ensure we purchased and had on-hand any fixture that needed to be installed by a plumber per our permit. Thus, all shower fixtures, the fixtures for the bathtub, the bathtub itself and any wall-mounted faucet had to be finalized and on-hand once the plumbing crew was on-site. Luckily the folks at Save More Plumbing (http://www.savemoreplumbing.com/) remembered us from our last house and were able to set us up quickly. My comment about that experience is that as a non-bath person, it was incredibly difficult to pick out a tub and, as a shower-person, challenging to limit the number of body sprays to be installed!

It was over the Christmas holidays, i.e. when we couldn't call the city to confirm, that we were told that we (aka Chris) would not be able to do the electrical work on the house. In early January, Chris found out that while the city does allow home owners to do several trades' work themselves and then have a city inspector come look at the work for compliance to code and to sign off on the permit, this applies only if just the homeowner and immediate family lives in the residence (i.e. a single-family dwelling). Since the city knows that we are going to have a rental suite, we are indeed not allowed to do that work ourselves. It seems that in Vancouver, you're free to kill your own family with your shoddy wiring, but you aren't allowed to take anyone else out with you - or something like that. Suddenly we were in the market for an electrician, plus we needed to finalize a plumbing company who could take care of both water and gas fitting requirements – looks like the budget went up... again.

In the New Year, Admiral Electric came on board to coordinate our electrical service upgrade (from 100 amps to 200 amp service) plus install the interior "high voltage" electrical wiring, while Chris installed the "low voltage" wiring. For those like me who have no idea what the difference is, high voltage wiring is normal power wiring, while low voltage wiring is internet wires, telephone wires and alarm wires. The electrical service upgrade was deemed necessary so I could have adequate outlets and lighting in my bathroom – I'm sure there were other reasons, but that was the one that brought me on board. Given his expertise in the area, Chris coordinated everything to do with the electrical stuff so any specific questions anyone might have should be directed to him.

It was at this point that we had our first (but certainly not last) timing conflict. The electrical rough-in (installation of wires) couldn't be started until all the interior framing was complete, but the main floor framing couldn't be completed until we decided upon our heating system, and thus installed the necessary ducts or pipes or tubing (depending on the system), and a decision on system couldn't be finalized until we finalized a plumbing company, and by early January we hadn't yet figured out who to hire. Argh! The construction crew was, thankfully, able to get most of the upstairs framing completed, and install the skylights, while we ran around making decisions.

In short order, we hired a plumbing company, decided upon hydronic (hot water) in-floor radiant heat for the house, and had the construction crew rip out the original fir flooring plus plank subfloor on the main level so the plumbing crew could install the radiant hot water tubing. A layer of new insulation went in below the radiant tubing to keep the heat flowing up into our living space. The radiant tubing for the second floor had to wait for the new subfloor on the main floor to be completed, and was then simply installed from below – or rather it was supposed to be simple, but that is a story for later.

We finished off the month with a bit of digging. Specifically an excavator was brought on site to move dirt around in the front yard so that concrete could be poured for supports for the front stairs, and a floor for the storage space under the front porch. Sadly, Chris was not permitted to operate the digger, but to our surprise it took no time at all for the new concrete to be signed off by one of our four-legged neighbours!

Appliance List
From Future Shop

• Washer – Samsung WF229ANG (Titanium grey)
• Dryer – Samsung DV229AEG (also Titanium grey)
• Wall oven – LG LWS3081ST

From Trail Appliances

• Gas cooktop – LG LCG3691ST
• Refrigerator – Bosch B20CS51SNS (had to get counter-depth model for power room off laundry room)
• Dishwasher – Asko D5122XXLSS
• Microwave – Panasonic 2.2 cft + 30" trim kit NNSD997S
• Hoodfan – Fisher & Paykel HC36DXB1

Another year over and what have we done

It's hard to believe that it's been a month since I last updated the blog. In some ways several things have changed but in other areas, it looks like nothing was done; it is hard to write about the progress on the house when I don't notice the differences day to day.

We had a number of events work against us in December: some of the building crew called in sick, the roofers didn't finish their previous job on time so didn't start on our house when expected, the head roofer fell off the side of the house on the 3^rd day on site (miraculously not suffering a scratch) but took a few days to recover and, of course, no one worked on the house over the Christmas break. We are hopeful that some of the crew will be back in the New Year to finish off the rest of the house! Update: crew showed up on Tuesday and looks to be working full steam ahead. Phew!

On the other side of the coin, much of what happened in December was us planning what to do in the later stages. We considered designs for a staircase that won't be built until late February, finally picked out bathroom fixtures and kitchen appliances – those won't be installed until March – and looked into fireplace options which won't be final until late autumn 2010! While exciting and exhausting, this doesn't make for interesting reading for others - unless you are considering any of the above in your own home, in which case email either Chris or me and we'll fill you in on the grisly details.

So what did happen in the last month of the year?  Well, this is what the house looked like the last time I updated the blog.


We finally had a few sunny days so I could take a photo of what our beautiful northern view looks like. One day soon, after the windows are installed, I'll test out Chris' theory as to whether we can see Mt. Baker to the east.

In early December, we came home to find that our windows (http://www.marvin.com/) had been delivered! Not all of the final window locations are framed yet, but just having the windows on site meant that installation was that much closer.

It turns out that installing windows in the basement suite (where we are living) couldn't be done while we and the cats were there. So the 2^nd week of December the cats were dropped off at a swanky cat hotel (http://www.urbantails.ca/) while we checked into a fancy downtown hotel so the crew could do their thing. Of course, there was a lot less pampering for Chris and me as we still had to go to work! But first we had to move all our belongings (those that hadn't been packed away the past few months) away from the window locations so the crew could do their work.

The crew removed the windows that are not in the final design, and added (bigger) windows in the new locations. The suite is a lot less dark and uninviting now.

While the windows were being installed, we had another delightful delivery – cedar shakes for our roof!

Our contractor had wanted to install 30-year asphalt shingles (http://www.certainteed.com/) while our designer recommended a post-industrial recycled product shingles (http://www.enviroshake.com/). We were considering recycled tile until we discovered the significant price premium – we are all for doing our part for the environment, but why does it always seem to cost much more! I spent a few hours scouring the internet for other options and came upon surprisingly affordable 40-year warranty cedar shakes (http://www.tealjones.com/). It turns out that when the economists use phrases like "depressed commodity and wood prices" that means lower prices for anyone wanting to buy cedar products including roofing shakes. Plus this is a local company who uses responsible harvesting and manufacturing techniques so everyone is happy.

As with other steps along this process, we have learned a lot about roofing. A wood shake roof required that the framing crew did some extra work before the roofing crew could start. A temporary scaffolding set-up was erected along the middle of the house so the crew could reach the peak of the roof and install rafters along each face. Shakes are installed on thin wood rafters rather than a solid layer of plywood, apparently so they can breathe or something.

Only then does the roofing crew do their thing, which in this case involved a layer of black roofing felt (the material that actually makes the roof water-tight) installed over the rafters and the slow and careful nailing of the shakes to the rafters.


Our roof installation was a slow process for a number of reasons:

1. Steep-ish pitch of the roof - not as steep as our heritage neighbours, but close!
2. Several skylights, three on the west side of the house and another one on the east, require more time and attention from crew.
3. Head roofer fell off the house when he didn't properly connect his harness and thus didn't show up for several days. Thank goodness we put in the contract that all crews are to have adequate WCB coverage! (We were very relieved to hear he wasn't hurt.)
4. Rest of roofing crew didn't show up at all unless the head roofer was around.
   

Okay, the last two reasons had nothing to do with our house per se, but they did contribute to the fact that our "3 or 4 day job" wasn't finished after two weeks. In fact, it still isn't completely done! The roofing crew did not install the skylights (holes are currently covered with roofing felt and tarps) and didn't finish installing the ridge caps (hat-shaped cedar pieces for the peak of the roof). Again, I'm glad for the time we put into writing our contract: we agreed to make lump sum payments upon completion of specific milestones. However, if the milestone is not complete, no payment. I believe the contractor will be arranging for someone to finish this job ASAP.

Thankfully the roof and the front-room windows look good from the front of the house so the neighbours don't think we are slackers!

This brings us to the lack of doors installed, even though those were purchased several months ago.

The plan was that we'd order the doors with no lock holes drilled, so we would not be constrained to any particular style or size of lock. This was a good choice as Chris became a fan of mortise locks (www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortise_lock) over typical cylinder locks as the former require quite a bit of work to install.

We selected and ordered these online (www.emtek.com/mortise.php) and when they finally arrived Chris started to get ready for the installation when he discovered that the doors had been hung in their frames the wrong way around! If we had installed them as-is, the doors would have opened from the wrong side, and looked rather silly in the finished house. A phone call to Windsor Plywood (http://www.windsorplywood.com/) where we purchased the doors got the issue resolved at no charge to us, but at the cost of waiting yet another week for the corrected doors to arrive. Moral to be learned – triple check all drawings and quotes before taking delivery!

Since he couldn't install the locks, Chris decided to vent some frustration be demolishing the last standing structure on the main floor: the former master bedroom closet. We now have an open space just waiting for us to implement our design ideas! 

There is still quite a bit of work to be done before we are finished with this contractor – just listing out a few items exhausts me! Thinking of the outside of the house, the crew needs to finish installing all the windows, install doors once they are delivered, and finish building the front porch. Plus they have the interior wall framing upstairs and main floor to complete.

And yet, I am feeling enthusiastic about this renovation! We are looking at and making decisions regarding designs and materials that will be installed weeks if not months later. Thus, I don't see a set of flimsy plywood steps above a sawdust covered sub-floor, but rather a deep-brown stained mahogany floor from reclaimed hardwood or maybe an almost black smoked oak wide-plank floor. We haven't yet decided. J

Here I come to save the day!

Actually, it was Chris who saved the day – I was getting my hair done.

In my defence, I had made the appointment the previous day when it hadn't been raining and before anything had actually happened and well before we (alright Chris) knew how bad the situation was. But if Chris had told me how bad it was, I would have cancelled the appointment to head back home to help out, but he didn't so I didn't but luckily it all worked out in the end.

Since the middle of November, our house has not had a roof. We have, therefore, been relying on various tarps to ensure the house is protected from the elements, which in Vancouver means rain. This method worked well for us as the laws of physics were working in our favour. This changed the last Friday of November.

The construction crew had started to build up the upper floor walls. They had also put up temporary posts in order to mimic a roof peak from which the tarps were tied and allowed to simply drape over the side of the house. There was nothing, as shown in the photo below, to support the tarp across the gap and thus nothing to "encourage" the water to slide all the way down the tarp rather than pooling before it reached the side.

So one rainy night, as you may have guessed, the tarp sagged enough in an area just over the stairwell and water began to collect. And collect. And collect.

So what happened on the other side of the house, as the tarp was slowly dragged back over that roof peak by the ever-increasing weight of the accumulating water? Eventually the tarp moved over so much that there was no protection over the east wall of the house. This allowed water to run down the inside of that wall and from there into our living space downstairs.

The first we knew about the problem was when we walked into the living room area on the Saturday morning to find water was dripping inside a windowsill on the east side of the house. We figured a tarp must have moved a little, or that the crew hadn't put enough of them up, but didn't worry too much. It was not until an hour or so later that we discovered another leak, this time in the middle of the suite. Hmm... well, both issues could probably be explained by simple tears or leaks in the tarp roof and while annoying, could be resolved by Chris while I went to my hair appointment and went gift shopping.

What neither of us knew at the time, and I didn't hear about until I got home 2 hours later, was the existence of the by-then absolutely enormous pool of water suspended in the tarp above the stairwell! The leaks we had found in the basement were nothing compared to the damage that would have ensued if the tarp had torn and all that water had flooded into the house! After recovering from the initial shock, Chris very carefully cut a small hole in the tarp under the "puddle" and began a one-man bucket brigade, shuttling at least 40 5-gallon buckets of water out of the house and onto the back lawn. It is a testament to his support for this blog that he actually considered first getting a camera to take a photo of the awesome sight, but in the end sanity prevailed. An irate phonecall to the crew foreman, suggesting that he get to our house ASAP, brought in the help needed to add some proper supporting boards under the tarp, and we breathed a great sigh of relief. Naturally, that Saturday marked the end of a month of ceaseless rain, rendering the entire tarp setup obsolete.

 So what did we learn from this experience?

• Check the house every morning and evening to see if anything looks off, damaged, or like a disaster waiting to happen.
• A roof-sized tarp can accumulate a lot of water in a rainstorm, suggesting that a gutter-fed rainbarrel system ought to work pretty well in Vancouver.
• Chris needs a camera on his phone so on-the-spot photos can be taken as needed.
• Roof = good, tarp = bad. (Though we would probably still do it the same way again given how much cheaper the tarp was versus a big shrink-wrapped scaffold setup.)
• There can sometimes be a high price to pay for having nice-looking hair.

Rise Up, Rise Up

It was actually several weeks ago, but we learned that for every door that a contractor may need to get through, all keys should be provided rather than just enough for one lock in each door. For reasons known only to him, our foreman decided one morning to lock both the deadbolt and the knob on the back door, which had different locks. Note the past tense – we weren't home the next morning when the crew arrived. So Chris told them to break the doorknob off in order to open the door. We think they used a shovel, given the amount of dirt left behind. Really, this is a lesson for everyone to ensure they install high quality door hardware!

The contractors had ripped down the ceilings and the old roof and now were in build mode… mostly. The first step was to install floor joists across the span of the house so the framers have something to stand on while building up from there.

As they built up, they needed ready access to the space above, which meant they built stairs! For the record, these are temporary stairs as we are still working with Allison (our designer) on the final design.

While building up, they installed a load-bearing beam down the centreline of the house, along with posts to hold up the load of the new upper floor. The original plan was to rebuild the same wall that existed between the living room and master bedroom so as to avoid extra permitting fees from the city. Permit fees are directly proportional to project cost and the amount of renovated floor space.

But then something funny happened at some point between Friday morning, when we left for work, and Friday evening when we came home. Originally there were walls around the kitchen, with ancient cabinets installed on them. The plan was to work around and preserve (or remove if necessary) the cabinets, which we think were original to the house. Unfortunately they had been built in place and could not be taken out whole, which meant that on that Friday a few weeks ago, they were reduced to kindling by the crew. It appears we are in the market for a new kitchen and need to rethink the main floor plan accordingly. This is still a work in progress as we definitely do not want to trigger the additional permit fees the city could charge us!

After the destruction of the kitchen and some other top floor work on Saturday, the construction crew decided to take Sunday off. Which meant it was time for Chris and me to do some much-needed tidying and to provide some assistance with the construction process. This was only somewhat challenging as there is no heat, no wall insulation, hardly any roof overhead plus there are holes the size of fists in the exterior wall AND it was a bloody cold day! I was wearing 4 layers of shirts, 2 sets of socks, a knit hat and cheap construction gloves to minimize the shivers.

My job that day was to pull out all the drywall nails that remained in the walls of the space that was once the kitchen. Chris, I believe, did more technical and advanced construction type stuff that involved lots of hammering and using various power tools. Next time I'll take an action shot of him.

As the house went up, the tarp was also being raised just a bit higher – just in time for another set of major wind storms in Vancouver. We present the "Good Ship Waterhouse" as it existed in the 3^rd week of November.

Eventually came a day that we could actually go upstairs and walk around on the new "top floor".

We, of course, had to check out our new views. Or rather, what we'll be looking at on cold, cloudy days in the winter… If there is a nice clear day, I'll be sure to head up and take photo of our future view. Based on what we have seen from our neighbours' balconies, we have high hopes that it will be nice. The view to the south looks remarkably like the view we used to have – namely the houses across the street.

By the last week of November, the contractors had installed the upper-floor framing for the west wall and were working on the other three walls. It is strange to see the plywood sheathing going right over the window openings, but I guess that's how it's done. I still don't have a good feeling for how big our windows are as the framing is several inches bigger than the glass to accommodate the window frames.

We also learned why we have so many different people reviewing the framing in this phase. Chris and I walked around the top floor, took photos and commented on the future view. Allison came by and noticed that the side walls had been framed out too far to the south to accommodate the "pop-out" wall on the front for a window seat in the bedroom and tub in the master bathroom. Very simple to fix now, not so much later.

I was first confused when I saw this left-behind section until Chris explained what in the world was going on. The crew left a section of the old wall, and it will actually remain up for some time as they work around it with the new construction.

The other side of this piece of wall is the point where the main power lines are anchored to the house. Eventually the attachment point for electricity and telephone wires will shift to a new home. This too is a decision in the making.

But the real adventure of the past few weeks was on the last Saturday of November when Chris lived up to his last name and saved the day…