Not much to report. I'm still waiting for the Soils Engineers to do their thing. At the rate I'm moving, I'll be lucky if I have foundation and drainage work complete before the rains start. I'm not too concerned since I can overwinter again with no trouble. As long as my crawlspace does not fill with water every time it rains, it will be an improvement over last winter.
My latest improvements to the place are as follows:
1) Big ugly shed is gone! My backyard looks HUGE now! That corner will be the site of next year's veggie garden, so I'm going to keep adding compost to the soil to move it in the right direction.
2) Hmmm.... Well, that's about it as far as improvements goes.
Other excitement:
1) Bought a chipper-shredder to tackle all the leaves my magnolia drops. I was filling my yard waste bin in a weekend and since yard waste is collected only every other Friday, I had a problem on my hands. The leaves don't break down quickly enough in the compost bin, and the volume of leaves was overwhelming (it's a big tree), so I decided shredding them was in order. I haven't used the thing yet, but it's on my agenda for this weekend. It will be great organic matter to add to the future veggie bed.
2) My tomatoes are ready for eating, which has been quite enjoyable.
3) The Blancos needed the twin bed back now that the au pair has arrived, so I got the Tempurpedic out of storage. This is exciting for two reasons--a) it's nice to stretch out again and b) I SERIOUSLY love my bed.
4) I started knitting Christmas gifts last night. I'm ambitious this year--there are sweaters involved. Small child-sized sweaters, but sweaters nonetheless.
5) A few weeks ago Kat and I ventured into the world of jam making with awesome results. I'm eyeing my apple tree and all the apples I scoop up every weekend with a new respect. I should have thinned the fruit to yield a better crop, but the thing is COVERED with apples. I'll pick in a few more weeks and see what we get. Apple butter is calling our name.
I'll do some photo documentation this weekend since the yard is shaping up quite nicely.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
delays breed good ideas
Last weekend I was working on my computer in the back bedroom which is basically storage with a laundry drying rack and a mini-office when an idea hit me like a freight train.
A few weeks ago, Pete (architect) informed me about some disappointing regulations San Mateo County recently passed that limit the amount of remodeling you can do to 50% of the home's value (calculated at $300/sq ft). If you exceed that, County requires you strip it down to bare studs inside and out and bring the building 100% up to code. That would effectively triple or quadruple the cost of the project. This means I definitely need to phase the project. I don't know the time limitations of how closely the phases can be spaced, so I'll need to sort that out.
My freight train idea is as follows:
Considerations:
1) Foundation corrective work needs to occur first. French drain should be installed at the same time, thereby resolving drainage and damp issues before the rainy season hits.
2) The eventual plan is to insert a door in the back bedroom where there is currently a window.
3) We're going to assess the possibility of preserving the existing bathroom with a few modifications. Pete thinks it's worth a shot since the tile is in exceptional shape given it's original form 1953 and you know how I love the retro-funk.
4) The garage/Kitchen/Living phase is more complicated than the work required in the bedrooms and will take the longest.
With those considerations, I was thinking that once the foundation work is complete, I would next remodel the back bedroom (replace 1 window with door and relocate second window) and then block off the doorway from kitchen to hallway to isolate a small living zone where I would stay while the garage and front half of the house is built/remodeled.
I'd have an entry door from the back yard, bedroom, bathroom and the back room would become a living area. I'm essentially operating without a functioning kitchen right now, so nothing really changes if I move my fridge, microwave, toaster oven and coffee maker to the new mini living area. This would make it a secure area so I wouldn't have to re-home Miss Feline, which has actually been a big concern of mine.
Whether or not I can keep the bathroom, the minor mods I'd make in there (or full remodel) could be done later, and updating the small bedroom can also be done later as it is also more limited in scope (basically just new window, upgrade electrical, new drywall and molding).
This approach would enable me to live there and be on hand to monitor progress instead of moving out for phase 1, back in for a while, back out for phase 2 and then back in.
I ran it by Pete yesterday and he thinks it's a realistic and intelligent approach to the project.
Who knew procrastination could lead to such a good result?
A few weeks ago, Pete (architect) informed me about some disappointing regulations San Mateo County recently passed that limit the amount of remodeling you can do to 50% of the home's value (calculated at $300/sq ft). If you exceed that, County requires you strip it down to bare studs inside and out and bring the building 100% up to code. That would effectively triple or quadruple the cost of the project. This means I definitely need to phase the project. I don't know the time limitations of how closely the phases can be spaced, so I'll need to sort that out.
My freight train idea is as follows:
Considerations:
1) Foundation corrective work needs to occur first. French drain should be installed at the same time, thereby resolving drainage and damp issues before the rainy season hits.
2) The eventual plan is to insert a door in the back bedroom where there is currently a window.
3) We're going to assess the possibility of preserving the existing bathroom with a few modifications. Pete thinks it's worth a shot since the tile is in exceptional shape given it's original form 1953 and you know how I love the retro-funk.
4) The garage/Kitchen/Living phase is more complicated than the work required in the bedrooms and will take the longest.
With those considerations, I was thinking that once the foundation work is complete, I would next remodel the back bedroom (replace 1 window with door and relocate second window) and then block off the doorway from kitchen to hallway to isolate a small living zone where I would stay while the garage and front half of the house is built/remodeled.
I'd have an entry door from the back yard, bedroom, bathroom and the back room would become a living area. I'm essentially operating without a functioning kitchen right now, so nothing really changes if I move my fridge, microwave, toaster oven and coffee maker to the new mini living area. This would make it a secure area so I wouldn't have to re-home Miss Feline, which has actually been a big concern of mine.
Whether or not I can keep the bathroom, the minor mods I'd make in there (or full remodel) could be done later, and updating the small bedroom can also be done later as it is also more limited in scope (basically just new window, upgrade electrical, new drywall and molding).
This approach would enable me to live there and be on hand to monitor progress instead of moving out for phase 1, back in for a while, back out for phase 2 and then back in.
I ran it by Pete yesterday and he thinks it's a realistic and intelligent approach to the project.
Who knew procrastination could lead to such a good result?
Monday, May 19, 2008
Apologies
Holy cats! It's been a long time since I posted anything. Don't worry... you're not missing out on progress at The Dump--nothing has happened. Work got, well, to put it lightly, hellish. I gave myself the mental allowance of doing nothing until May 1 and am stunned to realize it's already May 19 and I haven't fired it back up yet.
The worst happening since my last post is that my car got broken into a few weeks ago and my bag with my computer (and phones) was stolen. That means all my remodel files and ideas that were on that computer are gone. So sad. Also lost are the photos I had recently taken of the yard that I had every intention of posting to pass off as "progress" (hey, growing ginormous roses takes work!).
After last week's heat wave, the item "attic fan" is definitely getting upgraded to high priority for the remodel. I don't plan to install central AC (the code regulations on required ductwork are supposedly ridiculous), so a super-premium attic fan will be in order--The Dump gets quite toasty and even with all windows and doors open, it catches NO breeze. Good to know.
The worst happening since my last post is that my car got broken into a few weeks ago and my bag with my computer (and phones) was stolen. That means all my remodel files and ideas that were on that computer are gone. So sad. Also lost are the photos I had recently taken of the yard that I had every intention of posting to pass off as "progress" (hey, growing ginormous roses takes work!).
After last week's heat wave, the item "attic fan" is definitely getting upgraded to high priority for the remodel. I don't plan to install central AC (the code regulations on required ductwork are supposedly ridiculous), so a super-premium attic fan will be in order--The Dump gets quite toasty and even with all windows and doors open, it catches NO breeze. Good to know.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Plan B
Most of you already know this, but in case you don't, I terminated my contract with Remy's QC last week. There were a lot of factors that led to this, but the bottom line is that I did not feel I was getting what I paid for.
Remy's QC is billed as a "design-build" organization. Since my job seemed pretty straightforward, I though that would be fine. In reality, there was not much "design" going on, and the level of detail of the drawings they were presenting to me was pretty poor. After a few conversations with Remy where he mentioned being able to change stuff while in construction, I seriously feared that he was counting on hitting me up with a ton of change-orders.
All in all, confidence and trust eroded and if I'm going to drop some serious coin on a remodel, I expect to have a high degree of confidence in my design-construction partner. It simply wasn't there and he was hemorrhaging time. I had expected to be in construction by this point. Instead, we were still going back and forth on drawings that were never quite right (probably because they were being done by his dad who had NO experience--I could navigate the software better than he could that night he came to my house), and he went all passive-aggressive on me when I called him on the fact that my house is his dad's guinea pig.
In any event, I've decided to work with an architect (Pete) to produce drawings that I will be able to bid out to other contractors. I want drawings that are the Bible of my remodel. When, if in doubt, the drawing will dictate how something is supposed to be, or where it is to be placed. None of this loosey-goosey "we can change it while in construction" stuff.
Pete was out at the house last Friday to do a site survey and is working on preliminary concepts. I expect to meet with him next week to review them.
Remy's QC is billed as a "design-build" organization. Since my job seemed pretty straightforward, I though that would be fine. In reality, there was not much "design" going on, and the level of detail of the drawings they were presenting to me was pretty poor. After a few conversations with Remy where he mentioned being able to change stuff while in construction, I seriously feared that he was counting on hitting me up with a ton of change-orders.
All in all, confidence and trust eroded and if I'm going to drop some serious coin on a remodel, I expect to have a high degree of confidence in my design-construction partner. It simply wasn't there and he was hemorrhaging time. I had expected to be in construction by this point. Instead, we were still going back and forth on drawings that were never quite right (probably because they were being done by his dad who had NO experience--I could navigate the software better than he could that night he came to my house), and he went all passive-aggressive on me when I called him on the fact that my house is his dad's guinea pig.
In any event, I've decided to work with an architect (Pete) to produce drawings that I will be able to bid out to other contractors. I want drawings that are the Bible of my remodel. When, if in doubt, the drawing will dictate how something is supposed to be, or where it is to be placed. None of this loosey-goosey "we can change it while in construction" stuff.
Pete was out at the house last Friday to do a site survey and is working on preliminary concepts. I expect to meet with him next week to review them.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Tree trimming extravaganza
Both brothers were in town this past weekend for the sad occasion of a memorial service for our aunt, but we managed to enjoy hanging out at home and maximized the rare event that we're all in the same town at the same time.
John listened to my dilemma about the magnolia tree and promptly went to work. I'm so glad I got such conflicting info from two different tree companies and took the "I cannot be bothered to sort this thing out right now" approach. That meant that my tree was an untouched canvas on which John could work some tree trimming magic.
As a reminder, here is what it looked like before:
And now, you can actually SEE the house:
I know that's not the very best comparison since the lighting is totally different (morning vs mid afternoon), but you get the idea. I've also been working on pulling the grass from the driveway. it really annoys me that the grass sprouting in the driveway is way more lush than the grass in the lawn area. I've finally gotten 98% of it and my house looks somewhat respectable once again.
John also advised against trying to keep the apple tree. It seems to be too far gone to rehabilitate into a handsome addition to the yard. I'll call around in a few more weeks to have that removed. I'd like to at least enjoy the apple blossom season after being forced to deal with picking up all those apples last fall.
The roses are putting out buds and I'm excited to see what the one closer to the house produces (it had stopped blooming by the time I moved in while the other one was going strong all the way into January when I pruned it). It is definitely another floribunda. Both have beautiful, lush growth and I sprayed with soap yesterday after spotting some aphids. I hope they bloom soon!
All in all, it was a productive weekend at The Dump and some quality time with the fam.
John listened to my dilemma about the magnolia tree and promptly went to work. I'm so glad I got such conflicting info from two different tree companies and took the "I cannot be bothered to sort this thing out right now" approach. That meant that my tree was an untouched canvas on which John could work some tree trimming magic.
As a reminder, here is what it looked like before:
And now, you can actually SEE the house:
I know that's not the very best comparison since the lighting is totally different (morning vs mid afternoon), but you get the idea. I've also been working on pulling the grass from the driveway. it really annoys me that the grass sprouting in the driveway is way more lush than the grass in the lawn area. I've finally gotten 98% of it and my house looks somewhat respectable once again.John also advised against trying to keep the apple tree. It seems to be too far gone to rehabilitate into a handsome addition to the yard. I'll call around in a few more weeks to have that removed. I'd like to at least enjoy the apple blossom season after being forced to deal with picking up all those apples last fall.
The roses are putting out buds and I'm excited to see what the one closer to the house produces (it had stopped blooming by the time I moved in while the other one was going strong all the way into January when I pruned it). It is definitely another floribunda. Both have beautiful, lush growth and I sprayed with soap yesterday after spotting some aphids. I hope they bloom soon!
All in all, it was a productive weekend at The Dump and some quality time with the fam.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Gnoming around
In a fit of "I have a yard and it needs some character," I bought a garden gnome. Actually, according to the website where I found him, I "adopted" him (they were having a 50% off "adoption event"). His name is Buckston.
I put him in the back yard to hopefully decrease the chances of him getting bitten by the travel bug.
I put him in the back yard to hopefully decrease the chances of him getting bitten by the travel bug.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Side note
I'm interrupting the regularly scheduled blogging to show you the terminal cuteness I created WITH MY OWN HANDS:
This was a baby shower gift for Amanda's baby Nolan (who arrived on 2/26). I made him over a weekend in January for the shower and just now uploaded pics to my computer. One ear is larger than the other. Unsurprising, given my knitting skills, but it adds to his charm.
This was a baby shower gift for Amanda's baby Nolan (who arrived on 2/26). I made him over a weekend in January for the shower and just now uploaded pics to my computer. One ear is larger than the other. Unsurprising, given my knitting skills, but it adds to his charm.
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