fencing for now

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the exterior of the home is on the fast track now. currently the fence is being installed. we opted for an 8 feet fence, hung with horizonal cedar boards to give it a slightly different/modern look. fences are always a necessary evil here in houston. everyone has them, some share fences and some have their own fences back to back. luckily we were able to convince our neighbors in the back to tear down their ugly rotted fence, and to split the cost for the rear portion of the fence. thus saving us half of the 80 linear feet of fence. thank goodness we have good neighbors. next up will be more interior work, followed by the ipe decking!

square it up with tile!

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the tile is being installed, and it is a mix of black ash slate, steel gray slate, oceanic bluestone, and carrara marble. we are sticking to rectangular pieces installed on half, and also a cool planking pattern in the entry and powder room. things are starting to be tied up nicely, and seeing the finish details coming together is exciting. 10 decision down, now only 550 more decisions before the home is finalized. keep it going!

progress is as progress does

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the finished kitchen cabinets are being installed. these cabs were designed and milled by stonewood studios. can't wait to see them fully installed. the installation slowly brings the scale of this room to sight...only a few more weeks till we are there. tile flooring is also in the works, the pics show the utility/laundry room. also installed are the tongue and groove cedar ceiling in the entry and carport area. this will be stained a medium/dark color. hopefully this project keeps rolling...anyone want to get in with me on another one?

millwork and break-ins

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Finish work is happening inside the home. the trim and finish carpenters are working on the built-in shelving and closet casework. the carpenter is amazing, and is building and customizing all our closets. the study will have a wall of book shelves with built-in areas for stereo equipment and tv. the living room will have a floating walnut cabinet that is over 7' long. also, the laundry room lower and upper cabs and the secondary bedroom built-in dresser are looking amazing as well. with all the great progress, we had a brief set-back yesterday. we had some douche-bags break into the home and stole some plywood and materials. nothing worth too much, but they did destroy the framing of the doors, which need to be replaced. oh well, the driveway are awaiting some inspection before the pour, so it is just a holding pattern for now until it dries up (which won't happen until next week due to forecasted rain).....

diggin' it up

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time to beautify the site. the removal of the tree guard, and digging up the old driveway, the site now looks like a war zone. the flatwork forms are done, and after some tweaking, the rebar has gone down. hopefully, this thought of a landing strip-type driveway in my mind works well in reality. with the weather cooperating, the concrete will be poured sometime early next. additionally, the interior casework is going in. all the built-in closet casework is going in.

floor and door

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The solid oak wood floors are installed and they look great if i can say so myself. they are solid 5" wide northern white oak floors. we will stain them a dark ebony as the project finishes. also being planned are the cabinets for the closets and study bookshelf. designed both on the plans and also on the wall, quick drawings were made directly on the sheetrock with the finish carpenter. also on the garage is a temporary garage door while we decide on the final doors. things from now on will come fast, with interior doors, trim and cabinetry starting at the end of the week...hold on tight...

tar in the house

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the flooring installation has begun. the black gooey stuff in the photos is tar. yup, tar on the floor. because this is a single story home, the solid hardwood flooring would buckle if it was directly installed on the concrete floor, which is a porous material. therefore, the technique of screeds embedded into a tar covered floor is used. the tar is heated up to a high degree to make it more viscous, and poured directly on the slab. once the tar begins cooling down, the screeds, made of 2x4, are placed into the tar. once cooled, the solid hardwood floor is nailed to the screeds. this technique creates an air cushion between the slab and the floor, therefore enhancing the thermal break of the house. in the meantime, don't breathe too heavily since this tar can be extremely smelly!