Last month, I thought we would be completely dried in with utilities run by the end of July, but instead we are almost dried in and utilities remain on the to-do list. We had some issues matching the metal siding and roofing colors with the stone color, which necessitated having a hands-on look at multiple samples and a two-week delay in getting the siding.
The siding was delivered July 24, but the team wasn’t available to begin work again until July 31, pushing utilities out as they needed the siding before running the electrical supply to the house. We didn’t want the utility crew working around the house while Graber installed siding. On the bright side though, these two weeks were put to good use, with drywall and insulation subs coming out to confirm their bids and identify potential issues, savings, and methods. Several good ideas and best practices were learned during these visits, as were some well-received price reductions.
Our insulation contractor identified areas to save money and timing issues for foam insulation and drywall. Insulation is usually installed before drywall, but a few areas will need pre-drywall to provide a backer to spray on. When you consider that some exterior walls are inaccessible or will have two sides that get drywall, one side has to be in place to insulate. This is something the drywall contractor said is normal and not an issue.
One major accomplishment was getting doors and windows installed. The system they use with Typar tape corners at window openings looks leakproof. The 12’ sliding glass door in the living room opens onto a 15’ x 45’ covered back porch, providing lots of shade to protect from the sun, and blowing rain protection. The garage door crew installed the garage door in a few hours. That means we are secure, as secure as lock sets can provide.
Other items needing attention are pre-wiring areas covered by siding, eve closure, and porch ceilings. That includes can lights, ceiling fans, flood lights, POE cameras, and speaker wiring. I am personally doing the low-voltage part, and have discovered muscles I haven’t used in years, crawling through trusses, and climbing ladders. With wireless being prevalent in most homes, I still want CAT6 wire to all TVs, POE security cameras, all over the office for equipment, and 300’ to the power center for a WiFi tower to reach anywhere on the property. We are lucky to have fiber here, so I want to take advantage of the speed it brings. That is best accomplished using CAT6 cables and a central rack mount hub for equipment and WiFi routers.
In August, we will have the exterior done. Electrical, plumbing, and HVAC contractors will start their rough-in phases. Then, we will run utilities to the house from the central power center. Because everything is ready to extend from the power center, it will be done in one day. The excavator, who has become a great friend, wants to trench water 6’ deep using a 2” pipe, which will provide lots of nice cold water to the house. Power, fiber, plus CAT6 back to the power center, and propane will be run with sleeves at driveway crossings as required. Septic will come later.
It’s not as exciting as watching the house go up, but now the real work starts.
Next month:
Managing expectations and next steps