Get your ow
n diary at DiaryLand.com! contact me older entries newest entry

2005-01-23 - 9:49 p.m.

Forever and a Day . . . or 60

December/January

This will be mostly pictures again, but that's really all you come here for, isn't it?

In case you were wondering if we had acquired any class in the last 6 months, or if we're still as white trashy as when we started this "mission" . . .

. . . does this answer your question? (And we still have an engine-less car and an "outhouse" on the lawn)

So, all framing, electrical rough-in, and plumbing/heating rough-in (in new part) have been done. We passed our plumbing inspection (and electrical and framing, we thought) and insulation is in. Insulation is in because we were under the impression that we were all set with our inspections. One would assume that framing, electrical and plumbing rough-ins would all be done at the same time, since they are all visible at the same time, and they are BRACKETED TOGETHER ON THE PERMIT/INSPECTION FORM!!!! But as obvious as this is to everyone I know, including several children under the age of 6 and our nearly retarded pets, this is not how the building inspector does it. He was called to come inspect the insulation and when he showed up on Friday I think he wasn't too happy to see the sheetrock being delivered. Instead of knocking on the door to talk to me he just left a note. "DO NOT DRYWALL. You haven't gotten your framing/electrical inspections yet." What? Since when? Weren't they done at the same time as the plumbing inspection? NO? WHY NOT?!?! He was here, he could see that it was ready to be inspected. WHY WOULDN'T HE HAVE DONE IT? So, anyway, the inspector blamed it on the builder, the builder blamed it on the inspector, and while I have come to believe that the builder is lying to me at all times, I believe him this time because, as I said before, they are listed and bracketed together on the inspection form. Why would that be if they weren't supposed to be done together? The inspector and the builder will be here around 10 tomorrow morning to do this the hard way - pull down the insulation (that he's also inspecting) to check the framing and wiring. He better pass us or I'll take out a contract on his life, 'cause I don't want anything getting in the way of the drywall going up on Tuesday (assuming that the guys actually show up on Tuesday). We are expecting to remain living in our 1/4 of a house for at least 2 more months. So here's the $250,000 question: if in mid-January you know that we won't be moving into the rest of the house for another 2 months, how is it that you were telling us at Thanksgiving that we might be in by Christmas?Hmmmmm, Mr. Builderman? How would that have been possible? Even if we had been as far along then as we are now, we wouldn't be in until the end of JANUARY. Oh, I guess I should have specified that I wanted to be in by Christmas 2004. Annnnyyyywaaaayyy . . .

LOOK! GREEN DOORS! Soooo much better! And they will be even better when we can paint that trim green.

These are our beautiful new front stairs. I *heart* them sooo much! (But they are under 2 feet of snow right now so we aren't using them.)

Some shots of the insulation. Not that exciting for you, but it makes us happy, and the house warmer and quieter, and it's easier to imagine real walls now.

And now for the bad news:

Does this look like a dry basement to you?

I know it's not much, but (a) it does not qualify as dry, and (b) my original "wet" basement is dry as a bone so why is my new "dry" basement wet? And if it's wet now what's it going to be like in March/April when the rapids are running through the "wet" basement? Huh, Mr. Fancybuilderman? I say if the new basement is wet this spring we lock you in the old white water basement until you turn into a frogman. Did we suggest that you pour footings around the old foundation? Yes. Did you? No. Did we suggest that when you pour the slab you also pour a foot of concrete along the old foundation? Yes. Did you? No. Did YOU pour any of the concrete? No. Were you here when it was done? No. Do we curse at the thought of you when we see water in our new basement? Hell yes! In your favor, there is a perimeter drain under the new basement and it works. We know this because there is water in the pit in the basement that the drains run into. The pit that still doesn't have a sump pump in it. It hasn't overflowed yet, and in fact, has only gotten about 1/2 full. So far. In December. When there shouldn't be any water. At all.

OK, I'm tired so I'm done. If I can find the battery charger for my camera I will take and post pictures of the drywall going up.

PS: The building inspector gave us the OK to drywall!!!! We just have to put some supports in the attic over our bedroom and that won't effect the walls going up.

Leave me a message. 0 messages left so far.

previous - next

about me - read my profile! read other Diar
yLand diaries! recommend my diary to a friend! Get
 your own fun + free diary at DiaryLand.com!