Building Our Dream Home

Final interior pictures

2011-11-23T17:40:00.000-08:00

Ledgestone

2011-11-23T15:00:00.000-08:00

October 24, 2011 - Monday

We decided to put some ledgestone on the foundation of the house, so we figured it would look good to put a little in the interior as well. We installed some ledgestone on the bar side of the kitchen island and below the jacuzzi tub.

November 7, 2011 - Monday

Began stone work on exterior. The stone is Veneerstone (Verago) from Home Depot.

Finished all concrete and gravel work.

November 8, 2011 - Tuesday

Formed gate supports. We aren't planning on putting up a gate right away, but will put up the supports since we have enough stone.

November 9, 2011 - Wednesday

Continued stone work.

November 10, 2011 - Thursday

Continued stone work.

November 11, 2011 - Friday

Continued stone work - around the BBQ area.

November 12, 2011 - Saturday

Finished stone work. Put on Stone caps

November 23, 2011 - Wednesday

Finsihed caulking stone. Hooked up the BBQ.

I'll have to add pictures later. It's been raining and it is a muddy mess. Once I get it somewhat landscaped I will take some pictures.

WE ARE OFFICIALLY COMPLETED!!!

Electrical, Finish

2011-11-23T14:26:00.000-08:00

We bought a majority of our electrical (lights, chandeliers, etc.) from Home Depot a few months ago. We finally get to start taking these things out of the garage and start putting them in the house. We made a couple more trips to Home Depot for whatever we didn't get in the first trip. I never thought I would by $400 worth of light bulbs in one trip, but we did just that. It's amazing how fast things add up.

All the light fixtures are oil rubbed bronze with antiqued glass. It looks amazing with the paint colors we chose. Very exciting to see all of this get installed.

August 23, 2011 - Tuesday

Installed all exterior lights. Began installing electrical outlets/switches. Began putting in light fixtures.

Ordered interior doors and trim.

August 24, 2011 - Wednesday

Installed smoke & carbon monoxide detectors. Finished lighting in the great room / loft. Put in ceiling fan in master bedroom. Installed medicine cabinets in master bath. Continued installing outlets/switches.

Had Mark, from The Floor Brokers, come up and measure for Carpet and Tile (more later on flooring).

August 25, 2011 - Thursday

Continued working on outlets/switches. Installed ceiling fan in loft and chandelier in dining room.

August 26, 2011 - Friday

Continued working on outlets/switches. Installed ceiling fan in great room and chandelier in entry.

Did some clean-up.

September 20, 2011 - Tuesday

Installed doorbell.

September 21, 2011 - Wednesday

Installed phone jacks and cable connectors.

October 20, 2011 - Thursday

Had Kevin Saylor dig a trench to run electric, sewer, and water lines out the the future pool house and play house. Installed conduit and filled in trench.

October 25, 2011 - Tueday

Labeled electrical panel.

November 23, 2011 - Wednesday

Last electrical item. The stereo in the Gym. The stereo/DVD/CD is intended to go in an RV so we have to add a transformer. It is perfect because it installs in the wall and hooks up to the TV, so I can watch DVD's, listen to CD's, or I can run the TV through the Stereo and listen to it through the ceiling speakers. The sound is pretty good! Thanks for hooking it up for me Stephanie (my cousin).

My back willing, I plan on spending as much time as I can in here.

Final inspections

2011-10-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

October 25, 2011 - Tuesday

Final inspections today on Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, and Building. All went well but the electical. When the electrical inspector couldn't find any obvious problems he began to pick on petty stuff. HE WAS A JERK!!! One of those inspectors that has to show he has power. We'll fix the discrepencies and have him back tomorrow. Lucky for the inspector Jeff has a good temperment because I wanted to ring his neck.

October 26, 2011 - Wednesday

Passed final electrical inspection! Started moving in!

Closets

2011-10-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

October 25, 2011 - Tuesday

Started putting shelving in closets using maple plywood and leftover hemlock trim.

October 26, 2011 - Wednesday

Completed closets.

Railings

2011-10-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

October 19, 2011 - Wednesday

One of the last things we are waiting on in order to pass final inspection are the upstairs railings. Now that they have arrived we can start installing them. Brian made all the wood parts to the railing and we ordered the metal parts from Carlson's hardward.

October 20, 2011 - Thursday

Continued railings for upstairs and stairs.

October 24, 2011 - Friday

Completed railings.

Exterior

2011-10-29T11:20:00.000-07:00

October 17, 2011 - Monday

Received a load of drain rock for when we start the landscaping.

Began repair on the driveway. We had a lot of heavy equipment come up to the house in the last several months and the road needs some TLC. We brought up Kevin Saylor and a concrete truck to dig out and fill in the largest of the pot holes. It should hold up really well.

October 18, 2011 - Tuesday

It was a day of dirt and rock. We needed to get everything up to final grade. We brought in three loads of topsoil, two loads of gravel, and our neighbor aloud us to take several loads of fill dirt from his property. I can't even begin to explain how much money that saved us. It really made things look a lot better up here.

October 25, 2011 - Tuesday

Started putting up the wall that will go around the BBQ and the Treager. They aren't that attractive from the back, so we decided to put up a short wall that we will cover with ledgestone.

cabinets

2011-10-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

Jeff has a cabinet guy he has been using for quite some time. Brian Krabill (Krabill Cabinets and Construction 541-369-2606), does an amazing job on custom cabinets. We went to look at some of his work and it is absolutely beautiful.

June 24, 2011 - Friday

Spent over three hours going over cabinet layout. Looking forward to seeing how these are going to turn out.

September 2, 2011 - Friday

This is one of the most exciting stages. I've looked forward to getting the cabinets since we started, and the day is finally here. I've been a little nervous that the stain we picked out might be a little dark, but they turned out perfect. Not only is the color great, but Brian did an amazing job building all the cabinets. They are made entirely out of solid wood and, in my opinion, the craftsmanship is unmatched. These cabinets were worth every penny we spent.

Brian delivered the vanities and the lower portions of the cabinets and began installing. We will get the upper portions and doors at a later date. We needed the lower portions so The Marble Center could get a template for the granite countertops that will be installed in a couple weeks. Brian put in a lot of long hours to get them to us in time.

September 3, 2011 - Saturday

Finished installing vanities and lower portions of cabinets. They look amazing and the sizes are perfect. They look amazing and they are very functional.

Kitchen

Master Bath Vanity

Kids Vanity

October 10, 2011 - Tuesday

Brian is back with the rest of the cupboards. He spent the day installing them, the cabinet doors, and crown molding.

He also brought the counter for the utility room. The counter and utility sink were installed, along with granite backsplashes, cabinet lighting and the refrigerator.

October 12, 2011 - Wednesday

Brian continued to install cabinet doors.

October 19, 2011 - Wednesday

Attached cabinet pulls, completed utility sink install.

Trim

2011-10-29T11:09:00.000-07:00

We decided to use Hemlock trim around all the doors, windows, and base of the walls. We used the same stain color as on the doors, cabinets, and dining table so it matches really well with everything.

September 21, 2011 - Wednesday

Trimmed out Dining window.

September 22, 2011 - Thursday

Trimmed out almost all windows and Entry/Kitchen doors.

September 23, 2011 - Friday

Finished trim around windows (except kitchen) and sliding glass doors.

September 27, 2011 - Tuesday

Finished door trim, started base trim downstairs.

September 28, 2011 - Wednesday

Finished base trim.

October 12, 2011 - Wednesday

Completed trim around kitchen window

HVAC

2011-10-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

June 17, 2011 - Friday

Comfort Flow Heating and Air began installing the furnace and assembling all the ductwork for the HVAC system (Trane). They were here several weeks ago putting in ductwork in the crawlspace, now they are putting in the rest. This will proabably take a few days. They will be here again toward the end of construction to complete the system and get it online.

June 20, 2011 - Monday

Started installing ductwork throughout the house.

June 21, 2011 - Tuesday

Continued to install ductwork throughout the house.

Started framing soffits around some of the ducting

June 22, 2011 - Wednesday

Finished installing ductwork. Installed vents for bath fans and range hood. Installed propane supply line for range.

Finished soffits and other framing around HVAC and ducting.

June 29, 2011 - Wednesday

Passed our HVAC and propane line inspection. Comfort flow will return when the house is nearing completion.

October 11, 2011 - Tuesday

The guys from Comfort Flow are back to complete the HVAC. Installed vents, thermostats and everything necessary to complete the HVAC system. Works great.

Dining Table

2011-10-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

Several months ago we were looking for a dining room table. After weeks of searching, we found a couple of tables we liked at Pottery Barn. Unfortunately, they were wierd sizes. We contacted several people asking if they would be willing to build us a table that had the look of the Pottery Barn tables but to our size specifications. We finally found somone that was, not only interested in building it, but also thought had the skill level to pull it off.

Tim Little, Built to Last Woodworking, (541) 342-6133, has been working on the table for about a month now. He took the time to do some research on the tables and found that in order to achieve the right look he would need to acquire some yellow pine which, of course is hard to find on the west coast. Tim did some more research and found some reclaimed yellow pine from an old wharehouse in Tennessee. What a nice guy, we are so glad we chose him. The extra effort really made a big difference.

He recently finished putting the table together and we went to go take a look at it on a recent trip to Eugene. It is awesome, exactly what we wanted. Tim is definitely a crafstman.

Next, he's going to distress the table and stain it (same stain as the cabinets, doors, and trim). It should be a perfect match. If you need any custom or outdoor furniture made, we encourage you to give him a call.

I'll post more pictures when it is completed.

September 15, 2011 - Thursday

Took a drive to Eugene and picked up the table. Turned out great! Should work perfectly for us. The table is still wrapped up in bubble wrap, so I'll post a picture later.

Doors

2011-10-10T15:06:00.000-07:00

Time to install interior doors. We found some nice solid Knotty Alder doors that we stained the same color as the cabinets and trim. They look amazing and have a lot of character.

September 26, 2011 - Monday

Installed interior doors.

September 27, 2011 - Tuesday

Installed all hand levers on doors.

Flooring

2011-10-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe we are ready to put in flooring. Hardwood in the dining room, loft and stairs; carpet in all the bedrooms and living/family rooms; interlocking rubber mats in the home gym; and tile in the the kitchen, entry, utility/laundry, and bathrooms.

August 29, 2011 - Monday

Stained interior posts/beams.

Installed hardwood in dining room.

We will be using a prefinished hardwood called Acacia. It is a type of Asian Walnut. It is extremely hard and has a rich dark color. Should go great with everything else we are doing.

August 30, 2011 - Tuesday

Finished staining interior posts/beams.

Started installing Hardibacker for tile floors.

August 31, 2011 - Wednesday

Finished installing Hardibacker for tile floors.

Started installing wood floors in loft.

September 1, 2011 - Thursday

Washington Federal came down to do their monthly inspection.

Continued to install wood floors in loft and stairs. Must have been a slight miscalculation because we ran out, so we will have to order more from Lumber Liquidators.

Wood flooring is going a little slow because the wood is so hard. about every 1/15 staples doesn't quite get through the wood so it has to be pulled out and redone. It has probably increased the install time by 50%.

Not really impressed with Lumber Liquidators. I can't say I would use them again. I think you can match their pricing if you shopped around. Customer service is just, ok. They have good pricing on their wood flooring, but watch out if you need bullnose, or other edging, for stairs or exposed edges.

September 2, 2011 - Friday

Spent the morning going over tile layout.

We decided on Vallano Porcelain Tile. It has some texture to it but shouldn't be too hard to clean. We decided on three colors for the floors: 50% Dark Chocolate (VL04), 25% Caramel (VL02), and 25% Milk Chocolate (VL03). For the shower tiles we will use Macadamia (VL01), a much lighter tile.

On the floors we will have a 6" x 12" border and put the 18" x 18" center pieces at a diagnal. In the showers we will use 12" x 12" and add a couple horizontal lines of a darker 2" x 2" tile color.

We bought the tile and carpet from The Floor Brokers, (541) 673-8507. We are really impressed with them. Great customer service.

September 5, 2011 - Monday

Started tiling kitchen

September 6, 2011 - Tuesday

Continued kitchen/entry tile. Started tub/shower tile in the guest/kids bathrooms.

The Marble Center came down to measure for countertops that will be installed next Monday.

September 7, 2011 - Wednesday

Started border tile in the kitchen/entry. Continued tub/shower tile.

Kitchen Tile

Entry Tile

September 8, 2011 - Thursday

Completed floor tile in guest bath and 1/2 bath.

Had to make a change in the tile layout. It seems the tile sizes vary between colors. It was a little easier to hide it with the 18" x 18" tile but would look horrible with the 12" x 12" tile. Very disappointing for a product made in the USA!

1/2 bath tile

Guest bath tile

September 9, 2011 - Friday

Completed tile in utility/laundry room.

It was a very hot day, so we took the opportunity to make a trip to Home Depot.

September 12, 2011 - Monday

Completed tile in kids bath and master bath.

September 13, 2011 - Tuesday

Started tile in master bath shower.

September 14, 2011 - Wednesday

Finished tile in master bath shower and started working on grout.

September 15, 2011 - Thursday

Finished grout

Bruce (Rocky Road) delivered a couple loads of gravel.

September 16, 2011 - Friday

Applied sealer to tile/grout.

This completes almost all the wood and tile floors. We have a few misc things to do when we get the rest of the wood floors and a little tile after we install the base trim.

We will be getting carpet in about a month (one of the last things).

September 20, 2011 - Tuesday

Grout tile flooring.

September 21, 2011 - Wednesday

Tile caulking.

September 28, 2011 - Wednesday

Installed interlocking rubber floors in gym.

October 3, 2011 - Monday

Clean-up so The Floor Brokers can install carpet.

October 4, 2011 - Tuesday

Completed pad installation. Started carpet install.

October 5, 2011 - Wednesday

Completed Carpet installation.

October 27, 2011 - Thursday

Put a final coat of sealer/enhancer on the floor tile.

Furniture/Decor

2011-09-25T11:09:00.000-07:00

Time has went by so fast that it caught us by surprise when we realized we only had a few weeks left before we would be getting our final inspection. That means we need to start thinking about getting some furniture and Decor.

We've been doing a lot of online shopping and took a trip to Eugene and have almost bought everything we need (Couches, wall art, beds and bedding, towels, dishes, pots/pans, book shelves, office desk, tv's, etc.). Of course, while in Eugene we realized we should have stuck with Rife's Home Furnishings, (541) 459-4419, in Sutherlin. They have nice furniture and great prices.

In the next couple of weeks we still need to find an area rug for the dining room, bar stools and piano. We've been keeping FEDEX and UPS in business.

It's hard to believe we are getting so close to the end.

October 2, 2011 - Sunday

Hung vanity mirrors. and hooked up water heater

October 3, 2011 - Monday

Hung Gym mirrors.

October 5, 2011 - Wednesday

Called the County and received permission to move in some furniture as long as we make all plumbing and electrical accessible.

Assembled guest bed and nightstands. Assembled kids beds, nightstands and shelving.

October 6, 2011 - Thursday

Moved in Gym equipment. Assembled master bed and moved in all mattresses. Began hanging art and other decor.

October 7, 2011 - Friday

Continued hanging art and pictures. Assembled bar stools.

October 9, 2011 - Sunday

Finally found a baby grand pianowith in our budget. I knew if we were patient we could find a really nice one for a good price. The movers will have it here in the next couple of weeks.

TO BE CONTINUED....

Showers/Tubs

2011-09-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

A lot of the tile work for the Showers/Tubs was completed during flooring tile, but wanted to make it's own category.

September 19, 2011 - Monday

Tiled around Jacuzzi Tub

September 20, 2011 - Tuesday

Tile grout around Jacuzzi Tub

September 21, 2011 - Wednesday

Tile caulking.

Counter tops

2011-09-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

September 13, 2011 - Tuesday

Counter top install. They set all the counter tops and undermount sinks. At over 700lbs, it took 8 guys to move in the kitchen island counter top.

One thing we knew when we decided to build a house, is that we didn't want to do the same things everyone else was doing. One of the things we knew we didn't want was shiny smooth granite counter tops. They look great, but everyone is doing it.

At first we wanted concrete counter tops with a black tint and a chiseled edge. Unfortunately, in Roseburg there aren't a lot of guys that have this skill, plus it would end up costing as much, if not more, than granite.

What we ended up doing is...going up to The Marble Center in Salem and looked at what they had to offer. We found an antiqued granite (black pearl) that had the exact look we wanted. When they "antique" the granite it takes off the smooth surface and leaves a dull textured surface. We also had them chisel the edges.

I must say, IT LOOKS AWESOME!!! It's a great compliment to the cabinets, plumbing/electrical fixutres, paint, and stainless steel appliances. So far, everyone that has seen them has commented on them.

Texture of Counter Tops

chiseled edge of Counter Tops

Plumbing, finish

2011-09-17T14:36:00.000-07:00

Time to start putting in plumbing fixtures. Like the electrical fixtures, we decided to use an oil rubbed bronze finish. After hours of searching online we bought Kohler, devonshire series, faucets and accessories. We ended up buying everything from four different online stores because each one had the lowest price on different items. After everything was ordered, I added it up and we saved 39.6% from what we would have paid at Home Depot. You can now picture me patting myself on the back as I congratulate myself.

September 16, 2011 - Friday

Installed pedestal sink in the 1/2 bath, all vanity faucets & drains, bath/shower faucets, toilets (except the broken one being returned to Home Depot), and kitchen faucet and drain. Also installed the four speakers in the home gym.

September 19, 2011 - Monday

Installed towell bars, towel rings, toilet paper holder, and replaced the broken toilet.

Appliances

2011-09-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

When we first moved to Roseburg, we found an ad on Craig's List for commercial grade appliances for extactly what we were planning on buying anyway. Needless to say, we saved a lot of money buying our appliances this way. We were able to get a 48" dual fuel range with backsplash and range hood, 48" refrigerator/freezer, trash compactor, dishwasher, and microwave. All together worth around $25,000. We decided not to use the dishwasher and microwave, instead purchasing a oven/microwave combo and new dishwasher.

September 10, 2011 - Saturday

A day of miscellaneous work. Taking a break from tiling floors.

Wired island for lights and outlets. Installed trash compactor. Installed dishwasher and microwave/oven combo.

Installed shutoff valves to all the sinks

Oven/Microwave Combo

Dishwasher

September 13, 2011 - Tuesday

Since we had a bunch of guys here to help move the granite countertops we thought it only made sense to move in the 48" range.

September 16, 2011 - Friday

Intalled garbage disposal, finished electrical hookup for range and dishwasher.

September 26, 2011 - Monday

Installed range stainless steel backsplash and hood.

October 24, 2011 - Monday

Moved in the washer and dryer.

Paint

2011-08-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

Interior paint. Another step that produces big change. Kendra and I both have trouble choosing paint colors. We are horrible at matching colors. Sherwin Williams has several new HGTV HOME Color Palletes that gives homeowners color choices that work well together. So, between Sherwin Williams, Brenda and Jeff I think we came up with a great combination.

We chose four colors from the Traditional Twist color pallete, Incredible White (TT-07, SW 7027), Sand Beach (TT-13, SW 7529), Stone Lion (TT-01, SW 7507), and Foothills (TT-19, SW 7514). All of these colors are very neutral. We figure it's better to use color in the decor rather than on the walls. This should prevent us from having to paint again anytime soon.

Foothills will be the primary color in the main rooms and the master bedroom/bath, yes a little dark, but I think the house is perfect for it. It's big, open and has plenty of light. Stone Lion will be the secondary color in the main rooms, and the primary color in the guest bedroom, utility/laundry, bathrooms, and home gym. We didn't want to overdo the Foothills, so Stone Lion will lighten things up a bit in the main rooms. Sand Beach will be used on the ceilings of rooms with Foothills, and Incredible White will be used on the ceilings of rooms with Stone Lion.

Kaitlyn's room will be painted light primary / dark accent pink, of course, and Ty's room will be painted light primary / dark gray accent (with just a hint of blue), both with white ceilings.

Wednesday - August 17, 2011

First day back from camping. Jeff and family spent the day applying a coat of primer throughout the house.

Sherwin-Williams had a 40% off sale, so we were able to get some really good quality paint/primer. Everything will go on with just one coat. This is the first paint I've ever seen that actually is able to cover with just one coat!

Thursday - August 18, 2011

Painted all ceilings. Began painting bedrooms and loft.

Friday - August 19, 2011

Continued painting walls throughout the house. Started clean-up and taking paper off the floors.

Kaitlyn was really excited to help paint her room.

Brenda helping Kaitlyn paint her room.
That's what's nice about using a family friendly builder!

Saturday - August 20, 2011

Finished all paint. Couldn't get very good pictures because there are still things in the way (i.e., scoffolding, etc.), but we really like the way it turned out. Took a big chance on dark paint, but we really like it. All the colors go great together. Kendra is now inspired to find some decor, hopefully we can find some things we both like.

Installed entry and kitchen exterior doors. The interior of these doors were stained by Brian, cabinet guy, with the same color as our cabinets and trim. They turned out really nice. Still haven't decided what to stain/paint the exterior side of the doors.

Master Bath

Home Gym

Entry Door

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2011-08-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

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Porches/Patio/Driveway Approach

2011-08-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

While insulation and drywall are being done, Jeff will be working outside on the front porches, back patio, and concrete driveway approach.

There will be big changes in the next few weeks. We have an ambitious plan for the back patio and concrete driveway approach, some of which Jeff has never tried before. We're going to stamp colored concrete. He has a lot of detail planned that I had never even considered. I'm confident things are going to turn out great.

July 1, 2, 3, 5

I was gone these days, so I'm not sure what was done each day. There was a lot of preparation for insulation and drywall. Flashing was hung so the drywall had something to attach to. The mortar was completed in the master shower.

Wednesday - July 6, 2011

Began concrete forms for front porches and back patio. Again, most builders wouldn't pour a concrete wall as support for a porch, but Jeff really goes beyond the minumum. It's going to be very solid and look great.

Thursday - July 7, 2011

Finished concrete forms for front porches and back patio. We took a trip into town and picked out the stain color and stamp for the concrete and the ledgestone we will be using.

Finished hanging sheer wall inside.

Friday - July 8, 2011

Umpqua Sand and Gravel delivered concrete for the porches and patio. We also poured some concrete where we keep the garbage cans. We used it as a test area for the stamp. Turned out great, but the color is off a little.

Carlson's hardware delivered material for the porches/patio.

Saturday - July 9, 2011

Framing began on the front porches.

Sunday - July 10, 2011

The front porches are almost complete, decking, posts and 1/2 the roofing is done. Amazing progress for one day. A little staining, soffits, completion of siding, and 1/2 the roofing, and work on the back patio will begin.

Monday - July 11, 2011

Jeff started the morning by sanding the beams in the great room / loft and covering them for drywall prep.

Completed roofing and soffits on the front porches. Also finished putting up cedar bats except for the area around the entry door.

Tuesday - July 12, 2011

Finished sanding beams in the great room / loft. Did a little more drywall prep (i.e., covering windows, posts, and beams).

Began the forms for the back patio's concrete slab.

Wednesday - July 13, 2011

Compacted gravel base for the conrete patio. Sanded and brushed posts, beams, and lumber in preperation for staining.

Thursday - July 14, 2011

Picked up some more chestnut semi-transparent stain from Sherwin Williams. Started staining posts and beams on the front porches. Also stained some lumber that will be used for the back patio cover.

Front Porch

Friday - July 15, 2011

Finsihed staining posts, beams and lumber. Need to get a little more cedar and then we can have Bunnell's come up to complete gutters, then the porches will be complete.

Cascade Windows brought out our screen for our kitchen window. We had a screen made that opens, so you can pass food through when the window is open. We will put our BBQ next to the kitchen window on the back patio, so it should work out really well.

We've been really impressed with the service Cascade Windows has provided. Not only have they provided great looking windows and doors but they've been really helpful.

Another exciting thing is that Cascade Windows called Jeff and asked if he would mind if they could use the house for their sales brochures. I'm really excited for Hetterle Construction! That really says a lot, when a company wants to use your work to show off their product. I think Jeff and Brenda have a lot to be proud of. Cascade Windows will be out sometime in September to see what kind of pictures they would like to take.

Monday - July 18, 2011

Started work on the cover for the back patio, setting posts, beams, and joists. Completed deck off the Master Bedroom and put up railing.

Master Bedroom Deck

Tuesday - July 19, 2011

Continued work on patio cover. Applied bracing and suntuf roofing.

Back patio cover

Wednesday - July 20, 2011

Spent a lot of the morning doing some research on why the color came out wrong on our concrete test piece. Didn't really get any answers. Picked out paint colors and flooring. Brenda has been really helpful assisting us with our paint colors. It's really going to turn out nice.

Started forms for back patio concrete. We will be doing an exposed aggregate, colored concrete. This will be bordered by a stamped (rough stone) colored concrete. This adds a little bit of work but it will look really good. The concrete will have a Hilltop Tan color added to it. We will also be using a Brickform Antique Release, Walnut RA-810.

Thursday - July 21, 2011

Received two concrete deliveries from Umpqua Sand and Gravel for back patio and a section of the driveway approach. We are doing the stamped border first. I must say it turned out great! It looks like we hauled in several peices of 4" thick rough stone and set them in place.

Colored, stamped concrete is something Jeff has never done before. I love that he's willing to try things he's never done before. It's a great quality in a custom home builder. Of course, every time you talk to someone they make it sound like it's really complicated and you need to get someone that is experienced. In my opinion if you have any concrete experience at all, you can stamp concrete. It turned out great. I can't wait to put up some pictures showing how it turned out.

As I mentioned on my July 8th post, when we did our test piece behind the garage, the color came out a little off. We tried to talk to a few people to figure out what might have went wrong, but didn't really come to any conclusions. I made the decision that we were going to go forward anyway, thinking that using the product on a colored concrete would make a difference. For whatever reason, I felt confident it would turn out fine. I'm thankful I was right. We are going to end up with a back patio and driveway approach that looks like it cost over $20,000. I think it's a new skill Jeff will be using a lot in the future.

Friday - July 22, 2011

Received another delivery of concrete for the next section of driveway approach.

Saturday - July 23, 2011

Sprayed off release.

Monday - July 25, 2011

Sealed completed portions of concrete using Luster Seal 300. This will help protect it as we continue our concrete work. The sealant worked amazing. It did a great job at really bringing out the color and creating a nice shine.

Formed front walk and pulled forms off of previous sections.

Flattened dirt on side of the house.

Tuesday - July 26, 2011

Umpqua Sand and Gravel delivered concrete for some of the exposed aggregate section of the approach. Formed up the next section

Wednesday - July 27, 2011

Umpqua Sand and Gravel delivered concrete for the stamped section that was formed yesterday and the front walk that was formed Monday.

Thursday - July 28, 2011

Umpqua Sand and Gravel delivered concrete for the stamped section the was formed yesterday. Sealed all the completed sections of concrete using L&M Dress and Seal High Gloss (~$90). Umpqua Sand and Gravel has decided to change to a different brand of Sealant. We were told this would give us the same result as the Luster Seal 300 ($110), but after looking at it throughout the day, it is clearly an inferior product. We will let it set overnight and see if there is any change.

Friday - July 29, 2011

Umpqua Sand and Gravel delivered the last of the exposed aggregate concrete. This completes the concrete approach. We have some misc concrete work to do, including the front walk, but I think we will complete that sometime in the future.

Monday - August 1, 2011

Umpqua Sand and Gravel recieved more Luster Seal. Thank goodness, because the L&M product is garbage! Applied a thick coat of sealant.

Applied a coat of stain on the deck and back patio's posts and beams.

Tuesday - August 2, 2011

Applied last coat of stain on the deck and back patio's posts and beams

Applied last coat of sealant.

Turned out great! The pictures do not do it justice. Hetterle Construction really went above and beyond on this one. This concrete approach and back patio really adds to the house. I think it helps make the difference between a $500,000 house and a $750,000 house. There is still a little more work to do with ledstone and the area around the BBQ's, but at this point you can see that it is going to turn out great.

October 24, 2011 - Monday

Have a little bit of concrete work left. Formed up the front steps so we can pass inspection. We will pour later.

Drywall

2011-07-20T16:50:00.000-07:00

Drywall is one of the things that make the biggest change when building a house. I've been looking forward to seeing the drywall complete.

We called a local drywall company, Daniel J. Luke Drywall and Construction, that came highly recommended by someone. We were told that these guys are the ones you want for a custom home. They came in with a very reasonable bid so we decided to give them a try. We'll let you know what we think.

Friday - July 8, 2011

Received delivery of drywall supplies. I've never seen so much drywall in my life.

Saturday - July 9, 2011

First day of drywall. They started in the upstairs bedrooms. Completed the kids rooms and almost finished the ceiling in the master bed/bath.

Monday - July 11, 2011

Drywall is hung in the master bed/bath and the ceiling of the kitchen.

Tuesday - July 12, 2011

Beginnging drywall downstairs. Home gym, utility/laundry room, and bathrooms are complete.

Wednesday - July 13, 2011

Completed hanging drywall in every room with the exception of the great room / loft.

Thursday - July 14, 2011

Started putting on the corner pieces, tape, and applied some joint compound on any damaged areas of the drywall. Did a lot of clean up and taped down some paper to help protect the floors from joint compound.

Friday - July 15, 2011

Finished putting up the corner pieces and tape, started applying joint compound in the master bedroom/bath. Started hanging drywall on the great room / loft ceiling. The drywall process will begin to slow down since they have to lift each piece of drywall up 20 feet of scaffolding. They are definitely earning their money today.

Saturday - July 16, 2011

Completed hanging drywall on the great room/ loft ceiling and started on the walls. Continued to apply joint compound in the upstairs bedrooms.

Continued to apply joint compound. They started with a crew of two and are now a crew of four. They are going as fast as the joint compound will allow them. As soon as it's dry on the wall they are back to put on another layer.

Any fear of rooms being too small has disappeared. The drywall made all the rooms feel bigger. We certainly won't have any space issues. It's much bigger than it looked on paper.

Drywall complete in the kitchen

Monday - July 18, 2011

Finished hanging drywall in the great room / loft, completing all the drywall. They continued applying joint compound throughout the house.

Tuesday - July 19, 2011

Continued applying joint compound throughout the house. The next few days will be the exact same thing.

Wednesday - July 20, 2011

Continued applying joint compound throughout the house. The weather is not cooperating, so it's taking a little longer to dry.

Thursday - July 21, 2011

Continued applying joint compound throughout the house. The weather is still slowing the drying process.

Friday - July 22, 2011

Continued applying joint compound throughout the house. The weather is getting better so hopefully that will help them out.

Saturday - July 23, 2011

Working a partial day and they'll let everything dry until Monday. They'll do a couple more layers of joint compound and then spray the texture.

Jeff has been impressed with their work, which is pretty hard to do. Jeff grew up doing drywall, so he is very particular about the quality. It's a relief to know that we made a good choice.

Obviously, I will always recommend Hetterle Construction first when referring someone for a project, but it's good to know that I can always feel comfortable referring Daniel J. Luke Drywall and Construction as well.

Great Room drywall complete

Drywall complete

Drywall complete in Master Bath

Monday - July 25, 2011

More joint compound. The more coats they get on there the better things are looking.

Tuesday - July 26, 2011

Continued applying joint compound.

Wednesday - July 27, 2011

Focus shifts from applying joint compound to sanding it all down to create a nice smooth finish.

Thursday - July 28, 2011

Continued sanding. Applied the last coat of joint compound. Started taping up windows, doors, fixtures in preparation for primer and texture.

Friday - July 29, 2011

Applied primer to the entire house.

Monday - August 1, 2011

Textured entire house. I walked through the house to see how things turned out and am amazed at how good things look. These guys did a great job, we are very happy with their work.

Insulation

2011-07-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

The guys from Home Insulation Services, (541) 672-6388, are back. Most people don't realize that an insulation business can usually put in insulation cheaper than a homeowner can. They receive deep discounts on their insulation. Make sure you get a bid on an insulation job before you try to tackle it yourself. You could be paying more to do it yourself.

Wednesday - July 6, 2011

First day of insulation. They sprayed foamed all the holes that the electrical and plumbing go through and began insulating the walls.

Thursday - July 7, 2011

Continued insulation. A lot of progress was made. Most of the ceiling and walls are complete.

Friday - July 8, 2011

Completed insulation and passed inspection. Home Insulation Services will be back one more time to complete insulation in the crawlspace and in the attic.

TO BE CONTINUED....

Pictures

2011-07-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

After a busy day of inspections on Wednesday and Friday (framing, electrical, plumbing, propane line, HVAC) we are ready to move on. The next couple of weeks will be spent on insulation, drywall and porches/patio. There will be a lot getting done. Jeff decided to use subcontractors for the insulation and drywall. Their bids came in under budget, so it only made sense to use them. We can get a lot more done for the same cost.

Here are some of the interior pictures prior to drywall.

Great Room (24' x 20'), 19 windows
facing Garden Valley & S. Umpqua River

Kitchen (24' x 16')
Yes, every kitchen should have a miter saw

Home Office (18' x 16')
Loft that overlooks great room

Master Bedroom (13' x 16')

The deck off the Master Bedroom
Should be great for morning coffee
Yes, there will be a coffee maker in the master closet

Master Closet (6' x 13')
I don't know why I call it the master closet,
I should just say Kendra's closet

Master Bathroom
Jacuzzi tub Kendra gets to look at for the next 4 months

Guest Bedroom (11' x 12')
Has it's own sliding glass door and front porch
Hopefully it will get used

Guest bath

Bedroom #2 (13' x 16')
Plus a 5' x 8' walk-in closet

Bedroom #3 (11' x 12')

Kids bathroom

1/2 Bath

Home gym (13' x 16')

Utility Room (11' x 13')

Electrical

2011-06-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

I suppose if we are going to build a custom home we might as well hook it up to electricity.

June 18, 2011 - Saturday

Walked through the upper floor and decided where to place electrical outlets and switches. Placed 6" Halo can lights in the family room, gym, master bedroom/bath/closet, and utility rooms.

June 19, 2011 - Sunday

Nailed up the electrical boxes upstairs and began pulling wire.

Also cleaned some windows while the lift is still here. They should be picking it up any day.

June 20, 2011 - Monday

Nailed up the electrical boxes downstairs. Mostly finished pulling wire upstairs. Installed more 6" can lights upstairs in the loft area and 4" can lights in the kitchen.

June 21, 2011 - Tuesday

Put in the exterior electrical boxes.

Did some additional strapping and bracing on the framing.

June 22, 2011 - Wednesday

Installed the electrical panel in the utility room. Began pulling wire downstairs.

June 23, 2011 - Thursday

Continued pulling wire downstairs. Also completed framing on the linen closet and pantry. These 4' x 4' rooms are stacked so that, if needed, an elevator can be installed in the future.

June 24, 2011 - Friday

Continued pulling wire.

June 25, 2011 - Saturday

Mostly completed 220/110V wire. Wired for three ceiling fans and all smoke detectors. Began hooking up wire to the panel.

June 27, 2011 - Monday

Placed a beam in the Master Bedroom. Wasn't planning on doing this, but it does look good.

Connected wires in the outlet/switch boxes. Began low voltage wiring (i.e., cable, door bell, phone) We are pulling two cable wires to each location, along with a phone line.

June 28, 2011 - Tuesday

Completed pulling low voltage wire. Also ran speaker wire in the home gym.

Did some misc electrical wiring to prepare for electrical inspection tomorrow.

June 29, 2011 - Wednesday

Very thorough electrical inspection today. Inspector traced every wire and looked at just about every staple. Did pretty well on the inspection, but we need to make a few changes. Spent the afternoon on some of the changes the inspector asked for.

June 30, 2011 - Thursday

Finished making the changes the inspector asked for. Ready for reinspection tomorrow.

July 1, 2011 - Friday

Passed inspection!