More Driveway and Power Meter News

I've been busier since leaving my job than I was for months at my job! Last week and today have been a constant whirlwind.



They're continuing to make progress on the driveway. The photo below is from a couple of days ago. Since then, they've compacted crushed concrete and limestone in the back and down the driveway to the street. And also most of the circle in the front. Then they spread sand in the back and down the driveway to the front of the house. That's what the bricks will lay on, but they didn't start the bricks today like they planned. I'm guessing that the bricks weren't delivered in time. Spotty rain is expected tonight and tomorrow, so I hope they can cover where the sand is before rain does any damage to their setup.






Today, I managed to get some friends over to take some of the dirt before I had to pay to get it hauled off. The driveway guys had to split time between spreading limestone and scooping dirt into trailers with their bobcat. After that, I had time to rush home and eat lunch before going back to meet the plumber and the inspector coming to look at the hot water heater. He passed us, but only after talking like he wasn't going to because I don't have a dryer vent on the outside of the house yet. I have the vent, but I just hadn't installed it yet.

I discovered that the trim kit that came with my microwave is too big for the face of the cabinet it's supposed to go in. The cabinet guy came out today and looked at it. He doesn't see a way to make this piece work with the cabinet. A call to Lowe's and a trip to Home Depot revealed no other types of trim kits. My next step will be to Google for some generic kit that will fit.


Tomorrow morning the surveyors are coming out to take measurements for my "final FEMA certificate". I'm told that it's the same thing as the elevation certificate I already had to get, so I don't know why I need another one. But the parish wants that before they will come inspect for the temporary power meter.



My head hurts from trying to keep up with everything that's going on. But at least it means that progress is being made! I can't imagine having to work on these last few days. I would never have been able to get everything done.

Driveway Update; Trying to Get Temporary Meter

The driveway crew is on day two of their work. Yesterday, they skimmed sand out of the back and the side of the house where the driveway will go. They filled in the alley and piled some sand in the backyard. Today, they're laying the drainage pipe and basins. There's a huge pile of crushed limestone and concrete in the street waiting to be spread everywhere. They still need to skim out the front yard. Tomorrow, they should be spreading the limestone and the sand on top.

My electrical inspection passed yesterday! Immediately, the electrician filed for a temporary 30-day meter on my behalf. I needed to go and sign a paper saying I won't move in until the inspections are all done. Then I found out a few more hoops I need to jump through before I can get my meter: I need the final FEMA certificate from the surveyor (which means another trip out for them to take measurements), and I need a "temporary meter inspection" by the parish... So it looks like maybe next week sometime before I can get the meter.

Cabinets, We've Got Cabinets. We've Got Lots and Lots of Cabinets!

They delivered the cabinets for the kitchens and bathrooms on Monday. They worked to install on Monday and Tuesday. There are a few pieces in the kitchen that they did not install, either because I asked them to hold off or because they need to wait until the countertops are in. Here are some pictures:

The driveway guys came this morning to start working. They staked out the horseshoe part of the front yard and dropped off some of the fabric that goes underneath everything... Then they left because it was too cold to work! I can't blame them. It was cold today. I ordered the materials for the underground drainage. I don't even want to think about how much that cost. :-( The stuff will be delivered tomorrow, and the driveway guys tell me they'll be back out to start grading everything in the morning.

Also tomorrow, the electrical inspector is coming. If all goes well, I'll get approved. And then I'm going to apply for the temporary meter permit. This will free the utility company to come hookup the power to the house before my final inspection. That will be good for at least two reasons: I can get the alarm system working to protect the appliances and other valuables I'm accumulating, and I can run the A/C to get the wood flooring I buy acclimated to the environment inside the house before I install it.

This will let me remove the temporary electrical pole just in time to get it out of the way of the driveway.

A Time for Change

No, I'm not caught up in Obama-mania. Far from it... I'm talking about a big change in my life: Tomorrow I'm leaving my job with Sprint Nextel after 9 years.

I started as a software developer with Nextel in 2000. Sprint bought out the company in 2005. I enjoyed working for Nextel very much. It wasn't as fulfilling working for Sprint. So I took advantage of a voluntary severance package they offered (and with this week's announcement that Sprint will lay off 8,000 people, I'm even more comfortable with my decision). I'll still get paid for several months, and I plan to use that time to focus on getting the house completed.

I have some software ideas of my own that I plan to turn into a business. If that doesn't work out by the time my severance pay period is dwindling, I'll turn my attention toward finding another position somewhere.

And then, there Was Light... At Least Temporarily

Here's a photo showing off the temporary electrical hookup and the new gutters all at once. The downspouts will come later once the driveway is in.



The mechanical inspector came back today and signed off on his final inspection. I still need to have the final electrical and plumbing inspection, and then the overall final inspection.

Ah, Breathe in the Fresh Air!

My A/C guy came today with some helpers to add the fresh air intake to my air-conditioning system. It's a 4-inch vent pipe that takes air in through the eave of the house and mixes it with the air circulating through the return vent inside the house. The inspector will visit again tomorrow and (hopefully) sign off on my HVAC stuff.

I spent a little time today placing wall plates over my switches and receptacles. Still a ways to go with that, but I passed the time while the AC guys were working.

Let There be Lights!

I'm in the process of finalizing how I want my gutters to transfer water into my underground drainage pipes. In the meantime, my electrician ran a line of regular house wire from the temporary pole to the service entrance on the house. This was so he could test circuits and switch on lights and so forth. So since Saturday, I've been able to flip a switch and actually turn something on!

It's amazing how fun turning lights on and off can be. Tonight, I went over and finished installing light bulbs all over the place. It really looks different inside with lights on. I joked that, now that I can see it in full light, I'll find out if I like my paint colors or not! I also realize now that I probably went overboard on the lighting outside. My backyard can be made to look like daylight in the dark when all the spots are on. Still, it's better than not having enough light.

This is only a temporary setup until I get my final inspections and the utility company comes to hook me up permanently. I'm not supposed to turn on more than a few lights at a time. No A/C or appliances, etc. But at least I can start memorizing which switches go with what!

Gutters Up, and Setback on the HVAC Inspection

My gutters are installed now with the downspouts not extending to the ground. This is so the driveway guys can place drains and work without banging up the downspouts. They look good! Pictures to come soon.

My mechanical inspection failed today because they didn't setup a fresh air intake. Because I've sealed the attic with foam, they claim I need to mix fresh air into the circulation system from outside... The new A/C guy (who replaced my original one when he moved out of state) said they should have known that but overlooked it somehow. I thought I had asked the original guy if I needed it. Maybe I didn't. Anyway, he says it "probably" won't cost me anything to add. So that's good.

I paid my deposit for the pavers today and signed the contract. Delivery should be in about 2 weeks, and the process may take about a week once they get started. I need to buy the materials for the drainage and also check to see if the parish is going to have to approve my drainage plan.

Inchworming It: Trim, Gutters, and Driveway

I've been lax in keeping up the blog lately. People ask me how the house is going, and I've started to reply with "Each day I move an inch closer on my 100 mile journey!" I've been working at the house, and so have others. But it's always disappointing how little seems to be done in a day compared to what needs to be done. I know I'll get there, and any progress is good progress. I suppose I'm just ready to move in and ready for this long project to be over.

My trim carpenter is mostly finished with everything for now. He still has a few things to complete and then he'll be finished until I lay the tile and wood flooring. He's got all the crown moudling in except for one wall in the kitchen that we're holding on until the range hood is installed. All the interior doors are in except for the 3 pocket doors. He had some trouble with those and has to come back when he's got time. And there's the smaller crown for the back garage that still needs to go up. Attic stairs in the front garage are installed, but not in the back garage. Here are some pictures taken since the crown and doors are in.









My electrician came for a good long day to complete alot of things in that department. Many light trims, receptacles, outdoor lights, ceiling fans, and my patio support columns are now in. The HVAC contractor is now free to call for his final inspection since the attic stairs in the house are in place and a disconnect is now installed on the outside of the house for the A/C unit. (I need to follow up and find out if he did that yet.) There are still some receptacles, switches and one fan left to complete before the final electrical inspection.


Knowing that my driveway is not too far off, I started looking for the iron gate I'll need. This is another item on my purchase list that floored me with the price: over $1,000 for a 9-foot gate?!? I know I want something that won't get caught in the hurricane wind like a sail, so a wooden gate is out. I want something that will last, something to provide real security, and something that looks good. This is really the only thing that fits. Prices ranged from $1300 to $1800. I've chosen a guy in the middle of that range. It's someone who's been doing iron work in this area for generations.


I've selected my gutter contractor and scheduled his work to begin. This is a local guy who has been around for years. My mom has used him and she was happy with him. I had also experimented with a local company that installs "leaf guard" gutters that have a metal visor-type of flap on top to direct leaves and debris off the roof but still allow water into the gutter. I thought about putting them on the rear garage where there are some surrounding trees, but it's too expensive. The gutters are supposed to start on Wed. or Thurs. of this week.


Which leads me to the recent swirling vortex of decisionmaking about my driveway: I had always assumed I was getting a poured concrete driveway and that I would get my slab contractor to do it for me. I had a price from him, and since I recetly got my driveway permit from the parish, I had actually called him and scheduled a start date.


After this, my mom suggested I take a shot in the dark and call a couple of paver companies to compare the cost of poured concrete with laid paver bricks. This type of driveway is beautiful, but I always thought it was reserved for the ultra-wealthy. I dug out my brochures from the home and garden shows I attended and also got a list of installer companies from brick maker Pavestone. The first company I called (http://www.lapavers.com/) gave me a price that was 20% higher than poured concrete. I was impressed with them, and their customer references raved about them. Another company quoted a price at %140 higher then concrete! Later, I learned that the going rate is closer to this higher quote. I drove by a few of the jobs done by the lower-priced guy and they looked great.


So I've decided to go with the brick pavers for my driveway! I've got some financial help from my family to help make up the difference in cost, which is a blessing. Now I've got to call my concrete guy and cancel on him after I've already scheduled him to start. That's awkward, but hey I'm making a huge investment in a house I'll be in for a long time. I've got to go with what I think is best.

Trim Carpenter Started, Appliances Delivered

The trim guy started on Tuesday of this week. He has installed most of the interior doors at this point. I was a bit disappointed when he showed up on Wednesday only to tell me that he was going to finish another job instead and that he was coming back to continue my house on Friday (Wed. & Thurs. was New Year's Eve & New Year's Day). I hope that he sticks with my house once he gets back.

His helper told me that you should never leave doors laid flat across horses because it can cause them to warp. In my case, we had painted three pocket doors and left them on the horses for what must have been close to a week, and at least one of them is slightly bowed. I'm not certain it's because of where I left them, but in any case they stood them up in a window to see if they would heat up in the sun and get some of the bow out.

He also told me that they've never found doors waiting for them that had no casing nailed to it on either side. Some of mine had no casing at all. My door guys had told me "some of the casing came off and we nailed it to the sides." The trim guys say that the doors always come with casing nailed to the side, but that it's supposed to then be installed on one side to keep the opening square before delivery. At least, I think that's how he deescribed it.

Also this week: my appliances were delivered. One of the reasons I really needed my garage doors this week was to have a place to secure them. I have no idea why this picture is displaying sideways, but enjoy it anyway! :)