and then we were done

Wow here it is May 8th and we are finally done.
OK let's be honest there are a couple of little things still outstanding but really....... we are done. We hope to find our pots and pans this weekend so that we can cook our first real meal. We can hardly wait. I will post pictures in the next couple of days so stay tuned.
Please feel free to drop by and check it out. It as an absolute thing of beauty.
Hope to actually see you soon
Margaret and Susan

finally some "Stuff" is DONE

So finally we can say one sub-trade is completely done. Yippee we thought that would never happen. Thursday we came home and the tile backsplash for the bathroom was complete. That was the final piece of tile work to be done. They had come earlier in the week and completed the tile behind the stove.
Hey the stove is in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So is the fridge and it is even panelled

Friday morning the tile guys came back and sealed the tile and grout in the kitchen and grouted the tile backsplash in the bathroom and with that, their work here is done. The only outstanding item is the sealing of the grout in the steam shower and they don't do that it is a "specialist" that comes in. Apparently it is a particular type of grout sealer that is required because of the steam. The last thing we want is to worry about mold so we are content to wait. That should be next week (fingers crossed). The good news is that one sub-trade is done and we are one step closer to completion.

The plumber is also done (we think). The shower head is installed, the dishwasher is hooked up (can't use it yet as there is no panel on the front so no way of opening the drawers), and the doodads for the steam shower are installed

Keith, the cabinet installer was also here Thursday and now most of the doors and drawer fronts are on. A few still outstanding but closer than we were for sure.

We really are ready now to have our house back.

More work gets done

April 9th

We came home to more cupboard doors installed and even better news the pocket door and new back door are up. (pictures of that soon)

It seems like that took forever. Things are happening. We are now past our origianl completion date but maybe soon we will get our house back.

And then there were doors (at least some)

So we came home today and the cabinet guys had been here today and had begun to install the doors on the cupboards. We can hardly wait till they are all done. As much as we have gotten used to the open concept we are ready to put away our stuff behind doors and get back to living in our house not camping.

Tiling

The tile guys came today and started to install the backsplash. As it went in we were truly astounded by it. We saw the tile, we saw the plan, but seeing it come together. Boy this is going to be one beautiful kitchen

Casings

So we had some windows replaced and today the "guy" (David) came and installed the casing around them. We thought they looked good before... now they are stunning
Hard to believe this is the ugly window outside the bathroom, isn't it?

A taste of how we are living

So we have had lots of questions about how we are making out in our makeshift kitchen and we realized that we had not given any of you any idea of how we are living.

Well it is a treat. We have our kitchen (and everything that entails) in the dining room. We have the cooking station, the coffee station, the prep station, and of course the clean up station. In addition to all of that we also have the "beauty regime" station which lives right beside the "cleanup" station. It may not be pretty but it has lasted this long.

floors

So Friday the floor guy came and installed the new floor. Wow it looks great. Of course it isn't finished (stained, sealed etc) but we are no longer looking at the old stuff. Things are happening.

Sadly the tile isn't level in the bathroom yet but the rest of it is. All that is left for the tile guys in there is grouting. They have done a great job. The shower looks truly wonderfull. You imagine what it will look like but we were wrong. It looks better

Tuesday and what's new?

So although we were out Tuesday night we were quite anxious to see what had happened so first thing when we walked in the door we headed to the back of the house to check it out. Well something happened for sure it appears that someone has been here. There are tools and a boombox (a sure sign of work in my experience, after all who can work without music?).

Also GREAT news is it looks like the floor material has arrived. Last we heard that wouldn't be happening for a while so seeing (and smelling) beautiful pieces of wood was very exciting. WooHoo things are coming together.

So on to the bathroom... toilet, no toilet, grout, no grout????

OK no grout but yes a toilet still and they have started up the walls in the shower.

The tile detail that runs through the middle looks great. We knew what the plan was but seeing is believing. Even the edge looks great.

Oh my what will we find after work Wednesday? Stay tuned more to follow.

Monday

Well Monday rolled around and we were a bit nervous about heading home I must say. Would we have a toilet or would we not?

Well the floor was in and we did have a toilet but sadly no grouting had happened. This means the toilet will have to come back out so that the floor can be grouted. Oh well at least we have a toilet. To make it worse nothing else had happened either. We were away from home for 4 days for no apparent reason.
After a meeting with one of our contractors I think we have it sorted but we shall see. While I don't think they were any happier than us that nothing happened, they are not the ones living in the middle of it all.
On the plus side the tile looks great. One small problem the floor is NOT level, which is what the waiting was about. The tiles by the heat register will have to come out and be reset in order for the heat register to lay flat and the baseboards to sit on the floor. We have been assured this will be fixed. Fingers crossed.
Ah the trials and tribulations of renovations.

more bad news

Well Friday the 20th rolls around and another email appeared.

Sorry but the toilet is still out and won't go back until Monday. The tile is in but it has to be grouted before the toilet can be reseated. Goruting apparently can't happen until Monday and so no toilet until then.

Great assurances that we will have a toilet Monday. So we head back home for more clothes. Boy it is hard to consider what you might need for work on Monday on a Friday afternoon.

At least we can go back to Debbie's for the weekend.

How would we ever manage without friends I have to ask?

Bathroom issues :)

Sooooo,

Well we knew it would happen eventually we just didn't know it would happen on such short notice. Thursday morning (the 19th) we got an email from our contractor saying that the tiling was beginning in the bathroom (yippee) and that meant that the toilet had to come out and would not be going back in until Friday. Well crap... oh well a little more notice would be good but things happen I guess. A quick call with our friend Debbie let us know that her guest room was available. Whew we won't be homeless. We made a run home after work for a change of clothes and to check out the progress. Here is what we found.

OK so the floor looks more level for sure, which is good news, no toilet but at least we are getting closer.

Also good news, the floor of the shower is in. Maybe we will eventually not have to shower in the basement with the sump pump.

A kitchen sink

So we came home Wednesday and the kitchen sink and taps were in. Wow. You picture what things will look like as you buy them but you really don't have a clue until they are installed. We think we picked well.

We went with a "biscuit" sink rather than white as we thought it might be too stark against the granite.

It is starting to come together.

Cabinets

Yippee

Well they aren't all in but we are on our way. Friday the 13th, Keith came to start the cabinet install and man oh man do they look amazing. The biggest set of uppers along the long stretch of counter are up, no doors of course (they go in last) but what is there looks great.

The cupboards are also mounted on the wall above where the stove will be, again no doors.

The pantry is partly in and he will be back soon to complete. Wow, so that is what it will look like when it is a real kitchen.

There is still crown moulding to go in above all of the cupboards so it only gets better.

Next is tile. Not sure when that starts but the HEAVY boxes full of tile are "in the house". We can't wait to see what it will look like.

Countertops

So Tuesday was window day but (today) Wednesday was granite day. We thought the windows made a difference. When we came home and saw the granite all of a sudden it felt like a real kitchen and we could visualize what it might look like when it is done.

We chose a granite called Santa Cecilia for the counters,

and for the bathroom a small piece of marble called Emperador.

It is hard to believe that when only a counter changes it makes such a huge difference.

Finally... change

Yippee things are once again moving. We were beginning to dispair :)

So today James (our window guy) came to install the new windows. Wow are they beautiful. We replaced the window over the kitchen sink with one that matched the period of the house, rather than being so modern and we also replaced the window outside the bathroom. It was a fairly ugly single pane of glass. It didn't open and it just looked like a black hole. Not now!!!!!

The kitchen window is beautiful

Even more amazing to us though is the new window outside the bathroom. We cannot believe what a difference it makes to the look of that end of the kitchen. Thanks James you are an artist with the windows.

Finally

So today could be the day where something new finally happens.
We expect that our new windows (kitchen and outside the bathroom) will go in today.
I spent the weekend staining and varnishing them in anticipation of them being installed, the hold up was the hardware had not yet arrived. We were reluctant, strangely, to install them without the ability to lock them. The hardware has arrived and with any luck when we get home they will be installed. We can't wait.
Today the windows tomorrow maybe the countertops.
Stay tuned

Problems

Well we had to know that things were going to well. Everyone warned us that there would be problems and while we knew it was likely, it was going so well we thought we would buck the odds.
After the cupboards, membrane and NuHeat 2 and 1/2 weeks ago pretty much nothing has been done. The granite we selected wasn't available at 2 of the places we went to and since we actually do have to work for a living it took a while to get to somewhere we could look at it. We have it now but...
Then we ran into some contractor issues. Not a shock to those of you who have done renos but still disheartening. The painters (you remember them the ones who caused the flood) actually did a really bad job painting and they used semi-gloss everywhere. What were they thinking? In addition they are not planning on coming back until the very end. We all know how tricky it is painting around all the woodwork in our homes and since Susan and I are quite picky about the paint job (since we will be looking at it for a long time) we have decided we will just paint it ourselves. This way it will be done before anything else gets installed and we know it will be done right. Add to that some cost overruns and a couple of surprises regarding decisions they made without talking to us and the last 2 weeks have resulted in not a lot of work done. We think it is all pretty much good now. We will paint this weekend, finish varnishing all the woodwork we have stored in Marni and Meg's garage and the next round will begin. Stay tuned I am sure things will start to happen now.

more catching up

So I thought that I would get all caught up with the last post but sadly no such luck. Life just gets in the way.

So where were we? Ah the boxes. Yes the bottom boxes are in and then the guys came and installed the membrane in the shower to ensure no leaks, and a lovely orange it is.

Then the NuHeat pad was installed in the floor. We can hardly wait. A shower my head won't stick out of and a warm floor. It is mighty chilly in the basement in the morning when you are wet from the shower.

catching up

Sorry for the delay between posts. Life has been crazy at work for both of us and by the time we get home there is time for food (something/anything will do). We have been lucky that a couple of our friends have taken pity and cooked for us. I love our George Foreman but I miss having a burner. Enough whining :)

So where were we...

Ah yes boxes. So the bottom boxes for the cupboards are installed. Wow it sure looks like a kitchen again.

With the bottom boxes in the granite guy could come and do the measuring. He seems to think we have a big kitchen which I guess it is if you go by the look of the front of the house.

Now we have to pick out the slabs

Boxes

So we found out last night that the boxes for the cupboards will be installed tomorrow (Wednesday). Wow. Once that is done things will move quickly. We will go to pick out our granite this weekend because once the boxes are in they come to measure for that. After that tiling and we will be back in the kitchen in a blink. Hard to believe we are there already. We keep saying it goes by in a blink but who knew how accurate we were.

And then there was a flood

So everything seems to be going well, construction has stopped and the painters are coming... this is good news. Margaret was working late but when Susan arrived home on Thursday night she can tell that the kitchen and bathroom have been painted (and they look great) but something just does not seem right. A quick trip downstairs makes it easy to figure out what the problem is water. It is everywhere!!!!!! Susan soon discovers that the pipe at the back of the house that connects to the tap that shuts off the outside hose, is spraying water like crazy. Out comes the shop vac and the towels and so the cleanup begins. By the time Margaret gets home the water has stopped flowing but it is still at least an inch deep everywhere.

Our brand new mattress and box spring that we bought for the downstairs room is soaked, (had to be tossed), the bottom layer of all our boxes and boxes of kitchen stuff, (moved to the basement to allow for the reno), multiple boxes of Christmas ornaments, carpets, general basement stuff and under everything, is soaked. We worked for hours (I think we stopped at 1 am) and sucked up what we could until we could no longer bend over. The ruined stuff went outside, the wet stuff was moved to the top of things to dry out, carpets were cut into pieces to make them light enough to carry outside and fans were turned on in an effort to dry the rest out.

5 days later it is still wet downstairs but it is getting better. Hopefully we won't grow our own crop of fungus in the walls.

We did discover what happened. It seems that when the painters finished up the painting they went out side and used the hose to cleanup the brushes. What they didn't do is turn off the hose at the wall. All they did was release the lever on the hose itself. The pressure built up backwards and where the pipe was weak inside the house, (old plumbing after all), it burst.

Now we need to add "upgrade the plumbing" to the budget.

All we can think is it could have been worse. If this had happened last weekend we would have been away and it would have run the whole time we were away.

A place like home?

With Doug and Ron having agreed to keep their eye on the kitties and the house, off we go to Portland. Really, there is nothing like a good road trip but travelling after a stressful day at work, in the dark, later than we should have been starting probably not our best option. By the time we realized that we were starving we were in the middle of nowhere on the I5 searching for somewhere (anywhere) to eat. Thank heavens for Denny's you can always count on them. After a quick bite (breakfast at night has got to be one of the top comfort meals) we were back on the road and heading through Seattle. We made it as far as Tukwila before deciding it would be a great idea to stop. All we can say is at least it seemed clean.

Thursday morning we are once again on the road.

We arrived in Portland and found our hotel (the Hotel 50) and what a treat that turned out to be. Very European boutique like.

Of course what we were really interested in was the bathroom. Just think no sump pump, no heatless basement, no construction debris.

Our reason for this trip was to find lighting for the kitchen and I guess we can say we had some limited success. What we discovered at the store is that they don't stock their ceiling fixtures as they allow so much customizing. You order it and it is delivered. Sigh, now we have duty and shipping to add to the already weak Canadian dollar. Oh well still good to actually see the lights rather than just a picture. Mission accomplished, ceiling fixture ordered now on to the fun stuff.

Portland is a great city. They have a HUGE bookstore that you can get lost in for days and more restaurants than Vancouver. We had a great time and hope to go back.

Sunday brought us back to reality and back home to the question of, would we have a toilet when we got there???