Current Status – updated 1/18/03 Project start November 7, 1998 , 4 years 2 months
Year 2003
1/17/03 Pour 1st floor slab
1/13/03 Start 1st Floor slab prep
1/5/03 Install 1st floor slab heating manifold
1/4/03 Build 1st floor slab heating manifold
Year 2002
12/26/02 Misc framing & prep for 1st floor sheetrock
10/18/02 Install new kitchen window and build roof flyer
10/16/02 Replaced bad beams under kitchen floor
9/30/02 Frame for new kitchen window
9/24/02 Kitchen Demo Started
9/18/02 2nd floor finished
9/5/02 Laundry room finished
8/18/02 Pick up working on 2nd floor trim
8/14/02 Grout foyer tle
8/9/02 Lay 2nd floor bath tile
8/3/02 Lay side foyer tile
6/14/02 Won Newport to Bermuda Race - Head not in the house game
6/9/02 Moved into BR3
5/26/02 Installed glass block in laundry room w/ elaine
5/18/02 finished BR3 trim & started rest of 2nd Floor
5/12/02 Finished priming all & finish coats in garage
5/10/02 Trimmed garage
5/8/02 Started priming new sheet rock
5/7/02 Spackelers finished
5/6/02 Started trim for BR3
5/1/02 sheet rock finished- Spackelers start
4/23/02 sheet rockers start
4/20/02 installed stairs
4/18/02 framed shower pan
4/15/02 Passed insulation inspection
4/7/02 Installed radiant ceiling in 2nd floor bathroom
4/4/02 Insulation for 2nd floor
4/1/02 framed stair wall
3/29/02 2nd floos slab pour
3/16/02 Big work day- 2nd floor Slab Prep
3/12/02 more house wiring
3/1/02 Refinance Mortgage !
2/17/02 Started wiring for low voltage
2/16/02 Built 2nd floor duct return
2/10/02 Installed water softner
Year 2001
3/2/01 The Excavator , Messercola showed up with his machine for just over a day work to grade the back. Next step outside is to bring in a foot of soil to cover.
3/24/01 Rented a hammer to demo fireplace and existing flues.
3/27/01 Re-lined flue from basement to roof
3/30/01 Mason was supposed to show up to build the firebox. He didn't make it.
3/31/01 I prepared fireplace slab for a pour
4/1/01 3 year in house anniversary. Workers poured slab and planted trees outside.
4/3/01 Scott and a helper showed up for a few days of framing for cleanup.
4/7/01 Workers planted 5 hollies and a taxis
4/8/01 With Asen's help we laid the fire box floor and the first 3 courses. To follow with a few courses per day.
4/11/01 Sloped the fireback and finished the firebox.
4/15/01 Set the fireplace damper
4/21/01 Fireplace work has been held up for a week waiting for the building inspector to check out the throat and smoke chamber. It was ok, but he found other stuff.
4/24/01 Brick up chimney on 1st floor
4/25/01 Scaffold for chimney is erected
4/27/01 poured a slab on top of 100 yr stone chimney in prep for new block
4/27-28/01 mason lays block to extend chimney up 6 ft
5/2/01 Scott frames chimney box. It takes him 4 days with a helper.
5/7/01 Bob Malanga (Colonial Construction) starts siding.
5/11/01 Inspector passes chimney flues.
5/19/01 B-vent for gas boiler is put in service
5/23/01 Gary helps install drip pan under family room fan coil.
6/12/01 Gary helps re-roof overhangs
6/15/01 I install skylight over front walkway
6/16/01 Gary and I replace skylight over porch.
6/19/01 Air compressor and dust collector wired and put in service.
6/22/01 Siding job finished
8/2/01 Borrow Bobcat from Rich D.
8/3/01 20 tons of 2.5 inch stone was delivered for the road to the back of the property
9/14/01 mounted pump control panel
11/4/01 finished laundry room
11/21/01 passed electrical and framing inspection
11/27/01 Passed plumbing inspection
12/23/01 Finish fireplace face with Asen
Year 2000
2/7/00 The master walls went up.
2/9/00 I started working on the rough plumbing.
2/15/00 3 cords Firewood was delivered. The price of kero went from $.70 per gallon to $2.00 per gallon.
2/28 to 3/10/00 the master roof was framed- lots of angles.
3/10/00 my last day at Revlon
3/14/00 finished the master roof sheathing
3/25/00 insulated new water pipes up to 2nd bath
4/1/00 started 2nd floor electric roughing
4/12/00 acid etched basement floor in preapration for epoxy paint.
4/15/00 installed & connected attic lights
4/17/00 framers Smokey & Mike installed the attic fan. Scott & Shawn installed the new wood stove chimney and built the chase.
4/19/00 I installed ductwork from the kitchen up to the attic.
4/21/00 Framers last day. We had a BBQ, the guest of honor, our architect Richard Charles Culp was nowhere in sight. The plumbing inspector passed the rough plumbing. The windows for the front were installed.
4/22/00 After the major rains overnight, I found all the hidden treasures left by the framers. Much of the flashing had to be redone, with the help of Gregg Hewitt and Bob Malanga. Drip cap had to be installed over the windows, and the Typar cut in and lapped over for water runoff.
4/29/00 I needed to take a breather and clean up the mess from the framers and my utility rough in work. I painted the new construction floors with oil primer for protection. Progress has slowed because of consultant work.
5/1/00 Monday/Tuesday Mary Antoniotti finish painted the master floor with grey floor paint and the basement workshop with grey epoxy.
5/6/00 Uninstalled, fixed, and re-installed the attic fan. I was by myself, but Elaine helped with the heavy lifting.
5/12/00 friday I prepared for the service replacement on Saturday. The outside wall where the meter was needed reconstruction- ferring, sheathing, and Typar.
5/13/00 Saturday Nick Miceli, and his father Nick showed up at 7:00 am for the service replacement. All went well.
5/27/00 Started to empty the construction trailer in back. Tony, one of the framers helpers had a use for it. The wood rack had to be assembled in the workshop, and all the tools moved out.
6/1/00 Thursday night - Fred, Elaine's brother came over to help move the heavy cabinets, tools, and wood out of the trailer.
6/4/00 Sunday- Tony showed up with a tow truck and driver to get the trailer out. The 2 winches on the truck made short work of extracting it and chaining it to the tow bar.
7/26/00 Its been a busy month and a half, sailing, Free Acres party and all. Before the sailing trip I had the building inspector come and look at the wood burning stove chimney that was complete , around 6/13. The first thing he checked was the paperwork from the stove and chimney. The installed pipe had to be specified by the stove manufacturer. We were ok there. Then he checked the installation. It was ok also .I passed the electrical roughing inspection on 7/8. This inspector couldn't have been happier with my work. After that, I plumbed the radiant manifolds for the upstairs rooms. Meanwhile, I floored the attic with plywood and rented a power sprayer to paint it and the ceiling beams in the basement.
Next goal- install the plumbing for the heating and air conditioning so the plumbing can be inspected before the 2nd floor slabs are poured.
8/10/00 I have the floor heating manifolds installed. The piping has yet to be run in the 1st floor ceiling. In a side track, the attic floor was finished and painted, the basement was painted and a boiler cement pad was poured. Because winter is approaching, the floor heating slab installation was pushed ahead of the framing inspection and sheet rock. Preparation of the boiler room is also important. The main goal right now is heat for winter !
9/14/00 The goal of heat for winter has not yet been completed. The air handler loop up through the house was installed. It needs to be insulated. I dug the two last footings in the old basement (henceforth Boiler Room) and inspector Bill gave it the thumbs up. Gary Olson helped me run the gas piping up to the new laundry room and new boiler location. We also formed the pump pad. This is where all the hydronic pumps will be installed in the boiler room. Tomorrow Weldon is coming with 1 yard of cement for the pad and footings. As a side issue, the boiler in our Paterson house cracked and also needs to be replaced. I now own 2 houses without heat. Tomorrow after the pour I will pick up the boilers and deliver one to Paterson and the other one home.
9/22/00 Last weekend I worked on the Paterson boiler with Gary and Bob and Matt's help and finished it off on tuesday with Bob.
I am currently focusing on heat at home. The boiler is physically in place and the boiler room piping is being installed. Meanwhile, we ordered the garage door in back to keep out the critters and keep in the cat, Jones.
12/19/00 Progress has been slow due to financial constraints, I have been working by myself mostly.
The boiler room piping was completed. The house infrastructure can now supply heat to the radiators when they are connected.
The boiler has been up, although there is not much connected radiation. The lower basement slab and the family room crawl space slab are the only ones connected. The new front bath also has some staple up radiant tubing and a baseboard supplying heat.
The living room air handler (fan coil) was installed. We now have automatic heat in there. Next is the family room fan coil.
12/30/00 Finished installing the Family Room fan coil
Year 1999
12/5/99 Lay mantle block foundation
1/16/99 The new foyer bathroom project is at a standstill.
The rough plumbing, electrical and framing are complete. I can’t do much more until the inspectors check it out. I am hoping that they will not find any problems.
1/23/99 The ductwork is complete. The plumbing passed with a minor change. The electrical will pass with a minor change that I already fixed. Workers spent today leveling the crawl space and bringing in 3 of the 5 tons of gravel. Compare the before and after.
We also picked up 15 sheets of sheetrock and 9 sheets of wonder board. It's all in the living room in the dining room table waiting installation.
Shower pan tomorrow, I also need to start putting the floor in the family room back together so I can take down the tent, as per Elaine's request.
1/24/99 I set the mud in the shower pan first thing in the morning, around 9:00. I floated it the best I could and let it set until 2:00 p.m. I floated it a second time to get the slope just right.
Paul helped me lay the block for the knee wall foundation that will eventually hold up the hearth and wood stove
2/7/99
Over the last 2 weekends, and the nights in between the wonder board and sheetrock was installed, and the spackling was started. I had some help from Pete rockin' and laying plastic tubing in the crawl space in preparation for the slab.
3/14/99
It's been over a month since the last update and so much has happened. I have been spending every spare minute working on the house (in my other life I work for Revlon). I am trying to be moved out of the workshop before my next Phoenix trip at the end of the month. I will work on the long stories while I am away.
The slab was finally poured in the crawl space, complete with water tubes.
The cement was pumped in
The bathroom was tiled.
And the site work was started by clearing the back to make room for a construction yard and spreading 25 tons of DGA and crushed rock.
2 trees were taken down
3/28/99
On Saturday the mantle block was laid. This was the part in the family room from floor to ceiling, 11 1/2 feet by 7 1/2 feet.
Sunday, the hearth slab was poured, complete with heat tubes inside.
I'm heading to Phoenix on Wednesday, 3/31. I'll be gone a while. At least I will have a chance to catch up on my story writing. When I get back I have to get the site work started.
5/31/99
Tomorrow I am going back to Phoenix. The work done since I have been home the last time is:
1. Completed the move out of the carport. Storage stuff went into the trailer and minimum machine tools went into the basement- table saw, radial arm saw, drill press, and the belt sander. The hand tools are all kept inside also.
2. Power washed & painted the basement. While I had the basement emptied, the time was right. Pressure washed and acid etched in preparation for epoxy paint. The epoxy paint was very smelly.
3. Worked out the wood stove flue placement & purchased the upper insulated section. I realized that the return air register was in the way and had to be moved and the ceiling collar for the flue had to be framed out. To be finished later......
Upcoming agenda:
Phoenix trip, Annapolis - Newport Race
Demo carport roof, demo carport, dig footings.
6/22/99
Asen's crew has been working on the roof demo work for the last few weeks, a little at a time. Its still not finished. I gave him a call and told him that the excavator was going to show up and he finished the work the next morning.
6/23/99
The excavator showed up. He took down the carport walls.
6/26/99 I marked out the footings. It was much easier without the walls in the way.
7/7/99 The Depco crew was finally back to start the major digging work.
7/8/99 Depco 75% finished with the first rough cut. I relocated the condensing unit and got it running.
7/19/99 Depco completed the excavation on Friday July 16th. It was 8 days of backhoe work.
The masons started the next day, on Saturday July 17th, building the footing forms.
7/25/99 Asen and his men took 2 1/2 days to complete the forms. It was inspected on Wednesday, and we poured on Thursday July 22. The first truck arrived at 3:00 PM. We finished with the second truck by 4:30. Over the weekend, the forms were stripped and everything was cleaned up.
8/14/99 Saturday- rain day
8/15/99 Sunday-The foundation was mostly finished by 8/6. The remainder went painfully slow, they just finished up the odds and ends today. The under tubing was laid and covered on Wednesday, 8/11. 20 tons of DGA is waiting in the driveway for the ground to dry out, so the thermal storage cells under the workshop and garage slabs to be insulated.
8/16,17 Monday/Tuesday nights- Worked with Al to get the foundation wall perimeters insulated with 2" insulation.
8/21/99 Saturday- Big work day. Covered by the blue tarp in case of rain, Me, Asen, John, Vosko, Boshko, and Al with the bobcat loaded just about 20 tons of stone dust and 20 tons of state mix #5 into the foundation for thermal storage. This was complete with tubes for water and compacting between each layer.
8/22/99 Sunday- A light crew cleaned and finished up.
8/23/99 Monday- Acquire slab materials including insulation, re-bar, re-bar chairs,
8/24/99 Tuesday- Complete conduit and piping stubs through slab
8/25/99 Wednesday- Me, Rich D., Asen and John installed the re-bar. We quit around 9:30.
8/26/99 Thursday- 3:00 AM I awoke during a major thunderstorm to find the tarp filled with water about to flood the whole slab area. I pumped the water out with an electric pump and set up the ladder in the center to hold up the ridge line. It had stretched down within 5 feet of the slab.
Night -Me, Benny, and John installed the radiant tubing in the slabs
8/27/99 Friday- I took off the day from work to prepare for the pour on Saturday. There were 12 items on my punch list. Me, John, and Vosko worked until 7:00 PM
8/28/99 Saturday- The slab pour Despite the first truck getting here before we were ready, the day went well which means that it was only a minor fiasco. We were shorthanded because Vosko didn't show up, and the super-p in the cement wore off before we finished unloading it, and PS - the cement strength tests came back crappy. It was a nice day and we finished floating and were having a BBQ by 1:30 PM.
8/29/99 Sunday- Cleaned up by myself.
8/30/99 Monday- covered the slabs with 3 bales of hay and set up an automatic sprinkler system to keep the slab wet while it cures.
9/1,2 Scott started demo with the upstairs
9/4-6 Labor Day Weekend- Wedding up in Killington and finished moving out of the bedroom and into family room.
9/7 Scott continued demo and had the bedroom gone by Friday.
9/11, 12 Weekend- Me, Vosko, John, and Al with the bobcat started to excavate under the old bedroom.
9/13/99 week of- Scott worked 3 more days on the demo, Me and Al worked digging 2 nights and I almost forgot- Hurricane Floyd.
9/18/99 Saturday- Outside ground too soft to drive bobcat on. No work
9/19/99 Sunday- Worked with Al and the bobcat digging.
9/20/99 week of- Scott worked 4 days on demo, and on Friday set the new living room ceiling joists, columns, and beams.
9/26 Sunday- Me, Vosko, and Al with the bobcat dug enough to set the column footings.
9/27/99 week of- Scott worked 1 1/2 day on framing and 1 1/2 day on digging the column forms. They were inspected and passed by the inspector, Bill. I got bronchitis and Scott mounted the front window.
10/2 A landmark day! The basement digging is complete. It took 8 days digging over a month to get it done. Al came through for me. It was tough on everybody involved. Various parties include myself and AL, the wives, Karen and Elaine, parents Joe and Sue, framers, Scott, Fred and Mike, workers and neighbors.
weekend- I worked 2 long days with John, Vosko, Louie, and Al with a rented bobcat. We poured a small wall footing and the column footings.
10/9/99 Scott and Fred showed up to set the steel beam over the old house foundation. Vosco and I helped get the beam on the wooden scaffold Scott built. We leveled the house by jacking the beams.
Week of 10/11 The upstairs was leveled and the new dining room floor joists were set.
10/16/99 With Vosco and Al, we set the steel columns for the W4 and W12 beams
Week of 10/18 The dining room and outer kitchen floor were completed.
10/23/99 With Al and his Mason, we laid the block wall separating the two basement floor heights. Vosco and Louie filled the foyer floor and planted trees.
10/24/99 With Chris Gauch and Pete Rebovich, we made the form wall base and did the foyer under slab plumbing
Week of 10/25/99 The new dining room walls went up. On Friday, the dining room ceiling beams were started.
10/30-31/99 Bob and I finished the beam planing. Then they were sanded and sprayed with polyurethane. Birch for the ceiling above was picked up.
11/1/99 Bob and I pickled the birch white. Scott worked on the 2nd floor walls
11/2/99 Failed the plumbing inspection. Needed to dig up a connection for viewing.
11/5/99 The Plumbing inspector came back. The connection was OK. I still need a clean out at the back of the building. I put a quick coat of poly on the birch.
11/6-7/99 With Bob and Al, we set the basement floor edge forms on sat. Poured on Sunday.
11/8/99 Stripped forms and cleaned up. Off to Phoenix. Scott worked on the 2nd floor clg.
11/21/99 I am just back from 10 days in Phoenix. With Bob's help we bypassed the last section of original clay sewer pipe which went from the new rear foyer into the existing basement by the washtub. We had to dig a trench and lay the pipe. Next step it to get it inspected, but before that, a clean out at the back of the house needs to be installed. Asen said that he would do it tomorrow.
Year 1998
11/7/98 Demo foyer closet
11/14/98 Demo foyer floor
11/21/98 Dig mantle footing, prepare rebar
11/25/98 Mantle footing inspection
11/28/98 Pour footing & glass block bath window