Floor Installation

When the UPS man was nearing our home he called and politely asked, "Do you have ANY idea what you are getting today?!" I became a little nervous. What I expected were bamboo floors. What we received were 3 large pallets and 6,000 lbs. of bamboo floors. 

Here's a look at some of the boxes after they were separated and opened.

And, a close up... to refresh your memory.

The guys started in the back bedroom on the second floor...

Here are a few more pictures of various places in the house. Some of the spots were completely covered with protective paper before I could snap a photo.  Nevertheless, it is proof that our floors are in.

We've been spending all week at the beach with our family and taking some nice deep breaths of salty sea air. It's been great to get away but, of course, not all of our house responsibilities have ceased.

(Bethany Beach, DE)

This week, our contractor is planning on finishing all of the moulding throughout the house, getting as much of the tile work in the bathroom showers done as possible and installing the interior doors. 

 Our responsibility this week is to order the last bit of tile that we need. We didn't mean to procrastinate, it's just difficult making the decision for 2 big reasons: 

(1) being worried that what looks good in your head will actually look good in real life... especially, since the bathrooms involve combinations of different tile.

 (2) being this far into a project and constantly looking for a way to save a few pennies (without sacrificing quality). Seeking out that "great deal" sometimes takes longer than you think.

It may be the salt in the air, the ocean breezes and our current state of relaxation, but check out this tile that we ordered yesterday, from modwalls.com:

It's just slightly different from the black/grey/white color scheme (check it out) that we've been pretty consistent with! We will just have to all wait and see...

We also placed an order for our front door window kit. Hint: it isn't the one with the 3 square windows. (door options)

Be prepared for a rally since we need to be out of our rental soon! I am looking forward to seeing all of the progress when we get back in town. Plus, Wednesday should be a big day because our countertops are scheduled to be installed.

Summer!

We haven't had much to blog about lately but today, on this first day of Summer, the sweet smell of progress is in the air!

All of the kitchen cabinets have been put together and, rather than using the plastic legs that came with them, Sam and Chris built wooden bases.

The tile was laid in the three full bathrooms and is waiting to be grouted. We chose grout colors that correspond to the tile colors and 1/8" joint sizes to make the finished floor look as seamless as possible.

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The front and side doors have been installed.  Because we couldn't find a single exterior door that we liked, we decided to get a solid door and modify it using a Crestview Doors custom kit.  This will be much more cost effective than having a door custom made.  We had Lowes give us a quote on our ideal door and it was $5,000- 6,000 and would take 6-8 weeks. Really? A door? What I find hilarious is that almost every home in my parents' midwestern neighborhood has had a mid-century modern style door at one time. Many homes, including theirs, are still sporting one. But, for us to find one has been a real struggle. 

The side door and the front door, installed. 

Here are some of the options that we are considering:

Prime Time

Ikea delivered our cabinets and some appliances on Saturday and now we have even more boxes. Add that to our boxes of tile and to our hardwood floors, still waiting in storage. Sam and I aren't the only things patiently awaiting their move in date. 

We should be able to start assembling the cabinets once we finish priming and painting the kitchen so, get those allen wrenches ready.  I am making a promise to myself (and, mostly, to Sam) that I will read each and every line of the directions... and take my time. I think this will be the key to stress-free assembly and a stress-free husband.

The good news is that were able to start priming on Monday and hope to be finished by the end of the week.

While Team Gibbons recorded some minor victories this week, the spotlight belongs to the Baltimore Orioles who, on Sunday, managed to win their 16th game and end a 10-game losing streak.  Despite hosting a strugging team, Camden Yards is a great place to watch a baseball game. We have been to a handful of games already this season; Here are a few pics:

Camden Yards was the first of the "retro" style major league ballparks to be built.  It opened on April 6, 1992 when the Orioles hosted the Cleveland Indians (Go Tribe!). Cleveland fans, how about this fun fact: The Baltimore Orioles moved from St. Louis in 1954, where they were originally called the St. Louis Browns. Baltimore: you just can't help yourself, can you? 

Our part in Orioles History:

On April 12, 2010, we were among the 9,129 fans in attendance at this record setting game. http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2010-04-14 

Not a ticket stub I think I need to hold on to. 

Shopping Sprees

There isn't much at the house to blog about this week. The walls are still in the process of being finished. Here are a few pictures of that:

Sam and I, however, have been making a lot of purchases. We will be ready for those, hopefully not-so-distant days, when it is time to prime/paint and install the kitchen, floors and tile.

Our floors have been patiently waiting in storage and Ikea should be delivering our kitchen any day now (it was due last Monday). A bunch of our tile came in and we picked it up from Chesapeake Tile, in Federal Hill, on Friday. 

I may have mentioned this quickly in a previous post but, Chesapeake Tile is an amazing place to find tile. Mitch and Lauren are great and can help you find the perfect tile that fits your budget... which, judging by the showroom, may (for some people) be $300 per square foot. Luckily, if you are looking to spend more like $5-10 per square foot, they still have plenty to choose from.  We were getting bored with Home Depot's selection of tile which is why we chose to look elsewhere. I was very hesitant to go into a specialty store but was happy to find a very relaxed and non-intimidating environment there.

I guess I can give you a sneak peak of some of our bathroom tile...

First Floor, half bathroom:

As you may recall...

Second Floor, communal bath:

Second Floor, Bedroom:

Third Floor, Bedroom:

In addition to the tiles, yesterday we purchased a dishwasher, washer and dryer. Let me just say, after all of the things I have bought for this house, the washer and dryer is what really made me feel like a grown-up. About time... 30 is just around the corner (duh,duh,dum). 

We went to the Sears outlet in Perry Hall and got an amazing deal. Sure, a dent or two. Both the washer and dryer were reduced, then 50% off, then an additional 10% of for Memorial Day. The dryer alone was originally $1500 and we got both for $1000. 

Aren't they pretty? At the very least, they have a multitude of buttons, lights and dials. They are the Whirlpool Duet. After reading a million-and-one epinions about front-loading washers, I have come to the realization that I will either absolutely love this or despise this.

Dry Basement and Dry-Wall

We avoided addressing our basement issues for as long as possible but, about 2 weeks ago, we had to give up and give in. We had a lot of water that our sump pump just wasn't able to get rid of. There were several attempts to fix it before we were advised to get a French drain installed. To install this kind of drain, the perimeter of the basement floor is jackhammered down to the footing and the cement is removed. A layer of stone is laid down, and the drain is laid on top of it. Water is collected from the basement wall floor joint as it enters, and a sump pump is installed to pump the water out of the house and away from the foundation. 

Once completed, the area is cemented over leaving only a gap around the perimeter. The gap exists in order to allow water in from the basement walls. 

The entrance to the basement from the street

Most of the basement is only 5 feet high. There is a section in the back, about 6 feet high, where there will be an area built to house our HVAC units. 

Here is a close up of the pebbles lining the perimeter of the basement. 

I am happy to say that the French drain system has worked and our basement has been staying dry... even through the last few thunder storms.

I am also pleased to report that we have hit a major milestone this past weekend... drywall! 

The house looks a little messy but here are some pictures of what it looks like with walls:

On our agenda:

Tomorrow: finish ordering all of the bathroom tile

Friday-Sunday: Beach!

Monday: Ikea delivery (kitchen cabinets and appliances)

Next week: We will be able to begin priming as soon as the walls are finished.