Interior Painting Underway

The ceiling and woodbeams are stained creating that great stained beam under the stonewall between the gameroom and the kitchen. Interior painting continues next week, though obviously not through Christmas.

The exterior soffit painting was redone this week, a clean up leftover from Hurricane Gustav. Caitlin also came up with the great idea of painting the door to the tool storage area to match the soffit color, it really looks great on the exterior of the house now.

Countertop install was pushed to Monday, but we're still moving along great with getting the house finished.

Driveway Poured

Since the weather in Baton Rouge has gone from freezing last week to mid-70s this week, we weren't sure that concrete pouring was going to be possible. But taking advantage of a small window the past couple of days where it didn't rain and the temperature settled in between the 50s and 60s, they were able to get everything poured. The stone pallets (off in the distance there) were delivered today and will be place on the edges of the driveway and on the walkways shortly.

Look out: countertops are scheduled to be installed on Friday!

SNEAUX DAY!!

You folks aren't going to believe this, but today, December 11, it snowed three inches in Baton Rouge. It was amazing and beautiful and since I was driving to New Orleans in it, I did not make it to the house to take pictures.

It also was too cold to paint. Yes, it's remarkable that the construction of our house could be impacted by a hurricane AND snowfall in the same four month period!

Finishing Begins

With about five weeks to go until the house is finished, the colors of the house are starting to come alive as Caitlin works his magic painting and staining.

The stone wall between the gameroom and kitchen was filled in today and will be grouted tomorrow. The kitchen and bathroom cabinets have been stained and others painted.

And the driveway forms are ready to be poured on Saturday. Check out the slideshow link for more pictures of the finishing.

Closets Built

The closets are built and paint priming has already begun. I'll take more pictures over the weekend and get them posted.

Almost all the cabinets are in, the baseboards are complete and primed and the wood beams in the Game Room have been installed. Also this week we ordered the garage door, all the electrical fixtures (well, almost all) and everything should be in for the plumbing and other installation after the counter tops are installed!

Oh, and we ordered the stools for the bar. It's getting very exciting folks!

Old House Goes Up for Sale

Our old house went up on www.fsbobr.com last night. If you know anyone who needs a house, check out this link: http://www.fsbobr.com/explore.cfm/area04/102053 to see pictures and information on the house. It's a great house, we're just more excited about moving into our new one that Rick hopes to have us in by Christmas.

Home for the holidays indeed. Thank goodness I bought LED Christmas lights after the holidays last year!

Exterior Finishing Almost Complete

From the outside, you'd never know it's a concrete house. A lot of people asked about using ICF and wondered if it would make the house look bulky or odd.

With beautiful architectural stone and a stucco finish, it looks just like a regular house, except on one of the most important pieces of paper, the energy bill.

Robert from R&S Superior Cabinets is also doing a great piece of millwork for that front gable, so stay tuned to see how it develops. On the inside the cabinets are almost done, the doors mostly hung and the trim started last week as well. The house is really coming together. Check out the slideshow for more pictures.

Dry Wall Complete, Cabinet Installation Starts

Robert Shamburger and his son Beau from RS Superior Cabinets were onsite Tuesday afternoon to install the cabinets throughout the house. These beautiful custom cabinets were designed in the craftsman style to complement the rest of the house design. Made of beech, they are a beautiful smooth wood that will take staining very well.

The dry wall is complete as is the exterior finishing, with the exception of the soffits that have to be redone from the damage the Tyvek did in Hurricane Gustav. Apparently heavy paper being wind-whipped at 91 miles an hour causes paint to flake off, I believe Tyvek-blasting is the technical term.

We were given a gift on the exterior finishing in that there was a slight bit of confusion over the color we chose and what was listed on the filing plan of the house from which we chose the color. The result is that on the original paint attempt we got a gray color instead of the green color we wanted. Well, we decided to use the gray color as an accent around the windows and on the boarder on the front. I saw it for the first time yesterday and it looks awesome. Pictures are coming soon, but I need to go take them in the morning as the afternoon sun (at least by the time I get there each day) detracts from the detail and finish.

Things are really rolling along. Cabinets will be finished this week, then doors get installed the house really starts to look finished. Check out the slideshow link for more pictures!

Drywall Almost Complete

The drywall is almost complete and looks great. Our superhero ability to walk through walls has gone away with the drywall installation. Cabinets are on schedule to start installation any day now and the exposed beams will be installed shortly as well. The house is really coming together on the inside!

Checkout the slideshow for additional drywall pictures.

Drywall Started Today

The drywall installation started today. Here's a picture of some in the master bedroom where the ceiling has both a 10 foot and 12 foot height with recessed LED can lights around the perimeter. Today I enjoyed perhaps my last chance to walk through some of the walls (particularly the one between the master closet and the media room), I'm going to miss being able to do that!

We're Finally On Google Maps!

Lexington Estates finally made Google Maps! It doesn't quite compute addresses yet, but the little blue bubble here on the map indicates where our house is located on Landmark Drive.

Progress is coming along great on the house with the stucco almost complete today. Drywall installation starts tomorrow.

More pictures being posted too, click on the slideshow for more.

Passage of H.R. 1424 Means Energy-Efficient Credits Have Been Extended

Swallowing the $400 Billion "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008" last week was a little bit like swallowing a brick. I'll let the economists debate the virtues of that package, but the upside of the legislation was found in Division B of H.R. 1424, the "Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008."
 
We started the planning for our energy-efficient home in 2007. At the time there were several federal tax-credits on the books for energy-efficient construction and modifications. Let me be clear with this statement, we would have made the decision to build efficiently whether we were getting tax credits or not, however: 1) they do help offset the upfront costs of our more expensive, but more energy efficient choices and 2) the tax credits are an incentive for homeowners and builders to seek out energy efficient technology, which builds a market for that technology as well as those capable of installing and working with the new technology. In short, most builders (other than ours) will tell you there is no money to be made in building energy efficiency construction. They're right. Most spec builders want to build a high-quality house as cheaply as possible, and when it comes to energy efficient modifications, finding the labor to make them and the equipment themselves are often not worth their time or trouble. They won't be able to make their money and extra labor back up unless there is something that offsets their out-of-pocket costs, like a tax credit.
 
And when there isn't a market or a ready labor pool for a particular application (tankless water heaters, recycled glass countertops, poured concrete walls), the technology remains economically out of reach for many because there is little market competition due to the lack of general interest. It's like trying to fly to Alaska in late October. There aren't any direct flights and the flights available are very expensive, because the only people who go to Alaska in late October are the ones who have to. Try the same trip in June when everyone wants to go, and the options and competition are a lot better.
 
Well, on December 31, 2007, those tax credits expired and despite numerous insertions into various bills during the second session of the 110th Congress, they had not been renewed leaving our house (and any other built in 2008) out of the somewhat lucrative tax credits for energy efficient construction and purchase of energy conserving appliances.
 
That was until last week. Before the House adjourned for the session (unless they come back for a lame-duck term after the November election), they passed the so-called bailout legislation that had a number of divisions for various tax incentives, including the one for energy-efficient residential and commercial construction.
 
I have not finished going over the text of the legislation with a fine-toothed comb yet, but here are the highpoints:

1. Energy Credits for Solar Energy (i.e., the addition of solar panels) have been extended to January 1, 2017. Moreover, the new language allows for credit against the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), a move that essentially raises the amount of the credit for most homeowners.
2. Small Wind Energy Credit (generating your own electricity through the use of a small-wind turbine or an average male after bean chili and a few beers) has been extended to December 31, 2016, and the credit raised to $4000. You may want to stick to regular turbines as provisions in the law against "double dipping" prohibit using your average male as both an energy tax credit and a standard deduction.
3. Energy Credit for Geothermal Heat Pump Systems extended to January 1, 2017.
4. New Energy Efficient Home Credit extended until December 31, 2009.
5. Significant modifications to the Energy Efficient Appliance Credit. Dishwasher credit: $45 or $75 depending on efficiency; Clothes Washer credit: $75 - $250 depending on efficiency; Refrigerators: $50 - $200 depending on efficiency. And the total aggregate amount of credit allowed has been raised to $75,000,000, meaning builders can build several homes with energy-efficient appliances and get the credits for just about all of them.
6. Thermal efficiency for Water Heaters modified to be either an energy factor of 0.80 or a thermal efficiency of at least 90 percent.

There are more details that I still need to read and compare to the previous legislation. They don't re-write the laws, they just say, change subsection (a), line one to "x." I hope to put together a comprehensive document that helps those interested in building energy efficient construction understand their credits and builders understand credits available to them as well to continue to encourage investment in energy efficiency. Incentives continue to be the primary driver toward innovation and research/development to progress the energy efficient movement. Drop me an e-mail if you have corrections or questions.

Media Room Risers Installed

The media room risers were installed last week as well as shown in this picture. The three levels of seating will add to the movie theater feel of the room. In front there will be a large screen with a projector mounted to the ceiling.

Danny is working with our security guy to get the room wired in what we hope will be a great media experience!

Thar She Blows! *Attic Insulation*

The insulation was blown into the attic last week as Rick and his crew prepare for drywall installation next week. The cellulose insulation expands as they apply it to the underside of the roof as part of the envelope construction which supports the energy efficiency of the home by sealing the entire structure. It makes for more storage space in a heated and cooled attic, but more importantly, it keeps outdoor air pollution from being brought into the home through traditional attic vents. It looks pretty cool too!

Sneak Peak at the Floors

The floors are covered up now that Emily and her crew are almost completely finished. But I managed to get a few pictures last week before everything was covered. The images seen here include the compass at the front entry (before it was painted); the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired "rug" in the dining room that represents the image of the art glass windows across the game room; and a picture of the kictchen floor. There will be more pictures of the floors at the end of the job when everything gets polished and a few more suprises as well!

Work Resumes Today

All is well at Lot #111. We did lose a couple of shingles and pretty much all of our Tyvek wrap, but otherwise the house is just fine. Power was restored Sunday night and Emily and her crew are returning today to finish the floors.

In talking with Rick yesterday he explained that the lost shingles were probably due to the fact that the roof had not had enough time to set where the asphalt actually melds together on the roof making a tight grip. The only way a roof actually sets is with several days of hot sun that activate the asphalt strips. Since we've had relatively mild and overcast days leading up to the storm, there were one or two spots that had not completely set and they were taken by the wind. Rick assured us that our roof was installed to Miami/Dade Hurricane standards that include six nails per shingle instead of the usual three.

Personally, I think some debris from across the street hit the roof because the only damage to the roof was on the side facing the house under construction with the full dumpster. Again, it was very minor damage that can easily be replaced. The walls held up incredibly well, aside from the Tyvek, which really isn't meant to withstand 91 mph gusts. Rick is doing some research anyway right now on alternative waterproofing methods for ICF, we'll keep the blog posted on what he comes up with.

Hurricane Gustav

Hurricane Gustav roared ashore this morning in Louisiana. Unfortunately, Baton Rouge was on what is considered the worst side of the storm to be on. We had sustained winds in Baton Rouge at 61 mph, with gusts of 91 mph. The good news is, we are fine, our families are fine and accounted for and except for being without power, we're good.

The bad news is, we weren't in our new concrete house yet. At our old house, a wood frame house, we did have a tree uproot in our back yard and hit our house. From what we can tell, it did not cause a lot of damage, but we haven't really been up to assess it closely. Rick called us this afternoon and offered to come by and help us remove it tomorrow (once again, can I say AWESOME builder?)

We don't know if there was any damage at our home under construction. Rick and his crew were out to prepare the construction site for the storm on Friday, locked down the doors, picked up debris, etc. We feel reasonably certain the house is fine, we'll try to get out tomorrow and get a look at it. Our only real threat was from the construction site across the street where their trash container had not been emptied in weeks and posed a real debris threat to the house... and we only expect that debris may have damaged our windows or shingles.

But we are fine. We wish we were in our new house because we'd be a lot better off... we'll have a backup generator there and much more significant walls (and very small baby trees). Our hearts and prayers go out to all of those affected by this storm tonight and we pray for a quick recovery as we thank God that there wasn't significant flooding like what happened with Katrina.

Scoring and Staining

After an interesting day of popping the lines for the scored and stained concrete floors (and Susan learning how to LISTEN to people giving her information), scoring continued today with staining starting late in the afternoon.

It doesn't look like anything yet, but once all the finishing is done, it will look very cool. Below are some pictures of Emily and her crew working today as well as the video shot above of the new saw scoring the floor in the kitchen.

Most houses just have floors, ours has a literal canvas of artistic color, effects, texture and even a little humor.

Electrical Inspection Complete!

With our incredible builder Rick running the job, it is no surprise what-so-ever that we got the literal O.K. on our electrical inspection today. Hats off to rockin' Ray Decareaux and his crew at Acustom Electric for a job well done. Maybe it's just the English major in me, but is O.K. really the opposite of Rejected? What about Fabulous, Awesome or Fantastic? Don't get me wrong, we'll take our O.K. and run with it... I'm just throwing that question out there on the wording. As you can see there are still a few steps to go, but it just seems to keep getting better!

I can see it now, a new third level of code for building... the Rick Standard, better than O.K., it's not even 1/2 inch off!

Interior Work Well Underway

Interior work on the house is well underway. The above pictures show the last exterior door has been installed and the electrical wiring is complete. Notice how they cut into the styrofoam for the wiring on the ICF walls. This wiring will be covered with drywall for a seamless electrical and plumbing installation.

In this picture, the frames for the pocket doors on the craft room and laundry room are visible. This framing will allow the doors to slide into the wall wasting no space in the rooms on in the hallway for door openings. On Saturday, I met with Emily Heroman of NuCrete to go over the floor designs in house prior to their work beginning on Monday. I haven't heard that the weather will impact their work beginning, but we'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully they can start popping the lines for the flooring designs on Monday afternoon. Checkout the slideshow gallery for more pictures from Friday.

LED Lighting

One of the energy-efficient components of our home is to use LED lighting where ever possible. Not only do LEDs use 1/2 the energy of a compact fluorescent light (CFL), they do not contain harmful mercury, which should be used cautiously in an indoor environment. LEDs can last anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 hours whereas even extended life CFLs can only last up to 10,000 hours under extremely ideal conditions. LEDs also give off very little heat, making them the perfect lighting choice for South Louisiana to reduce summer cooling bills.

We found LED can lighting fixtures manufactured by Cree. Visit their Website for an overview of their LED recessed down lights (cans) which fit into regular Halo housings for easy construction. These fixtures can even be retrofitted into existing harnesses for an energy efficient remodel. The Cree cans can also be controlled with a dimmer, a feature most LED bulbs haven't quite perfected yet. 1000Bulbs.com sells these lights for about $114 each, which seems like a lot for light fixtures until you figure that they last up to 20 years and use 85% less energy than typical incandescent fixtures, meaning the fixtures will pay for themselves in a couple of years. Our electrician, Ray with Acustom Electric, is getting them from a local source, but any do-it-yourself homeowner can buy these and retrofit them into existing can harnesses with Cree's simple installation instructions.

As the LED technology gets more and more refined over the next few years, we will see more applications of them throughout the residential setting. We found another Website for a company that specializes in making LED bulbs that fit regular incandescent light sockets. We've tried a few of these out and while some of them are significantly dimmer than your average 40 watt bulb, some of them are fantastic and give off a great quality light. One site is The LED Light that offers a variety of LED products. Another site C.Crane that also offers a wide variety of LED bulbs that fit standard incandescent applications. We are also installing LED track lighting in the game room, using positionable LEDs to focus light in particular areas like the pool table and shuffle board table. Another site carrying LED bulbs are LEDbulb.com.

One other neat application we're doing with LEDs is a collaborative effort between our creativity, our cabinet maker's craftsmanship and Rick's vision for our new home. Rick has been pushing us to make our house special, even when the temptation to do something the most cost effective way is driving many of our decisions. An inexpensive and creative effect in our kitchen is being created by our cabinet maker, Robert Shamburger, who is creating a faux window effect in our kitchen by building screens for these boxes that will be framed in drywall over our cooktop. Because the cooktop is on an interior wall, we'll cover the wall with drywall and have these LED fixtures behind the screens that can be controlled by a remote. These particular LEDs can be up to 12 different colors allowing us to set a mood (Purple and Gold for football season, Red and Green for Christmas) with the touch of a button in a unique kitchen building application.

I think we've just barely scraped the capability of LED technology and working to install these fixtures now will allow us to keep pace with the changes in lighting technology down the road. Not only that, we're taking advantage of the opportunity to build a truly custom home that has some unique features that we can enjoy while being "green" at the same time. For more information about LED lighting, read this recent NY Times article: Fans of LED Say This Bulb's Time Has Come. (I do take issue with some of the facts in this article, though, it wasn't very well researched as we've found very reasonably priced LED bulbs and downlights and I'm having a tough time seeing where they couldn't be applied to regular lighting with the same effect). I'd like to thank the guy who sat next to me on the red-eye from Seattle to Atlanta last October who dealt in commercial lighting and turned me on the the possiblity of LED fixtures.

I'm taking more pictures this afternoon... stop back by over the weekend!

The Mysterious Palm Tree

Sometime during the week our sand was delivered for our stucco (either that, or Rick's building a beach volley ball court) and next to the pile of sand was this palm tree. It's not real, but it's reasonably nice looking. We're not sure why it was left at our jobsite, but there it is, a palm tree. We may have to keep it and name it.

More and More Progress!

The roof is complete, the plumbing is pretty much complete (except for adding the fixtures, which happens later), the electrical is under way. Things are rolling along quite well with all of the construction and the crews have been working hard to get all the pieces finished.

Rolling Along

The roof shingles were added last week and all of the exterior windows are now in, including the cat window show at the far left above. We have electrical walkthrough on Tuesday and the floors start next Monday. There has been an amazing amount of progress in the last couple of weeks, so we know Rick and his crew have really been working hard.

Beautiful Doors!

The front entry door and the side entry door are installed and stained and the results are just beautiful. Hats off to Caitlin who did the finishing on the doors and the painting of the soffets. His attention to detail and ability to match the stain color was absolutely perfect. We couldn't be happier!

The Doors

The exterior doors and windows for the most part have been installed. These beautiful doors created by T&L Forest Products are made from spanish cedar and will have art glass inserts added to them to create a craftsman style look. The carpenters are finishing up this week, with plumbing getting underway this Tuesday.

They Do Windows

The windows and exterior doors were delivered to the house yesterday. They started installing them throughout the house and should finish today. Pictured here is the bay window that will be over the kitchen sink. Now that the roof is substantially on, the difference in temperature from the outside to the inside is amazing. I was stunned yesterday to feel the difference, and that is with no fans and no air conditioning on a very sticky hot summer day. I can only imagine how it will feel once it is finished. More pictures are in the slideshow link on the right.

I Say The Roof, The Roof, The Roof is on Fire!

The roof is rocking and rolling along as these pictures from Friday show. The area over the front porch was rebuilt after the last set of pictures last week because, in Rick's words, "it had a booger on it." We once again applaud Rick for his commitment to zero-"booger" *ahem* defect building.

Windows get delivered this week and the roof should be finished shortly!

My Response to the Business Report Story

What is disheartening about seeking a better way to build a house is the change resistance one gets from conventional builders who don’t want to see the way we build modified. I offer these questions: why has it taken $4 a gallon gas to get car manufacturers to give us the fuel efficiency we should have had 10 years ago? Why did it take a “green movement” to get grocery stores to give people incentives for reusing bags?

And how long will it take Baton Rouge builders, fat and happy off of a real estate boom, to realize that the fastest and cheapest way to do something isn’t always the best way? Mr. Joe Didier needs to check his facts from his recent Business Report story (read here) where he is quoted as saying that it is hard to justify the costs of doing what we’re doing as opposed to stick building. Let me break it down for him this way: 1) According to the appraisal of our home as compared to the cost it is taking us to build it (plus Rick’s fees, plus lending/finance fees), we are already conservatively about $90K ahead. 2) Add to that a $65/month energy bill in the summer (let’s just look at the four hottest months, May – August) and you figure we’ll spend $260 at current prices to cool our home next summer. Compare that to most people I talk to with similar sized, conventionally built homes and they spend closer to $200/month at current prices cooling their home in the summer. That would mean that our home, just at these rates, will give us a summer savings of $540/year. And that’s just the summer. Because concrete also keeps the warm air in during the winter, we’ll see a similar, though not as dramatic, savings in the winter.

And this is at TODAY’s energy costs, which we know are rising. Anything the homeowner can do to reduce the energy use of their home not only saves them money it saves the PLANET of dwindling energy resources, something we ALL should attempt to do as good citizens.

But if the savings alone isn’t enough, Mr. Didier, I’ll tell you what, you’re invited over to my house next time the hurricane winds start to blow outside (or, heck, let’s just say a tornado or really bad thunderstorm). When the lights go out, where would you rather be? A house that will reach 85 degrees (and climbing) pretty darn fast without a backup generator, or my house that, without electricity, won’t get over 78 degrees for hours on end while we sit in the safety of our concrete walls, hardly able to hear the winds blowing outside. If there’s any beer left by the time you can get to us, Mr. Didier, I’ll be happy to share one with you while I smile smugly that we found an innovative builder willing to challenge the status quo.

Oh, and did I mention the energy savings tax credits available from the State and Federal government? Ooops, there's two more reasons to invest in the future. Think outside the wooden box, my friends!

Up On A Housetop!

Today is my friend Stone's birthday. Everyone wish her a fantastic birthday and that it's the beginning of a year filled with wonderful things for her. Normally I wouldn't make such a public mention of Stone getting a year older, but when I called her this morning to tell her Happy Birthday, she asked me what was up with no more recent pictures.

No the camera isn't broken... I've just been lazy. I even had pictures from last week that sat in my camera on my desk all weekend without getting posted. In my defense, I did finish painting the master bathroom of the old house, fix the tile in the kitchen and look for new light fixtures for the hall bathroom, so I wasn't a complete bum this weekend.

So... here's a picture from last week and this week. The rest are posted in the slideshow. It's coming along great and we're having some great weather this week, so I feel as though there will be more photo-worthy progress by week's end.

Roof Framing Coming Along

Here are some shots from last week's roof framing progress. It's coming along great despite the daily afternoon thunderstorm we seem to be getting. Right now we're waiting on drawings from our cabinet creator to finish the cabinet details inside and get them into production. With the 4th of July holiday over, things will kick back into high gear today! Click on the slideshow link for more pictures.

Hat's Off, But Almost Ready to Go On!

The weather was working against the crew today as they continued to frame up the house. As I talked to Rick this afternoon he used the expression "put the hat on" to refer to the roof being added. So hat's off to the team for getting the framing closer to putting that hat ON!

Also this week, we've firmed up the floor plans with our scored and stained concrete expert, Emily Heroman of NuCrete Designs. She's most excited about our plans and we can't wait to see her work her magic on the floors. Rick mentioned this afternoon that he's seen our completed front door as well, so we're very excited about the windows and doors being added soon. Wow... it's almost too fast to be real.

Hammering Right Along!

It's amazing to watch a house take shape. All the skill and precision and engineering that go into every piece of wood. Here are some pictures from this afternoon with more to follow this week as the skeleton of the roof goes up.

Framing Underway!

Framing is well underway and going quite well thanks to the expert craftsmen on Rick's crew. The walls should be finished by Tuesday and then they'll start on the ceiling and roof. Everyday it gets closer to looking like a house.

A key meeting this week is with Robert at RS Superior Cabinets to discuss our cabinetry and shelving. Last week we met with Emily Heroman at Nucrete to discuss our scored and stained concrete floors, which we'll be finalizing in plans with her this week.

So many details, so little time! So much fun, though. More to come.

Framing Starts June 4

Framing on the house will most likely start June 4. Framing will include the roof and interior walls. The windows are also set to be installed in the next couple of weeks. We'll keep updating pictures.

The house across the street from us is the 2008 Children's Miracle Mansion. Tickets for a chance to win the house along with a number of other fabulous prizes are available now and the drawing is Saturday, June 1. To purchase a ticket for a chance to win the Mansion, go to www.childrensmiraclemansion.org. Proceeds from the fundraiser go to the Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital to improve the technology and level of care to all children in the Baton Rouge area. It's a great cause and a great opportunity to win a free house. Visit the site today to buy your tickets online.

Exterior Bracing Comes Down

The exterior bracing for the concrete pour was taken down on Friday. The exterior walls are now completely visible and awaiting for framing to start.

Feel free to come by and "push" on the walls to feel how strong they are. Once the exterior stucco and limestone are added, there will be no way to tell on the exterior that the walls are made of styrofoam and concrete.

Caught in the Act: Rick Vinyard on the Jobsite

Rick Vinyard takes a moment to lean on his shovel from cleaning up the concrete falling from the top of the frame. This guy is a master project manager, he had his whole team working flawlessly to get the concrete poured, respond to the necessary trouble spots and keep our interior floors from getting stained or mucked up. Rick knew exactly where his resources were today and when/where they needed to be deployed, which is exactly what makes a great project manager.

I can't say enough good things about our builder. Not only is he a great builder/contractor, he's fun to work with because he knows he has everything in order when he shows up at the site.

Concrete Pour!

Here's some video of how the pour went today on the job site. The pour went off really well and Rick was out to supervise the crew along with Brian who directed the pour team. The bracing will remain up for a few more days as the concrete cures, but the exterior walls are essentially done!

There were a lot of visitors today to see the site, especially with the pump truck visible from Nicholson. The weather was really great, not too hot, sunny with a light breeze. We've had some excellent karma leading Kerry to tell me this morning he thought our house was "blessed."

I couldn't agree more!

(What you see in this footage is the pump truck hose pumping the concrete in while Brian taps on the wall forms to ensure the concrete has settled into the right location. The guy walking around with the joysticks looking up at the pump is Roger, he's controlling how the pump hose moves. And the guy in the gray shirt just standing around looking smart, that's Rick our builder.)

Pictures from Thursday, May 1, 2008

On Thursday they were almost finished with the wall forms and doing the final preparations for Tuesday's pour. Here are some pictures from Thursday.