Concrete demolition today

Today I had scheduled a "lowboy" to be delivered. It's a construction dumpster for concrete. Because concrete is so heavy, putting it into a normal, 20+ feet long by 8 feet high dumpster would make the dumpster too heavy to move. So the lowboy is about 3 feet tall. I had a city permit for no parking zone in front of the house from today at 7 a.m. to next Thursday at 5 p.m. Officially, the dumpster company delivers from 8 a.m. on, but I've had many dumpster deliveries that were long done by the time I arrived at 8 a.m. So to be sure things went smoothly, I arrived at 7:15 to make sure there were no cars in my no parking zone. Thank goodness there were none. I would have had to tow them, and that would not make for good neighbor relations. The dumpster came around 8 a.m., and all went smoothly. It is really amazing to watch them deliver it in a narrow street.

The windows were delivered today! I am really happy to have them and they look great. One thing that isn't so great is the bathroom window is supposed to have obscured, "pebbly" type glass so people can't see in from the walkway of the neighboring building. The lame guy at the window store (who has, by this time, made a multitude of errors) didn't have a sample from the brand of windows we purchased, but he showed us a sample from another company and said "it's just like this." In fact, it's not anything like what he showed us, and is not anywhere near obscure enough to be in a bathroom. What a moron! As I've said before about this guy, it's fine not to know something, but don't speak authoritatively as if you do know when you don't! We're not sure what we're going to do. The contractor said we could try to return it and force them to make it right. We can also use an etching spray on the outside pane of glass which will cloud it. Between that and the somewhat-obscured glass on the inside it should be fine. There are also stick-on films for this purpose, and if done correctly they look okay. This window faces the side walkway of the house too, which is a utility area so it's more important that it looks good from the inside than the outside.

I spent the afternoon at home researching appliances. It's harder than it seems! There are a million minute options, and even if you pick one type of appliance (e.g. a side-by-side refrigerator) there are several dozen model numbers from every one of the many manufacturers. Most of the model numbers are 15 digits long and differ by one digit from model to model (e.g. JSH1098T1234 vs. JSH1098U1234). One guy told us they do that to manage stock. They change one small detail, and the altermate production so one is always in stock. Whatever. But, we are making progress, and once this is done we can nail the kitchen design. We were supposed to have them ordered yesterday, but since the overall schedule has slipped a bit, we are probably fine if we do it in the next few days.

The big news of today is that the front wall is down! It looks so much better already, even thought the front yard is still trashed. Between the bars being off, the wall down and the new roof, the front looks a lot better. So many neighbors have come by and said something nice about it.

One not so nice thing though, people treat our front yard like a dumping ground. There was a foot massager left last Friday morning, lots of unscooped dog poop, and today after the trash had been picked up, someone put a very smelly bag of trash back in my trash can. Not only do I have to keep this smelly mess around for a week, but now we may not be able to fit our own trash in. We're still working on trying to get rid of the trash left by the prior owner. I think people just think it's okay to treat our place like crap since we're not living there and it looks so bad. This is really lame - I mean it's obvious we're doing work and it's ultimately going to better the neighborhood.

Here is shot of our newly liberated front yard:

More kitchen

When I was looking at windows, I asked myself "how much time can you possibly spend on windows?" Now, I'm asking the same question on kitchen design. I spent several hours on the design this morning and then went home to do some more work online (checking out sizes of appliances, cabinet options, clearance guidelines, etc). I met my friend Trish for lunch and then she came over to help me some more. We worked for about 2 1/2 hours.

The contractor rented a jackhammer, and one of the guys started working on the slab out back. Unfortunately, there is steel wire running through it, making the jackhammer much less useful. He thinks he needs a bobcat (a concrete breaking machine you can drive like a lawnmower). It's funny that in the areas where I wished the prior owners had slacked off, they did a great job. In the areas where I wished they had done things even minimally right they did nothing right. Oh well.

I set the trash out in the late afternoon for pickup tomorrow. After almost three months of throwing out the prior owners trash, we are down to just 5 bags and one box. I am seriously hoping to have this done in just two more trash days.

Bars off!

Today I spent some more time on the kitchen design. I can see why people hire designers. After getting the layout down, the work is only half done. There's all sorts of little things to figure out such as in a given space, do you want a cabinet with doors or drawers? Two narrow cabinets or one wide? Does the top and bottom line up? Which doors should be glass? Where will you keep vitamins? Spices? Fruit? Cookbooks?

The contractors were working on prepping the walls for paint and installing an attic access door. I also asked them to demolish the surround on two closets. I want the closet to have no enclosure at all, and then you can install sliding doors that go from floor to ceiling. It allows easy access to the space to the left, right and top that is usually behind the wall surrounding the closet. Since we have limited storage, it will be important to use it all wisely.

It's a good thing we're remodeling now! One window fell apart yesterday, and the garage door quit today. We have an old fahioned door you open by hand, and when it's all the way up it stays up. Well, the hinge quit today and the door no longer stays up by itself. The contractor cut me a piece of wood to use as a prop, and when we went to prop the door open, the wood went right through it! We will be replacing the door, but I don't know when we'll get to it.

This is my custom-cut 2x4 garage door prop! I had to label it "Do not throw away" so it wouldn't get mistaken for scrap.


Here's the nearly perfect rectangle in the garage door where the prop stick went right through it.



I called the plumber today to schedule him to be there for the rough inspection (he has to do a test for/with the inspector). Unfortunately, he's not able to do it for a week due to the large block of time required (you get a 4-hour window for the inspection, so he has to wait around). I had wanted to do it Friday, but this is the best we can do. Hopefully we can keep working around it and it won't hold us up.

The BEST thing about today is the bars are off the windows! Yay! The neighbors have all been asking me when they are coming off. The house looks so much better already both from the inside and outside.

The improved look from the outside:

First inspection today

The big event of today was our first or "rough" inspection. The city I live in is notorious for really tough inspections and all the contractors warned me that they would find things to fix. I was really pleased with how well we did. The inspector (who was really nice) only found 4 things, and they were all minor. The first was that the plumber was supposed to be on site for the inspection for a water pressure test. I forgot this, so we have to be reinspected for this. Second was one electrical switch was missing a ground wire (a 5-minute job). Third was the bathroom fan needs a duct to vent the air it pulls outside. We have the duct and the hole in the roof already, there just wasn't time to get it installed. Finally, the inspector needs access tot he attic to look at the heater. Our new trap door wasn't cut yet and only access would be through the open ceiling in the bathroom. We know about this, and it will be done soon. So, this is really good news. All the things he found are minor and were going to be done anyway. We just have to fix them and have him come back to look at those 4 things.

The contractore had his crew start demolishing the front wall. This makes me so happy! The wall is really ugly and falling down. They managed to get the wrought iron off today. Here is a shot of the progress:






I had purchased some cheap cabinets and countertops from Home Depot, and have decided to return them because they no longer work with our kitchen design now that we got rid of all the old stuff. I'm really happy about this. I was able to arrange to have them pick the stuff up. They are not great with phone calls and follow through. When I spoke to the manager Saturday, he said they would call me early in the morning (6 to 8 a.m.) on Tuesday to let me know what time the truck would be here, and that he (the manager) would be in at 9 a.m. By 9:10 I had not gotten a phone call, so I called the manager. His extension put me into an unexplainable transfer Twilight Zone (transferred me to another desk, back to switchboard, etc). I finally managed to get a person on the phone who told me he wasn't in yet due to the rain. When I asked if someone else could help me he said no, but then said the manager was on the phone. After I held for about 5 minutes, he came back on and said "nobody has seen him in the building." OK, I understand the guy isn't there, but why would you tell me he's on the phone with as if you know he's there?

I finally reached the manager about 9:50, and he said he would have someone call me in 20 minutes. When no call came, I decided to wait until 11:00 before calling back. It was just before 11:00 that the pickup came. I was really happy, because now I have a "blank slate" in the kitchen. The Ikea cabinets will be nicer and cheaper.

Whlie I was waiting around (it was raining and cold), I worked on the kitchen design some more. There are so many little details to consider. I know from watching HGTV that you have to consider all the little things and not leave them to chance. There's the basics, like where the trash, recycling and compost go. Then there's other needs like where spices go, where vitamins go, where kitchen utensils go, etc.

In the afternoon, I ran to city hall to get a "no parking" permit for the street in front of our house for a concrete dumpster. I was shocked that I had to pay just to have exclusive use of the street for a few days. The dumpster is for the remains of the wall out front and the foundation in the backyard we are getting rid of.

I also tried to get ahold of the guy who worked with us at the window store. He is really lame, and didn't return two calls from me.

Lots of driving in the rain

This morning I worked with the contractor on the kitchen design that I had roughed out over the weekend. It was really fun. We worked off of each other and kept building and improving the ideas. He was really good at it. Within just a few minutes, he had suggested minor design changes that would not only make big improvements, but would save money and effort. My brain is not the best at spatial thinking, but I was able to come up with a decent design by simply chugging through various scenarios until I had one that worked. It was really neat for me to see him work because he is so spatially oriented. Combined with his experience, he really added a lot to the design.

After lunch, I drove a long way in the rain to pick up the bathroom tile and the kitchen sink. I ended my day around 6 p.m. due to an obligation in the evening.

kitchen and appliances

Today I spent some more time on the kitchen design, which C had some good insight on. It's funny that he often has just one comment on something but it ends up being a hugely helpful comment. He spent a few hours online looking at appliances, and then we went to Sears and Home Depot and looked at appliances. We have to have them ordered by Thursday to stay on schedule, so this is really down to the wire. I also have to get a kitchen design this week so I can buy the cabinets from Ikea.

More work on the kitchen

C and I have spent a lot of time over the last two days on the kitchen layout. When we first bought the house, our intention was to make the kitchen simply habitable and remodel it later. Gradually, as happens many times, that has changed. As we've progressed with the demolition, I've realized just how gross the kitchen really is. I had to remove the lower cabinets due to water and mold damage. They were splintered beyond hope. I also removed the cabinetry around the washer and dryer for the same reason. That left only the top cabinets. I purchased a set that sort of matches for the bottom at Home Depot. They were a cheap line of basic cabinets. Then, while looking for tile for the laundry area, I found granite. I think this may have been the beginning of things tipping. While we were discussing the remaining floor, we decided to make hexagonal tiles out of plywood. Then I decided to get rid of the upper cabinets - they are really gross. One cabinet had a bug infestation in it that was never cleaned. One cabinet had a spill of pancake syrup that was never cleaned. I threw out tons of food that was just nasty - containers of sugary drink mix that was not sealed and things covered with a sticky residue of dust, kitchen grease, sugar and dirt. Yuck! I finally told the contractor to remove the uppers so I could stop waffling back and forth about whether to keep them.

That got me to a point where the only thing of the old style I had left was the cheap cabinets from Home Depot. I wasn't sure if they would take them back since they were special order. But, after finally getting through to the right person, they agreed to take them back. Wow, this is great news. I now have a completely blank slate. I am going to get cabinets from Ikea. They are reasonably priced, and pretty nice. They are also easy to buy and install, and they have lots of neat organizers you can buy for the insides. Perhaps most importantly, they can be purchased in stock, so there's no lead time. We're cooking now!

In addition to going to the Home Depot and arranging the return of the cabinets, I also spent a few hours at the house taping off ideas for a new kitchen layout. We're not radically changing anything, just some tweaks.

This is a hole in the wall where the old range hood was:

This is the bathroom light/fan. Believe it or not, this is a big critical path item because it involves a lot of inspection points. The inspector wants to see that the fan is properly attached to the framing, that it is properly wired, and that it is properly ducted to the outside.




It's a good thing new windows are coming soon - the glass just popped out of this one. It didn't break, it just fell out. You can see it leaning diagonally toward the right.

This is the new porch post. The metal end pieces will be concealed with trim.

A loooooong day

After being up til 1 a.m. last night, I was up at 6 this morning to work on some things at home before heading to the house at 8. First I had to intercept the roofer who was on his way to put one more flashing on a bath vent that was supposed to be in already. Changes like this must happen all the time in the building trades because everyone (but me it seems) takes it in stride. After waffling about it for the last few days, I finally decided to have the contractor take out the nasty upper cabinets I've been trying to save. They are really gross - bug infested, sticky with spilled syrup and covered in a sticky dust-grease-funk film. I told him to go ahead and do it so I could stop waffling and have to move on. It felt really good. Now I had to find something to go in their place though.

During the morning, the contractor sent me out to a local home supply store to get a roof vent for the bath (the bathroom fan has to vent outside). He showed me the picture that came with the fan, and gave me the vent from the oven to take with me and even gave me a drawing. After going to the local place and finding they don't have it, I braved Home Depot again (it's becoming almost a daily thing). One bright spot was a really nice grandfatherly greeter at the door (like at Walmart, not that I shop there). I had the vent in my hand, and when I walked in I asked "Where can I find this?" He responded "In your hand!" I laughed out loud!

After that, I couldn't find anyone to help me. Two guys told me they don't sell the vent, which I later found in a range venting kit. Then I couldn't find what I needed in either plumbing or building materials. I ended up calling the contractor from the plumbing aisle, and describing it all to him - "there's one that looks rolled up like a cannolli, there's one that looks like origami, there's one that's rectangular, etc" I still wasn't sure, so I bought one of everything that had anything to do with venting a bathroom fan and was 4" knowing I could return it. It was all wrong! I did get the duct we needed (that was easy, I found it after they told me they didn't have it in stock), but everything else was wrong! Fortunately, it was not a critical path item.

After spending a half hour scheduling my inspection due to problems with the automated system, I left for the salvage yard to find upper cabinets. What fun! I would highly recommend going to a salvage yard. There is all kinds of things - doors, windows, appliances, sinks, tubs, etc. Unfortunately, they were very low on kitchen cabinets, but I did find some cool steel cabinets with sliding glass doors. I really liked them, and was trying to figure out how to make them work. I couldn't quite work with the dimensions (they only came in 3 or 4 foot lengths), but it gave me an idea to go to Ikea, where they have similar cabinets. I can also work on the layout with the contractor.

Ikea has really great cabinets, and I spent a few hours there. I was a bit confused when I was looking at the cabinets online, but now I completely get it. It was tiring, but I was glad I went. On my way home, I swung by Home Depot again to look at a few things and to check if I can return the lower cabinets I purchased since the upper cabinets I matched them to don't exist anymore. I got there at 9:58 and the special services desk was already closed (it's supposed to close at 10). It was another long day, but very productive.

Appliance shopping

After letting the contractors in and having a quick meeting, I was off for the day mainly to look at appliances. I ran to Sears and had a quick look to get my bearings for a more thourough search later. I was mainly trying to get a feel for prices compared with what we saw at Home Depot.

On a non-remodeling note, on my way to Sears some guy gave me "the finger" after cutting me off in traffic. He cruised to the front of a right turn only lane to beat all the traffic, and then cut in front of me causing me to jam on my breaks. I beeped at him, and he gave me the finger. I actually started laughing before I gave him one in return. Imagine the gall to cut someone off and then give them the finger!

I spent a good deal of the afternoon researching appliances online, and then met a friend for a quick dinner. She recently remodeled and knows a lot about appliances. After getting the lowdown from her, I came home and spent some more time on appliances. Then I worked on the kitchen layout until midnight! I am trying to find a way to put in an island or peninsula with seating around it. I love being able to have people in the kitchen, which is frequently where they end up anyway.

A long but productive day

I met the contractor at 8 a.m., and he had a crew of two guys with him. Today's main goal was demolition. They got right to work, and I had a brief meeting with the contractor. One of the guys will be removing the bars from the windows and they took a look at them today. They are actually going to have to grind away the metal screws because after bolting the bars to the stucco, they welded each bolt so it cannot be unscrewed! Wow, now that's serious security.

I called the building supply place where I ordered the windows to inquire about their business license for the city where I live. The guy who sold us the windows had no clue what I was talking about and said in his 4 years working there nobody had ever asked that. This I cannot understand because it is stated quite clearly in the permit paperwork that the person who delivers the windows has to have a business license. It was clear I was getting nowhere with him, so I asked when the windows would be in (today is two weeks since we ordered, and he said multiple times that it would be 2-3 weeks). Well, today he says it may be 3-4 weeks. Oh boy was I mad and gave him a earful! I told him he misled me, and he backed off and talked a bunch of smack about how there's a 70% chance of them being here in 3 weeks. I was really mad - I planned my whole schedule with the general contractor around the window arrival date which had been promised multiple times. Then today, weeks later, the story changes. Not cool!

I finally called the city business license office to figure out how to solve this business license problem. They are really tough! Even a national manufacturer cannot deliver to this city unless they have city business license or are a licensed common carrier. Ugh. As it turns out, the building supply place is licensed in my city, so the problem was solved. But the store was no help.

I ended up going to the building supply store to check out molding. I liked the window molding shown at the display and the contractor suggested I get a sample and try to find it cheaper. When I got to the store, the guy who I had been dealing with looked scared to see me! But, I was nice to him and informed him that his store did have a business license. His manager was there, and said the problem was that the salesguy confused business license with permit. Ok, I only said business license 50 times. Ugh, nothing like telling someone their job, especially after they tell you multiple times they've been doing their job for 4 yeas.

The salesguy said the molding shown was made by the window company and would be really expensive to order. He took me to their lumber yard and got me a sample of their molding that was supposedly equivalent. He couldn't give me prices and wasn't inclined to check so he guessed. After getting their prices, I went to Home Depot and couldn't find anything. I went to another home center store, where I got really good advice. The reason I was having trouble finding comparable window molding was that he gave me floor molding! Once the differences were pointed out, I couldn't believe that anyone who should know better would have made this mistake. I ended up buying really nice molding at a great price. I even understand if he didn't know, but he acted like he did know.

Between the two stores, I managed to get all the lights picked out and/or purchased. This is a relief. By the time I got back and unloaded the molding, it was time to go.

The crew was prepping for the new windows to be installed, so they took off the molding on the existing windows.



We are relocating this door a little to the right to give better hall access.


There was major demolition in the laundry area. This area was really gross (think roach carcasses on the wall) and would never be able to be painted. Here is how it looked when we took possession:

Here is how it looked after the junk was removed and the cabinetry demolished:

Here's how it looks now (you can see straight through to the bathroom):


The plywood from the kitchen subfloor is being removed due to water damage. It will also make the height lower so we can add our own flooring without a large height change from the living room.


There were some pavers in the backyard which I started moving to try to find the origin of a pipe that vents water under the house. The pavers were home to thousands or millions of ants. I think I found a queen! Actually I found 4 queens in a short period of time. I tried to photograph one and by the time I ran to get the camera and got back it was gone. I had the camera handy when I found this one. The red ring is the top to a drink bottle (like the top of a milk gallon) that I put in for scale. This is one huge ant! I've never seen one like this before. There's lots of ants in the yard, but thankfully none in the house.

Someone left this in front of our house. Cute, use our front as a junk drop-off point. I think that people see how bad the house looks and figure why not? They are also letting dogs poop out front and not cleaning up. I actually had to laugh at this though - it's an old foot massager probably from the 1970's. It was dusty and dirty. I like the idea of recycling one's old stuff, but does it have to be in front of my house?

More progess and paperwork

I spent the morning with the general contractor, and then left to take care of other things. There's not as much at the house I need to do as there is away from the house. I've been making a point of splitting my time - I don't want to be unavailable and hold the job up when a decision needs to be made, but there is lots still to do away from the house.

One of the things I worked on today was rounding up business licenses for all the contractors for the city I live in. They require that everyone that works on the house have a city business license (different from their state contractor license). What a hassle this is! When I say they want a license for everyone, I mean everyone. They have a 7 page list of all sorts of contractors (4 for concrete alone) and then a space for all other. They even want the dumpster and portable toilet companies to be licensed. The snag I was running into was with the window delivery. They require that whoever delivers the windows have a business license. I purchased the windows at a building supply store outside the city, and they (or the national manufacturer) will deliver them to me. My contractor will install them, so this is strictly delivery. The city wants a business license for them.

One of the things I did with the contractor today was work out a schedule for each day of what will be done. This was his idea, and I think it's a really good one. That way we'll both know what needs to be done when and if we're ahead or behind. He also said it helps keep the homeowner sane because I don't have to wonder when "x" will be done, if it's been forgotten, if it's being done in the proper order, etc. The good news is he thinks he will be out by April 11th! Wow, that is soon. After he leaves, the only things left to do are finish work - installing faucets, lights, etc. If we can finish near this date, we will meet our goal of being in by May 1st. How exciting.

C and I discussed actual move dates tonight. I really want to start thinking and planning for a move near the end of April (4/29) or Early May (5/6). C wants to put our 30 day notice in for our apartment on March 30th! Yikes! That's a week from Thursday! He's braver than me, but we'll see where we are that day.

This is a shot of the bathroom floor completely gone:

General Contractor started today

Well, today was a good day. The general contractor started, and I think things will move much more quickly now. After we met for a bit in the morning, he spent the day removing the subfloor in the bathroom. It is really damaged, and the whole bath can be redone with just two sheets of plywood, so we both agreed it was good to rip it all out and redo it.

The electrician was here as well working on the low-voltage wiring (cable tv, network, phone, speakers). C was there at 8 a.m. and worked with him until 10 when he left to go to work. I worked with the electrician after that. He finished the wiring before lunch, and it looks good. This was one job I'm really glad we hired out. He was so much faster than us, and had all the tools to do the job right. Just cutting through drywall was so much faster for him since he had the appropriate saw.

This is a nasty piece of plywood from the bathroom floor. You can see how discolored it is, mostly from water damage and mold.


C printed labels for each end of every cable. With so many cables running through the house, it could easily get confusing.

This is the bathroom with most of the floor removed.


This is where the hub for the wiring is - it will be fed into a metal box and connected together.

Home Depot run

I'm becoming quite a regular there, at least 4 times per week. C and I went and picked up some speaker wire and things for tomorrow's wiring project. We spent some more time at the house deciding where things go.

Wiring

Since it is a Saturday, we were mostly off today. We did spend a few hours planning for the wiring on Monday.

Wiped out today

Today was another exhausting day. C was "off" again, at least from his regular job, although I wouldn't call today a day off. We started by meeting the landscape architect to work some more on our plan. We got our first draft last week and it was pretty good, but I think after today it will be great. It was fun to see C actually getting into it and having ideas. After that, we grabbed a quick lunch and headed to the dreaded Home Depot. We looked at some wiring stuff for C's project of wiring the house for TV, network, phone etc. What a trooper, he was there for 4 hours yesterday and he hates Home Depot. After that, we looked at doorbells (yes, like everything, there are 100 to pick from and every one has different options). We also looked at appliances. My original plan was to buy cheap used and upgrade later, but my friend Holly pointed out that it would stink to have my dishwasher leak all over the floor I painstakingly laid. Plus, C really wants a big fridge and freezer. I think he's tire of the avalanche everytime he goes in the freezer (what can I say, I stock up at sales!). So, we will probably get new appliances, and if we do remodel in a few years, we will work around them. Plus, I'm thinking the kitchen is going to look really good (even though it's a bargain fix up) so it will be nice to have good appliances.

We picked up the cork flooring to be used in the bathroom. I ordered it Feb 9, and it was supposed to be in on Feb 23 which was two weeks. It just got in yesterday, and nobody called to say it was in, I called them (although they may have called later in the day had I not called). I had an un-delightful experience with the surly clerk at the pick up desk. She was just apathetic and thoughtless. After our Home Depot run, we headed to the house and unloaded my poor overfull car (which was functioning like a mobile warehouse). We called it a day after that.

Another delivery snafu!

Running a delivery operation must be much harder than it seems. I was supposed to get a delivery today from Home Depot. When I scheduled, I was told to call at 8 a.m. to find out when my delivery was (morning or afternoon). When I called at 8 a.m., I was told the truck had already been to my house and left. Huh? Gone by 8 a.m.? I told them what I had been told (by them) and asked for the truck to be resent. They complied, and it arrived around 9. OK, it all worked out fine, but still, why is delivery so hard?

C took today and tomorrow off of work to work on the wiring. This is a rare treat for me because he almost never takes the day off! He has undertaken wiring the house for cable TV, computer network, phone and speaker wire. I think it's really ambitious, and I'm impressed with his willingness to take on such a huge task. He is really quite knowlegeable in this area, and we both think it will be great to have all the rooms wired for TV, phone, and network. It will give us a lot of flexibility in how we use the rooms, and it will be good to have all the wiring run while the walls are open. He was going to use a space in the laundry area to put the panel where all these things join up. Then he came up with the brilliant idea of using the space where the old heater flue was. Our heater was in the crawl space under the house, so there was a flue going up to the roof. The drywall surrounding the flue was created dead space maybe 18" square, and right in the center of the house. It's a perfect place to put the panel, and will make use of otherwise useless space. It saves the space in the laundry area for accessable storage. As I often tell him, he's really smart. It was a real treat to have him around today working on the house with me.

After meeting the Home Depot delivery, I waited around until 10 when C met with the electrician about running the non-electrical wires (cable TV, network, phone, speaker, etc). It's not normally something he does, but C was able to tell him exactly what to do and where to put everything, so he agreed to do it. We are both really happy because this will save a lot of time and effort. C would have been crawling around in the attice and crawl space, and we may not have the appropriate tools. Also, everytime a wiring issue came up, such as how to penetrate a floor-level wall support or how to round a corner) we would be reinventing the wheel but the electrician would already have done it a bunch of times. I think it is a perfect solution to have him do the work and C supervise.

After the electrician left, C and I got to work putting the delivery away. I was fortunate to be able to schedule it today because I really needed help putting it away. Home Depot and most other places will only do curbside delivery so we had to stash it all in the garage. Today was a big order - bathroom cabinets, water heater, bathroom vanity, and kitchen counters. We didn't have a hand truck, so we moved some stuff by rolling over two pipe scraps and moving the rear one to the front once it came out from behind. It was sort of like they do on Nova or Discovery when you watch a show on building the pyramids. C thought I was cleaver to think of this.

After putting the order away, I went to the local tile store and picked up one of the tiles for the bathroom. I also had to decide on grout for this and the granite for the laundry/mud area. That took about an hour an a half. What can I say, I am very particular but I do like the choices I made. Also, they do have about 60 grout colors, so it's not totally my fault that it takes a while to decide.

I then braved a trip to Ikea to pick up some cheap lighting and a kitchen sink. They have a really cheap ceiling mounted fixture which will be perfect for utility areas like the laundry. I also ordered a kitchen sink. They had one I really liked and didn't see elsewhere. It is stainless steel with two bowls and an additional 20" of stainless that sits flush on the countertop to use as a drainboard. I really like the idea of not needing a dish rack, and any drips can be easily wiped into the sink. I think it will look really good to have a little extra stainless in the kitchen too. While I was there, I picked up a faucet too. I'm not as particular about the kitchen faucet as I was about the bath, so I was fine picking from their 6 or so choices. It seemed like a simple and adequate solution.

My last stop of the day was to go to the house and put the trash out. I got another 4 bags out, leaving us with just 13 bags and 1 box of trash left behind by the prior owner. That's probably 4 more trash days, and almost certainly before we move in. Yay! I just can't believe we still have that much trash after he's been gone two months.

A blah day, couldn't focus

I got very little done today, mostly research and phone calls. I had a hard time focusing and figuring out what to do next. There are so many things still to do, and so many pending items. A lot of what I've been doing is shopping and making decisions (e.g. roof color) so the same circuits in my brain are getting taxed ever day. It's getting really draining, and no, ladies, this isn't fun shopping. Every little thing has a million options and I often have to go back to the store again and again to get it right. I'm buying light fixtures from at least 4 stores. A lot of things have to be ordered too, so I'm concerned about lead times as well.

The general contractor was supposed to start today, but had an emergency on another job and won't be starting until Monday. In a way, it's a good thing because it will buy me some time to stay ahead of him with supplies and shopping and it really won't delay us that much.

An OK day

The roofing inspection was today, and we passed. Yay! The roof looks really good, and it has made a huge, immediate improvement in how the house looks. I think this has been one of the more "soul" satisfying jobs so far. It felt so good to get rid of 54 years of accumulated shingles and start fresh and do it right. Everything is trimmed nicely and primed (to be painted later). Also, a lot of the work I've done so far doesn't "show." The first 20% of the work makes the place look horrible, and it stays that way for the next 70%. It isn't until the last 10% when the flooring, tile, paint, appliances, lighting, etc start to go in that it starts to look better. The nice thing about the roof is that it looks better immediately. I love the color I picked!

I also braved yet another trip to Home Depot. There are so many little things to buy I just have to break it down to small trips. A lot of the stuff I need to buy I am hesitant to buy just yet because it won't be installed for a while so if there is a problem it may be beyone the return date. So, for those items I am just noting the model number and will buy it closer to the installation date.

I also took care of some much needed personal business such as laundry, food shopping, post office, bank, etc. These things have slipped badly since the remodel started. I'm afraid of what is lurking in my pile of mail!

Here is a shot of the front of the house with the finished roof. I like the way they followed the shape of the bump out with the shingles.

This is the garage with the finished roof. I took this shot because it really shows the color and texture of the roof. I love the shades of dark and light in the color. Now that the roof is done it makes the garage door look even more shabby.

A good day

Today was definitely one of the best days of the remodel. I checked in on the roofers first thing, and they had just a few hours of work left. The final inspection is tomorrow, and then the roof is done.

I then went to a local tile store and ordered one of the bathroom tiles. Good news- it isn't discontinued, back ordered, out of stock, etc. It will be here in a few days! I then drove a ways to an area with a lot of home decor stores all together and ordered the other bathroom tile I had found. The same good news applied!

What made this day a great day is that I found granite for $2 per square foot! Anyone who has priced tile knows that is a really good price for any kind of tile (even cheap, closeout items), but it is unheard of for granite! It's a gorgeous color that will go great with my kitchen. The "problem" that caused it to be so cheap is that it has more color variation than is tolerable for a full priced item. I'm tiling a laundry area, and extending the tile to the side door to create a mudroom area. Since it is not a very visible area, and we will probably do a full remodel at some point, I'm not all that concerned with how it looks, but the funny thing is that this will look really good. Who has granite in a laundry room? Wow, what a find.

I took the granite home and unboxed it. More than half of it is perfect and beautiful. Only a few tiles are really off in color. I have plenty of perfect tiles for the area that will show, and the less than perfect ones will go under the washer and dryer. Yay! I started the kitchen thinking it would look pretty junky and would just have to hold us over a few years. Between the hex tiles and granite, I now think it will look really great for very little money. I may just get a kitchen I love right away after all! We were going to buy cheap used appliances ($50 apiece or so on sites like ebay and Craig's List). Our intention was to upgrade over time as we have the time to research the best options. There is so much shopping to do now I just don't feel I can make informed decisions on everything. Now, I'm thinking of getting nicer stuff that we will love. We'll see.....

Remodeling is such a roller coaster. Today I feel great and on top of the world. The last few days I felt so behind, this will never be done, etc. I have to keep my slogan in mind "This too shall pass. "

Just a little work today

Today C worked more on the wiring plan. He also came up with a really good layout for cutting the hex tiles out of 4x8 plywood. It minimizes waste, and can be cut using snapped chalk lines, rather than a hex template. He is really smart and mathmatically inclined, so it is great to have his expertise on this. We came up with a good plan for laying the floor out and filling in the gaps along the edges. That was enough for a Sunday!

Saturday, less work today

I'm learning that during a remodel, you usually don't get a day off. Today was no exception. We went to the house today to check out the landscape plan and work on the non-electrical wiring (TV, computer network, phone, speaker). C has volunteered to take this on himself. He thinks it won't be too hard and that we can get exactly what we want by doing it ourselves. Now is the time to do it too, while the walls are all open. He was quite the trooper, and even crawled under the house in the yucky crawl space and in the cramped attic.

While he was under the house, we located the pipe that is draining water under the house. The trouble is, we can't locate the origin of it. There are no visible drains anywhere in the yard. I can only guess that there is perhaps an underground French drain with a basin that is catching the water. We really need to correct this since the moisture under the house is causing mold.

We got our wiring plan settled, at least as far as the location of each outlet. After being at the house, we came home and discussed the kitchen floor. As much as the laminate is a practical solution, I'm just not crazy about it. One idea I really like is making your own flooring out of plywood. I've seen it on a few TV shows and people have discussed it on the forums. It's really cheap, performs well and I think it is cool and original looking. Here is a link on HGTV to see how it looks: plywood floor.

Well, I finally got settle on doing plywood, and anyone who knows me knows I can complicate anything and can't do anything halfway. So, I came up with the great idea of using the plywood to make hexagonal floor tiles. Wow. C loves hexes, and I really wanted to incorporate that pattern somewhere in the house. I thought it would be bathroom tile, but I couldn't find what I wanted. This seems like a great idea, and nobody will have a floor like this! We spent a few hours trying to figure out how to lay them out (e.g. does the grain go from side to side or point to point, what direction does the grain go on adjacent tiles, how to cut the tiles from the plywood, etc). Using hexes makes it significantly more complicated than squares or rectangles, but I am very excited about the idea and the kitchen floor is about the last thing I'll do, so it won't hold anything up. We can even move in before it's done.

A long, busy day

I met the roofers first thing, and they got to work putting the roof back on. Unfortunately, their work was slowed due to off and on rain. It would rain in short bursts, and no sooner would they get their tools put away it would stop. It was slow going at first, but the rain stopped for the day by midmorning.

At 9 am, C and I met the landscape architect to go over our plan. Overall we like it, but we both wanted time to think about it and live with it. It is hard to visualize the finished look from an overhead plan. Just as we were going to go outside and walk around to better visualize things, it started to pour rain and got very cold and windy. We ended up just looking around from the garage, and then C had to go to work. I think we will spend some time this weekend taping off things and then walking around.

I took a breather and met C for lunch. After that, I went to two lighting stores and one home supply store that sells lighting. (I need all new lighting fixtures throughout the house. There were none when we moved in). It was a good trip - I got a lot of good ideas and I think I can get what I need for not much money. I at the second lighting store, I got in a bit of trouble - a salesman pounced on me when I walked in and introduced himself in case I had any questions. When I actually did have a question, I was unable to locate him in spite walking around looking for him. Another salesperson approached me and while I was asking my question, the first sales person approached us both and asked me again if I had a question. I said yes, but I couldn't find you and this guy was right here. Boy was he mad! Not that I cared - I did my best - but I couldn't believe I got such a dirty look in a store!

After going back and checking out the roof, I headed out to my local Ikea to look at lighting fixtures and laminate flooring. I never knew Ikea sold laminate flooring, but it got some good reviews on various web forums. I got some good lighting ideas here as well, and picked up flooring samples too. The laminate is very cheap and easy to install. As if this wasn't enough driving around today, I stopped at Home Depot on my way home and looked at lighting some more. I finally ended my day at 8:30 pm.

I thought this was an interesting shot because it shows the progression of installing the shingles. The first thing is the waterproof paper (in black). Then they did the ridge in alternating shingles, and then started with the bottom row and worked up. I couldn't believe how fast it went up. I would turn around for 5 minutes and a huge area would be done. The roofers told me the shingles are designed that way - i.e. easy to place properly.

A lot of activity

Today the plumber was supposed to show up at 8 am to make the last hole in the roof before the roofers began reinstalling the roof. There was one more bathroom vent to put in. The roof inspection was scheduled for between 8 and 10 am, and then they were going to get right to work putting the new shingles on to protect us from rain.

At 8:30, there was still no plumber. I called him, and he said they had an emergency call and would be there by 10:00. The inspector showed up at 9:30, and we easily passed. He said the decking was in good condition. Fortunately, the roofers still had some repair work to do, so they didn't start the installation right away. I took advantage of the bare roof, and went up myself. I fugured it will probably not be bare again in my lifetime, and one of the best ways to preserve your roof is to stay off it. It was an interesting perspective.

At 10:30, still no plumber. I called back and they were still on an emergency call. I was getting concerned because the roofers were just finishing repairs and waiting for a materials delivery and would be starting. The plumber arrived at 12:15, which was good because the roofing foreman was supposed to arrive with the materials at 12:30. Mini-crisis averted!

At 12:15, the rental company arrived to service the portable toilet I have in the driveway. The roofer had to move his truck so the toilet could be accessed. Wouldn't you know it, his truck wouldn't start! The toilet rental guy was a bit upset - I am guessing he has to keep a schedule. The roofer had to pop his hood and a few of the guys looked at it. It eventually started in about 10 minutes and another mini-crisis was averted.

I met the General Contractor at 3 p.m. He is going to do a lot of the remaining work on the house, including some technical drawings for a window we are changing. The meeting went well and we signed our contract and got some things figured out. After that, I again filled my trash can with trash left behind by the prior owner. After today, we are down to just 17 bags and 1 box. I am hopeful I can have it all or mostly gone by the time we move in.

Here is a shot of the bare roof, ready for inspection:

I took this shot from on top of the roof:


The waterproof paper is on the house already, which will protect us in case of rain. The garage was still partially tarped. I think the fascia board makes such a difference.

Windows ordered

The roofers showed up at about 8:15 today with a crew of just 4 guys. All the tearoff had been completed yesterday, so this crew was just doing repair work, patching and prepping for tomorrow's inspection. The first inspection comes when the roof is completely off so the inspector can make sure the wood decking is in good condition and has been patched appropriately.

I spent the morning doing some odds and ends around the house, mainly measuring a few things. I also used the three shingle samples I got to pick my color. I put the three shingles on the front lawn, half in the shade and half in the sun. Then I used about 20 paint chips compared to each shingle and checked which looked best with the most paint colors. The answer was really clear - I picked the same shingle for every paint color. I ended up with Certainteed Landmark series in a color called Resawn Shake. Here is a link to a website I found that shows the colors (I didn't actually use this website): http://www.hansons.com/product_info/LandmarkTL.htm.

After that, I went to the window store to get prices on the windows we want to order. I just wanted to have prices to compare to some of the other windows I've looked at before we actually ordered. C gave up his lunch hour to meet me and get the order placed. We expect to get the windows delivered in 2-3 weeks. This was another huge item on the todo list, and a major critical path item, so it felt like a big relief to get them ordered.

This is a shot showing the front bumped out area of the house. The boards were completely rotted and had to be replaced. It was some precise and tricky work due to the angles. I like that the roof line of the house extends over this area in a continuous line.

This is a rafter tail where the front porch joins the house. It was completely rotted and there was a big hole. Now the hole can just be patched by the stucco person.


Another shot showing how the boards in the front bump out had to be replaced. It looked very difficult from my perspective. It was interesting to watch them work and see how they did this.

I went topless (well, roofless anyway)

The roofers were scheduled to start today at 8:30, and I had a delivery from the plumbing supply house scheduled to come at some point today. They were going to call me one hour before they arrived so I could be there. An interesting thing is that most places I've ordered from only do curbside delivery - gone are the days when someone would put something in your garage or house (I think it has to do with too many lawsuits). My phone rings at 7:50 a.m. and it's the driver for the plumbing supply place saying he is AT the house. I told him I was supposed to get a call an hour before, and he knew nothing about it. I told him I could be there in 15 minutes and to not do anything until I got there. When I arrived 15 minutes later, he had already put everything on the very wet ground (it rained last night). Ok, first of all, what part of "don't do anything till I get there in 15 minutes" don't you understand? Second, knowing I was coming in 15 minutes and that your company screwed up by not calling me, why would you put very expensive stuff on the soaking wet ground? Ugh. The bathtub box was open, wet and damaged, so I hope the tub is okay. There was so much commotion with 10 roofers trying to get started and this delivery guy and his poor judgement that I didn't think to note the damage on the packing slip or refuse delivery. The tub has dirt and grit in it, so I hope it's not scratched. Also, the box is supposed to protect it and it was very damaged. Oh well, hindsight.......

The roofers showed up with their permit right on schedule and got to work tearing off the roof. It was fast work with their crew of about 10 guys. It was also noisy and dirty. They stripped off 4 layers of shingles, and I think it was the first time the roof decking has been bare since the house was built in 1952. It felt really good to get rid of all that old roofing material and start fresh. I bumped my head again while they were there - I was busy looking up while trying to enter the porch (making sure nobody was about to throw something down on me) and didn't see the guy carrying 12' long boards towards me. Again I lucked out - no blood, small bump.

I learned that it pays to stay around. The job they were doing was slightly different that their normal job - I was having a fascia board installed, which they usually don't do. It may sound simple, but the board has to be primed on all sides before installing, and the ends of the rafter tails have to be primed as well since they are no longer accessable. The roofer purchased preprimed fascia board, so this part went smoothly - no drying time. But, the head guy left and his crew was about to put up a fascia board without priming the rafter tails first. I pointed it out and they got it corrected. Also, I noticed that a lot of debris fell through the roof into the bathroom where there is currently no ceiling. I realized that the same thing would happen in the garage, so I was able to cover everything I have in there (tub, cabinets, etc) with a drop cloth.

File this under "how can you be so clueless?" I was at Home Depot last night looking at Anderson Windows. They offer glass choice called laminate. The guy at Home Depot had no idea what it was, and no samples to look at. I thought it was a whitish, cloudy glass used for privacy which I had seen at other places. He gave me a number to call at Anderson, and first the woman on the phone did not understand my question. Really, how hard is it to understand that a customer wants to know what one of your products is? She literally did not know what I was asking even though I asked her the same question 4 different ways. Next, she tells me she's never heard of laminate, and I had to tell her it is one of the products Anderson offers. After putting me on hold several times, she finally comes back and tells me that laminate glass doesn't shatter. Well that's what the difference between laminate and tempered, which also doesn't shatter. I listen to cheesy hold music for a few more minutes. She comes back and says "laminate tends not to shatter, tempered resists shattering." What? Is this something the master said to grasshopper? The conversation goes like this for a while - I ask a question, she doesn't understand, I ask again a few more times till she does, she puts me on hold, comes back with non-sensical answer, I question her and we start the cycle. I finally concluded that nothing she said was reliable (good thing it wasn't a critical question). I can't use Anderson anyway because their moderately priced windows don't come in sizes I need, so I was really just trying to get comparison pricing for the windows we will end up buying.

The last thing I did was to run to the roofing supply place and get shingle samples to pick a color. The brand we are using comes in really nice colors with gradations in the color - e.g. it's not just "tan," it is tan with some chocolately brown shadows, some rust and a few flecks of vanilla. They look really good.

While looking at these pictures, I really noticed how shabby the rafter tails looked - they are were exposed and got really rotted and splintered. I has the roofers install a fascia board, and I think it looks so much better already.

Here is a picture inside the attic. You can see daylight through the boards because the shingles are off.



Beginning the tearoff process:

This rafter tail is being replaced. They have to remove a few 1x6's to get to it, then replace the tail and reinstall the 1x6's, reusing the 1x6's where possible. We had a lot of rafter tails and 1x6 that needed to be replaced.

The first fascia board goes up:
The house and garage were protected with plastic in case of rain.

Still more windows

I started today by trying multiple times to get find out the status of my orders with Home Depot. Not only could I not get someone on the phone in three tries, but I left a message per their instructions which was never returned. They are horrible to work with sometimes. I placed an order with a local independent plumbing supply place, which a sales rep at Home Depot saw in my notebook, and he said "You should have ordered here, we can match prices. " What I didn't tell him was that I had tried, for hours, to place the same order and the sales help just wasn't informed enough to help me. I got it done in 20 minutes with the help of the knowlegable staff at the plumbing supply place (and my plumber).

On that subject, I called the local plumbing supply place and my order there is delayed too! In this case though, at least the staff has a clue and is nice - it's the manufacturer that has the parts back ordered for 6 weeks. The sales rep assured me that this company (Grohe) is very reliable in their estimates. The good thing is that the delay is for the faucets and handles (known as "trim" in plumbing language), which are the last things to install. Since we hope to be in by May 1, this shouldn't delay us. The rest of the order is in, and we arranged delivery for tomorrow.

I stopped by the house and rechecked our window order and then picked C up where he spent his lunch hour looking at windows with me. What a trooper! I think our session raised more questions than answers. Windows now take the cake as the toughest thing I've shopped for yet. A posting on the Google group misc.consumers.house said it best "There is no such thing as a standard window." They are difficult to compare due to varying standard and optional features, and some companies don't make windows in all sizes. I think I know the line we will use, but we still need more information. I spent the afternoon looking at windows online, and then made a run to Home Depot for to price a few more lines. One line didn't come in one of the sizes we need and the other seemed really expensive. Another difference is lead times - some take only 2 weeks and others take 4-8 weeks. This is becoming a factor if we want to be in by May 1. I also need to stay ahead of the contractor too. Ugh.....

I spoke to the roofer today, and he wants to start this week. It works out well weather-wise, and he is able to get the city inspections done to coincide with his schedule. The only thing is that the bathroom fan needs to vent out the roof and that hole has not been cut in the roof yet. The roofer said he would come back and install flashing around the new cut. Seems like a plan.

How many hours can you spend on windows?

Still working on windows. Spent a few more hours today online.

I also spent a few hours looking at kitchen floor material. We are going to do a full remodel of the kitchen in a5-10 years, so I don't want to spend much money but it needs to be habitable. I had to rip out the lower cabinets due to mold and water damage. I purchased cheap countertops and cabinets, and now am looking for a floor.

There is a lot of contradictory information. In the same web posting I saw a comment that said "ceramic tile is the best material for kitchens and I wouldn't consider anything else." The next comment was ceramic tile is the worst material and I'd consider anything but." How are you supposed to make sense of that? The rest of the information is similar for all the available materials. I think ultimately I'll go with bamboo. I can get it for less than $1 per square foot on closeout, which is less than the really inexpensive stick-on vinyl tiles. Bamboo is like hardwood floors in installation and appearance, but it has a really interesting texture due to the joints in the bamboo. It is a very earth friendly product - bamboo can be harvested without cutting down the plant and it grows "like a weed" with minimal water and fertilizer.

Just a little work today

Since today is Saturday, we didn't do much on the house. We spent a few hours trying to sort out the windows.

A good meeting

I spent some time looking at windows online, and then met the general contractor at the house. We've been working on a contract for him to complete most of the jobs left in the house. The meeting went really well, and we've finalized a contract. He expects to start Monday 3/13. At first I was bummed that it couldn't be sooner, but it may be good thing because it will give me this week to do some shopping and stay ahead of him.

An interesting thing - on the east coast where I grew up, people changed their windows for the summer and winter. Storm windows are heavier and there is no screen. The storm windows go up in the fall and come out in the spring. Nobody has ever heard of them here - none of the contractors and not even the staff at the window store! It must be a very small scale thing - maybe only people in cold climate with houses built before a certain date know about this.

More windows

After opening up for the contractors, I went back to the Pella showroom to ask a few follow up questions. I'm also looking for obscured glass for one window since it will be in the shower. We're thnking to make it an "awning" style window, which means it opens on a hinge at the top of the window. That way, it could be up near the ceiling and not show anyone in the bathroom. They showed me sandblasted glass, which they assured me is what people use in showers. I was not satisfied! In my opinion, you could see right though it, maybe not perfectly but still pretty clearly. Also, when the lights were on and it was dark out, there would be a perfect silhouette. Not good!

I went to glass and window store, and they gave me the same option of sandblasted glass and again assured me that it was what people used in shower stalls. He insisted this was true even after I showed him that I could see the silhouette of my hand perfectly enough to make out each knuckle. I don't get it - is this what they're taught by the manufacturer and they never check to see if it makes sense?

I then went to a building supply place that had a great display of windows. They had several from each manufacturer and great sales help. I think I found my windows - they are wood clad in fiberglass and they're called Integrity by Marvin. Marvin had been around a long time - since the 1930's, and these windows have all the features I want plus excellent energy efficiency. They are very reasonably priced, require no maintenance, and come in a slider. They can be painted if I want, but don't have to be. They also have a short lead time (2 weeks) which is great. Pella has a lead time of 4-6 weeks.

After that, I met C for lunch and recounted all my morning window adventures. I then headed home and spent more time on the web looking at these and other windows. I am meeting with the general contractor tomorrow, so I'll ask for his input and assuming he thinks they're okay I'll have him measure and I'll place my order. Another interesting thing about buying windows - there are 4 different measurements for height and for width. The stores strondly recommend you have a professional measure - apparently it is really difficult to measure correctly. It is also customary that whoever is going to install does the measuring. In this case, my contractor, but sometimes the manufacturer will measure and install.

Late in the afternoon, I went back to the house and again filled the trash can for tomorrow. I can fit about 4 bags of trash in it each week. Back in January, we bagged all the trash from the prior owner and C stowed it in the garage. After today, there are still 22 bags and one box of trash. We hope to have it all gone before we move in. I also finished emptying the kitchen cabinets of food items. This has been a rather nasty job and I'm glad it's done. I am looking forward to being able to clean the cabinets thoroughly!

Window shopping - literally

After opening up the house for the contractors, I went home to work on calls and research. There's just so much to do, and it's hard to manage so many things at once. I spent most of the day researching windows online. As with everything, it is incredibly complex. We need to replace the windows before we move in. There are bars on the windows that don't have a safety release, so if there's a fire between you and the door, you die. We don't need or want the bars and nobody else in the neighborhood has them. Once we remove the bars, we have no security because the old windows are so badly rotted that they don't close and lock correctly. So our house would have a welcome mat for burglars.

I found some good information though, and went to a nearby Pella showroom to look at windows. They have three lines of wood windows which are clad in aluminum (meaning the outside is aluminum to better withstand the elements). I liked the lowest priced line they have, which comes in standard sizes and limited options (yes, there are options on windows) so they are cheaper.

The showroom was nice - it was good to actually be able to see the windows installed and open and close them. I was less than impressed with the showroom help though - they seemed to know very little and gave me a cell phone number of a sales rep. Another confusing thing about windows is that there are no prices to be had. In order to get a price, you have to have an in-home consultation and get a quote on the whole job. What a time waster! Why bother having a sales rep spend an hour or two plus travel time at my house when I may be able to rule out their product before I even bother. Stuff like that is really irritating to me. It wastes my time and theirs, and I think the underlying assumption is that consumers are so gullible that we'll buy something we think is too expensive based on the words of a glib sales person.

I liked the Pella windows, but was disappointed to learn that they don't make a slider window (e.g. one that opens by sliding the glass to the left or right). They claim that it is not possible to make a quality one out of wood, and steered me to fiberglass for my sliders. We have mostly double hung (e.g. window consists of two panes of glass, one on top of the other, that both slide up and down), but there are three sliders thrown into the mix. One of the sliders is over the kitchen sink, so that makes sense since it might be easier to operate. For the rest of the windows, I think the original builder used leftovers from other jobs. They are all different sizes - there are 4 different sizes of double hung, and then one of the bedrooms has two sliders of different sizes. It's very strange. In the paperwork the prior seller left behind, I found something that indicated that some family member was a builder. A neighbor also told me that one of the reasons there was so much stuff left behind is that this relative who was a builder stored a lot of stuff there. Anyway, I don't believe Pella's claim since other quality window manufacturers sell sliders made of wood. Also, I didn't like having windows that don't match. The fiberglass window line looked completely different than the wood. In a few parts of the house, this mismatch would be really obvious.