General Contracting Done

On Monday February 21, the contractor sent out a cement worker to finish the mortar beneath the french door threshold.  This ultimately very nicely done mortar was a small detail, so small I didn't even specify it in the contract (unlike many other things), but the contractor opted to go ahead and do it anyway (after first arguing that it wasn't necessary).  That was last Tuesday, during the walk-through.  Without cement beneath the door threshold, moisture and bugs can get in, weakening the shims, and eventually lead to rot out of the threshold.  I know, because this happened to my house, which did have the cement, but it was only only slathered on and didn't seal well, and it later was entirely replaced with very thick cement done by a handyman my mother hired, with a thorough threshold cementing job the likes of which may never have been done elsewhere.  Still, most people aren't aware of the cement betheath door thresholds, and it is a detail commonly omitted from sheds and accessory buildings.  On the Wednesday after the walk through, the cement person came to work on it, but merely slathered on cement beneath the threshold (somewhat imperfectly sealing it in, like the front of my house used to be) and then down to the ground, at only about the thickness of paint.  That Wednesday the contractor texted me that he was only waiting on the warranty paperwork for the roof (another detail that came up during the walk-through) and I was worried that the paint-thin mortar was all I was going to get.  So I texted back about the mortar only being paint thick, and got a reply that the contractor would be coming back Thursday to finish.  Rain delayed the final cement work on Thursday and Friday, but Monday was the lucky day, it appears to be the last day of actual work that will be done by the general contractor.

But not the last day of work by me and others.  I still need to finish sealing the electrical boxes (as much for my concern about stopping outgassing from spray foam and other materials inside the walls as for acoustical or weatherstripping concerns).  I already worked one day on that, but after getting some clarifications from the electrician last week, I'd like to finish sealing some more joints with the non-toxic acoustical sealing caulk I got for that purpose.  I may also need to figure out the situation regarding the hole where the ceiling fan will mount.  I'd like to pre-attach the ceiling medallion where the fan will be mounted, using screws and acoustical glue, but it may be that a main support piece for the fan will need to be mounted first.  And all that ceiling medallion work, if I even do it, will require a better ladder than I currently have, and now that I have the place to store it, I should probably get an 8 foot freestanding ladder for such work.  Here's a short list of work that still needs doing:

0) Remove water filled trash cans and other stuff in front yard hastily arranged to prevent trucks from driving over lawn (which could damage sewer pipe, I discovered in January).  Replace with small relatively inconspicuous fence pieces which will be part of permanent front yard protection.

1) Finish sealing around electrical boxes and also seal electrical panel.  Trim small amounts of excess sheetrock if necessary.

2) Get 8 foot ladder

3) Seal around ceiling hole.  Install fan support bar if required then ceiling medallion using screws and acoustical glue.

4) Get electrician to come out and finish electrical work

5) Get pavers to make walkway from house.  Current plan is roughly 3 foot wide walkway made out of 16" maximum pieces, winding from north side of patio.

6) Install sealing around through wall A/C unit.  Clear 3M panel for the front, polyurethane foam inside the back, and mortite around the very back.

7) Fix fins on A/C which got bent.

8) Install A/C front plate.

9) investigate potted plants to help with privacy issues in back yard, and extra 2nd shed for actually storing garden tools.

10) (Late sprint, dry weather) get additional exterior paint and using one tube of caulk fill in wide seam on back.  Contractor didn't want to do this, I decided I would do it myself on the principle of seeing that it be done correctly.  A top painter, like the one who originally did the painting, probably couldn't be bothered.

11) Install digital door knob and digital lock.

12) Fix door slider.

13) Clean and oil Fleetwood window mechanism.

14) Get motion detector, added to home security if possible.

15) Contact State Farm about adding to homeowners policy.

People always ask, when will it be done, when will you start moving in, etc.  I answer that I don't know.

The picture above was taken in early January, just after roof installation and before work began on spray foam, sheetrock, and carpentry inside.  It looks similar now on the outside, more than a busy month later though a number of details shown in photo have been improved.  The air conditioner has been installed, the front trim around the door has been done, and the slab forms and scrap have been removed.  It's been hard to get good pictures on most days.  The inside is fabulous with white walls, shelves, and beige tile floor, but even harder to take a good picture of.