INSULATION!

INS-ULA-TION!, originally uploaded by berkeleygal77.

With all due respect to the Mouseketeers... sing along with me:
I-N-S, U-L-A, T-I-O (draw this one out)-N! I love rigid foam insulation! This means that the sheetrock (or is it sheet rock?) can go up this week.
Plus, my contractor is promising me numbers on the kitchen cabinets by Wednesday evening. So then I can decide. Things are getting going again.

Doorway downstairs

Doorway downstairs, originally uploaded by berkeleygal77.

Wall and doorways galore downstairs! I am very excited. Plus, they brought in a tone of sheetrock upstairs, too, and will be installing it next week (pending inspector approval of all the electrical work). :-D

Beginnings of new wall downstairs!

Beginnings of new wall downstairs!, originally uploaded by berkeleygal77.

Fresh wood smells good. Not much more to say than that.  Other than this wall will be the barrier between what will for sure be the laundry room and what will eventually be the downstairs master bedroom.

Concrete! Lots of Concrete!

Concrete! Lots of Concrete!, originally uploaded by berkeleygal77.

Yesterday, they poured the big concrete slab downstairs. I never thought I'd say this, but concrete is almost beautiful! Next week, they'll start putting in the short "transverse"/cross walls once the concrete has cured a bit.

To see more pictures...

I have only figured out how to show one picture per blog entry. Therefore, to see more pictures (actually, all the pictures), click on the one "main" picture. This will bring you to my Flickr account. Then click on the "berkeleygal77's photostream" link on the right hand side. Voila!

I Love Re-Bar

I Re-Bar, originally uploaded by berkeleygal77.

Concrete Gets Poured Tomorrow for the Slab!!!!

Plus, the inspector didn't want to pass this phase of the work today.  So my contractor had to explain to the building department's engineer why there wasn't any sand on top of the plastic layer and how we're putting Zypex (sp?) in the concrete as an additive, and the city engineer signed off on the deal (for this phase).  Contractor even quoted the article I gave him on why sand on top of plastic is a BAD idea, and the engineer liked it.  So we pour tomorrow.   There is now a new access "portal" in the pantry to the attic and the HVAC guy's plans are set, he likes the larger access.  There's more new electrical stuff, and a ton of outlets in the kitchen (more than 8 at last count, my contractor knows I like kitchen gadgets).  I am excited and nervous.  

And, I have exchanged some more emails with the guy who bought the lot next door.  He is a nice guy (very involved with big-scale real estate marketing and planning), has a nice modern eco-friendly plan, and won't be starting until I move in (no biggie, his house is modular a la Glide house).  Anyways...

More later!

More pictures soon

Sorry there haven't been any pictures in 8 days.  This past week, there has been good progress, but not much that is picture worthy.  The ground level was covered in gravel, then in an impermeable plastic layer - in preparation for the concrete slab being poured on Wednesday or Thursday of this week.  There has also been a lot of good plumbing and drainage work done as well, but you all don't want to see yet another picture of copper piping inside a wall or PVC piping coming out of one.   There is going to be a sump pump installed since the water table is relatively close to the surface (better safe than sorry).  I'll also be making a decision on kitchen cabinets by this time next week at the hopefully latest.  Also on the kitchen flooring - definitely Marmoleum but still deciding on the color.  More later.