Flooring Progress

Hmmmm.... smells good.  And looks good!  The first floor is near completion and I'm loving the quality of this wood.  

Flooring Starts

The hardwood installers arrived today and spent the first few hours diligently measuring and setting up the first strip of wood down the center of the first and second floors.  Like with most good trades, especially the "finishers", spending time on setup really pays off with speedier installations which are mistake free.  I'm looking forward to the smell of the red oak when it's first installed!

Nosing Installed

I don't like to get the nosing (the hardwood "lip" at the top of stairs and landings that finishes off the edge of the floor) until right before the flooring begins.  Stairtech arrived on schedule and installed the 3/4" red oak nosing to perfection today.

Drypack and Video

Today is the day where we start "finishing" the house.  The drywall is done, and the house is primed... well - check it out.

Also, the drypackers were in to prepare the wood surfaces to better accept tile.  That includes the master shower which got a sculpted slope down to the drain.

Landscape design

We're getting to the final strokes on the house exterior, so working with Danny and Marlen, I've put together a rough mock up (Etobicoke hasn't seen grass this green this year!) of the exterior elements of the house.  We should be good to start the driveway and interlock over the next few weeks.

Stucco and taping progress

The stucco is going well, as is the taping.  We should be done with drywall and ready for priming by Monday, and hopefully by then we'll see the final product on the front too.

Stucco and Aluminum

Eddie, the specialist guy from Elstructures stucco, started installing the box window cladding today.  It's going to be a great complement to the front facade when we're done.

Meanwhile, George's guys were back working on the front porch roof and some odds and ends.

Even the the front roof pitch is really low and kind of hard to see from the street, it does look great (I can assure you! :-)).

Taping away

Armando and his taping crew have been at it all week sealing the drywall joints and getting the walls and ceilings ready for paint.  They should be done by end of next week.

Progress

Clean up

While the guys tidied up the top floor with the last finishing drywall details (corner beads, shower board etc), I took the opportunity to do a little clean up outside and in.  Within minutes I was as sweaty as the drywall guys - the humidity has to be close to 100%!  Hopefully that drops before the tapers stop, or we'll have to rent fans to make sure the mud dries quickly enough.

2nd floor complete

As with most trades (except for the foundation, masonry and framing!), the drywall job works from the top to the bottom, and Alvarino's crew was just about done the top floor by end of day today.

Drywall starts

After a nice long weekend, the boys were at it bright and early, installing drywall in the boiling hot second floor.  Wow - what a summer of weather, and it continues!  Brutal.

Drywall Delivery

Drywall, mud and accessories were delivered today.  Luckily, like most new houses, the architect designed the front windows to be big enough for the boom lift to be able to deliver the drywall right into the second floor front rooms!

Batt Man

Rejean, my only French Canadian trade, was in today to install the batt insulation on the 1st floor walls, 2nd floor walls, required attic areas (ie on top of pot lights, skylight walls) and the 1st floor open roof area in the family room / kitchen.

I love this guy, though I only see him 4 or 5 days a year.  His work is excellent and he always makes sure everything is 100% in terms of insulation but also watches out for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, alarm and tech and other things that may be of concern while he's doing his work.

The workers are all family in one way or another and the way they work probably means they are a happy family:  mother, father and sons and sons-in-laws all working in harmony - what a great crew!