Project Completion.....1 Week.....maybe 2.

The exterior deck and trellis was framed up this week.  This generous sized deck is conveniently situated off of the dining room and has good views to both the  back yard and out to the front yard as well. We'll finish up the railings and stairs this week.

deck & trellis off the dining room

Electrical and Plumbing fixtures were installed this week.  The tankless water heater is the last remaining plumbing fixture to be installed.
Last week I finished up the grinding and polishing of the concrete counter tops.  This was quite a labor intensive job requiring about 18 hours from start to finish.  And that was with the use of a new grinder which has a direct water feed and probably cut the grinding time in half. The final step was applying the carnuba wax which I buffed with a sheepskin pad to create a nice shine. Some additional glass wall cabinets were installed with open shelving above.  The kitchen layout has allowed for numerous storage areas.   The stone backsplash was installed and this creates a nice complement to the concrete counters and dark maple cabinets.

concrete countertop w/ stone backsplash

The second floor bedroom level is nearly finished. Carpet and trim have been installed.  Bathrooms are complete.  Hanging doors and installing the closet shelving are two of the few remaining items.  We built out an 8' x 20' long portion of the attic for storage with a pull-down stair that leads to the hallway.  Without a basement, this attic and the first floor storage room will provide a large amount of usable storage .The existing wood stair was old looking and in need of repair.  This was resolved by installing new oak treads, sanding and painting the wood risers and installing a new wall-mounted handrail. It looks brand new now!  

front slate / marble entry & interior stair

The completion of the renovation project is quickly approaching. It's been a fun and satisfying project culminating with what I think is a great finished product and a fantastic value for the eventual new homeowner.

Concrete Counters, Trim, Finishes........2 weeks left!

kitchen counters right after the pour....resting.

 

Early Saturday morning was spent setting up the formwork for the kitchen counter tops.  Two of the workers from Asset Construction did most of the formwork.  I placed the wire steel mesh and steel reinforcing bars for the island cantilever. We all had a part in the mixing,pouring and finishing the70 square feet of surface area. The counters are basically a poured terrazzo mix consisting of white Portland cement, two sizes of white marble chips, Persian cream marble chips, re-cycled glass chips, steel reinforcing rods and glass fibers for added strength. The counters will have a few days to cure and harden before I start to polish them on Thursday and Friday. This is a somewhat messy process due to the fact that this is a "wet polishing" process using water.  The process starts by using 50 grit grinding pads to expose the stone aggregate and is finished with a 1500 grit pad which creates a smooth, polished surface. The final step is applying a wax which is buffed to create extra shine. 



 the counter cantilever received extra steel reinforcing.

The interior trim has been installed and doors will be hung this week.  The appliances have been delivered.  The plumber and electrician are installing fixtures.  Painting will be completed by the end of the week.  Carpet will be installed next week.  The entire project is coming together very well and we plan on doing the construction punch-list next Tuesday.

Although we're still finishing up the project, our real estate listing agent went ahead and had a showing with an interested couple on Sunday morning.  The showing went very well and it was constructive to get some feedback from a completely different set of eyes.   The real estate agent will follow up with them this week.