Open House - Sunday, April 1 at 12-2 p.m.

This last month of the renovation project was spent finishing up many interior and exterior items.  Electrical and Plumbing fixtures were trimmed out.  Tile and carpet was laid.   Doors and trim was installed and the walls were painted.   The house is now 99% complete.  We've moved some furniture and accessories in to stage the main rooms including the Living Room, Kitchen and Master Bedroom.  On the exterior we finished up the siding, trim and gutters.  The new front porch was built with the standing seam roof.   A load of top-soil was graded throughout the yard with grass seed spread.  Stone pathways leading to the deck and to the garage provide access throughout the yard.   
The last remaining interior project is to finish the Family Room built-in shelving.  Custom built mdf shelving was built to surround the linear gas fireplace.  Glass tile has been installed on the four sides of the firebox opening.  The shelving will be trimmed out with re-claimed lumber and a full length wood bench will go from wall-to-wall. Open to the kitchen, with windows on two sides, the Family Room will be a great, comfortable area for television viewing and general lounging.
Like all home renovations, this project has been a considerable amount of work. From the initial house search, to the schematic design,  to the selection of the materials,  I've thoroughly enjoyed every step of the process.  We're thrilled with the finished product.  Please visit the website at 3722Sunnyside.com to see some great photos.
      
This fully renovated, modern style, single family home is now ready for showings.  An Open House is scheduled for Sunday, April 1st from 12pm - 2 pm......bring your checkbook. 

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. 

   

The Final Few Weeks.

The past few weeks the crew has been installing wall and floor finishes  in the bathrooms, laundry and first floor.  Ceramic and porcelain tile was selected and installed in the two second floor bathrooms and marble was used for the powder room.  The master bathroom shower area came out looking very clean and modern through the use of 6" x 24" plank tiles stacked vertically with 12" x 24" planks for the floor. 

Due to the age of the building, the first floor had a few areas which were uneven and slightly sloped.  A condition which is pretty common for vintage buildings.  This was fixed by placing wood sleepers (cut with a slope) and new 3/4" plywood over the entire floor area.  This level sub-floor was then ready for the pre-finished, carbonized bamboo flooring.  It is now installed and it looks great! Slate and marble tile was installed in the front entry. The existing stair was refurbished with new oak treads and painted risers.  All the floor and wall finishes have come out exceptional.

first floor w/ new plywood subfloor.

new bamboo flooring

The exterior siding is installed but some of the corner trim boards still need to be completed.

I'm working on the finalizing the Family Room fireplace / storage design.  The west wall will have a modern gas fireplace with built-in shelving and a raised, horizontal concrete hearth.  Mosaic tile will surround the firebox and wood trim will finish off the entire area.  Painted wood shelving will provide areas for accessories, books and electronics.  There are provisions for a  flat-screen television which could be placed directly above the fireplace.

The interior will be primed tomorrow and painted by the end of the week.  The cabinets and vanities will be installed Wednesday.  Set-up for the terrazzo counters will begin Thursday with the concrete pouring to take place on Saturday. 

The lighting and plumbing fixtures will be installed this week.  The deck and trellis will be completed next week -- just in time to enjoy our Spring weather.  Carpet installed next week.  Finishing touches and staging the second week of February.

Dry wall up.....finishes to follow.....siding being installed.

Dry wall is hung and should be taped, sanded and primed by Friday afternoon.  The first floor  plan appears even more  spacious than the actual square feet it occupies.  The abundant amount of sunlight from the large side yard and minimal interior walls are two reasons which contribute to the open feeling.  The bamboo flooring will be installed next week.  Cabinets will follow.  We're assembling materials for the concrete (polished terrazzo) kitchen countertops.  These will be poured in place which is different from the mold formed countertops I fabricated for my home.  Pouring in place eliminates the need to move the heavy counters but also requires exact formwork and involves more work for the polishing phase since its in a finished kitchen area -- lots of plastic tarps to cover walls, cabinets, floors, etc.  



view from family room looking south to kitchen and living room

Siding and exterior trim are being installed and will be complete by the end of the week.  The side deck and trellis will be started next week. That will wrap up the majority of the exterior work.  We've been very fortunate with the mild weather so far.....I think that's about to change. 
The front exterior entry will have a standing seam metal roof in a orange / red hue to provide some color for the front facade.  



exterior siding installed



Plumbing fixtures and electrical fixtures are 90% purchased. The floor and wall tile selections are being finalized.  Paint colors will be selected - - mostly white wall with a few accent colors.

We're quickly winding this project up and have about three weeks of intensive finishing left.      

Spring weather....

Spring-like weather has allowed the crew to continue working on some of the outside projects. I arrived at 8:30 this morning to see the concrete truck in front of the house.  They poured the front concrete stoop and the walkway pavers leading to the front side walk.  It will be great to be able to walk on a paved surface instead of a muddy walkway.  River rock will surround the pavers to finish off the walkway.  

concrete pavers leading to front entry stoop

At 9:45 am I headed towards Schaumburg to visit that Swedish design center, also known as IKEA.  It was a successful shopping excursion.  Seven wood / glass linear style kitchen wall cabinets were purchased to provide a contrast to the dark maple base cabinets.  Economically priced at $ 98...but some assembly is required.  Several light fixtures were also obtained for the bedrooms and storage areas.  We'll need to make another trip in a few weeks to get bathroom accessories and more light fixtures.

Some miscellaneous interior framing was completed this week. Kitchen soffits and the attic storage room were framed. And a small closet was built in the second floor Den / Nursery adding to the functionality of this room. The exterior wallcavities were filled with batt insulation and are now ready for the gypsum board.
Next week should see the start of the siding, installation of dry-wall and the construction of the exterior deck and trellis.  Were making great progress and the final month will be exciting.

H A P P Y    N E W    Y E A R!   I'm looking forward to 2012.

A few key layout modications to add Storage....

Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing all finished up this week.  Electrical and Mechanical work was inspected.  Plumbing inspection will happen on Tuesday.  Insulation will start on Wednesday.  All the dry-wall should be hung by the end of the week.  That will be a big transformation for the space. 
The exterior siding and trim boards will be installed next week.  The deck and wood trellis will be built the first week of January. 
After seeing some of the wall framing going up we were able to  make some field modifications to pick up more storage space.  Without a basement this is key to provide areas for additional storage.  The first floor now has a walk-in storage room underneath the existing stair. The master bedroom has some additional built-in storage closet that frame into the attic space.  The attic will have an 8' wide x 20' long storage room complete with a pull-down stair, insulated walls and fluorescent lighting -- great for Christmas decorations, out-of- season items, etc. etc.  Due to some re-framing needed to add headroom at the stair, the second floor den / nursery will also have a small closet.

Attic space prior to storage room

I did a revised kitchen elevation with a mixture of wood / glass wall cabinets and some built-in storage/display boxes . This should create a unique and custom look for the kitchen. as well as adding some useful storage areas. We'll be working on the poured concrete countertops soon. 
The bamboo flooring was picked up on Friday along with some bathroom vanities. We're assembling all of the items for the final month of construction. It's time to select the remaining finishes like tile, lighting fixtures and the family room gas fireplace.
The project is moving along on schedule and on budget. The final month will be fun.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!