While awaiting better weather, we are trying to make some progress where opportunities present themselves.
Since the Marvin windows and doors have arrived (Scott called on Tuesday), I realized we might be able to move ahead with the production of the stained glass window to be mounted above the south door. The plan that we discussed with the art glass company in early December was to take the actual Marvin window to the glass shop and let them fit their stained glass to the frame. I call the "Salesman" Mike (Marvin dealer) today to see if they will release that window to us. Mike said that would not be a problem and he would go find the window. I then called Gerald (art glass company) to see what their current schedule looks like. Gerald was not in, but I talked with Kim. I told her that the window had arrived and we were wondering if their schedule would be permit work on the glass if we were to bring the window over. Kim remembered our early December conversation and said she would discuss it with Gerald when he came in and have him call us back. By the end of the day, we had not received a return call from Gerald.
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Yesterday, we received another response from Christine (Alderwoman) regarding the question of the status of the roadway (aka "alley", aka "driveway") along the backyard. Her brief note said that she was going to consult with the City Counselor's office and that she has sometimes found conflicting information when looking into issues like this. She further suggested that we might want to bring in a surveyor or real estate attorney and requested our thoughts.
In our lengthy response, we noted that there have been several surveys done over the last 12 years and the property boundaries appear to be very clear. We told her that we were interested in what the City Counselor had to say, but that we felt the main thing that has to happen is for the City to officially acknowledge any jurisdiction and/or obligation it has regarding this roadway. If the answer is "none", then we are back to our original understanding that it is private property. However, since it has City street lights and utility lines along it and a main sewer line buried down the middle of it, our original question comes back to the surface. If we decide to pave a portion of this roadway, are there any approvals, permissions or notifications required to avoid any imperial conflicts or other unintended consequences?
Since we moved in, the property boundaries of all the properties bordering this roadway have been marked several times, for a variety of reasons. There is no doubt that the individual property lines converge in the middle of this roadway. Being the case, it seems clear to us that the City does not own this alley, but rather it is shared by the owners of the individual properties. However, this raises another unsettling question. Is there a publicly recorded easement that would prevent any of the owners from reclaiming their portion of the alley, thus denying access to others? Sometime in the distant past, access on the east end of the roadway was closed off and that portion of the roadway was reclaimed by the two property owners on either side of it. This is the portion of the roadway that Christine said she found City documents "vacating" that portion of the roadway. It was this finding that started the on-going question of ownership of the roadway. If the roadway is private property, there would not have been anything for the City to vacate.
There are four property owners to the west of us. If any of these four owners were to "reclaim" their portion of this roadway, it would be devastating to us, denying us access to our new garage. There are a total of ten properties that border this roadway. Of these, only four properties rely upon this roadway for access to their off-street parking. Ours is one of these four properties, with the other three being east of us. With the east end of the roadway already blocked, if we loose our access from the west, the other three property owners east of us will as well.
I went back to our mortgage documents, looking for some statement or notation that such an easement might exist. I could not find anything. The several appraisals that we have had done actually stated that there were no conditions (including easements) that could negatively impact the value of the house. Anyway, this is still an open question. In our response to Christine, we asked her where we might start our search of public records for such a recorded easement. If there is none, then the only recourse we would have, should one of our westerly neighbors decide to reclaim their roadway property, would be to file a lawsuit to prevent.
Friday, January 9, 2015
Thursday, January 8, 2015
Baby It's Cold Out There, Again!
As forecast, the north wind shifted since yesterday, coming out of the south now. While this resulted in the temperature getting into the mid-20's, it felt colder than yesterday. It was bitter.
While no work was accomplished in the back yard, the new vaulted trusses showed up. I observed the flat bed truck back into our west neighbor's drive and the driver started unstrapping the trusses. I called "Our" Mike to ensure he was aware they had arrived. He said he was aware and that he was on his way. I told him that I hoped he had consulted with our neighbor prior to using their driveway. Mike said he told the driver to let Mike know 30 minutes prior to arrival (he did not) and then to wait until Mike arrived (he did not). When Mike arrived, he and the driver unloaded the four trusses and placed them along the west side of our house (half way through our gate).
Mike came to the door before he left. Since I never was told the outcome of Frank's (HVAC) analysis of mounting the interior unit of the heat pump on the vaulted truss, I asked Mike if that was finished. Mike said it was and there was plenty of room. When I asked about the plan to start raising the trusses, I got a vague response about it may be a bit warmer next week.
A little later, we got a call from our west neighbor. They have been very accommodating and patient during our project. Today however, not only did we fail to secure their permission to use their driveway, but the flat bed truck got off the drive and into the yard. To top it off, the steel bands and cardboard used to bind the trusses were left in the neighbor's yard. Needless to say, the neighbor was very upset, as I would be as well. The neighbor told me that he wanted the person responsible for today's activity to know that they were not pleased and that the use of their drive was not to be taken for granted. I apologized and made sure he knew I understood. I immediately called Mike. I told him that the neighbor was very upset and now I was as well. From the beginning of this project I have made it known to all the contractors that special consideration was to be given to not inconveniencing our neighbors. Today's events went past just inconvenience. I told Mike that today we "burned a bridge" with the west neighbor and that Mike was not to make any future plans on the assumption that we could use their driveway. I told him to "not even ask"!
Today is the 150th day since our construction permit was granted. The permit was for 184 days to February 11, 2015.
While no work was accomplished in the back yard, the new vaulted trusses showed up. I observed the flat bed truck back into our west neighbor's drive and the driver started unstrapping the trusses. I called "Our" Mike to ensure he was aware they had arrived. He said he was aware and that he was on his way. I told him that I hoped he had consulted with our neighbor prior to using their driveway. Mike said he told the driver to let Mike know 30 minutes prior to arrival (he did not) and then to wait until Mike arrived (he did not). When Mike arrived, he and the driver unloaded the four trusses and placed them along the west side of our house (half way through our gate).
Mike came to the door before he left. Since I never was told the outcome of Frank's (HVAC) analysis of mounting the interior unit of the heat pump on the vaulted truss, I asked Mike if that was finished. Mike said it was and there was plenty of room. When I asked about the plan to start raising the trusses, I got a vague response about it may be a bit warmer next week.
A little later, we got a call from our west neighbor. They have been very accommodating and patient during our project. Today however, not only did we fail to secure their permission to use their driveway, but the flat bed truck got off the drive and into the yard. To top it off, the steel bands and cardboard used to bind the trusses were left in the neighbor's yard. Needless to say, the neighbor was very upset, as I would be as well. The neighbor told me that he wanted the person responsible for today's activity to know that they were not pleased and that the use of their drive was not to be taken for granted. I apologized and made sure he knew I understood. I immediately called Mike. I told him that the neighbor was very upset and now I was as well. From the beginning of this project I have made it known to all the contractors that special consideration was to be given to not inconveniencing our neighbors. Today's events went past just inconvenience. I told Mike that today we "burned a bridge" with the west neighbor and that Mike was not to make any future plans on the assumption that we could use their driveway. I told him to "not even ask"!
Today is the 150th day since our construction permit was granted. The permit was for 184 days to February 11, 2015.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Baby It's Cold Out There!
We awoke this morning to a light snow frosting.
The high today was 11⁰F with a pleasant northerly breeze resulting in a wind chill of -10⁰F. If I still had a mustache, it would be frozen.
Not surprisingly "Our" Mike apparently did not find anyone anxious to work on the backyard. However, the cable company did show up to hook up the ground wire they did not hook up when they rerouted the cable line to the underground conduit. Please don't assume the cable company did this on their own initiative. While complaining to the cable company yesterday about our dismal internet performance, I mentioned to a Supervisor that this wire was never hooked up. He said he would enter a ticket to get it hooked up. I am pleased he did what he promised.
T and I spent the afternoon at the Art Museum, having lunch at the Boathouse in Forest Park.
I love retirement!
Tonight, it is forecast to get down to 0⁰F. Tomorrow it will warm up to about 25⁰F. No word from Mike if there will be any activity in the backyard.
Interestingly, we got an email from our Alderwoman (Christine) yesterday about the alley issue. She apologized for never responding to my October request to continue our conversation and wondered if we needed to discuss the matter further. I responded today that, yes, we do need to continue the discussion, but that we have more time than I thought last fall to resolve the issue of ownership of the alley. I recapped the conversation we have had to date. We'll see if we hear back from her.
BTW, today is the 149th day since our construction permit was granted. The permit was for 184 days to February 11, 2015.
The high today was 11⁰F with a pleasant northerly breeze resulting in a wind chill of -10⁰F. If I still had a mustache, it would be frozen.
Not surprisingly "Our" Mike apparently did not find anyone anxious to work on the backyard. However, the cable company did show up to hook up the ground wire they did not hook up when they rerouted the cable line to the underground conduit. Please don't assume the cable company did this on their own initiative. While complaining to the cable company yesterday about our dismal internet performance, I mentioned to a Supervisor that this wire was never hooked up. He said he would enter a ticket to get it hooked up. I am pleased he did what he promised.
T and I spent the afternoon at the Art Museum, having lunch at the Boathouse in Forest Park.
I love retirement!
Tonight, it is forecast to get down to 0⁰F. Tomorrow it will warm up to about 25⁰F. No word from Mike if there will be any activity in the backyard.
Interestingly, we got an email from our Alderwoman (Christine) yesterday about the alley issue. She apologized for never responding to my October request to continue our conversation and wondered if we needed to discuss the matter further. I responded today that, yes, we do need to continue the discussion, but that we have more time than I thought last fall to resolve the issue of ownership of the alley. I recapped the conversation we have had to date. We'll see if we hear back from her.
BTW, today is the 149th day since our construction permit was granted. The permit was for 184 days to February 11, 2015.
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
Ameren Part 2
Around 8:00 am this morning, from my second story observatory, I noticed an Ameren (power company) boom truck sitting in front of the house. The driver got out and went around to the back yard. A few minutes later, the driver returned to the truck, did a three-point U turn on Russell and headed west. He sped just past the entry to the Russell-Longfellow alley, slammed on the brakes, threw it into reverse and proceeded to back into the car following the truck, despite the frantic horn blasts from the car. I watched as the truck driver and the lady from the car get out and discuss the damage. Thinking this was a good moment in history to capture, I grabbed my iPad and went down stairs to get a good shot. By the time I got to the door, both vehicles were gone. Moments later, the boom truck showed up in the alley behind the house. I guess the lady did not believe the damage was worth reporting or perhaps there was no actual contact. If the later however, I am not sure why they both got out of their vehicles to discuss the matter in the middle of the street. Regardless, it appears the truck driver was very lucky as it would be a tough situation to explain to the boss.
By 8:15 am, we had two Ameren trucks in the back alley. Believing this was an indication that we will finally get the overhead power line rerouted today, I went down to the basement and unlocked and unbarred the basement door, expecting the electrician to arrive. By 8:30 am, a third Ameren pickup truck had arrived with a cable spool in the truck bed. It certainly appeared they were serious about "pushing" a new cable today.
At 8:40 am, I noticed that Judge Carol, our neighbor at the end of the alley, was ready to head off to work. The guy with the cable spool rolled up the cable he had unrolled and backed out of her way. To my surprise, once Carol had passed, the cable spool truck followed her out. Then the boom trucks left as well. Very odd.
About 9:30 am, Spenser and I were walking along Compton and noticed that both the boom truck and the cable spool pickup truck had staged themselves in the parking lot of a church about a block away. The only thing Spenser and I could think of was that they were waiting for the electrical contractor (Rob) to arrive. If true, I hope Rob is more punctual that he has been in the past.
10:15 am, the two Ameren trucks were back in the alley. No sign of the electrical contractor. I talked to the Ameren Foreman and he said the delay in the work earlier because they discovered they brought the wrong cable. They now had the right stuff and should have the work done in about 45 minutes. He did not anticipate the electrical contractor needed to do anything to complete he job. By 11:00 am they were done, with the old cable gone, the new 400 amp system installed and the power back on.
It is nice to have the overhead lines gone and not having them hanging off the back of the house.
I called "Our" Mike to let him know the power line was down and that I assumed we could therefore start putting the trusses into place. He said we certainly could, if he could find anyone who would be willing to work in this weather. A very disconcerting comment. While it is cold outside, it is a beautiful sunny and calm day.
Late in the day, we received a call from Scott at the Marvin Window vendor. He said our sunroom windows and doors have arrived and to let them know when we are ready for them to be delivered.
By 8:15 am, we had two Ameren trucks in the back alley. Believing this was an indication that we will finally get the overhead power line rerouted today, I went down to the basement and unlocked and unbarred the basement door, expecting the electrician to arrive. By 8:30 am, a third Ameren pickup truck had arrived with a cable spool in the truck bed. It certainly appeared they were serious about "pushing" a new cable today.
At 8:40 am, I noticed that Judge Carol, our neighbor at the end of the alley, was ready to head off to work. The guy with the cable spool rolled up the cable he had unrolled and backed out of her way. To my surprise, once Carol had passed, the cable spool truck followed her out. Then the boom trucks left as well. Very odd.
About 9:30 am, Spenser and I were walking along Compton and noticed that both the boom truck and the cable spool pickup truck had staged themselves in the parking lot of a church about a block away. The only thing Spenser and I could think of was that they were waiting for the electrical contractor (Rob) to arrive. If true, I hope Rob is more punctual that he has been in the past.
10:15 am, the two Ameren trucks were back in the alley. No sign of the electrical contractor. I talked to the Ameren Foreman and he said the delay in the work earlier because they discovered they brought the wrong cable. They now had the right stuff and should have the work done in about 45 minutes. He did not anticipate the electrical contractor needed to do anything to complete he job. By 11:00 am they were done, with the old cable gone, the new 400 amp system installed and the power back on.
It is nice to have the overhead lines gone and not having them hanging off the back of the house.
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| After |
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| Before |
I called "Our" Mike to let him know the power line was down and that I assumed we could therefore start putting the trusses into place. He said we certainly could, if he could find anyone who would be willing to work in this weather. A very disconcerting comment. While it is cold outside, it is a beautiful sunny and calm day.
Late in the day, we received a call from Scott at the Marvin Window vendor. He said our sunroom windows and doors have arrived and to let them know when we are ready for them to be delivered.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Power
It was very encouraging to observed two Ameren (power company) trucks in the alley this morning. I kept watching to see if the electrical contractor (Rob) would show up since "Our" Mike said they would be coordinating the power line relocation with Ameren. Rob never materialized, but I soon learned why the survey company had remarked all the underground utilities last week. The Ameren crew started boring an 18" diameter hole next to the existing power pole. Spenser and I decided to investigate. Sure enough, the Foreman said they were going to replace the pole. When I asked why, he shrugged and said he was told to replace the pole. The old pole is at an angle, but I've seen much worse. The hole they bored turned out to be eight feet deep. The Foreman said we would be without power for a couple of hours. Not just us, everyone who pulls power off this line (probably everyone on the alley). He said he did not know if it would happen today, as he was not sure when the new pole would arrive. In response to my question about selecting the color of the new pole, the Foreman said "certainly, as long as you want wood grained".
The Foreman asked me if I thought our west neighbors would be receptive to allowing them to use their driveway to deliver the new pole. I told him that the neighbors have been very accommodating during our project, but he needed to get their permission.
Spenser and I wished the Ameren crew well and continued on our rounds. During that journey, we realized that neither of us actually knew whether or not these guys were going to reroute our overhead power line in addition to installing a new pole. Once we got back to the house, Spenser suggested I go back out and ask. I did and the Foreman said that "pushing" the new power line through the new conduit is part of their job scope, but he doubted they would get to that today. Therefore, we may have a couple of power outages this week.
Thinking back to a story "Our" Mike told us about when the power company replaced the pole in front of his house. The power company did their job, but then the phone company and the cable company both needed to move their lines over to the new pole before the old pole could actually be removed. I believe Mike told us it has been over two years now and those lines have never been moved. He still has two poles in front of his house.
When we left around 10:30 am to go out for breakfast and visit the store, the Ameren crew was waiting for the new pole to arrive. When we returned around 12:30 pm, our power was out, the new pole was in place and the crew was installing a new transformer.
Power was back on around 1:30 pm. It was probably off a couple of hours. They cut the old pole off just above the cable and phone lines. I bet it stays there a long time. No word regarding when they will be back to "push" the power line through the underground conduit. Maybe tomorrow???
They left the old transformer frozen in a water puddle. I wonder if they did that to make it harder to steal? These guys did a nice job and obviously knew what they were doing.
The Foreman asked me if I thought our west neighbors would be receptive to allowing them to use their driveway to deliver the new pole. I told him that the neighbors have been very accommodating during our project, but he needed to get their permission.
Spenser and I wished the Ameren crew well and continued on our rounds. During that journey, we realized that neither of us actually knew whether or not these guys were going to reroute our overhead power line in addition to installing a new pole. Once we got back to the house, Spenser suggested I go back out and ask. I did and the Foreman said that "pushing" the new power line through the new conduit is part of their job scope, but he doubted they would get to that today. Therefore, we may have a couple of power outages this week.
Thinking back to a story "Our" Mike told us about when the power company replaced the pole in front of his house. The power company did their job, but then the phone company and the cable company both needed to move their lines over to the new pole before the old pole could actually be removed. I believe Mike told us it has been over two years now and those lines have never been moved. He still has two poles in front of his house.
When we left around 10:30 am to go out for breakfast and visit the store, the Ameren crew was waiting for the new pole to arrive. When we returned around 12:30 pm, our power was out, the new pole was in place and the crew was installing a new transformer.
Power was back on around 1:30 pm. It was probably off a couple of hours. They cut the old pole off just above the cable and phone lines. I bet it stays there a long time. No word regarding when they will be back to "push" the power line through the underground conduit. Maybe tomorrow???
They left the old transformer frozen in a water puddle. I wonder if they did that to make it harder to steal? These guys did a nice job and obviously knew what they were doing.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
2015 - We Begin Again!
Tomorrow starts the first full work week of 2015. We are very hopeful that we will make some good progress while the weather is kind to us. The forecast is dry all week with temperatures around freezing. Wednesday is the exception when, while still dry, the high is only supposed to reach 11⁰F. As mentioned before, we noticed a person in the alley early last week looking at the power pole and taking photos. Our assumption was, and still is, that this was an Ameren representative. We hope they will show up early this week to complete the power line relocation. We did not notice, until pointed out by a neighbor, that the underground utility locator has been back, marking the utility lines in the alley around the power pole. We are not sure who requested this latest survey since we should have completed all the digging needed for a while. That locator service probably does not need directions to find our house since they have been out so many times over the past few months.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
What Is Not Started, Is Never Finished
It has been 10 days since our last post and 21 days since any physical work has been attempted in back yard. Last week, I did spend some time cleaning up the mess left by the electricians in the basement.
This past Monday (December 29), we did get a call from "Our" Mike saying he has been talking with Frank (HVAC) about our question of being able to fit the interior heat pump unit above the vaulted west gable. Mike intended to drop by on Tuesday to take some measurements so that they could finalize the answer. Mike also said he had some invoices to drop off. I also suggested we review the drawings and ensure we are all in agreement with respect to the plan for the sunroom trusses. I mentioned to Mike that I noticed a person in a reflective vest out in the alley Monday morning looking at and photographing the power pole. We assume this was a representative of Ameren, the power company, in preparation to route the power line through the new underground conduit. Mike reminded me that the original promise was to have this done within 28 days of when the application was submitted. My memory was that Mike originally told us 21 days, but his memory is better than mine (at least that is what he tells me). Anyway, that means they now can get it done the first week of 2015 and still be within that time frame. Of course Mike tells me that the work has to be coordinated with the electrical contract (Rob) who, up to now, has not been very responsive. If it is accomplished, it will at least be after our holiday guests have departed. Our daughter (Laura), and her family, have been visiting from Texas since Christmas.
Tuesday afternoon, Mike did arrive and we reviewed the drawings. We are in consensus that we will vault the west girder truss and the first truss next to it (the one that would form the "box" on the west gable). This is contingent on Mike getting a confirmation from Frank that the wall space above the vaulted truss will accommodate the interior heat pump unit. The other sunroom trusses will stay with Tyler's original non-vaulted design. Mike said a shipment of trusses was coming from the Jefferson City, MO truss company next week so that it was possible that our new gable trusses could be included in that shipment. If so, then once we get the power line moved, we should be ready to lift the trusses. Mike said he is still talking with the crane guy about bringing in a crane what can navigate down the alley.
During Mike's visit on Tuesday, he seemed very upbeat about getting back to work on the project. He did note that, for the most part, we have had very nice weather during December 2014. I agreed it was unfortunate we could not take advantage of this unseasonably nice weather. Maybe we will have a nice January as well. Once we get "under roof", the weather factor will diminish. He had three invoices for us, two from the lumber company and one from the electrician.
We also briefly discussed the option of the grade of pine to use on the interior roofing and the interior gable surfaces. T is willing to accept the No. 2 pine, while I would go with the Select grade. T said she would bow to my desires. Mike said he still had not determined the linear footage required, but I am still estimating 1,000 feet for the roof surface. I have not calculated the gable surfaces.
On New Year's Eve, we visited the granite store again. T wanted to get Laura's opinion on the material to use on the bar counter top. They took the sample of floor slate with them and they liked the Cambria "Buckingham" quartz. Not necessary to make a final decision yet and the lady in the shop said the company was coming out with new colors in mid-January.
This past Monday (December 29), we did get a call from "Our" Mike saying he has been talking with Frank (HVAC) about our question of being able to fit the interior heat pump unit above the vaulted west gable. Mike intended to drop by on Tuesday to take some measurements so that they could finalize the answer. Mike also said he had some invoices to drop off. I also suggested we review the drawings and ensure we are all in agreement with respect to the plan for the sunroom trusses. I mentioned to Mike that I noticed a person in a reflective vest out in the alley Monday morning looking at and photographing the power pole. We assume this was a representative of Ameren, the power company, in preparation to route the power line through the new underground conduit. Mike reminded me that the original promise was to have this done within 28 days of when the application was submitted. My memory was that Mike originally told us 21 days, but his memory is better than mine (at least that is what he tells me). Anyway, that means they now can get it done the first week of 2015 and still be within that time frame. Of course Mike tells me that the work has to be coordinated with the electrical contract (Rob) who, up to now, has not been very responsive. If it is accomplished, it will at least be after our holiday guests have departed. Our daughter (Laura), and her family, have been visiting from Texas since Christmas.
Tuesday afternoon, Mike did arrive and we reviewed the drawings. We are in consensus that we will vault the west girder truss and the first truss next to it (the one that would form the "box" on the west gable). This is contingent on Mike getting a confirmation from Frank that the wall space above the vaulted truss will accommodate the interior heat pump unit. The other sunroom trusses will stay with Tyler's original non-vaulted design. Mike said a shipment of trusses was coming from the Jefferson City, MO truss company next week so that it was possible that our new gable trusses could be included in that shipment. If so, then once we get the power line moved, we should be ready to lift the trusses. Mike said he is still talking with the crane guy about bringing in a crane what can navigate down the alley.
During Mike's visit on Tuesday, he seemed very upbeat about getting back to work on the project. He did note that, for the most part, we have had very nice weather during December 2014. I agreed it was unfortunate we could not take advantage of this unseasonably nice weather. Maybe we will have a nice January as well. Once we get "under roof", the weather factor will diminish. He had three invoices for us, two from the lumber company and one from the electrician.
We also briefly discussed the option of the grade of pine to use on the interior roofing and the interior gable surfaces. T is willing to accept the No. 2 pine, while I would go with the Select grade. T said she would bow to my desires. Mike said he still had not determined the linear footage required, but I am still estimating 1,000 feet for the roof surface. I have not calculated the gable surfaces.
On New Year's Eve, we visited the granite store again. T wanted to get Laura's opinion on the material to use on the bar counter top. They took the sample of floor slate with them and they liked the Cambria "Buckingham" quartz. Not necessary to make a final decision yet and the lady in the shop said the company was coming out with new colors in mid-January.
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Winter Solstice
Yesterday was the last full day of Autumn 2014. Today, in about an hour (5:03 CST), the Winter Solstice occurs. We've had about four inches of snow so far this season, all of it in November. December has been relatively mild. Forecast is for rain tomorrow, with mild weather through Christmas. It appears we will have no "white" Christmas this year.
Yesterday afternoon, Spenser and I were again enjoying our new connecting porch when a couple of Tyler's girls stopped by for a drink out of one of our backyard mud puddles. Perhaps they were fishing for shrimp.
I also found a piece of slate on the connecting porch. I assume this was left by the slate roofer in response to my request to be allowed to review and approve the slate they intended to use on both the sunroom and garage gables as well as to replace missing or damaged tiles on the main house. Their proposal specified this as a non-fading green slate attached with copper nails. T said she would call it a grey-green color and asked "why copper nails?". While the proposal does not specify the warranty, I assume it is probably 100+ years. While we will not be there in 100 years, the copper nails will be.
While T has the final call, I was concerned that it was not anywhere near the color of the slate we have on the main house. There are two questions to answer. First, will this slate on the gables of the new sunroom and garage coordinate with the main house? Second, is this slate acceptable to replace missing or damaged slate tiles on the main house?
I have several pieces of slate that have fallen off the house over the past 12 years. Here is a side-by-side with the proposed new slate. Spenser is waiting for his dinner, that is why he is showing interest.
This comparison does not look too bad, that is to me, being color blind. T indicated she would accept the proposed new slate on the gables of the new sunroom and garage. That answers the first question.
I also took photos of the existing slate on the three sides of the main house.
The east and west gables appear, to me, to be much lighter color. The north gable is a mixture, probably reflecting past tile replacements.
T has the final call and she is going to sleep on it. I am afraid we have plenty of time for her to consider the answer.
Yesterday afternoon, Spenser and I were again enjoying our new connecting porch when a couple of Tyler's girls stopped by for a drink out of one of our backyard mud puddles. Perhaps they were fishing for shrimp.
I also found a piece of slate on the connecting porch. I assume this was left by the slate roofer in response to my request to be allowed to review and approve the slate they intended to use on both the sunroom and garage gables as well as to replace missing or damaged tiles on the main house. Their proposal specified this as a non-fading green slate attached with copper nails. T said she would call it a grey-green color and asked "why copper nails?". While the proposal does not specify the warranty, I assume it is probably 100+ years. While we will not be there in 100 years, the copper nails will be.
While T has the final call, I was concerned that it was not anywhere near the color of the slate we have on the main house. There are two questions to answer. First, will this slate on the gables of the new sunroom and garage coordinate with the main house? Second, is this slate acceptable to replace missing or damaged slate tiles on the main house?
I have several pieces of slate that have fallen off the house over the past 12 years. Here is a side-by-side with the proposed new slate. Spenser is waiting for his dinner, that is why he is showing interest.
This comparison does not look too bad, that is to me, being color blind. T indicated she would accept the proposed new slate on the gables of the new sunroom and garage. That answers the first question.
I also took photos of the existing slate on the three sides of the main house.
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| West Gable |
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| East Gable |
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| North Gable |
T has the final call and she is going to sleep on it. I am afraid we have plenty of time for her to consider the answer.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Weekend Wrap
No outside work was attempted this week. Next week is Christmas week and the weather is not forecast to be as nice as this week. Other than the update we got from "Our" Mike on Thursday and a short followup phone conversation Friday morning, no other news from him. We are still hopeful we might get the new power line installed before the end of the year, getting that behind us.
We did get a note from Tyler (architect) informing us that Mike had relayed to him our desire to see what the design of vaulted trusses in the sunroom might look like. He said he would come up with a "good looking" truss profile which could then be turned over to the truss manufacturer to be modified for structural requirements. Later, Tyler sent the following profile.
This looked pretty good to both T and myself. We would have to see if and/or how the truss manufacturer might modify it to achieve structural requirements. For comparison, below is the last rendition of the original truss. The new design still has the same basic concept, just slid up with the center point of the truss.
Along with the new profile, Tyler fulfilled his "obligation" to point out that he did not "think this will look as good as the original flat bottom profile of the trusses". He went on to observe that:
"By pushing up on the bottom chord, the truss will effectively disappear up against the ceiling. The profile becomes very shallow, which is further exaggerated by the height and the angle of view from below. When the bottoms are flat, then they hang down in the light of the glass roof vault to become highlighted for full view, which was the original intent. It is a more interesting and rich layering of the design in my profession view."
I thanked Tyler for his opinion and told him we would take it into consideration in making our final decision. From his note, I am not sure what is his current opinion of vaulting the west gable trusses. Originally, he had them with a "flat bottom profile" and "wrapped" so that the view of the glass roof was partially blocked from the sunroom. How his original design contrasts with what he is saying now, that the flat bottom profile of the trusses would "hang down in the light of the glass roof vault", I am not sure, but it does not sound consistent.
We will ponder the issue over this weekend, but talking with T this morning, my new default position is to go with the vaulted trusses on the west gable, but keep the originally designed, non-vaulted, sunroom trusses. While T may have an epiphany at some point which would change my mind, she believes there is no wrong answer (which comforts me). She had held the belief that I had a strong inclination towards vaulting all the sunroom trusses. I reminded her that my suggestion for vaulting all the trusses was in response to the views presented by both "Our" Mike and Tyler that, if we vault the gable trusses to view the glass roof, the remaining sunroom trusses would still obscure the view of the glass roof. One solution therefore was to vault all the trusses. Otherwise, as I assured her, I only want the solution that she believes we will enjoy the most!
If anyone has any suggestions or comments on the truss design, we welcome it!!
On Friday, we did get over to the office of Bob (cabinetry) to pick up the sample of Sapele. Here, it is shown with the smaller sample of Tiger wood (for the hot tub decking) and the sunroom ceramic floor tile. T noted that the similarity and compatibility of the Sapele and the Tiger wood was the reason for choosing them. She claims the finish on the bar, made of Sapele, will give that windowless side of the room a "glow" and will be charming! T believes she has a very clear vision of all the surfaces in the sunroom and how they will all coordinate. I am very thankful to have her.
Update: Tyler just wrote to clarify that he is now supportive of vaulting the gable trusses as opposed to the original flat profile design. He still is not in favor of vaulting the remaining sunroom trusses. I have sent a note to Mike asking him to get with Frank (HVAC) to reaffirm that the interior unit of the heat pump can be mounted in the area on the west gable above the glass roof. If so, then the gable chapter of the truss drama is concluded. Only the sunroom truss mystery remains to be resolved.
We did get a note from Tyler (architect) informing us that Mike had relayed to him our desire to see what the design of vaulted trusses in the sunroom might look like. He said he would come up with a "good looking" truss profile which could then be turned over to the truss manufacturer to be modified for structural requirements. Later, Tyler sent the following profile.
This looked pretty good to both T and myself. We would have to see if and/or how the truss manufacturer might modify it to achieve structural requirements. For comparison, below is the last rendition of the original truss. The new design still has the same basic concept, just slid up with the center point of the truss.
Along with the new profile, Tyler fulfilled his "obligation" to point out that he did not "think this will look as good as the original flat bottom profile of the trusses". He went on to observe that:
"By pushing up on the bottom chord, the truss will effectively disappear up against the ceiling. The profile becomes very shallow, which is further exaggerated by the height and the angle of view from below. When the bottoms are flat, then they hang down in the light of the glass roof vault to become highlighted for full view, which was the original intent. It is a more interesting and rich layering of the design in my profession view."
I thanked Tyler for his opinion and told him we would take it into consideration in making our final decision. From his note, I am not sure what is his current opinion of vaulting the west gable trusses. Originally, he had them with a "flat bottom profile" and "wrapped" so that the view of the glass roof was partially blocked from the sunroom. How his original design contrasts with what he is saying now, that the flat bottom profile of the trusses would "hang down in the light of the glass roof vault", I am not sure, but it does not sound consistent.
We will ponder the issue over this weekend, but talking with T this morning, my new default position is to go with the vaulted trusses on the west gable, but keep the originally designed, non-vaulted, sunroom trusses. While T may have an epiphany at some point which would change my mind, she believes there is no wrong answer (which comforts me). She had held the belief that I had a strong inclination towards vaulting all the sunroom trusses. I reminded her that my suggestion for vaulting all the trusses was in response to the views presented by both "Our" Mike and Tyler that, if we vault the gable trusses to view the glass roof, the remaining sunroom trusses would still obscure the view of the glass roof. One solution therefore was to vault all the trusses. Otherwise, as I assured her, I only want the solution that she believes we will enjoy the most!
If anyone has any suggestions or comments on the truss design, we welcome it!!
On Friday, we did get over to the office of Bob (cabinetry) to pick up the sample of Sapele. Here, it is shown with the smaller sample of Tiger wood (for the hot tub decking) and the sunroom ceramic floor tile. T noted that the similarity and compatibility of the Sapele and the Tiger wood was the reason for choosing them. She claims the finish on the bar, made of Sapele, will give that windowless side of the room a "glow" and will be charming! T believes she has a very clear vision of all the surfaces in the sunroom and how they will all coordinate. I am very thankful to have her.
Update: Tyler just wrote to clarify that he is now supportive of vaulting the gable trusses as opposed to the original flat profile design. He still is not in favor of vaulting the remaining sunroom trusses. I have sent a note to Mike asking him to get with Frank (HVAC) to reaffirm that the interior unit of the heat pump can be mounted in the area on the west gable above the glass roof. If so, then the gable chapter of the truss drama is concluded. Only the sunroom truss mystery remains to be resolved.
Thursday, December 18, 2014
Update Thursday
It was a week ago yesterday that "Our" Mike had anyone here working. Since then, no work. While it rained this past Monday, otherwise, the weather had been good.
Yesterday was a bright and brisk. Spenser and I spent some time sitting out on the new connecting porch. While I read and synthesized vitamin D, Spenser was entertained by Tyler's girls. Tyler and Elizabeth have five chicken hens who decided to check out the bugs along our west fence line. Spenser kept watch through our yet-to-be installed connecting porch door.
Yesterday, we got an email from Bob (cabinetry) telling us that he has obtained a sample of the Sapele wood that we can pick up to do some staining tests. I need to send a note to "Salesman" Mike (Marvin dealer) asking if we can get a representative sample of the window frame to include in our testing. We already have plenty of samples of truss wood.
This afternoon, we got a call from "Our" Mike with some updates. He said he had received cost quotes on replacing all the existing sunroom trusses with vaulted trusses. The quote was much lower than either Mike or I expected. I asked if he could send us a sketch of the vaulted truss design? He seemed surprised that Tyler had not given that to us, but said he would send it to us. I was surprised that Mike indicated that Tyler had designed the trusses since Tyler told us that the truss company would design them, not Tyler. Anyway, I told Mike that I was concerned about how "dense" the design had become and if we might run into an air flow issue. We had decided to mount the heat pump interior unit on the west gable above the glass roof. If the truss design gets too "dense", we might have an air flow problem. Mike did not believe that was going to be the case. We will see when we get the design. Mike said we could expect the new trusses in about a week after we place the order. Of course the holidays may impact that prediction.
Mike also said he had received prices on the 1x6 pine board options for the roof. He had brought us samples last week of two different grades, a #2 (top board in picture) and a "select" grade (bottom board). The price difference is roughly twice as much for the "select" grade. It is knot free and straight grain. The #2 grade can have knots up to 2" in diameter, but they should be "tight", with no holes. Since these boards will be stained, undoubtedly the knot-free boards will have a more uniform and formal appearance. The price information is on a linear foot basis. While Mike is going to determine the number of linear feet we would need, I had previously estimated we needed about 480 square feet. Therefore, I am guessing we would need roughly 1,050 linear feet. The price differential is $0.84/ft, so the cost of going with the select grade would be an additional $882. I think I would go with the "select" grade, but, T will make the final decision.
Mike had talked with Rob (electrical). The request to Ameren to relocate the power line to the new underground conduit was submitted on December 11. Ameren said they would have someone out within one to three weeks. That would put it by the end of the year, but again, with the holidays, we are not holding breaths. I forgot to tell Mike that I have taken down the telephone wire.
Yesterday, Mike forwarded to us a proposal (dated December 3) for the slate work. When I got the proposal, I responded that we would want to review and approve the slate to be used and the proposal needed to specify if it included repair of the slate on the main house that we had requested. Today, Mike said he was getting some slate samples for T to review and said he would have the proposal modified regarding the main house slate. From what Mike said, I do not believe the proposal included the repair work. I told Mike I do not want any more surprises and will no longer accept any assurances that are not in writing.
Mike also said he got a call from John (solar). John had promised us that he would continue checking with Mike. Mike said he suggested to John that he should check back in a couple of weeks. I doubt much will be different in a couple of weeks however.
I asked Mike if he expected to be back out to do more work before the end of the year. While he said he would like to, he made no promises. I am not holding out much hope that anything significant will take place between now and the end of the year, with the possible exception of may be getting the power line relocated. After the first of the new year, weather may have more influence than it has up to now.
Yesterday was a bright and brisk. Spenser and I spent some time sitting out on the new connecting porch. While I read and synthesized vitamin D, Spenser was entertained by Tyler's girls. Tyler and Elizabeth have five chicken hens who decided to check out the bugs along our west fence line. Spenser kept watch through our yet-to-be installed connecting porch door.
Yesterday, we got an email from Bob (cabinetry) telling us that he has obtained a sample of the Sapele wood that we can pick up to do some staining tests. I need to send a note to "Salesman" Mike (Marvin dealer) asking if we can get a representative sample of the window frame to include in our testing. We already have plenty of samples of truss wood.
This afternoon, we got a call from "Our" Mike with some updates. He said he had received cost quotes on replacing all the existing sunroom trusses with vaulted trusses. The quote was much lower than either Mike or I expected. I asked if he could send us a sketch of the vaulted truss design? He seemed surprised that Tyler had not given that to us, but said he would send it to us. I was surprised that Mike indicated that Tyler had designed the trusses since Tyler told us that the truss company would design them, not Tyler. Anyway, I told Mike that I was concerned about how "dense" the design had become and if we might run into an air flow issue. We had decided to mount the heat pump interior unit on the west gable above the glass roof. If the truss design gets too "dense", we might have an air flow problem. Mike did not believe that was going to be the case. We will see when we get the design. Mike said we could expect the new trusses in about a week after we place the order. Of course the holidays may impact that prediction.
Mike also said he had received prices on the 1x6 pine board options for the roof. He had brought us samples last week of two different grades, a #2 (top board in picture) and a "select" grade (bottom board). The price difference is roughly twice as much for the "select" grade. It is knot free and straight grain. The #2 grade can have knots up to 2" in diameter, but they should be "tight", with no holes. Since these boards will be stained, undoubtedly the knot-free boards will have a more uniform and formal appearance. The price information is on a linear foot basis. While Mike is going to determine the number of linear feet we would need, I had previously estimated we needed about 480 square feet. Therefore, I am guessing we would need roughly 1,050 linear feet. The price differential is $0.84/ft, so the cost of going with the select grade would be an additional $882. I think I would go with the "select" grade, but, T will make the final decision.
Mike had talked with Rob (electrical). The request to Ameren to relocate the power line to the new underground conduit was submitted on December 11. Ameren said they would have someone out within one to three weeks. That would put it by the end of the year, but again, with the holidays, we are not holding breaths. I forgot to tell Mike that I have taken down the telephone wire.
Yesterday, Mike forwarded to us a proposal (dated December 3) for the slate work. When I got the proposal, I responded that we would want to review and approve the slate to be used and the proposal needed to specify if it included repair of the slate on the main house that we had requested. Today, Mike said he was getting some slate samples for T to review and said he would have the proposal modified regarding the main house slate. From what Mike said, I do not believe the proposal included the repair work. I told Mike I do not want any more surprises and will no longer accept any assurances that are not in writing.
Mike also said he got a call from John (solar). John had promised us that he would continue checking with Mike. Mike said he suggested to John that he should check back in a couple of weeks. I doubt much will be different in a couple of weeks however.
I asked Mike if he expected to be back out to do more work before the end of the year. While he said he would like to, he made no promises. I am not holding out much hope that anything significant will take place between now and the end of the year, with the possible exception of may be getting the power line relocated. After the first of the new year, weather may have more influence than it has up to now.
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