Upstairs floor done

Today I spent putting down the last of the upstairs floor. Laminate flooring goes down quickly but is exacting work. The room certainly changed in a hurry! Now the Boughen boys can finish the trim and Becke and her crew can finish the blending of the colors. The electricians can also put in the LED lighting to finish things off before Becke moves her things in.

Photographs don't do this room justice. It just makes everyone who sees it smile.

-grampa dan

Small details

Not every part of the house construction is glamorous but every bit requires thought and attention to detail. Some of the more mudane bits seem to require the most thought and planning. The flooring in the upstairs hallway at the top of the stairs is laminated cork. This has to transition to ceramic tile down the stairs. The stair noses presented a big dilema as we didn't care for the cheap looking standard fare. After some research we located a stair nosing (actually a tile countertop trim) that would work perfectly. The laminate flooring needed to be custom sawn at the edge to make it work and that was today's task. Small square tiles will go into the front of the metal molding when I do the tiling down the stairs. The same molding will be used all down the stairs.

I had previously laid the laminate flooring over the arched bridge some weeks ago and now at last it was time to extend it through the upper hallway and then into the last room upstairs (tomorrow). After doing little for the last four days it felt good to get my hands to the tools once more. In about two hours the job was done.

It is the small details throughout the house that make it so special.

-grampa dan

Peacock room

Becke has always loved wild colors. For her room upstairs in the new house she has pulled out the stops. Inspired by a peacock feather she has designed the colors for her room. It is pretty wild. With the hand troweled sloped plaster ceilings and high wainscot it looks like no other room I've ever seen.

By late next week the room will be complete. Stay tuned...

-grampa dan

Waterworks details

Today, Shawn from Richard's Plumbing spent the day in the new house hooking up the sinks and taps. He 's a great guy who pays attention to the little details, like how the pipes under the sink are tucked close to the wall in order to not take up valuable storage space. The taps we chose are simple, yet elegant and single handle design for ease of use.

The big sink is in the mudroom bathroom. It's the extra deep sink that will get heavy duty use including washing our small dogs. The spray head also is attached to a hose that pulls out for spraying. I still have to do the tile back splash around this area.

The main bathroom features a six foot long tub that is extra deep. It will be a great place to soak. The taps are the same simple, elegant style.

The ensuite shower is a pure delight. It features three separately controlled shower heads. I gave it a spin tonight and this is a shower where one gets wet all over at the same time. Measuring four feet wide by eight feet long and with a nine foot ceiling this shower feels nice and roomy too. :)

I'm loving this house already!

-grampa dan

Floor progress

Today I mamaged to finish tiling the last of the closets, the stair risers and the floor of the mudroom bathroom. That finishes the small floor areas of the house. This means the pace of tiling will pick up from here.

The LED lights under the handrails light up the stairs perfectly by themselves (without shining in our eyes) and will serve as a night light when we have company.

The trim in Phoebe's playroom is now finished and ready for final paint. The adjustable shelves are ready for paint as well. 

With the upstairs bathroom tile in place I can now finish the laminated floor in the upstairs area. Once that is done I'll be tiling the large areas of the downstairs. It is all coming together quickly now. Stay tuned for more progress...

-grampa dan