home-improvement – we shape space

OCTOBER 2024 ISSUE

“The phrase the light at the end of the tunnel is a metaphor used to refer to signs that a long period of adversity is coming to an end.”

-David Wilton, Author of wordorigns.org

*Photo credit: Great Western Railway, 2017. in Switzerland*

Perhaps no other metaphor better describes project completion. The journey is long and the turns are many. There are long uphill inclines and treacherous decents, but at some point…the process ends. For most, getting to the rough-in phase represents the journey, but once the rough-in phase is complete, they can at last begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, even though it is still a long ways off. Regrettably, the light cannot be reached without going through the finish stage. Just as with the earlier phases of constuction, the fits and starts continue throughout this stage as well.

Finish work includes a long list of tasks. Fortunately many are not on the critical path, which helps things move along. In general the tasks are very similar from job to job, so I will run through the tasks completed at the dinky house. Hang with me. There’s a lot!

With all the rough-in work completed and the insulation installed, the drywall hanging was next up. Normally drywall is rough hung with gaps at the floor level and around the windows. Baseboards and window casing cover that gap….typically. I designed the dinky with precious little trim. The drywall work required a little more attention than it usually would but that’s somewhat offset by the fact that there was no casing and crown moulding to deal with. Just before the hanger finally got to us, he and his guys all contracted COVID. This pushed his already busy schedule back ever further. After burning through the first half of August 2023, Richard and Hunter ended up doing the drywall hanging, primarily so they could install the doors. This was a critical path task, so it was a relief to have it behind us. In the midst of the hanging, the tile setter showed up to install the cement board and prepare for the tile installation. Since August was fairly dry, work also progressed on the exterior. My guy installed the septic tank and drainfield, as well as four rows of drain line, buried in pea gravel, on the uphill side of the house.

Richard and Hunter switched back to the exterior to finish the siding and plywood ceilings, then to the inside to install wall paneling in the Primary Bedroom accent wall and the Foyer. They also installed the plywood ceilings in the vaulted areas. Game changer! Squeezed in between, the drywall finisher did his taping, mudding, and sanding. By the time September rolled around, both the interior and exterior were far enough along to start the painting of the exterior siding and the staining of the plywood ceilings. Painters also applied the tinted primer coat to the drywall ceilings and walls, allowing the electrician to install fixtures and ceiling fans. This work took us through September and well into October of 2023.

I’ve always loved classic strip oak floors, sanded and finished in place. Before installing this type of flooring, it is important that the HVAC is operating, so the boards can climatize. The mechanical contractor had little to do in the finish phase other than to physically install and connect the mini-split units. All this was done shortly after the painting. Once the flooring arrived, the dinky was in the middle of the acceptable temperature and humidity range. In addition to the flooring, the parapet wall caps surrounding the stair, the stair treads, and even the handrails were all fabricated from white oak. The finish we decided on was a product I had never used before. It was a penetrating finish, only slightly shinier than the raw floor, and lacked the slick feel of polyurethane. I think the matte finish looked great and I like it even more as time passes. The light filters in without the mirror effect of high gloss urethane. And with the completion of the wood floors, went the remainder of October.

November brought both periods of rain and periods of sunshine. Susan and I continued to spend our weekends laboring in the increasingly brisk outdoors. We built gabion planter retaining walls, had our guy install them along the uphill portion of the house, where Susan and I filled them with rocks and plant material. We also planted numerous trees and shrubs to ground the house and provide some erosion control. The rains revealed where the drainage issues were. Enter shovel, wheel barrow, rock, piping, and a sore back! Inside the dinky, Richard was ready for the cabinets and probably beyond ready to free up his shop space. He carefully installed the cabinets over the newly finished wood floors. We were really happy with the painted green look. I was especially happy with the drilled and grommeted “pulls” and the chunky floating shelves. The cabinets arrived along with Thanksgiving! I always caution my clients that very little construction takes place between Thanksgiving and New Years. I hoped the dinky might be an exception, but alas….it was not to be. The electrician did manage to install the light fixtures and the tile setter completed the shower and tub.

By the beginning of 2024 we were “in the short rows”. The light at the end of the tunnel was getting brighter! We’ll delve into that next month, when we confront the remaining tasks, go through the punch list, and get through the tunnel. Join me for “Whew!”

BONUS Material:

The first episode of the Dinky Chronicles contained bonus material explaining the origin of the “dinky House” name. The surrounding area was used to mine coal in the early 1900s, then as a hunting destination (the “subdivision” in which the dinky House is located is called Hunters Ridge). In 1928 Lookout Mountain Camp for Boys opened and ushered in a new type of destination – the Camps. Lookout Mountain Camp is still in operation. We can literally walk a half mile down the dinky line and walk directly into the camp. By 1950 several camps called the area home, each appealing to a different type of camper.,

*A sign along the highway in nearby Valley Head*

After noticiing a couple of camp pennants in the Mentone Market, we decided this would be a great way to decorate “the dormitory”. It’s a little nostalgic for me, since my childhood bedroom was covered in pennants, of all the teams that beat my beloved New Orleans Saints,….but back to my point. The dormitory was designed with our grandchildren in mind and the pennant idea stuck. Susan sought out pennants from the surrounding camps. Since the dinky house now has a little slack line play area, some floats, a kayak, and lots of fly rods, we decided we could run our own unofficial camp for our little campers. I dubbed it Camp dinky and went to work designing a pennant for our camp!

SEPTEMBER 2024 ISSUE

“What I try to do is the art of building, and the art of building is the art of construction; it is not only about forms and shapes and images.”

–Peter Zumpthor, Architect

*Peter Zumpthor in his Studio in Switzerland*

Peter Zumpthor is both a visionary and a practical architect. He understands that architecture is a practical art. A house is not just a piece of sculpture, nor is it simply shelter. although it must serve the physical needs of the users. The obvious physical needs to be served include provisions for eating and drinking, personal hygiene, sleeping, and exercise. Others include items of comfort such as thermal comfort, acoustics, and indoor environmental quality. The primary systems used to address these needs are plumbing, HVAC, and electrical, and they are installed in two phases. As soon as the house is dried in, the first of these phases commences; the rough-in.

The sitework contractor normally runs all of the utilities from the utility company connection point to within ten feet of the house. The plumber, mechanical contractor, and electrician pick them up from there. The site utilities are normally run early in the construction process and are in place when the rough-in work begins. One common exception occurs when city sewer is not available, such as on a rural site. In such a case, a septic tank and drainfield are required. There are other exceptions of course, such as when the house is “off the grid”. In the case of the dinky, we did not have city sewer but we were on the grid.

Rough-in is a rare series of events where multiple subs can work simultaneously. The first of the rough-in subs to the jobsite has the advantage of running their system of piping, ducts, or wiring without having to work around the systems of the others. Occasionally the rough-in subs are all there at the same time. I’ve seen that happen on some of my projects, but not so much at the dinky house. As summer approached, construction continued to move at the speed of Jello! (Editor’s note: My cynicism is not really warranted, since I was well aware that Phil worked the dinky project into his busy schedule.)

The HVAC sub was the first to arrive in early June 2024. Most of the houses in our region of the country utilize forced air systems, but mini-splits are becoming more common. With no attics to run ducts, its whisper quiet operation, and its uber efficiency, mini-splits made perfect sense for the dinky. The use of SIPs meant that I could heat and cool the whole house with just a couple of tons. The rough in was pretty straightforward. They set the outdoor units (condensers) and ran the line sets to where the indoor units (air handlers) would eventually be. The plan called for one unit in the basement, a slightly larger one in the dining area, and one in each of the bedrooms. In a really tight house it is really important to vent it well. With an ERV bringing fresh air in and whisper quiet exhaust fans taking stale air out, we were able to maintain good indoor air quality. One “trivial” thing I want to mention. I walked into the dining area one day and noticed they located the controller smack dab in the middle of the wall, just like they always do. I had them relocate it, to the location along the edge indicated on the drawings, just like I always do.

early *June 2023: Line sets, PEX supply, PVC waste*

The electrician was part-time, which was a concern only for a very short period of time. He installed the panel and started pulling wires right away. He worked evenings and weekends to set the boxes for lights and plugs, except for those that were embedded in the SIPs. He easily kept pace with the other rough-in subs.

During this phase there was still work for the carpenters. They installed a weatherproof membrane on the roof deck, followed by roof panels. I’ve always admired old barns with roofs that sport deep corrugations and pronounced shadow patterns. Who knew they would be so difficult to find! Normally there would be a dedicated roofing crew for this work, but I had all of the panels cut to length and roofing crews were backed up, so Richard and his sidekick Hunter just knocked it out themselves. A recurring theme. They also managed to do all the miscellaneous work required to keep the rough in moving, such as adding blocking for accessories and installing the rigid foam insulation against the CMU walls in the basement level.

Once the rough in was officially complete, the roof/ceiling assembly was ready to insulate. In this case it was sprayed with open cell foam. This completed the sealing of the building envelope. I then took my iPhone camera and walked room by room through the entire house, taking photographs of every wall, in case I ever need to know where any of the rough-in components are located. (I have already had the need to reference these photos, twice.) Now it was time to call in the ultimate craftsmen to perform a truly precision task. Yes, it was time for Susan and me to stuff mineral wool sound batts into the interior wall cavities. The simple purpose of this task was to make the rooms quieter. We managed to complete this task in a weekend….or maybe two. With everything in the walls and ceilings, it was time to cover it up. Next on the list was hanging drywall and installing paneling; but, that and more is a story for next time, when we explore Tunnels & Lights.”.

*early August: roof/ceiling insulation and sound attenuation*

BONUS Material:

For most of us middle class kids growing up in the disco era, acquiring furniture and furnishings started out something like this. Your generous relatives would give you a bunch of “heirlooms” and other stuff that they ~~wanted to get rid of~~ thought you could really use. Then you might go to town and buy something special from the furniture store – maybe a sofa, or a dining table, or maybe even a bedroom suite. Whatever else you needed came from Sears – the anchor store in the mall, not the little outlet in the strip center.

Now we have more choices than the Sears good, better, or best lamp, although I still think shopping local is a great option. Nothing beats putting eyes on the product. I also understand that there are other really good options. One can go on to the internet and search from thousands of lamps, to suite any taste, at various price points. This is a double edged sword, since there are a whole slew of really bad lamps out there, and you may not appreciate that until it arrives on your porch. Fortunately we were able to avoid that scenario in the case of furnishing the dinky. A ton of credit goes to Susan’s well honed shopping skills, but we’ll get to that later.

Tag: home-improvement

construction administration 4: SEEING THE LIGHT

construction administration 3: MORE THAN SHELTER