Day 160 - A Day of Reckoning

Today was the day that every single contractor on site caught a rash of shit.

Excuse the language, but it really was one of those days.

The framer is a moron.

The plumber is a moron.

The roofer is a moron.

Had the electrician showed up, as promised, he, too, would have been a moron!

The framer believes that it is perfectly acceptable to install Simpson strong ties crookedly, shabbily, with only two out of ten screws in place. This framer doesn't believe it is necessary to bury the ties twelve inches deep as the architect and Town inspector have requested. He believes six inches is close enough.

Frank dealt with Framer Moron today. It was not pretty.

The plumber is a moron.

I need to post photos of this to show you how moronic this man really is. A thousand years in business and he still can't drill a three-inch hole without making a hole the size of the shoebox. I am grateful that this man did not become a gynecologist.

Frank is dealing with Plumber Moron on Wednesday. It will not be pretty.

Roofer Moron started "capping off" the parapet walls on the roof today. Roofer Moron believes it is perfectly okay to leave an inch or two (who'll notice???) exposed to the elements. After all, the worst thing that can happen is that rain and snow melt will seep down between the sheathing and the Dryvit. It's not like it's nuclear waste, for God's sake.

Frank dealt with Roofer Moron today. It was not pretty.

Electrician Moron does a very good job when he shows up. I think he does a very good job when he DOESN'T show up (on someone else's property). Matt talks eight miles an hour. I talk 103 miles an hour. A two-hour walk-through of switch placement becomes a weekend endeavor. I have no patience for this.

However, EM has a very good understanding of switch placement and I trust him implicitly to take care of this. I want a light switch behind me and a light switch in front of me at every room. And I don't want ugly switches. I don't need two hours to explain this.

More Morons are sure to surface.

Our Dryvit failed with the rains last night. It looks like a giant runny pizza. The Dryvit Clan will be there to fix it in the next day or two. Should they fail, they will join the Moron Club.

Day 144 - Knee Deep In It

Had the framer worked five days a week, eight hours a day, this house would have been completely framed by November 15th. We had beautiful weather in October and November and there was no excuse, no reason whatsoever for this ridiculous delay.

So you can imagine my great satisfaction when we pulled up to the property the day after New Year's and found the framer and his partner, with dog in tow, shoveling a 1,200-foot driveway.

This photo is shot from the bottom of the driveway and they have approximately 900 feet to go.

*tee hee*

Day 84 - Exterior Framing

The first floor's exterior framing is done. Tomorrow, plywood goes up. AFTER the window problem is remedied.

Day 84 - A Glitch in the Kitchen

This is the back wall to the kitchen. The transom windows are supposed to be six inches from the top of the ceiling (10-foot walls) as is the kitchen sink window in the center.

As it is now, the sink will be mounted to glass and there will be no room for cabinets.

Measure twice, cut once.

In this case, read three times, measure twice, cut once.

Dan will fix these tomorrow. And we will be up there again to make sure it's right.

Day 85 - The HORROR

We are STILL waiting for Connecticut Light & Powers to get its shit together concerning our electrical power.

Followed up on the follow up AGAIN on Friday and it turns out that the dingbats THREW AWAY our maps believing they were incorrect.

After surveyor and attorney review, it turns out that the maps they threw out WERE correct.

WHAT THE &#^$#?

Frank will raise hell on Monday with superiors and I will be incredibly patient with those at fault while fantasizing about wringing her little neck.

The Good Cop/Bad Cop method has worked well for us in the past.

Let's see how we fare this time.

Day 84 - More Discussions

I thought they were discussing joists or walls or trusses or something.

They were discussing Phillies v. Yankees.

Day 83 - Warmboard Goes Down