He will do all the exterior except paint. We will do the interior finish work, including the tiling for floors and adding doors and painting.

He will complete the electrical and the plumbing...meaning installing the bathroom lighting I've had on hand for about six months, and all the plumbing hardware for the clawfoot tub, also on hand for the last four months. And installing the 24 x 30 stained glass window, and the Lexan clerestory, and finishing the bumpout for the roofing.

I am so happy! We are only just begun!!!!
So now I will soon be taking two days to drive the 900 miles up to Iowa to deliver my beloved little girl parrot to her new home. After this is all finished being sealed against the weather, I can then make another trip up north to be with my lonesome DH, who really needs some "adult supervision." hehehehe..... I think by the time we get back south later this fall, we'll have gotten THAT house just about ready to sell next spring.

Sometimes I have a hard time keeping my plans straight.
Anyway, this thread will be the new one taking over from the old one, ORDERED THE BATHTUB.

Get every little thing in writing - so many on kitchens have had problems because the gc says he wasn't told this or that etc.

I'm so excited to see how this contractor is taking charge of things, and removing details from my list of concerns. I told him what I wanted, and he's running with it. Now THAT is what I like! Do you know what a RELIEF it will be to have that bumpout tub and closet a reality? Wow.

Well, my computer wants to update. Gotta go.

Did your dh ever finish the molding in the bedroom for the curtains? I'd like to see a finished picture of that.

Chris

I used to leave notes for my boat crew like that. Well, written on paper. Because I was the only one up all night long and left instructions for the next morning. They hated it, but it was a good way to have a TO DO list.

I continue the practice of taping notes to the walls or the doors too. When I'm researching materials and sources of products, I keep them taped up above my laptop, or behind the door of the room involved in the project. As I run things down, I scratch 'em off. My folder of "scratch" paper (used printer paper) sits just to the side of my laptop so I can have a blank page right away. I just don't trust my memory with so many projects in the planning stage.

The guys digging the trench for the foundation wall came across the sewer line. It was the clay stuff, whatever they call it. So there was a hole gouged in the pipe. They stopped work, and the job was put on hold pending repair to the sewer. But Robbie the contractor made a couple of interesting finds.....that the damage was existing, and had been previously PATCHED by laying a sheet of lead across the hole. And as he dug further on the sewer, he found another similar lead patch at another point.

If he could not repair it himself I'd be without plumbing until at least Monday. But he did find some "good pipe" and used his grinder to cut out the long section of bad pipe and spliced in the PVC sewer pipe. He said that the strange location for the sewer probably meant the house was originally on septic tank, and the strange angle of the lines indicated a disconnection from the septic to the newer city sewer line running to the street.

I've learned a lot more about the below-ground life of our property. First of all, the foundation only needs to be about 12 inches deep, not the 8 feet required up north. We have almost no soil freezing here. Even the sewer line was only a foot below the soil surface. Good to know this, in case we want to put in large shrubs or posts. I'd thought the sewer line was beneath the house, but apparently not. Thankfully, it is out in the open where we can get to it easier. For folks living in the city, older houses can give you many surprises. Most of those surprises are not documented either.

But now come Monday they will call the city inspector to take a look at the rebar placement and the foundation dig, and once he signs off, they will start the cement pouring.
My new contractor seems to be on top of the process, and I have new respect for him....digging and repairing a sewerline is not the most elegant job to tackle on a Saturday morning in August in Alabama, when the temp is running 100 without heat index figured in.

But this is the latest update on the Master Suite job. Now that I am rested up, I will meditate on where to install the bathroom sconces, and what dimensions for the clerestory windows high on the 18 foot long north wall.

take a pic of your notes... and the sewer line in relation to the new foundation for future use. great documentation if ever needed. take pics of the dig/rebar...then with cement in it.

sounds like he is a go getter! wonderful!

' Do you know what a RELIEF it will be to have that bumpout tub and closet a reality? '
yep. I think about my future shower and space A LOT!

One nice thing, I am keeping the extra DIRT...I paid for it, it's MINE, part of MY REAL ESTATE. So it is being hauled by wheelbarrow to a low spot in the "back forty" garden area.

And today is another super hot day. I am slow getting started because I had a "spell" last night like the one which put me in the ER several months ago. I thought then I was having a stroke or heart attack, but the doctor assured me I was not likely to have either one for a long time. So I just laid there and took it like a ....woman. It felt like that chemical injection they give you these days instead of a mechanical stress test. I was in pain, but thought my way out of it. However, I was exhausted when it finally passed around daylight. All is fine now.

The inspector was a very nice man, and we both stood there sweating buckets in the early afternoon sunshine. He said it was nicely done. And he also admired my DH's raised bed garden and the way our privacy fencing looked. He is getting ready to retire and was interested in how the garden did with raised beds.

Anyway, in the morning they will be here bright and early again to pour the foundation for the 5 x 18 foot bumpout.
MORE progress. I am so happy.

It is good to hear that the bump-out is going well. Just a little longer and you can finish your summer in the north with your DH and all of us Yankees!

And it sounds like progress is a happening. Woo Hoo. Please keep us posted as you can.

Chris

Anyhoo,
The contractor had Mason and his concrete crew on site by 7 am, and before I even got awake good, they had poured the foundation cement and left. Even all my nice extra DIRT was moved back to the new garden space. DH says it will dry for a couple of days and then the above ground foundation will be put in place.

Hmmmm, now that I have him working for me, I might see about expanding the job to include the pantry cabs and the window seat in the dining room. Wouldn't that be nice? It is a passing thought, provided I can come up with that money. Having it done w/o DH being involved is a plus, and I can put so much more stuff away permanently. What do you think. Should I consider it as an option?

I'm happy your reno is coming along so quickly. Seems like you found a gem of a contractor.

As for those other options - if the money is right then I would go for it!

Loretta

what awesome work this guy is doing for you! and moving the dirt for you? great!

I'd hire him in a snap if you've got the money for it...it isn't often you get someone who is on time and actually does the work and does a good job at it.

maybe ask him ideas about the garage? sounds like he is a very inventive guy.

take it easy today - and stay hydrated.

If the money is there to do the extra I'd go for it. good contractors are hard to find and your DH will probably feel relieved (even secretly) that the extra work is done.

Incidentally, DH is ordering several bifold 10-light french doors from Home Depot tonight. Either 3 or 4 of them, I think. They are made by Pinecroft and are only available online but free shipping. This should help enclose our master suite up north. All that is left to do is the master bath up there.

Boy will I be glad to be done with at least ONE of these houses. I will be sad to sell the cape in MA though. It sure does look good now. I will have to put all new pictures in the album when I get there. I'm even thinking I might make it up north by mid September, in time to see the leaves turn color.

good! it'll be great in a 'remodel' scrapbook tho. yrs from now you and dh can look back at it and laugh too!

inking out spaces on the floor is a good thing. They'd really laugh at gwers making 'appliances' out of boxes etc wouldn't they? as you said, better that than a major (expensive) boo-boo!

that does sound like a great closet - thx to your planning!

it will probably be very sad in many ways when you sell the MA house - but in many ways will be easier on both of you. it'll give you time to enjoy what you're doing to the AL house and land. Once it's all done - just putter around and enjoy!

He said yesterday that his granddaughter came by to visit, the girl who is a sophomore in Carnegie-Mellon, very sharp about style, and she had not seen the house since I'd been working on it. He told her I thought I had furnished a New England cape, and she said, it was more SOUTHERN COASTAL. Well, all those d@ng Yankees did come south on their ships and make an impression, so it is only fair to return the favor. I guess there is a softness to the house that the really traditional capes don't have. I consider it nice that even the plumber told DH he wanted to buy a cape but not a cookie cutter, and he would like to let his wife see his when we did put it up for sale.

And what are we going to do with all that furniture? Oh well, fiddlededee, I'll think about that tomorrow.

and 6 yrs there with him, decorating it, living in it.

would any of his kids want any of the furniture?

sell it furnished?

estate sale?

From inside the master/back bedroom, looking out the pair of windows. These windows will be removed to make room for 2 pair of bifold doors accessing the closet. I planned for closet depth to be 48 inches, but it sort of grew to 5 feet counting the thickness of the cement blocks. I know I won't regret having a few more inches depth to the closet OR the tub bumpout.

And this shows the spot where the roof has a gable issue. The short dimension at the right (west) end of the bumpout is where the stained glass window will reside. I figure this glorious window will LIGHT UP when the sun goes down and I'm leaned back in the slipper tub, watching and relaxing.

And this is the way it looks right now, with the stud wall braced. The 6 foot of stucco around the small current bathroom window is coming out, making room for the tub bumpout in the new space. There will be a GFCI outside plug in two places to make life easier for DH and his projects.

Can you believe that it is going so FAST? And the contractor listens to everything I have to say, not at all upset with me, we seem to be on the same wave length....me being the dreamer and him the doer. I foretell a long and happy collaboration with the rest of my house projects! Maybe all at ONCE so we can get his full and undivided attention. By that I mean, kitchen redo and maybe garage redo too.

if you like him and he's doing what you want done - nab him for the other things to be done!

The clerestory lights have frames when we get to the point of installing the Lexan panels. The front three will be in the tub bumpout, the other two sets of three will be in the walk-in closet. The contractor lined them up so they will be centered on the doorway. When the double hung windows come out, that will be the location of the wide access to the closet. In the bedroom today, I checked that the light would still be good in that room. That is the whole purpose of keeping a source of light on that north wall, because I do not like dark interiors. I note also that we see only the roofline of the neighbor's house, plus the evergreen live oaks towering above that. No curtains will be required.

Note that there is a part of the roof laid down now. The old rafter tails will be cut off. The closet will have a sheetrock ceiling, the bath will have a beadboard ceiling and walls. After the outside is enclosed, the contractor said he will then break down the bathroom wall and take out the double hung windows to create the closet doors.

This little tricky part which redirects the rain pouring off the roof is the most complicated for me to understand. I hope the rain holds off until this is entirely sealed. And the squirrels and raccoons don't come anywhere near our house before that!

Overall, the bedroom is feeling larger than it did. I think because the 5 feet of the closet, visible through the windows, already feels like part of the room.

As soon as I know the dimensions of the door openings with the window casings and moldings removed, I will order the bifold french doors. DH already ordered some just like them for the bedroom up north. When I like something, I stick with it!

They worked again today, getting the shingles on the new roof area. It is now raining again, so I have yet to go take pictures of the state of affairs today. They raised the framework for one of the 5 foot ends, which will be solid and no windows in it for that end of the closet. The framing for the stained glass end won't go up until they can take out the old bathroom wall with its short doublehung window, and the pair of doublehung windows from the bedroom wall.

We will leave in place the exterior wall of stucco which surrounds the pair of windows/doorway spot. Only the wall which is the OLD bathroom exterior wall will come out entirely. Well, entirely except for a small header left where the old wall is located. That way, I can have different ceiling and wall materials inside the tub bumpout, and not be chopped up looking, and I won't have to have everything alike.

The other 2/3 of the bumpout will have two sets of Lexan clerestory windows 3 in each set, with the roofline support in between each set of three. I think this contractor is just like my DH about building STRONG, because it is very sturdy. I saw the threaded rods inside the wall which ties the roof to the foundation, going all the way through the overhead beams and down through the floor into the threaded rod that was cemented into the foundation. VERY well done, and probably according the the IBCode 2006 which was adopted by City of Mobile.

Anyway, I am taking pictures of this reinforcement to keep with the house documents if we ever decide to sell the house, or if the insurance company wants to know how it was built. I know windows, whether new or replacements, are supposed to meet that code now, and withstand breakage from winds up to 140 mph I think....or so it was said in the paper last year. Anyway, the quarter-inch thick Lexan is bullet proof and should withstand that amount of wind, as long as the wood it is mounted in does not get ripped to pieces.

DH is intent on making it wider, but I am for now willing to leave it alone. What he sees is just redoing the old back porch as part of the kitchen redo. What I see, is redoing it like he says, but extending the 7 foot wide porch ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BACK OF THE HOUSE. And that would give us a lot more space in the master suite, as well as room to have a floor to ceiling window on that east side.
I wanted to move the bedroom door back to the back porch so the original door from the hall could be walled over, and a utility closet created in that end of the hallway. It would have the advantage of wall space on two walls to locate even a king size bed, instead of merely barely accommodating our new queen bed.

What I also liked about this was having a split bedroom entry area, so that should the house ever be a rental it could give equally private bed and bath to two roommates. They'd share the common spaces like living room, dining room, and kitchen and deck, but have self contained private rooms.

In my thought process, I'm considering the front bedroom (the one we use now) to be our study, with no bed in it. All my beloved book cases and two desks, and my sewing machine, could go there. If we have guests, which is seldom, they could close off the french doors to the living room and sleep on the sofa. I say THEY, but our sofa barely serves to sleep ONE. So it might be an inflatable mattress or a sofabed in our future. Not a high priority though.
But after we finish knocking out walls fore and aft to the kitchen, and building the window seat and tall cabs in the dining room, I'm thinking of remounting those french doors to block off the view to what might sometime be messy. I'm usually all about OPEN and LIGHT, which is why I really like glass doors and open louvered doors, but sometimes the suggestion of a barrier is enough without really blocking anything except passageway.

LOL One thing about coming in late to the party is I get to see it all at once. Hope the rain does not hurt your construction. I can see how the roof going together in that one spot can be tricky.

OH and another little thing. When you are judging light remember that natural wood being darker than real walls will suck up the light until you get some sheet rock and paint going.

You sure do have some great ideas and so happy you get to pull this off. Jealous of that slipper tub and stained glass window.

Chris

And shades, yes, they are all along that north-facing wall of both closet and tub alcove. Nine windows in all, or should I say nine LIGHT OPENINGS in all. Three in the tub alcove, and 6 (in two sets of three) in the closet too. Being up high like that, there will be less interference with use of the closet, and privacy in the tub area too.

Light from the north side is constant year round. I did not want to lose that nice source of light in the bedroom. That is why I'm using the clerestory inside the closet. All in all, the glass area is almost equal to the glass area of the two windows that I will lose on that wall in the bedroom.

I am also using bifold french doors as closet doors. Home Depot sells them in several sizes, made by Pinecroft, in wood. They have another version of the doors with a single pane of glass and muntins to make it LOOK like they are separate pieces of glass. But, if it got broke, the whole thing would need replacing. So I'm choosing the 10 "lights" per half of the door. Each bifold half has ten lights in it, whereas most full size french doors have 15 lights....or 5 rows x 3 panes on each row.

Come to think of it, I think Frank Lloyd Wright used clerestory windows in several of his designs. I am a big fan of his style.

Shades, I am aware that a lot of my bathroom design is not all one style. It does not bother me, no way. It is not "over the top" gaudy or anything, it just has the things that I have wanted for a long time, and DH is allowing me to follow my heart with it. He told me today when we talked, that he'd learned the right answer to questions concerning the houses (his and mine) is "whatever you want, dear." I died laughing. It fits the old addage, "A man lives happily in his wife's house." AND WELL HE SHOULD.
If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. Or so they say.

Shades, I too love that slipper tub. And the stained glass window....which I would have omitted had not the first contractor suggested it before he disappeared. And I will have the entire wall and ceiling in the tub alcove beadboard. The other part of the bathroom will have beadboard wainscoting with a painted wallboard upper area.

It is raining every day now, and the shingles are now on the roof--but not the stucco on the outer walls, nor the tub plumbing, nor the electrical finished. that will come soon enough. Looking good overall. Still happy as a clam.

I think I am half the queen of different styles. I am part shabby part abstract part just plain weird in our house. Some it it all in the same room. LOL

The three out side doors we have are the top nine light and the one front door is I guess a French door. Not ideal for a front door and I would probably not do it in the city well a real city. But in our little town it is fine. I sort of wish I had thought it through further and put a nine light there but at the time it was all too much for me. But it works fine and I covered the bottom with lace plastic to keep the dogs noses off of the glass.

I hope they can get back to work on your project soon. Can not wait to see more pictures. I also am in love with that bead board and working on a way to get some going on in this house. Just can not decide where yet.

Get some rest you deserve it.,

Chris

It's going to be beautiful ML, I can't wait to see more.

I feel pretty certain that today will mark the joining of the bumpout to the bath and the bedroom. I'd overlooked the fact that by adding the width of the old wall to the bathroom dimensions, it would be another six inches of room! Mercy! Where the old wall is located, there will be a framed doorway/square archway? with wood molding to make the transition between old space and new space. I'm thinking the "header" part of that wall, in short the space above door height, will remain where it is. But we shall see how much of it stays. In that respect, I'm soliciting the advice of the contractor....will it save effort to keep it, or will it be a bigger bother than removing it and inserting a new one. Because I know there will have to be a header of some sort to marry the two halves of the house, new to old, and I want it to be a decorative design element.

Anyway, I've finished my coffee this morning, and am meditating on where I stored the bathroom light fixtures that I have had since last September....hmmmmmm, maybe in the stack of tiles under the sofa? What a pain!!

Now they are ready to mount one on each side of the bathroom mirror, the one over the sink.

They are Minka Lavery brand sconces. My DH had nice things to say about their quality when he mounted a double ended similar fixture over the doorway in the hall...replacing the old fixture with antique wiring. He'd been grumbling for some time with some fixtures made in China that were definitely NOT well made, and was relieved to get a good product to work with. I'm glad too, because I liked the design.

So far all the metal in the master bath is polished chrome, with a couple of things maybe polished nickel, not much difference to the casual observer. They play well together.

Trance, I don't recall what shape those cathedral windows have, but most windows used that way today tend to be square or at least rectangular. I suppose it would also be a good spot to mount leaded glass or stained glass even in a house. Perhaps that is what gave the Arts & Crafts movement the idea of using clerestory windows.

I cannot see out my new windows today, they have a sheet of plastic across them getting ready to stucco the outside walls. But I know I will mostly see the tree tops and only the roof shape of the house next door. It won't matter if the grass is not neatly cut, because I won't see it. HA!

It all sounds so lovely--the slipper tub, the view of trees, the stained-glass window, beadboard, and a new closet, too. Heavenly...sigh.

yes, it is! i've been living like that a # of yrs now and am sooo sick of it! only the glimmer of light at the end of t he tunnel keeps me going... otherwise, I'd pack up the 'kids' and drive into the sunset... lol!

dbf has often said 'light a match, start running and toss it behind you.' yeah, right. I'd be sleeping on his doorstep (w/2 dogs) and he wouldn't like it. probably why he is doing so much to fix it up nice out here - lol!

can't wait to see more pics of it all!!

Now, I noticed today that they have cut off the rafter tails from along the whole wall. None of the old tails are left there. All that remains are the NEW rafter tails.

They did remove the old decking of the roof beneath the new rafters. They put the underlayment down, then the shingle underlayment, then the shingles. They enclosed PART of the rafter tails, but left visible the bottom portion of them, just like the rest of the house.

I do not know what to call all the pieces of a building project, so I cannot tell you what the plastic stuff is they have stretched over the exterior siding. I guess it is a moisture barrier?

They have a little more to go to seal up the attic area, so no raccoons or squirrels or RATS will get in. And they will be breaking down the bathroom wall pretty soon next week. And taking out the pair of windows to make the closet doorway. I could make the door a single door, but I really want to let the light into the room. That is as important to me as more space for storage. I can always throw away more clothes. I don't wear but one at a time anyway. :)

Mama, yes, it does look very natural with the angle of new roofing. We will have a better drainage from the roof now. It was beating deep holes in the yard with all the rain we've had this year. Doesn't cool things off much, but it sure does make the grass grow!!

Ok, I think here is a shot of the way the ceiling will be done. The ceiling in the closet will be flat and 8 foot high. Those joists are already installed. It will be covered entirely with sheetrock/wallboard. There will be a wall mounted light inside the closet above the middle of the new door. The switch will be inside the closet too I think, but maybe not since that inside wall is stucco and hard as a rock. So it might need to go on the sheetrock wall just outside the closet on the bedroom wall. Which is plaster, but....well, you pays your money and takes your choice. I'll let the electrician decide that, since I really don't care as long as I can reach it. I could be happy with a pull chain!

The ceiling and walls inside the tub will be totally beadboard panelling. Wood of some sort, not the synthetic stuff. The beadboard will go from floor to ceiling, or at least up to the window frames/moldings. And the ceiling will be slanting, since there are no joists in there. I think I told him to enclose the rafters and add insulation in the void, to cut down on heatgain inside the house. Since the rest of the house does not have exposed rafters, it is not important that they be exposed in the tub alcove. But one thing I realized is that NOW I WILL HAVE ROOM TO GET A REAL CHANDELIER TYPE LIGHT FIXTURE TO MOUNT OVER THE TUB!!!!! AHA!!!! Since it is a sloping ceiling, I don't want a light with a solid downrod. I am looking at one by Kichener called the Palla 3 light mini-chandelier 42094PN with the etched white glass to match the globes on my sconces. The metal will be polished nickel, close enough to polished chrome to work for me. Do any of you know what a 3 prong anchor looks like? Well, that is the design. A grappling hook look to it. I guess it satisfies my nautical yearnings. Anyway, the light will shine up and not down, and it will call attention to the ceiling instead of glaring in my eyes while I'm all comfy leaned back against that slipper tub. Sigh.....I am ordering this jewel tonight from csnlighting.com and hope it arrives next week. The electrician comes Tuesday I think.

Note joists in closet part, but not in tub part.

I also knew I wanted to keep the good amount of light coming into the house from that side. Because of privacy issues with THAT NEIGHBOR, I knew we'd have to keep big windows covered and thus defeat the purpose of having windows at all. So what else would work? That's when I thought the high up windows would do the job. I've never had a place to use them before, but they are quite stylish I think. Not strange at all. Even if they are in a closet, who can tell from outside!

Idie2live, yes, that is the nosy neighbor side! Because of him, we are being super careful to do it all according to code. If he could, he would complain (anonymously I'm sure) to the authorities. And as he gets older, I hope he is more careful when he gets on top of his roof to blow off the leaves! He started doing that when we put the privacy fence between our yards, and DH was tilling his little garden. If it would not interfere with our chosen use of the space, I'd plant 40 foot tall bamboo over there! Clumping of course, not running kind!

BTW, Loretta, Plant Delights Nursery up there in your neck of the woods, sells bamboo that is good for your zone. It is worth checking out for any view blocking or privacy issues. I've planted some to block car headlights from intruding into our sunporch as they make the bend in the road. This is their second year, and they are lovely willowy things about 8 feet tall now. They survived the hard cold of last winter just fine.

Oops, I forgot to put in the picture of the new Kichler Palla 3-light polished nickel mini chandelier. I will go over the tub high enough not to be touched while standing in the water.

I think it coordinates well with the sconces I've planned on using for a year. Those will be mounted either side of a "to-be-selected" vanity mirror. Something in polished chrome or polished nickel. I will go shopping locally for that, like I did for the other bath mirror. I have a reluctance to trust shipping on mirrors. Superstitious I guess.

The contractor is very tolerant of me. I told him I wanted blocking in 4 spots in the ceiling over the tub alcove to put hooks for hanging my potted plants. Yeah, the bath is a perfect spot for stuff which likes humidity and indirect light (northern light). I have some staghorn ferns and frilly potted ferns to bring in this winter, so at least four of them will reside in humid splendor in the bath alcove. I figure they will contribute to the old bath feel of the clawfoot tub, the beadboard, and the tumbled porcelain mosaic tile beneath the tub. And of course, the stained glass window.

I find it interesting that my two smallest spaces in the whole house are demanding so much detailed attention. Walking into them afterward will be like donning my very favorite comfy old bathrobe. Coming home!

How can he do more than that, when the old bathroom wall made out of stucco cement and wire is still to be knocked down, the electrical is still to be put in, the beadboard walls and ceiling are not done, and I do not want my precious new lovely tub scratched up or damaged in any way?

So instead of dealing with him myself, I will have to get the contractor to deal with him. That is the advice my DH gave me tonight when we talked. And he is right. I won't be paying the plumber, the contractor will be. He subbed the plumber to do the job. And I was not expecting him to show up today. I sort of think he is jumping the gun.

What do you think, guys? Am I reading it correctly?

don't they have to put the floor down first also?

just say NO! lol!

I guess the electrician has to do his thing too before that can happen.

When I realize how close it is to the finish line, I am amazed. It is really not that big a job. It just involves foundation, framing, electrical, plumbing, traditional stucco installation, and inserting the windows, insulation, and the beadboard and wallboard in the closet. Overall, not a big job. The space added to the house is 5 x 19, or almost 100 square feet. That is the same amount we added when we enclosed the screened porch and made the 10 x 10 sun porch.

I'm assuming this makes our little cottage about 1000 sq feet, maybe 1100 at the most. I have never really measured.
My DH says that average construction costs in this area would be $100 per sq foot. Finished out. Whole job. But when you are adding on or remodelling, the figure is different, depending on demo and the grade of new materials, and the cost of reroofing and so on.

I think we are doing fine so far. No disasters or big surprises, everything is easy as the contractor made it seem in the beginning, and I was so concerned about how to coordinate things. It is a learning experience for me.

And we won't be installing the flooring until my DH returns from up north. Neither will be be doing the painting and the doors until then. The contractor is building and putting on the stucco, the walls, the roof, the windows with the door moldings too, but we will do the painting, the tile laying, fitting the closet and bathroom doors. In short, the finish work? And that will be this fall and winter.

Incidentally, I have all the tile for the job stacked under my sofa in the living room. It's been there since April.

Chris

And Shades, thanks for the compliment on the chandelier. It is a simple looking thing, very plain design, and sturdy too.

The inspector was by after the plumber left, so we are ready to go with knocking down the old stucco wall and opening up the bath. But so far no electrician so I don't know if they'll be able to close up the walls until HE shows up. I think I'll call the contractor about that now.
******
Back again.
The contractor did not know the electrical was not done yet, so I also got a call from the elec dude. HE will be here in the morning about 9am. I hope he is ready to get hot, because it will be HOT by 9am. At least I don't really have to get up at 7am again though.

Things have progressed here though. My friendly gardener came over and planted my 35 star jasmine along the new 7' tall chainlink fence. Then he spread the pine straw mulch along that 100 foot long fence. Hopefully that will keep my little dachshund girl from escaping to pursue her favorite critter, the little brown rabbit. Her other favorite is Bob the Squirrel, but never underneath a fence.

The electrician has his building permit, and he queried me about what I wanted where, and then offered me some suggestions. Too many options for me, I just want to keep it simple and straightforward, and SAFE.

For those with questions about chandeliers in the bathroom, YES, you can have one. NO, you cannot put it over your tub.
Mine is going to be CENTERED on the tub, in the alcove, but it CANNOT BE OVER THE TUB. It CAN be just in front of it. The switch for it is on the wall in the bank of switches for everything in the new bath. No wall plugs will be on switches though. They will be always ON. And I will have two circuits. Both GFCI, 20 amp circuits. No worry if my baldheaded husband wants to use a 2000 watt hair dryer (drying paint?) it won't blow the circuit. And I can install the rope lights around the perimeter of the tub alcove, on a dimmer, by plugging in to an outlet high on the wall in the alcove. I have a remote switch made by Lutron which will let me switch those rope lights on and off. The LED rope light set I have is the correct length to circle that space. I'm into rope lights!

Even outside on the new walls there will be a user friendly box for GFCI plugs, the lid closes and the cords hang out the bottom. That will be for my DH in his workshop/shed, and running his garden cultivator or the weed whacker. Whatever. Just so he stays away from my stained glass window with his long lumber pieces.

Once the electrical is wired, the inspector comes again, and then they can rip out the old stucco wall to make the tub alcove part of the bathroom, and then take out the windows to allow access to the closet, and then put in the Lexan clerestory lights/windows. Since we lost two days this week, the finish of the job will be NEXT week.

I got my chandelier yesterday. It does look good. Even though it turned out to be made in China. Bummer. But I'm putting it together today. After the inspector looks at things, the electrician will return to close up things and mount the fixtures and the switch covers. I'm pretty content with the status of the job for now. Cannot wait to see how the wire lathe and old fashioned stucco job will look. How thick it will be. How the Lexan windows look installed, matching the work done by my DH elsewhere in the porches.

Life is good.

I may have misunderstood some of the electrical. The electrician suggests putting a switch on the high-up wall plug in the tub alcove. so I won't have to unplug it or reach up above my head to operate it. Hmmm, I want it simple, something I cannot forget how it works.

Tomorrow afternoon, the electrical inspector will come. If all goes well, come Monday morning the walls and insulation will start going in, the old bathroom wall will come out. I will be getting close to a sealed up house then. Windows, and the stucco and then installing the lights will be the final thing. I am amazed at suddenly reaching this point.

So far so good.

I took one bird to the vet this morning for his nail beak and wing trim, the Interstate was covered in puddles and driving was trecherous. I am a defensive driver, very experienced, but I'm always alert to hazards. Never presume.

Hope the electrical inspector comes when it is not raining.

After they leave this afternoon, I will be able to get some photos of the space, which should be unified by that time. Where the stained glass window goes they will cover it with plywood temporarily until the last thing. I'm glad they realize how fragile and special that window is. It is probably the oldest thing in this house.

that's so funny! does he talk to your dh in his 'manly' voice?

Well, here are a couple of the latest shots. More can be seen at my Webshots albums.

chris

it's looking good - and moving right along! you'll have water in that tub in no time flat!

that your bird can imitate voices just cracks me up! he'd probably scare the H outa me. he'd use another voice and I'd scream thinking someone got in...

And I also did not realize your slipper tub was acrylic. Very nice. And I bet warmer than cast to not draw the heat out of the water as fast.

REALLY like the arch you are considering for over the bed.

Thanks Again and can't wait to see more.

Chris

And now the Lexan clerestory windows are in, so I can show you how they will look. From inside and from outside too. The ladder is leaning against the spot where the stained glass will go, once they remove the rest of the old plaster.

And here is from the inside. One group of three in the tub alcove, and the other two groups of three in the closet.
I ordered a 66w x 18d x 53h 14 drawer pine chest unfinished today. I had one like it (from the same local store) which Katrina destroyed, and it will fit perfectly in the middle of the closet under the windows.

The closet in the front bedroom is made of cedar, so that is where any woolens will go. And my long (floor length) favorites like my caftans....ahhh, the good old days of hippie culture!

Hehehehe Yah they were what seemed the good old days for sure.

I got it now. I could not see the hanging space at the end of the window walls. Love the idea of the dresser in the closet. We have a book case at the end of our closet and it works well. I keep my folded sweaters in the buffet that is in our room. Weird I know but it works.

I too have pared down my clothes big time and then a friend sent me a whole new wardrobe of pass me downs but really nice fancy ones. So had to go through the stuff I kept again and think I finally have it down to just what I will wear and a couple of things I am hopeful about as I loose some more weight.

Still kicking myself for passing up one of those hundred drawer dressers from yard sale several years ago. I SHOULD have bought it and gotten rid of the other dressers that do not work for me. Course it did not really have 100 drawers but it seemed like it.

Can't wait to see more pictures.

Chris

oh yeah - I had a few of those! and my suede fringed purse (still have it). might still have a caftan or 2 packed away.

those windows will be so nice to let natural light into your closet (and bdrm).

I'm thinking about putting a 4 shelf pantry cabinet (5'tall x 2' wide and 1' deep with doors) at the end side of one of my walkin closets - for my bedroom sheets/cases. maybe even 2 of them. one could be for sweat sets - my sister gave me about 10 sets in the past 2 yrs!

HEHEHEHE, I have a sueded fringed purse too! Not really old, but it appeals to me.

If you have space somewhere that can be used but not in the way it was originally intended, I say go for it. Having your bed linens close to the point of use makes more sense than in a distant unified space, where somehow things get tossed into a common pile.

I think I'll run over to Southeastern Salvage and see what they have there. I want two 12 x 12 towers about 88 inches tall for the bathroom storage. And if I by chance run across the 24 x 24 x 96or 88 H tall cabs for the pantry, I'll be way ahead on my next project. (which is the dining room window seat flanked by the two tall pantry cabs.)

If I can find a picture of the 14 drawer chest, I'll upload it. At 66" wide, and 53" tall, it is perfect as a backup to the bed headboard. In another house, of course, not this one. but where someone has heater vents around the perimeter of a room and cannot cover them up, moving furniture out into the room helps a lot, and makes more usable space like a private dressing area.

FlowerLady

Once again, I am covered up in dust after they removed the final stub of the stucco/plaster wall at the floor level, so a real double DOORWAY now exists, and the tub could be slid into its spot if needs be. The last old plaster wall with some mold/mildew signs remain, but will be torn down next Monday. I asked if I could tear it down, and they said NO, it has metal mesh reinforcing it and I might bring down the ceiling on my head. Glad I did not know that when I tore out the walls for that first tiny bath!!!!! Ignorance is bliss.

I have more photos in the camera, but will wait to upload them. To see more construction zone stuff is about as exciting as watching paint dry.

Now the stucco crew is here, installing the underlayment or whatever (Durock) for the top stucco to match the rest of the house. And then the finishing crew to complete the interior wall surface of the bathroom. The remnant of cement plaster wall in that bath is coming down before the rest goes up, and the blocking for grab bars and towel bars and hooks and shelving is going in as well. My parrot is hard at work hammering along with them!!!

They measured the stained glass window a short while ago, and are lowering the site for mounting that. I really want it to be low just in front of the tub spigots, where I have full benefit of the difracted light coming through that glass in the setting sun. I figured 24" above the finished floor was just fine. The window is 40" tall.

By tonight I will take more pictures and upload them to the Webshots album about my cottage redo in Alabama. It won't be long now. As soon as I can get inside the closet, I will be priming the beadboard ceiling and walls.

Look for the photo update by 7pm Central time (Greenwich -6)
So it would be 1am Greenwich mean time.

It's so cool to see this all coming together, but most of all ... I want to meet your bird!

If it is what you want then it is how it should be. I would prefer it at least half way between the high and low but I think I prefer the high position. I am afraid it might make you feel like you always need to duck to look out when entering the room. Only I know it is stained glass and you do not look out of it.

The window we added to our guest bath is as high up as it can go and I am glad it is that way. But then I am not laying in a tub looking at it.

What a wonderful seamless addition on the outside. When it is done it will look like it always was.

Loving it.

chris

I have a shot of the tub in its spot, and the shutter panels standing in their finished location. The afternoon sun was streaming through the stained glass window also, and I hope you can tell what it looks like.

And this one shows there is still plenty of space around the tub with the 12" shutter storage towers at either end/side of the new alcove. I think we gained half a foot of space when the old exterior wall came out.

light some candles, toss some rose petals around...

the tub is beautiful! there's plenty of room around it to easily access the area for cleaning too.

Totally in love with the tower idea.

So now it is all up to you to get painted? This has been so fun to watch the progress. I was so disappointed last night when I could not get here to see how it turned out. LOL Was having GW withdrawals.

Chris

He is a good boy. I hand fed him from 5 weeks...well, earlier than that because I visited the breeder to learn how...I fell in love with him when I saw his ugly little prehistoric self 3 days after he hatched out. Baby parrots are unbelievably ugly! And wonderful. He is now very elegant. When things go on in the house, he will ask me, "What are you doing?" And he loves to fly through the rooms to see for himself. I must make sure the ceiling fans are off and the doors locked. This is a recent photo of him:
He is fully flighted. Meet Kimali, an African Grey.

FlowerLady

The carpenters were amused when I told them I needed sills even on the high clerestory windows so I could set flower pots there. Things which like light but not direct sun, tend to flourish in this northern exposure. Things like African violets, ferns, bromeliads, tillandsias, and even pothos and philodendrons. If they like humidity, they will love being in the bathroom! So that is why I have the window sills even in the closet. Now THAT was a real funny thing even to my DH, who scratched his head over the windows in the closet.

But when light is important, NATURAL light, you must take advantage of what you can find. Anyway, I'm very pleased to have the 6 clerestory windows in the north wall of the closet, which contributes to the style of the bedroom. Turning the two holes which were formerly the big windows on that north wall into closet doors with glass panes (bifold French made by Pinecroft from Home Depot), it continues to give light to the entire room. It also allows the eye to consider the closet as part of the bedroom. I have a 66 inch wide 53 inch tall 14 drawer unfinished pine chest on order from a local store, which will sit under the high clerestory windows inside the closet. So no hanging clothes will be visible in the center area. The double rack of high/low hanging clothes will be across the 5 foot wide ends of the closet. I had the carpenters block inside the walls so I could hang myself from the walls if needs be.
I also have space at either end of the wide chest for a single rack of long hanging clothes, and I might commandeer that tall space from DH's end of the closet.

I realize that I could have omitted the windows and had a lot more hanging space in the closet. But esthetically, I wanted the light. I wanted the visual breathing room which contributes a lot more to the FEEL of the smallish bedroom.

Sad to say, the completion of this project, once the stucco is applied to the exterior, the electrician and plumber does the final install of their things, the real pretty stuff will have to wait for late this fall when we return from up north.

for chin ups? lol!

I think it was very good thinking on your part to put a dresser in there centered under the windows and hanging space on the sides. with double rods on each side you'll each have at least 10' of hanging space! that's a lot! plus the extra ends for longer things.

it'll make it seem so less crowded in there - and more like a dressing room.

I like the wide ledges too and intend to put formica on all of them in my addition.

"I just love it when a plan comes together".
John "Hannibal" Smith

This morning, the electrician arrived to install the lighting fixtures, install the powered smoke detector, connect the Toto washlet toilet seat to power, and my outdoor in-use receptacles, plus connect the wiring to the breaker box. He just left. I now have lights....but no "action" yet, because the plumber is off fishing today. :)
The tub will happen on Monday. And the inspector will come on Monday for the electrical too.

All in all, the sub contractors were great, and I will more than likely call this electrician when we decide to do the power supply weatherhead, move the outside main breaker panel, and flip the kitchen breaker box around so it is accessible from the back porch instead. That way, we will be better able to remodel the kitchen. Hopefully this will be this December after we complete OUR share of the master suite project.

Hannibal Smith? Idie2live, are you a fan of the A-Team? We working with a plan here, just mostly LONG TERM. Incidentally, when I looked at the date on my original conceptual drawing for the creation of this master suite, it was dated January 1, 2008. It is essentially that plan with no changes.....just some choices in materials and fixtures varied. But the design stayed true. Amazing.

Not so with the lamp I am trying to put together for our living room. Yah I know turned another direction than planned today. LOL

Lexan would be a good water proofer but I think it might scratch?? Not sure how fragile it is.

Biting my tongue trying not to say do it in glass tiles. Hehehehe Ducking now.

This is the Strom plumbing fixtures on the Restoria Ambassador 60 inch acrylic clawfoot slipper tub.

wowee! you got water! enjoy!

Chris

The house now awaits the tile floors and painted walls and ceilings.

lol!

we await the final 'leg' of your remodel!

I'm thinking about getting one like yours, but mine will go in a corner (instead of an alcove). Love your tub caddy with the towel rack on the side!

And now we are back in Alabama, and DH is raring to get started on the flooring project. First the closet tiling. But I think I am supposed to paint the beadboard first?

And of cocurse paint the beadboard in the bathroom. Then the tiling for the bath, which will be the same Italian porcelain unglazed tile as in the closet. Rialto Blanco from Lowes. It is all still sitting under the loveseat in the living room. Bummer, but I will now begin moving it to the back bedroom, staging it for his use. Sigh. More dust coming, I can tell. I wish he'd wait until after Christmas, just to have a little break, but don't think that is going to happen.

And 52, I still like the tub very much.
It is the acrylic clawfoot slipper tub Restoria Ambassador, 60 inch long. It holds a LOT of water, and gives a good bathing experience. It is also available in a 66 inch model.
I did not realize that we would have as wide a tub bumpout when I drew up the plan, and ordered the tub. If I had known there would be such clearance around it, I could have gotten the 66 inch model for just a little more money from Vintage Tub online.

However, I am totally enjoying it yes indeed. I left here two days after it was installed, and got back a couple of days ago, so I've only used it 5 times or so. The hand held shower by Strom Plumbing is heavy duty and well made. By ordering the complete package of plumbing with the tub, they gave me a 10% discount and it was free shipping too.

I know it will be a couple of weeks more before I can post a photo...or two or three....of the finished bath and closet, so wish us luck. At this point in life, having it done perfect or not, is good enough for me. We are getting too old for such heavy work. :)