What a "Pane!"

i know I haven't blogged in awhile.  Life has been crazy with the two older kids starting school and participating in sports, not to mention the never-ending unpacking and decorating.  

In my 30 inspection post, I mentioned that we had window seals that had failed.  According to Ply-Gem, the window company, there was a small slit in the frame where water was getting in that was causing the window sill to swell.  The Ply-Gem reps said that it could be repaired and the sills replaced without having to replace the windows.  This was on June 29.  That seemed simple enough, so I agreed.  Eleven windows in all were repaired.

Fast forward to September 25.  Ply-Gem was called out again because the windows were leaking again.  The rep that came was with the original group, so he was familiar with our issue.  He said that when the first repair was done, they only fixed the one side and that the other side needed to be done.  The Ryan service rep gave me the option of allowing the repair or pushing for replacement of the windows.  Of course, one of the windows is within the stone, so the stone would have to be removed and then replaced.  I opted to go with the repair as I didn't want the hassle of dealing with replacing the windows.  

The quality of the picture is poor, but if you click on it,
you will notice the bubbling paint.  This was our only indication
that there was a problem.  

Fast forward again to the present.  The amount of rain we received from Sandy showed that the repairs were not sufficient to prevent the windows from leaking.  At this point, we will have to have the windows replaced.  I am waiting to hear back from our service rep.  I know that others have more pressing issues because of the storm, so we'll see how and when this will be handled.

I have many other updates about our other 30 day fixes and decorating, but I wanted to get this out there so that others could check their windows.  So often, blinds and other window treatments go up and these issues may not be discovered until significant damage is done.  

For Amanda

Here are some shots of the ogee edge on our Formica 180FX Antique Mascarello. I am stuck using Blogger from my iPod since DH is using the laptop for watching his beloved Bills, so I can't do much formatting.

The pictures are of the breakfast bar , peninsula and an end where there would typically be a side splash and our PM was able to do without them as I did not care for the look of them.

House Tour, Part 2

Here are a few more rooms that, while not finished, are at least presentable.

Morning room chandelier

This is my biggest steal so far for the house.  It was originally $189.  I saw it on clearance for $89, but still wasn't sure what I wanted for that room.  One day while wandering through Lowe's, I saw it sitting, fully assembled, on a shelf in a completely unrelated aisle.  It was marked down to $47.  I made sure it could be returned if it didn't work.  We only needed to add a $3 part to make it work and there it is!

Another view of the lovely chandelier

I opted not to take a picture of DH hanging the light.  That vaulted ceiling is pretty high.  He ended up putting his 6 foot step ladder on top of our table in order to reach.  Don't try this at home, kids!

Our family room furniture finally arrived.  It took almost 10 weeks!

You can't tell in this picture, but the feet of the two sofas are two different colors of wood.
 I'm trying to decide how much it bugs me.

I love our fireplace!  

This sofa sleeper was supposed to go in the finished basement area under the morning room.  However, I failed to take into account the small hallway that contains the basement door. There was no way for the movers to swing a 92" couch through the hall and doorway.  So, there it sits in our living room.  It will probably end up in our bonus room as it is not what I envisioned in my living room.  But, it works for now.

That computer armoire houses the kids' computer so that it is out in the open.  

Powder room

Those two pictures are held by the first two nails to be put into the house by us.
I like to wait until I am absolutely sure where I want something before putting holes in the wall.
So, we still have lots of plain walls!

Just a little corner stand to try to draw attention away from the large vent cover.

Tomorrow begins some major deconstruction and reconstruction on the house.  They will be removing the columns to replace the stoop, repairing windows, removing the bathtub to determine why it's creaking (which involves removing tile) and fix the squeak in the kitchen floor.  I'm trying to remain calm :)

30 Day Follow-Up

Our 30 follow-up service was today.  There were a few minor touch-ups to be done along with more major issues to correct.  Our PM came out to the house last week to inspect the more serious issues to have a plan of attack ready.

1.  The master bathtub would creak whenever anyone stepped in it.  The plumber filled the tub with water to weigh it down and then sprayed foam insulation through the access panel under the tub.  We have to leave the water in for 24 hours and then we'll find out if the foam was successful in supporting the tub.

2.  The glass for the master shower enclosure is severely scratched.  PM will call the manufacturer and order a new piece of glass.

3.  Squeaks in laminate flooring were fixed and creaking the vinyl flooring was fixed.  There is still a squeak under the vinyl that will be fixed later as it was just found yesterday and the flooring guy didn't have the proper tools to fix it today.

4.  We had creaking all along the main traffic pattern through the family room.  We never noticed it until we closed on the house.  PM and the handyman determined that the sound was wood related, so they had to open the drywall in the finished basement soffit and screwed the 2x4s and joists which eliminated the sound.

5.  We have some window issues.  On about half of our windows, the seal on the bottom of the one side has failed.  This has caused damage to the window sills.  PM said that he knows of another house where 15 windows had to be replaced.  He will be submitting a claim to the window company and they will have to replace the windows and the sills.

6.  When our stoop was poured, it was still getting cold at night.  To protect the concrete, the contractor covered the stoop.  The cover apparently moved because it looks like something was dragged through the wet cement.  PM had his concrete guys come out and look at it.  There is nothing they can do short of removing the stoop.  They were going to do that this week, but we were having furniture delivered finally (another post on that will be coming) so it will be done after the 4th.

7.  Our shutters on the stone front are not attached so that they lay flat.  PM will contact the stone mason.

8.  Flashing over the garage door needs to be nailed down and there is a dent a trim piece on the gable over the garage.  The siders will be back to fix.

9.  Various paint touch-ups were done and the paint on the sides of the fireplace was removed.

10.  The edges of many of the interior doors were rough.  PM said this has been a complaint from other PMs.  Doors were sanded down and the paint touched up.

Our handyman is on crutches due to a broken heel, so our PM actually did some of the work too.  I was greatly impressed with how accommodating our PM was with everything that I asked.  His answer to everything was "We'll take care of it."  Definitely happy with how things are being handled.  As much as I wish issues didn't arise, I am please with how they are being resolved.

Partial House Tour

Since I always enjoy seeing pictures, I thought I would post some of our rooms.  They are not finished by any means, but they are coming along.

Kids Bath

Looks clean, doesn't it?
That's because I cleaned before I took the picture.
Three kids does not a clean bathroom make!

Master bath from bedroom

To make up for only one towel rack, I bought a
towel stand to hang washcloths.

Love the shower, but I'm going to have to steal another
blogger's idea to use privacy film on that window!

Master bedroom view from upstairs hall

Love having the second floor laundry!
No more hauling laundry up and down the steps.

Dining room, aka piano room.
I will probably lower the chandelier a bit more.

Study, aka my craft room

Sadly, there are still more boxes to unpack in this room and
more to transport from the old house.

We are slowly but surely getting settled.  We love our house and our new neighborhood.  We've met a lot of neighbors, and they are all very friendly.  The kids and pets have adjusted well.  I will post more pictures soon!

Enjoying the breeze!

Hubby installed our new family room ceiling fan tonight. It was a bear to put up, but we're very pleased with the look and the air movement. Now, if we only had our furniture. We ordered from LaZBoy almost eight weeks ago, and we're still waiting. We can't wait to be able to sit on furniture instead of the floor.

This is the picture from the website which gives a better
representation of the colors.  

Our furniture for the room (when it ever gets here) is more modern looking, so we thought this was a good blend of modern and traditional (which is more of what our kitchen is).   I'm just so happy to not be looking at a light bulb sticking out of the ceiling anymore!

Move In Day Has Arrived!

We are finally moving in.  The kids finished school Wednesday.  Thus ensued the mad dash to finish packing.  The advantage to not having sold our current house yet is that we don't have to have everything moved out.  We will be coming back a few more times to load up the non-essentials.

We are going to miss our neighbors and the wonderful memories that we've made in this house, but we look forward to all the new memories we will make.  We are going to have a full house tomorrow with both of my sisters-in-law and their families, so we are excited to show them the house and just hang out together.

Pictures to follow once we have internet up and running tomorrow.

Kitchen Additions

Though we closed on the house a week ago, we still won't live there for another week.  The kids are finishing up school, so we've just been making a few trips when we can with boxes and such.  I took the kids over tonight, and while they played, I assembled the kitchen stools.  They were a breeze to put together.  Each one took under 15 minutes.  I bought them from hayneedle.com.  I highly recommend them...great products, great prices, and free (and fast) shipping.

I really like how I can put a stool at the end of the peninsula
so that all three kids have plenty of room.

Just a random kitchen pic :)

My huge fridge.  It is 31 cu. ft. of awesomeness!

And since everyone else is posting pictures of blinds this week, I didn't want to be left out.  The pictures aren't great because of the sun, but I have proof that something has been accomplished:

J's room

N's room

L's room

The next project will involve ceiling fans and lights, but it looks like that will happen after we move.  One week left to pack!!!

First Impressions

First, the disappointments:

• The wire shelving is very flimsy.  It also has dividers for the hanging part, so you can't just slide everything down the rack.  Disappointing!
• I found a clump of drywall mud under the carpet in the study.  I had specifically gone to the house the day that they prepped the floors for carpet because I was concerned about all the clumps stuck to the floors.  There were still quite a few after they had sanded.  I spoke with my PM and he said that he hand scraped them all before carpet went down.  Well, he missed at least one.  It's about the size of gumball.  Don't know what they'll do about that or if it's worth it.  It's about a foot from the wall and I could probably put a piece of furniture there.  It's just the fact that I had specifically mentioned that room as being particularly bad.
• The paint in the house is still tacky.  If you even touch a wall or a door, it leaves a mark.  Now that we have a dehumidifier running in the basement, I'm hoping it will dry faster.
• The dishwasher is small and noisy.  They didn't even finish putting the spinner arms in place.  I did that myself and all of the silverware basket covers and other parts were just put in a drawer.  I found those a couple days later.
• The kitchen sink is very small.  While it is 8" deep, it's too small to even fit a standard dishpan.  The stainless steel is also very rough.  I'm hoping in time the grain will wear down and be smoother.

And now, the things I love:

• I really like the range and microwave.  I've been using a builder grade range for the past 8.5 years, so I'm loving the upgrade.  
• I love the upgraded laminate.  Everyone that's walked into the kitchen comments on how much it looks like granite, but it's not cold and hard like granite.  The ogee edge is just the icing on the cake.
• The house was actually cleaner than I expected.  I've mopped all the hard floors and the water wasn't very dirty.  The cabinets had been cleaned out from all the sawdust that was in them.  
• I'm so glad we went with the oil rubbed bronze fixtures.  That was our last change order and I'm so happy we went for it.  They are beautiful!
• It may seem silly, but the garage steps are several inches deeper than our current home which makes it easier to go up and down the steps.
• I love all the space.  

We've met several of the neighbors, and they all seem very nice.  There are a lot of families, so I'm hopeful that the kids will find friends soon.  I would post pics, but we were so busy moving boxes in that we really didn't take many.  I will post more pics as we move in.

Friday, May 25

We were really hoping to get our keys early on the 25th so that we could make a run with boxes before the kids got out of school.   However, they were still doing touch-ups that morning, so we couldn't get the keys until later.  We packed up the trailer (in the unbelievable heat), picked up the kids from school and headed out to a nearby model to pick up the keys.  We met my parents at the house.  Another blogger had taken a picture of the family turning the key in the lock for the first time.  So, we took the picture:

The youngest did not want to participate :(

This is where things went downhill.  Our oldest child's birthday was the day of the walkthrough and he wanted to be the one to turn the key for the first time.  Only problem was, it wouldn't turn.  We were given four keys, so we had him try another one.  None of them worked!  We tried the service door, and again, none of them worked.  Our PM was still on vacation and I didn't bring the other PM's number with me.  DH looked up the phone number for the model where we picked up the keys.  I called the SR there and explained what had happened.   She was very apologetic (though it wasn't at all her fault) and told me that she would see what she could do.

We took a walk around the house since my parents had not seen the house before.  As we got to our neighbor's side of the house, I saw one of the workers that I had met before (on the infamous day of the mud).  I asked him if there was anything he could do.  He immediately came over and explained that the keys had never been changed from the contractor keys.  He got out the manual from his truck and remastered the keys for us.  It was a miracle that he was there at 5:00 on the Friday of a holiday weekend.  

We finally got into the house and were able to show my parents around.  We went out to eat and then came back to start moving boxes in.  The kids are still in school, so we can't move in fully until school is out.  Because of that, I don't have many new pictures since the house is still without furniture.  Our first piece of furniture in the house is a counter stool.  We bought one to see if we liked it, and we do.  Now I have to order two more counter stools and two bar stools.  

DD had to play Vanna White

The next post will contain my first impressions of the house after spending the first day/night there.

A Few Pictures

Here are a few pictures from our walk through today.  We didn't get to take many since we had to get to our closing right afterwards.

Morning Room

Family Room

View from dining room looking into living room

Stairs (obviously!)

Master Bedroom

One of my favorite parts of the house!

I was pleasantly surprised to find the house much cleaner than the last time we were there.  They did another cleaning, and while it is not spotless, it is much better than our last visit.  We also found out other pleasant surprises that were just little details that made the house even better than we knew.  Our yard and landscaping will be installed shortly.  I am looking forward to having that done.  We had to wait forever for that in our current home, so it will be nice to get that taken care of.  We are looking forward to moving in and getting settled!  I plan to continue to update as we move in and decorate.