Hardwood and water leaks

We have also had a couple of dishwasher leaks in two separate houses. One was caught right away and the hardwood settled on it's on with the help of a dehumidifier. The 2nd incident went on overnight. This was before we moved in. The plumber did not tighten something. The floor never did settle and we lived with it. In hindsight, we should have insisted the floor be fixed.

When building out new house, I remembered those two incidents, plus stories from other people, including my parents that woke up after one night in their new house to a flooded pantry, mudroom, and kitchen. Their washing machine hose burst as wash was continuing after they went to bed. They had to move back out of the house and have the floors redone. Ever since then, when we move, we always start with a fresh washing machine hose. And we also make sure that the water was turned off to the machine when we left town. 😀 So with all the above, we decided to put in a whole house water cut-off. Now when we leave town, we shut all water off with one little handle.

Sofia - After a lot of research on benches, below are the measurements I used to have our banquette built. It's perfect!

jkent9024 - The shower is beautiful. I think you will be fine without doors, but make sure you have super great exhaust fans!!! I see two. Is there a third?

Last day of August and my first post in the monthly building thread! We're still in the process of nailing down the floorplan and got hit with the "news" yesterday that the full height basement we requested is not on the plan, and if we want one we'll need to widen the whole house by 2' to adjust the stairwell accordingly.

From our initial meeting, we were under the impression that after digging down 9' and covering mechanical bits, the finished ceiling height would be a little over 8'. Our bad for not confirming this after we got the first draft of the plans, you know what they say about assuming! We were focused on the main floor.

We've now realized the plan calls for digging down 9'2" to the footing, and after subtracting 1'2" for the main floor and 4" for the basement floor we're left with only 7'8" before the ceiling's even added. I thought we were SO close to being settled on the floorplan but this is throwing me for a loop.

Do u want me to start a September thread?

comelyhomely - At least you discovered this now before construction. Do it...you will not regret!

We widened our plan by two feet on one side and it's the best decision. Didn't really cost much more and the extra room opened up both the downstairs and upstairs. We have had basements with 9' ceilings and they are the best!

@User Thanks for the water advice. We've had septic backup, run across the back foyer floor for hours (Yes, yuck) and it didn't do a thing to the floor boards. I don't know why this leak did so much damage and the boards are not going down much. I wonder if it because the water was hot? Either way, I still don't want to tile my kitchen floor.

@comelyhomely Congratulations! Welcome to the trials of home building. We discovered after adjusting directions of some major support beams between floors and posting under them, that the stairwell is going to be a 1/4" too narrow once it is drywalled. Somehow this bypassed everyone's attention from engineer to planning department to DH. We've literally had to shave the frames to pass inspection. At some point you will have the home you love!

@jkent9024 I am going to take my tiling dilemmas to you, sister. That looks so great. But I have to admit I am doing everything to steer clear of grout. And I have, yet again, fallen in love with the most expensive tile possible. It is, holy crap, $758 per sq ft. I burst into laughter!

@jkent9024 your shower is AH MAZE ING!

This isn’t construction related, but is for the new build. Eeeeek we’re upgrading to a king size bed and I’ve spent a small fortune on bedding. Had to share!

@Joy M Pretty. These things add up crazy fast.

@jkent9024 Your bathroom is amazing!!!! I wonder the same about the grout in mine....but I'll cross that bridge LOL

@Joy M Bedding is crazy expensive for Kings and I have a dog who has somehow managed to chew 2 expensive duvet covers :/

We have some concerns about our driveway. The slope on the side is very steep and I am concerned about erosion. Hubby is blaming it on the initial grading not being wide enough, but I don't know. Apparently final grading is just after labor day and we can have them try to widen the slope more. If not, a retaining wall might be the only option. Of course, hubby doesn't think we should have to pay if they didn't grade properly. Sigh.

PM also said they had to cut the board and batten because it wasn't long enough for a single piece. Hmmmmm.....I am going to go back through old pictures and see if I have anything from before that little roof was added to see if it ever was one solid piece.

@jk Wow! Terrific shower!

@Joy M, yes and the bigger you go, the more they cost and seemingly the more high end options there are. I worked at a high end linen store for a while in college, and as a result am a sucker for nice sheets. Really nice sheets.

So...bad news. Maybe. I have had more than a few conversations over the last year with the gas company about gas lines to our lot. The last two have been not about the cost to us, but the promise that they are in the process of working with the county to have it go all through our neighborhood. (It is on the road behind ours and should be continued--quote.) I was told, be patient. Today I called to find out the dates since we will need propane in the meantime, and suddenly the story is, "Here is what it will cost you to bring gas to your land." (Past 20 other properties who would benefit from our dime) And I was told to find a way to reach out to those people to defray the costs. What happened to the county paying for it? We made decisions based on those former conversations. And the worst part, I lost the notebook oneday when I was out and about with that person's name and extension a few months ago. AGGH! We had zero intention of having a propane tank in our yard forever (and it cannot be buried where we are).

@User & @Keen B Thanks for the welcome & encouragement. I agree we're very lucky to have realized this now while it's all still just ink on a page and not concrete in the ground! I'm sure there will be many more surprises in store haha.

@Joy M The home we are renting was partially furnished and has a King sized bed, we have a Queen. I am very much considering upgrading because I can't imagine going back now. I am sure MH will not be on board with the costs. I just bought one set of cheap sheets for this bed and my bedspread fits the bed. (Well we sometimes also use a quilt I made, but I "could" make another)

Update on us... we still don't have our foundation finished... going on 2 months. I am so over these delays. I got a text from the builder saying the forms will go in on Friday and foundation finished next week. I pointed out he told me the same 3 weeks ago. His "excuse" had been that the narrowness of our lot forced them to do the foundation pour in stages. They have done 1 stage so far. For some context here... I began (after a one year delay) the same time as Naomi and look where she is now.

Keen B - Perhaps you could get a list of employees names and recognize the name of the guy. And they do keep records, so something must be in writing somewhere!!!

Thanks, everyone for all of the compliments on the shower. I'm sure a lot of you are like me where this forum (and particularly this sub) is the only safe place where you can share the joys and frustrations of building without seeming entitled. I so rarely share what's going with our build IRL that I had one friend not realize we haven't moved in yet, and another couple with whom DH and I regularly socialize didn't even know we were building!

@User Yes, the third light/fan combo is directly above the photographer's head.

@Keen B Sorry to hear about that. We also had a situation vs. the county regarding sewer where they were going to make us foot the bill for an exorbitant length that would only benefit our neighbors should they decide to switch from septic--those homes had been built almost 50 years ago! If it seems like you'll be stuck with a propane tank, can it be placed in your backyard, behind a berm or a screen of trees?

Keen B, hang in there and keep talking to people at the gas company. We had a very similar experience where different people would tell us different things at different times. And the same was true for at least one of our neighbors. Estimates at different points in time ranged from$750 to $27,000. Our gas line is now in and the house is hooked up. I posted about this before, but the final cost was $0.

@jkent shower looks amazing.

@Keen B. I am sure you will be able to figure it out

Welp I have an issue (who doesn’t?). My countertops are going in, & I really think the pendants I picked are not going to flow with the rest of the room. I’ll post a picture of the pendants and then the kitchen island. I need directional lighting, & I HATE small pendants, but I think these maybe a little too big. Thoughts???

I am glad this forum is a safe place, and I appreciate that so much from everyone.

Blair - It’s hard to tell from photos. You might share sizes and see what people think. I think the pendant is really cool, and so I understand why you like it.

Keen B - hang in there. Maybe your situation will turn out like Sofias.

KM - Hang in there as well.

Joy M - I think you’ll love your king size bed and bedding. 💙

@K M it is very easy to get discouraged when seeing all the progress and your build is stagnant. I have certainly been in that spot before. We broke ground in August of last year and this build has taken longer than our last one. Try to stay focused, work on finish selections etc. while you have this time. We are upgrading to a king only because our room is larger. I've been buying all of the bedding, but haven't gotten to the mattress yet. I'll let my husband pay for that, lol.

Here's a great way to start a project: first day out, before any work is done, excavator being brought up the hill to start on our driveway catches on a low wire and knocks out power and phone to all the neighbors at the bottom of the hill. Wheeeeee! We're making friends already! Ugh ugh ugh

I'm sorry to hear about the problems @Keen B and @K M--I hope these end up being snags that you can look back on while you're enjoying your new home. Meanwhile, hang in there!

@Joy M, Same on the king bedding! My DH actually made our king-sized bed, our first-ever. Our old queen is in the guest room, and that's where we have been sleeping since we moved in in early March. Here is the bed he made us out of pine. I painted it green (it's not as dark as the photo looks) -- was going to stain but chickened out and decided to paint instead. Turned out nice. He is going to build us a slatted headboard "one day". We have bought a mattress ($$$), sheets, pillows, Euro-shams, etc, so I completely get what you are saying. I can't wait to finally get everything so that we can move into our actual master bedroom. The final thing will be curtains to keep out the morning light -- I've ordered fabric samples, but they haven't arrived yet. Yes, this is a very pricey addition, but it will be worth it in the end, I think.

@Emily love the bed! How nice to have a craftsman in the house!

Thanks, @2rickies! He is a handy guy to have around!

@Emily that’s really a lovely bed and how special to both be a part of its creation!

@Blair how long is your island and how wide are the pendants.

Pictures can be deceiving. I’d use actual measurements to figure it out!

We did very large open lanterns, much larger than I would have done without research, but I love them!

Thanks so much, @Kat! Hope you are enjoying your new home!

@kat. The island is 15 feet wide and the pendant is 19 “ diameter 23 “ height. I have 3 of them. I remember ur open lanterns- similar to the Darlana. I was going to get that , but I need the focused lighting

@Blair They are the Darlana Fancy Medium by Visual Comfort. Good eye! They are 18” wide and 30” tall and my island is 10’ long and our ceilings are 10" tall. I definitely think your pendant size will work with a 15’ Long Island!

I think the pendant size will work too. Your island is 180” long. Subtract what I’ve read is a minimum of 12” from each end, that leaves 156”. Subtract three 19” pendants, that leaves 99”. Divide that by two for spaces between pendants 1 and 2 and pendants 2 and 3 and that’s 49.5”, which is well over the suggested minimum of 30”.

That’s just the math though :) I’ve seen suggestions to cut out cardboard the size of your pendant and have someone hold it over the countertop to see how it looks to you. I ended up doing this using a garbage can lid that was the same size as the entryway pendant. It works!

Question re pull length:

I know the unofficial rule is 1/2 of the drawer width and 5-6" on cabinet doors.

Would you round down to keep things the same throughout a room?

For example, in my pantry I have a bunch of 18" drawers and then a couple 15". So rule would say 6" on some and 5" on others.

I’d go with one size pull for both the 15” and 18” drawers. Round down or up, whichever you like best :)

More flooring pictures. All that’s left is the bathroom that wood was accidentally installed in. Very pleased!

@ KM I hear you. We’ve had delay after delay, we broke ground last October and nothing to speak of since. Now we’re told two weeks ago that permits are in and we’re ready to go yet we’ve heard nothing from the builder. I called today and was told there’s a new guy who just started who will be giving me a call.

@2rickies OH no! I hope they can restore power soon!

@Emily Wow....you guys made a bed????I can't even imagine being that handy! I follow these DIY ppl on Instagram and am amazed what they make. I mean, my brain understands that furniture can be made, but I just picture factories doing it.

@Sofia Thank you!

Lighting lady emailed tonight (lights supposed to go in Friday...ummmmm) to say that my dining room light is discontinued. Might have been helpful to order 2 months ago when I ordered? Sigh. I really liked it too as it was a mix of black and gold and now I have to settle for just a black one. Blerg.

You should look at Lumens for lighting before you give up.

@theotherjaye Unfortunately, the builder restricts to their vendor. And they have a lot of options/choices, it's just the stuff I like is more expensive LOL

Well, that’s too bad. I made our builder give us a ridiculous lighting allowance - I think it may be the only category where I’ve actually under spent

Mum and dads room looking lovely in the sunset.

More bathroom tile progress! Master bathroom nearly done!

And the drawers are deeper than I thought. The ladle fits just fine!

Hi everyone- we took off for a few days at the coast and are heading back home today. I’ll have to catch up on the posts on the trip home.

The builder didn’t make a lot of progress this week - it rained a few days and he also had to get some more materials delivered. We did, however, finally finish ordering our appliances CC (Labor Day Sales) and fixtures.
We got our HVAC bid and it was about $4,000 more than the builder had budgeted. A second bid was about $8,000 higher. The contractor should start working on that tomorrow. We will have 2 units - a 5 ton downstairs and a 2 ton for the second floor. Based on the plans, he had initially guessed we would need 3 units but once he saw our site and how we situated the house as well as some of the changes we had made to the plan, he revised his bid.

We will also hopefully get our well drilled within the next couple of weeks (the brick layer will need the water) and should be meeting with the cabinet guy tomorrow.

@Naomi I have two different size pulls based on the size of the drawer.

@Emily we are enjoying it a great deal and the pool has been fantastic, but admit I'm looking forward to some cooler temps, but as you know Fall in NC can still be pretty warm, so who knows when they will arrive..haha

@comelyhomely welcome and did they give you the cost to make the changes? I think you'd be fine with an 8' celing, but I personally wouldn't want to go with ceilings lower than that if it's a space you plan to finish off and use as actual living space.

@Keen B am I mixing you up with somebody or weren't you renovating a house? Are you now building a new one as well?

@Naomi, Yes, DH is a woodworker, as was his father. I read recently that woodworking was one of those dying skills/arts/hobbies that not nearly as many millennials and younger are taking up, since it requires space and $ for all the tools. So true...my DH has a garage full! In our previous houses, he built an entertainment center, picket fence bed, coffee table, and more. 😀

@Emily Our daughter's boyfriend (24yo) also comes from a family of woodworkers. He grew up in his grandfather's cabinet shop. His father still runs the shop, but it's just not enough $ to make much of a living. Boyfriend works in tech and does woodworking as a hobby (uses the business after hours) and hopes to someday, when his dad retires, have a large enough workspace to be able to keep most, if not all, of the machines and tools that have been in his family for generations.

Sorry here’s the new September thread…https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6301622/september-2022-building-a-home

My husband also does some workworking. He made us a beautiful wine rack piece of furniture during the pandemic. He plans on making cabinets for his office after we move.

I sent our 12 year old to the VocTech school camp this summer for woodworking. They make an Adirondack chair and then a stool and coat rack. Good skills for him to have.

That's great @jkent9024 and @K M! I am heartened to know that there are still some younger folks interested in keeping woodworking skills alive.

Headed to Blair's new thread!

I'm constantly amazed by the talent of my carpenters. Whether it's my framers, whose work is the foundation for the stability of my future home, or the craftsmanship and artistry of my trim carpenters and cabinetmakers. This I ran into my builder for the first time in a month or so and we were talking about my extra trimwork. He said he's taken two future homeowners through my house after my cabinets went in and both times they were so impressed by both the cabinets and trimwork (built-ins and my master bedroom window). Now isn't that what every honeowner wants to hear. 🤩

ETA: ended the month of August with carpets and irrigation system being installed. Now I'm off to the September thread to see how the month begins.

Blair started this thread...https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6301622/september-2022-building-a-home