Week 4 - More Sheetrock and a Skylight!

OMG! All the sheet rock and the skylight is up. It looks fabulous and very clean! Since we closed up one opening and a window in the old kitchen layout adding skylight seemed like a good idea to bring more natural light in. With an open floor plan and an island we will have plenty of natural light supported by recessed lights and pendants.

Other activities involve cleaning of the front, side and backyard from all the debris, finishing up with the heating and AC unit in the pantry / winery, and installing french door before the stucco will be placed on the exterior. Lots to do. So little time.

You know what's coming up next.....tape and mud and primer! Maybe by Easter we will be moved in :)

Pictures Say It All - Sheetrock Is On!!!!

There is still lots of work to be done......but the sheetrock is on and our shower is looking good :)

DAY 10 - 14 - Bubble Bath Anyone?

Despite of long hours and lots of money being spent on the remodel we still keep a positive outlook. A soaking tub had been installed in the guest bathroom and we gave it a try to see if it holds water. YES, it does!!!! So, bubble bath anyone? :)

The shower in the master bath also takes shape. Plumbing is installed and will feature overhead shower, body sprays and hand held shower. CANNOT WAIT!!!!!

Thanks to our good friend and architect Michael Suchocki we were able to submit plans to the city of Hayward and we got OK to proceed. Yheee!!!!! Michael did a fantastic job on drawing plans of our house and implementing all structural changes. He did it in just few hours and it all looked very professional. No wonder, he is an award winning designer. His projects sell out quickly featuring open and comfortable floor plan layouts and interesting architectural details. He is very modest and would not say that, but I have seen his custom homes projects and was very impressed. So if you need a reliable, creative and professional architect you know who to contact :) Thank you Michael for all your help. You reduced our stress level tremendously and made it possible to continue with our remodel! Steak and drinks are on us ;)

Please keep us in your prayers. Especially Dorin who works very hard every day to complete the remodel on time for us to move in. I know our house will be safe, strong and beautful because of his commitment and care he puts into it. I am so greatfull for such a skillful and wonderful husband :)

DAY 10 - Isolation!

Look at this pink and fluffy isolation! How pretty and cute :) Moreover, it will keep our house warm in the winter and cold in the summer preventing cool or warm air escaping and keeping our energy bill low. This is a very important and promissing step in any remodel, because close after isolation follows....sheet rock!!!! Yap, yap.....painting is near!

We even got a tankless water heater today. This wonderful small metal box does wonders with delivering hot water ANYTIME YOU NEED IT, and saving TONS of energy (about 40%) by not constantly having to keep the water hot. Plus it takes only a fraction of the space then a regular water heater does. Amazing! Another green product in our house. Dorin is certified in installing tankless water heaters, so if you ever need to upgrade it in your home give him a call :)

Dorin is all over the place, concentrating on all of the aspects of the remodel. Again the house is full of workers and helping friends doing million things. We would not be able to achieve such a progress without their help and hard work. Dorin and I feel very blessed to be able to continue the remodel and have a promise of a close move in date:)

DAY 9 - Our Kitchen Takes a New Shape

Our kitchen starting to look a bit different and it is getting ready for April 3rd cabinets delivery. Doirn framed an island and connected gas and water pipes, new window is in as well.



Electrician worked all day long on Sunday to do the rest of the wiring and recess light canes installation - very cool!








The master bedroom and bath look completely different and new. We even re-done a heater cabinet and framed it with a new lumber. I am telling you, it is not the same house we started with 12 days ago! Oh, we are also thinking green and are transforming the wood-burning fireplace into a gas fireplace. Behind the fireplace will be a wine cellar and walk-in pantry - our latest ideas! Considering our love for food, wine and cooking it will be a very appreciated space in our house :)

PHOTO: Future Pantry / Wine Cellar

DAY 7&8 - There will be heat !

A lot is happening at our house in Hayward. After the first inspection we are good to go, just need to provide plans with updates we have done to the house. Framing is done! It is simply beautiful! Today was especially exciting day, since our new heating pipes are being installed. They will be later on connected to both heater and AC units. Look how shinny they are! Oh my! :) No one else, but Liviu Mocanu, another friend and GC, is helping on the project. With 19 years in construction business he makes a perfect candidate to help with our home remodel :) Thank you Liviu!

Apparently, water pipes in the kitchen (yes, this is my future kitchen) were installed at no slope, and in the future all the water from dishwasher, sink and washer will not have a way to get to the drain which will create plumbing problems. Well, you know what had happened after Dorin discovered it: we are digging now under the house to create that slope. No problem! Everyone is working very hard on this project and it is not an easy job at all.

Our dear friends from Warsaw, Poland, who are following our remodel faithfully, are very amazed by the way we do construction here in US. I promised to include some photos of electrical, plumbing and installation to illustrate how easy and practical it is to do it all together with the rest of the house. First, they have to know, that as long a house has a crawl space (not a slab foundation) all of its pluming will be installed underneath and in the lower parts of the wall, which you can access, fix and update easily. Walls are constructed from lumber and plywood in a way to support the roof and windows; this is part of the framing process and you need to know all the codes to do it right. You can even frame a closet in your room. Cool, ha? All electrical, ventilation and heating/cooling systems are run in the walls and ceilings. SEE PICTURES.

Trivia: In Poland, and most of Europe, homes are built from brick or concrete. That’s why when you go on vacation there you can visit all the historic monuments, buildings and castles from 1700s and older. If a house is build "our way" it is called" Canadian style" and they still are not very found of it due to a superstition that it will not hold the heat during the winter. Did anyone go skiing to Tahoe lately? The utilities: electrical and plumbing are installed AFTER the house is standing. I know, so different and a bit difficult, but houses stand for many, many years and the only issue occurs if you want to update pluming, electrical or hang some new pictures on a concrete or brick wall. I once suggested a solution: a combination of brick half wall and foundation and the rest of the house constructed in “Canadian style.” I think I am up to something here :)

Again, thank you ALL for your support and comments. We appreciate it all and hope to see you soon! Here is a BEFORE and AFTER sample from the other day:

WINDOW BEFORE AND WINDOW SEMI-AFTER

DAY 6 - Plan B

We are glad the days are longer now and sun is shinning till past 6 pm! Work on the house continues and basically half of the lumber is replaced by new framing. I sort of like the "open layout" of our house = "see- trough effect." New plywood has been wrapped around half of the house and stucco crew placed metal wire on the outside to prepare exterior of the house for new and fabulous stucco. The window in the maters bath was moved to its new and correct position, so Dorin and I can each have a mirror over our double sink vanity. Again, it all is coming together, but just in case we will not be ready to move in by April 1 (oh, I just realized what a day that's....) we have a PLAN B......a modest and conveniently "park" on our front yard housing unit with double french door and hardwood floors to keep us safe and dry while we still remodeling..... You know I am kidding, right? It is a storage container with a lock Dorin got to keep most of the materials, parts, our furniture and tools secured while the house is not in place yet. Clever, ha?



PHOTO: Plan B Untit

DAY 4&5 - It has to get worst before it will get better

It has to get worst before it will get better…..right?! Ufff, this is a theme of this week’s remodel. Everyday there is more being taken off the walls, ceilings and floors then is being put back in. The progress continues, but the house is not looking any better…however, the house is getting better every day! Yheee!!! Electrical is almost completed. New windows, walls and doors are framed. The smell of fresh cut lumber fills the air (one of my favorites) and the crew is working fast tackling all major parts from electrical, plumbing to stucco. The house is well reinforced and ready for next steps: isolation, final electrical, heating/ AC, sheet rock, tape and mud, texture and painting.


PHOTO: Our future master bathroom.....at least plumbing is in place....

Today we have a visiting General Contractor Gigi Mocanu on the job site. He is an old friend and former employer of Dorin’s. Him and his crew gave Dorin a hand to speed up the remodel. No money can buy such a dedication and sincerity like friends’ support. Dorin and I appreciate it very much and need it. After all, we have 3 weeks to move in / move out :)

PHOTO: Gigi with Dorin - 2 General Contractors on the job site. Does not get any better when you are remodeling your house!