Joist 1 into Slot B

 How a new house comes together is pretty remarkable.  The builder has a set of plans for each house option with the different features that keep the neighborhood from looking like 1950's suburbia.  These plans are translated into specific measurements and then sent to the company that supplies all the wood.

After the foundation is completed, and inspected by the city (thank you) the first truckload of framing arrives.  It is delivered in bundles, and each bundle is a section.  Walls come with X number of boards for studs, headers, window trim and doors are already measured,cut and numbered. The framers follow a complicated set of IKEA instructions to put the pieces together.  It took them about two weeks to frame our house from basement to the 3rd floor.  (Roof joists arrive this week.)

We noticed that there was a saw on site, but it is for minor adjustments and it does not run all day the way you think it would if they were measuring each board for each wall.

This is very efficient and enables our builder to maximize their upfront design/planning efforts for maximum profits.  Now that we have learned this information it makes more sense why when we asked to have them NOT build the built in shelves that flank the fireplace in that the charge was $500.  Now that I know they had to change the IKEA instructions so that the wood would not be delivered and that the framers could just bang away with their nail guns it makes the $500 for "nothing" an easier pill to swallow.

However, all the paperwork in the world does not mean that the house will be built correctly.  None of the changes we requested and paid for have actually been put into place.  A walk-thru this weekend that should have been very exciting was a bit frustrating.   The main floor doors aren't the right size, the fireplace has been framed out per their standard plan.  Upstairs there are three windows missing and the alternate master bath was not framed in.

fireplace

 Our builder has a capable team on site and they are managing the build of no less than 10 homes right now, and they have already stated that these won't be issues.  I know that all the windows will be in place, the bathroom will be perfect and the fireplace will be correct.  But as we did our walk thru it was hard to believe that these errors won't cause a delay in the completion.  Jason wondered did they order the right windows from the window company or will this be a cascading issue from start to finish?

I want to be excited by the progress and each step is supposed to lessen the irritation of living in what seems to be a shrinking apartment.  The good news is that the on site team is fully aware that we are monitoring the progress and have not threatened us with trespassing (yet).  In fact, they did say they'd rather know about these things when we notice them than find them later on.

However, I was VERY excited to stand and the hole that will be the window in the kitchen and look out on to the view. It makes my heart soar!

kitchen view!

I'll be happy when the framing issues are resolved and my fingers and toes are crossed that this is the only major bump in the road.  We are certainly on target to have the house sealed up before the fall rains set in.

Jason has projected (speculation) a close date of 12/18 for the house.  We won't really know until October so I'm trying not to imagine Christmas in the new house. Oh but wouldn't it be wonderful?

Merry Christmas!