Building a stick frame house in the woods in 90 days

[Robert_in_NY]

Have you considered the 8' fixed joint field fence for the deer? It blends into a woods nicely and is very strong. I've had a 250 pound deer run full speed into the fence and the impact popped some of the staples holding part of the fence to the nearest post but the fence is still standing. Sadly the deer broke its neck on impact. Deer that are use to the fence will jump at the 5-6' high mark if they feel threatened. They jump cautiously into it and usually walk away uninjured. You may still want a small tight wire to keep rabbits out as they can still climb through the small holes at the bottom but dogs can't get through.

 

[pclausen]

I think mom is pretty set on black fencing, but yeah, that is some strong stuff! She's coming by in the morning to discuss.

Day 112

Rock guy got the driveway columns up. They are monstrous at 8' tall. He'll still need to add a little to one of them to get them level at the top. He'll do that when he puts the rock veneer on.

Since things are starting to dry up, I figured I'd better figure out some sort of automatic watering setup as there is no way I'd be able to stop by twice a day to water everything. I got one of these with 4 independent solenoid valves to start. I got it set to run each valve for 15 minutes at 6am, noon and 6pm. So far so good. But I probably need 10 more of these and 40 more sprinklers to cover the entire yard.

I think I'm seeing the first sprouts!

Gutter downspouts finally got done today

Inside they completed the hardwood floors in the guest bedroom as well as the office. I was surprised they put down white quarter round. I think stained wood would have looked better. I'll check with mom when she comes over. I might need to have them change that.

Unfortunately it looks like they did not check for "drift" as they went along, so this is how it ended up at the entrance to the master bath

They got the diagonal tile done in the sun room.

Still no word on the back ordered 6x6 tiles. That is really going to hold up setting the cabinets in the kitchen if they don't show up in the next day or two.

 

[s219]

Those sprouts are from seeds in the straw -- hopefully there aren't too many. Though, it is an annual and will go away next year if you put down a pre-emergent next spring.

The grass mix you put down will sprout like fine hairs, with red at the bottom at first (so they will be hard to see in the beginning). That fescue mix will optimally germinate at 54F soil temp and degrade in temps above and below that range. Frost can really do a number on seedlings on the low end. If it's too much above 54F soil temp, the seedlings will get outpaced by weeds.

 

[FairfaxStu]

I was surprised they put down white quarter round. I think stained wood would have looked better. I'll check with mom when she comes over. I might need to have them change that.

I think it looks OK as is, in fact I would not have noticed it unless you pointed it out. However, I did some looking at the way things are done around my house and here is what I found the be the rules of thumb. The shoe mold color will match the floor if it a wooden floor. The shoe mold color will match the baseboard trim color if carpet is installed. If tile is installed, this is the tricky one, the shoe mold will match whatever the prevailing "wood tone" in the room is - e.g., cabinet color in the kitchen.
-Stu

 

[J F]

I always match the shoe to the baseboard finish if given a choice...if a contractor supplies the shoe, I've always installed what I was paid to. I think of the shoe as part of the baseboard, i.e. base, cap, shoe.

I see hardwood shoe ALL the time on hardwood floors, though.

 

[Obed]

Inside they completed the hardwood floors in the guest bedroom as well as the office. I was surprised they put down white quarter round. I think stained wood would have looked better. I'll check with mom when she comes over. I might need to have them change that.

All our floors are hardwood or tile. Our baseboards are white and so is the quarter round just like your mom's. We like it that way. We like it that the quarter round matches the rest of the trim (baseboards, door trim, window trim, crown moulding, etc. ).

Obed

 

[Obed]

Unfortunately it looks like they did not check for "drift" as they went along, so this is how it ended up at the entrance to the master bath

Pete,
That just frustrates me to no end and it's not even my house. Unless this is the first house the hardwood floor installer has ever done, he knows he should be compensating as he lays the floor. That HW installer just doesn't give a rip. The only real fix would be to tear it all out and start over and that's just not going to happen. Finish work makes a house, and at the $/S.F your mom is paying, you should get better.

On a more constructive note, you might be able to put a threshold in the doorway that might mask the drift issue.

 

[mkane09]

I'm wondering what the building super is going to say about that hardwood floor. Another (!) example of "Git 'er done" instead of "This is my best work". Disappointing. Regarding the quarter round, I think the white looks fine. I can't remember seeing stained quarter on painted baseboard, but I'm not very observant.

mkane09

 

[Buppies]

In every house we have lived in quarter round is painted in hard wood floor rooms and have grown to like that method best

 

[fosterchild420]

One more question on the deer fence: what stops them from walking up the driveway?