Inspection Time

Where to begin. The electricians have some finishing up to do, which was made clear during the first inspection. But for now, the contractors are able to start putting up sheet rock! It's almost time to pick out paint colors!!

The plumbers have been around, they are not nearly finished, and the electricians need to switch the outlet for our whirlpool tub. The plumbers do have the plumbing in for the new vanity, and they will be replacing the entire gas line in the existing house as well as installing new gas lines in the addition. We've decided where to place the shower head, and the roman faucet and knobs for our tub. Number One even cut some Wonderboard to put under the edge of the tub on which we will place some of our tile.

Before I forget, let me tell you about the electricians. I'm angry with them. I talked to them about smoke detectors, explained our reasoning for using battery powered detectors instead of electric smoke detectors. The electric ones are an unnecessary power drain, as we generate our own power AND we have no power at night because we turn off the generator. We are considering a switch to solar in the near future, at which point the electric detectors would have to be switched off at the circuit breakers while we were on solar power, making them just plain stupid as well as a waste of money.

I explained all this to the guys. Then I came home to find out they had Cut Holes in my ceilings and installed the wiring and boxes anyway for the stupid electric detectors. I went to town and called their boss, who said "yeah, sorry about that, we'll do what it takes to make you happy." We'll see about that. We already have so many holes to patch up in the existing part of the house, and now two more holes in the ceiling?? Sheesh. Annoying. I wonder if I can make them fix the holes instead of me?

Also, about 4 of the pot lights (our contractor calls them "can lights") over the wraparound bar were in the wrong place. They were in line with where we had talked about putting them, but looking at them any fool can tell they should be moved back. Where they are now, about 4 inches to one side of a big beam, they will definitely cast a shadow on the bar side of the counter top. Not acceptable! Maybe they were just trying to "make me happy."

This is funny though: we have a wall leading from the living room into the dining room that is a 45 degree angle, it's just about 3 feet wide. I wanted a pot light centered above that little wall, which is unfortunately tucked under one of the beams a little bit, but I still wanted a light centered there. The electricians installed a light there, but in the wrong place, so I had to ask them to move it. Then the contractor's son comes along a few days later, thinks that light ought to be lined up with the other lights in the dining room (that would make installing tongue and groove pine on the ceiling there a bit easier) and so he moves it! Thank goodness he mentioned it to me, and I had him move it right back where it belongs.

He also repositioned the light over the kitchen sink, separated the pendant lights by 3 more inches, and will also reposition three lights over the wraparound bar so they don't cast as much of a shadow being so close to that darn beam.

So basically, the majority of the electric is in, except for the circuit breakers and a few wires the contractor and the inspector discovered missing. The plumbing is going in, slowly but surely. I believe the sheet rock will start going in tomorrow. This place is coming together!

I would include a picture, but it's a mess with all the materials that have been stacking up waiting on the electricians and the plumbers. Soon. More progress, more pictures!