August Was A Busy Month!

August was such an important month for this project. After patiently waiting out July for our framers to be available, we were ecstatic when our lumber delivery arrived! There really is nothing like a stack of lumber and a fresh concrete pour…
It may seem funny how something so simple can be so very exciting, but this stack of wood means that the building process is finally about to start! WOOHOO – LET’S GO!

We LOVE this PROGRESS!

Once the sticks start getting laid down, the house comes today rather quickly!

See this really gives me all the feels!

Ever wonder why we call this one “The Mermaid House”….? 
Although our family has totally appreciated the wall artwork, it will be freshened up with a clean, neutral coat of exterior paint in our landscaping phase

UP NEXT:

  • Exterior sheathing
  • Electrical layout
  • Plumbing rough in
  • HVAC
  • Windows

Arizona Monsoons, MEP Phase of Construction (mechanical, electrical, plumbing), Pella windows, and an unexpected bump in the road… the month of August was certainly action packed, and we are so excited to share our progress with you!

We were beyond pleased when the time came to install the Pella windows, as this meant not just windows going in, but also the impressive 16-foot slider off the Great Room, and another large slider in the Master Bedroom, leading to the back patio!  Unfortunately, no project is without its hiccups. After the installation of the Master Bedroom slider, we discovered a framing error which resulted in the bedroom door blocking access to the slider door when open. This certainly put a damper on an exciting milestone for the project, but we came together to find a solution quickly. My builder and I discussed options and agreed that we simply could not compromise the quality of this build to avoid additional time and cost. As such, we removed and re-framed the slider in order to allow the bedroom door to remain open without blocking access to the slider. We had to eat the cost for this correction, but Quality comes above all else in our builds!

MEP Phase is another exciting milestone we met this past month.  One piece of this important phase is the Plumbing top out, which is the arrangement of the piping network in the walls and flooring above ground, and out through walls and roofing before wallboard. This phase was completed with all hands on deck to make decisions on proper placement of shower heads and tub faucets.  Design and well thought out placement is crucial during this phase to ensure a quality end result – no one wants to get wet while turning on their shower! 

Another imperative step in the MEP process is to be very intentional about placement and have a well designed layout for electrical. You might not think much about the importance of lighting and switch placement… until you have to walk across a dark room to turn on a light!

Lastly, we were so relieved that our roofing underlay went up just in time for the AZ Monsoon storms; they rolled into town literally the next day! Many thanks to our hard working team and amazing builder for running a tight timeline and keeping things going!

UP NEXT…

We’ll be installing insulation, drywall, cabinetry, and tweaking design decisions for both inside and out!  During this time, we will finalize all the finishes and place our orders! There is a fine line between putting amazing detail and design into a house and staying on budget and not over doing it.  We find it’s always important to keep our “avatar” in mind when it comes to design; for this home, we imagine a growing family who needs versatility, function, and practicality, all while appreciating a beautiful home with great design and aesthetics!