Tuesday, March 29, 2011

More, more, more

Everyone keeps asking to see more pictures and updates.  The thing is, the progress is pretty slow, so there isn't a whole lot to show!  But the pace will be picking up very soon.
Here are a few updates.

Master bathroom roughin.  Tiny shower expanded to full length, drain relocated, shower pan built:
All bedrooms now tiled in the same almond linen porcelain tile as the MBR.  You can also see new electrical, and the ugly white vinyl sliders deleted (new windows will go here instead):




Not much going on in the living room/kitchen main area, but it's prepped and ready for next steps:

Next up:  kitchen install, bath tiling, more electrical, sheetrock, trim, paint.  And that's just the inside.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Labor

It's important to have good help, even if you are DIYing:

Lucas absolutely loves his new work gloves.  When I told him he could pull all the old nails, he was ecstatic.  Yes Mom, I will make sure he doesn't hurt himself.

And here's a sneak peek at what the kitchen will look like.  No, this is not a period correct Eichler renovation, but rather, a modern interpretation of one.  Or at least as modern as our budget will allow.

Windows

I'm still planning out my window replacements and need to decide soon.

I've gotten estimates on Milgard aluminum replacements for around $12k (windows only) and labor estimates of $13k and $16k.
I'm having a hard time swallowing that cost for what is essentially a block fit of the windows.
Remove stops, pull old window.  Clean, caulk, set window.  Replace stops, caulk, prime and paint.

Someone commented that he/she had Blombergs installed.  Can you let me know what that ran?
I have a feeling that $25k is about the right ballpark for the entire project, at least in Milgard.
Blombergs run about 2x the price of the Milgard, at least from Palo Alto Glass.  I didn't even ask them about their labor costs, assuming they wouldn't come up to Walnut Creek, but maybe they do.

Earthquake Planning

With the earthquake in Japan, people in CA are thinking more seriously about earthquake planning.
A recent article in CA Modern Magazine is quite timely: http://www.eichlernetwork.com/spot_earthquakesafe.html

I had already planned on doing these structural upgrades, long before the Japan earthquake.
The contractor I chose to do this work (Frank at Larco Construction, 925-595-3180) told me that he's had 5 different requests for estimates from Eichler owners in the last week, so clearly others are thinking about it as well.

Besides the safety factor, think of this as a good excuse to do a remodel (see tax assessment info in the article above), especially if you are opening up the walls to replace the original thin panelling.

Support straps:

Way beefier anchor bolts and oversized washers:

Automatic gas valve:

Stabilizer straps:



Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Such a small world

(not my actual car)

I've been shopping for windows, and since this is an Eichler, aluminum windows are the only thing that looks right, in my eyes.  I work a long way from home, in the South Bay, so a vendor there directed me to a house in Sunnyvale, to which they had sold Milgard windows.

I did a driveby, but couldn't see much due to a high fence, so I left the owner a note.
She was nice enough to call me back, and after several days, we were able to make arrangements for me to stop by to see how the large picture glass windows would look with a thin aluminum frame (for the record, they look fine).  I gave the owner one of my business cards, and she thought she recognized my name, but neither of us could recall the other.

A day later, she emailed me again, and asked if I had ever owned a Volvo or lived on the East Coast.  Turns out this fellow Eichler owner and I have in fact crossed paths before.
In 1999, shortly after the birth of my first daughter, I decided to get a safer car, and bought a used Volvo, sight unseen, on eBay.  I flew from NY to Miami, picked it up, and drove it home.
The seller is the very same person that has the Eichler in Sunnyvale.   How bizarre is that?

To make this post a bit more Eichler-relevant...  there are two good choices for aluminum windows: Milgard, or Blomberg.  Neither is sold with a thermally broken frame in CA, so both are subpar choices IMO, but aluminum is really the only thing that looks "right".
I had Eichler Solutions out who proposed vinyl, which kind of shocked me.

Still pricing, deciding, but leaning towards just doing it all now.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Tiled, so very tiled

Been tiling away, not much time to blog, sorry.  Here's a peek at the action...

Kitchen and dining area:

Master Bedroom:

Lots more to come in the next few weeks, stay tuned!