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A Dining Room Buffet for Gretchen & Brian - Nov 2008
11/20/2008
Gretchen and Brian found a buffet on the Crate & Barrel website they really wanted but it was outside their budget. So they asked dear old Dad to build it. Sure, it looked like a nice challenge so I said OK and then went out and broke my wrist playing tennis.
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Model Train - Sep 2008
9/5/2008
After 7 years of living in a box and 3 location changes it was time to bring my model train back to life. It will reside on a custom shelf just below the ceiling of my office. Of course this requires some carpentry and painting so this slideshow demonstrates the progress to date.
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New Mailbox - May 2007
5/31/2007 10:30:00 AM
I'm told that it took me more than a year to build the San Jose mailbox so I had to hustle to complete the Santa Barbara one in less time. It came out very well, at least until the first rain of the season.
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Martini Benches - May 2007
5/31/2007 9:00:00 AM
We never seem to have enough interesting places to sit in our outdoor space so we created a new seating area large enough for 4-6 people. Of course we successfully test it with a group of people and a group of drinks too.
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More Maturity - December 2006
12/14/2006 5:00:00 PM
The landscaping has really filled in during the past 6 The landscaping has really filled in during the past 6 months. We get very positive comments from people who walk by. So we have pictures to show.
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Landscaping Matures - June 2006
6/19/2006 2:00:00 PM
Although new plants and structures appear every day, you can see maturity coming to the landscaping on every side of the house.
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Landscaping in Progress!
2/3/2006 8:00:00 PM
Hardscape (walls and such) are done. Plants are starting to grow.
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We're In!
11/23/2005 12:00:00 PM
We moved in on September 29th but work continues, mostly on the outside of the
home.
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Finishing Touches Begin!
8/21/2005 5:00:00 PM
Our move-in date remains September 30, 2005 so it is about time that some of the
finish work has started.
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A Kitchen!
8/17/2005 9:00:00 PM
Some of the kitchen cabinets are installed
- The outline is there
- we can see the island
- there's even a leg for the island
- bathroom cabinets are also installed
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Stucco, Tile and Doors!
7/14/2005 10:00:00 PM
It is finally starting to look like house:
- The exterior is covered with 2 coats of stucco
- half of the roof is complete.
- the interior doors are hung
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Sheet Rock Looks Great!
7/5/2005 11:00:00 PM
After the long holiday weekend we have very little framing left visible and a
lot of sheetrock installed. The crew worked the entire weekend nearly finishing
before they left on Monday.
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Lath at Last!
6/30/2005 11:00:00 PM
It may seem that we have selected black as our new exterior color but in fact
it means that the next step in finishing the exterior of the house is complete.
There is paper on top of the plywood walls and wire on top of the paper.
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Insulation Installed, Sheetrock to Follow
6/12/2005 9:00:00 PM
There hasn't been much to see in the past 2 weeks because the various trades
have been finishing up their "rough-ins'. This week was a bit more
dramatic:
The house is fully insulated and sheetrock is ready to be installed.
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Progress on Several Fronts
5/21/2005 2:00:00 PM
Although there hasn't been much in the way of external changes over the past 3
weeks quite a bit has happened inside.
We've had productive visits from:
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- Built-in vacuum installers
- Built-in stereo installers
- Burglar alarm installers
- Framers
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Tile and Tin Have Arrived
5/2/2005 7:00:00 PM
Finally we have more than one trade at a time working on the house. The framers
are done for now (have to fix the stairs and shearwall the ceiling, but that
will happen later in the project). This week we had work performed by:
- Roofers
- Sheet Metal workers (the Tin Man)
- Pest control
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Arches Are Forming
4/17/2005 7:00:00 PM
Framing is nearing completion. Lots of small tasks that are almost undetectable
by mere humans have been performed in the last week but a couple of visible
tasks have started too. The most notable is the formation of arches in some of
the doorways.
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Stairs, Stairs, Stairs
4/16/2005 9:00:00 PM
3 separate sets of stairs came into existence in the past 3 weeks.
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The Roof is Sealed!
3/27/2005 1:00:00 PM
After lots of rain both the lower and upper roofs are complete and papered.
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Lower Roof Taking Shape.
2/18/2005 3:00:00 PM
The second floor is far enough along that they can start to create the lower roof. Once the roofing is on then it can rain all it wants
and not delay the project.
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Going Up!
2/14/2005 5:00:00 PM
The long awaited day when the second floor begins to take shape has finally
arrived! Actually it was a few weeks ago but I'm just catching up with the
picture load now.
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The Garage Has A Roof!
1/23/2005 5:00:00 PM
The garage has taken it's intended shape with the addition of plywood to enclose
the roof. It certainly isn't finished but at least it looks more like the plans
than ever before.
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We Will Be Done When?
1/18/2005 1:01:00 PM
We have a schedule in writing. More good news: The contractor thinks we will be done by the end of this June!
He claims this includes the rain delays we have had the past month too.
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Do I See A Garage?
1/18/2005 1:00:00 PM
2 huge news items: It stopped raining and you can see the outline of our garage. Yes, after 3 weeks of almost constant rain the skies cleared. Half of the work crew lives in Ventura and were unable to come work because of the La Conchita mudslide. But still the results
from 3 days of work is visually dramatic.
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Beam Me Up!
1/8/2005 3:00:00 PM
We've had almost constant monsoon-like rain for the past 2 weeks so very little
was accomplished, but on the one clear day they were able to put our first roof
support beam in place.
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Framing Floor #1
12/27/2004 3:00:00 PM
After a month the first floor is framed and ready for the shearwalls.
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What a Frame Up!
11/28/2004 6:00:00 PM
Framing started just 5 days ago and already you can see the outline of the house. We are thrilled.
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The Plan is Revealed!
11/24/2004 6:00:00 PM
You've asked for it. Here it is: a view of what the house will look like when it
is finished. Our architect routinely scans all approved plans so they are easier
for him to store. I asked for a CD version of them and then selected just the
exterior elevations for you to view.
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What a Dance Floor!
11/19/2004 11:00:00 AM
And now we have a foundation: both footings and a slab. There is nothing left to do but go up. We didn't have much rain between the time
we poured the footings and then the slab but there were several "loose ends" that required almost 3 weeks to complete before our latest
milestone completed.
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We Poured!
10/26/2004 11:00:00 AM
Yes! There is new concrete in those trenches. After a 6 hour effort our new home
now has cement footings in all of the trenches you saw in the last slide show.
The slab will come later but after a few drying days the framing can begin.
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The Slow Buildup - Can We Pour the Footings Yet?
10/17/2004 12:00:00 PM
After 2 weeks of continual work we may be ready to pour next week. The contractor reports that we passed our first inspection so we've
jumped that hurdle. We are tired of things coming down and are anxious for the building up process to begin.
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Demolition Ends - Time for the Cement
10/2/2004 8:00:00 AM
As October dawned yesterday morning we found an army of workers striving to
build things rather than tear them down. This was a welcome change after almost
4 solid weeks of destruction and soil compaction. In less than 6 hours they were
able to create the trenches for all of the new footings.
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Friends Help "Bring Down the House"
9/29/2004 11:00:00 AM
No happy event goes without commemoration so the beginning of our remodeling was a
good opportunity to host a party for all of the people who have listened to our
"sad story" over the last 18 months. Yes, without plumbing but with
daylight and plenty of heat we hosted a party for about 70 people in our
pre-demolition house.
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Just a Few Demolition Days Remain
9/18/2004 6:00:00 PM
And just a bit of the house remains too. The living room, guest bath and guest bedroom are sort of intact. The kitchen, powder room, master bedroom, dining room, and family room are gone!
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Demolition Nears Completion
9/10/2004 8:00:00 AM
After 2 weeks of hammering, sawing, drilling, scraping and general noise making mostly just the skeleton of the old house remains.
The roof is being ripped from the joists as I compose this entry. As the next
door neighbors to this onslaught of noise we are able to witness every loud
crash or echoing thud. It has been wonderfully entertaining and of course very
thrilling to have finally started the "doing" stage of this project.
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Construction and Destruction Begins
9/4/2004 2:53:00 PM
"Where's our house?" OK, some of it is still standing but suddenly we have begun our construction phase of the remodeling. In a series of events unprecedented for their rapidity the City approved our building plans, issued a permit, the builder found time in his window for the "cement guy" to pour the new foundations and we moved out. Of course we had a party while this all happened.
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Sidewalk Resolved in Calder's Favor
8/14/2004 9:45:00 PM
On Thursday, August 12, the City of Santa Barbara decided that the Calder's could build their sidewalk right at the curbface. They furthermore agreed that the Calder's would not be compelled to build a sidewalk.
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Plans Go Back to the City for 2nd Review
8/3/2004 2:30:00 PM
After just 4 short working days, our architect has revised our plans and resubmitted them to the city for further review. The revised plans also reflect the removal of the woodworking workshop. This was removed to get the price in line with our budget. The city says that they will complete this round of review by August 16, 2004.
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City Finishes Initial Plan Review
7/28/2004 4:00:00 PM
Today the City of Santa Barbara completed its first review of the Calder remodeling plans. The process, started on May 26, 2004, included reviews by Transportation, Public Works, Zoning, Fire and Building Departments. Of course some of these departments requested corrections but with the exception of the Transportation Department the corrections are all minor. "We are thrilled to have crossed this hurdle." Joan said. "This was a very long, slow process that left me very frustrated."
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Builder Presents His Bid
7/19/2004 12:00:00 PM
And it's a whopper! Of course this is Santa Barbara and everything is much more expensive than anyplace on the planet. It is a detailed bid that can be dissected many ways. In the coming weeks the Calders will get to decide what remains on the plans and what must be removed to stay within budget. After picking himself off the floor John said: "Yikes! This is way more than I ever expected. I need to buy a lottery ticket right away."
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Rental Plans Established
7/10/2004 7:00:00 PM
Calders to move next door on El Prado Road. Our house is on the corner of Santa Anita and El Prado Roads. Our really nice neighbor, Ray Rolland, passed away very suddenly in June. His heirs, one of whom lives right next door to his house, have offered us the opportunity to rent the house during our construction. We have happily accepted.
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Visible Signs of Progress - Trees Removed
6/28/2004 2:00:00 PM
It occurred to us that we could be preparing the site for construction while still waiting for plan approval. THe builder will need access to the property so that he can demolish and rebuild major portions of the structure. That means that the row of hedges along Santa Anita Road , the Chinese Elm on Santa Anita and the Star Pine in our back yard would have to go. We were thrilled to have some show of progress.
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Plans Submitted to the City for Required Review.
5/26/2004 3:45:00 PM
After months of revisions we submitted the plans to the City today. They expect to complete their review no sooner than July 6, 2004. There are hundreds of remodeling projects going on in this city of 90,000 so you can imagine that the Planning and Building departments have lots of work to do. The July 6 date is their estimate of the soonest they will be done.
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