I accidentally walked through one of my hop vines today and it dragged across my neck - now I have a nasty, itchy welt across my neck and I look like someone tried to decapitate me! But I love my hop vine, so pretty, and I love the structure of vines.
What is a hop vine? Is it what they use in beer? I always thought that was more plant/bush/veggie shaped. And look at the bright side, attempted decapitation is a much better look and story than backseat necking. I give ALL my students a hard time when they show up with marks. Usually something like "Did you get in a fight with an octopus?!" Or something equally rediculous.
hops are cool plants. There is an old homestead across the road from my in-laws and they found old hop vines there. They took them to a guy (expert) who thinks it might be a unique strain!
The hops are the little flowers.
I'm doing a TI space for a foot spa! I miss architecture, but I don't miss the tedium of CAD, specs and printing issues. After 4 years away, I can still design an ADA bathroom.
Ok folks, I changed my name, "there is no there" comes across negative and that wasn't ever my intention. Sorry for changing names so much, but change is good.
No, I don't know about no changes! I'm not licensed anyways so not doing construction docs. I'll just do the fun stuff then hand it off to an architect.
I considered the name milesjaffe but decided that was too negative too.
I came to work this morning to discover some kind of road excavation/sewer project has closed the only road that allows access to our 100 Acres Park. We have tours and events scheduled for this weekend and the contractor I spoke to said the road will be closed for two weeks! We were never informed that our parking lot was going to be inaccessible for two weeks. So I will unexpectedly spend today trying to find out who issued this right of way closure permit.
And here is one of the problems with private contractors rather than using City workers for projects: this contractor didn't know who at the City had authorized this work, he only had his supervisor's name. The supervisor only knows it's a utility company job, not who the contact at the utility company is. I didn't believe him, frankly, and in pretty nasty terms told him so. But since he's a private company, not someone working as an employee of our tax dollars, what pressure did he feel to provide me with any info that might mess up his job? None.
The City permit office hasn't returned either a phone call or an email. Ugh.
Trying to visualize 'tint'. Pale green? Chartruse? Pink?
The $25m spec-now-custom house up the street from my project has completely snarled traffic. 50+ contractors and laborers vehicles plus heavy equipment plus deliveries every day.
I had a run in with poison sumac earlier this year and now poison ivy. I got into it two days ago while measuring....but I swear I didn't touch anything that looked like a plant. I ended up with it on my ring finger and now can't get my ring off, on the underside of my left had and on a portion of my face. So I'm thinking I need to go get a phantom of the opera mask to go out in public.
Starting a project in a town where I have never worked so I can only imagine what the building official is going to think of me after visual inspection. Most likely he will not touch my drawing with a ten foot pole.
Liberty that sucks.....maybe you should just take a vacation while the road is closed.
Miles....did you go to Bernies...and steal a dishwasher from his Pad? I read in the Hampton Times a dish washer went missing at his place over the weekend.
Similar here, Miles, but perhaps on a lower cost scale. All the vintage houses in my new neighboorhood are getting renovated like crazy, and all their innards end up at the Habitat Restore. Bet I could fit out a whole house in that place for less than 3,000 bucks.
And Snook, I once came across poison oak. My legs were blistered and swelled up so badly I couldn't put on pants for a week. Had to stay home from school for a week, and since I was home alone, watched Dirty Dancing without getting caught. Maybe I should confess my sin to my mother now that I'm no longer in 5th grade.
Dealing w a contractor who cannot read drawings AT ALL. Had to specifically show him where the walls are in the set (I can't find the walls). He put the top plate something like 2 feet too low. Apparently cannot read a tape measure either. Total facepalm project.
Yeah, I agree with Miles in that you need to be VERY careful, gruen. It would not hurt to send a letter/email to the owner right now saying "I have very little faith in this contractor's ability to deliver the project I designed and the project you want. In my professional opinion I need to inform you that you might be better-served by stopping work and finding another contractor." At least that way you're on record saying that you foresee problems, and that shields you from at least some of the liability and added cost to fix those problems.
Snook, the new digs are getting better, but I'm not sure if we will buy the house when the lease is up. It's a 1924 catalogue house, and half the wood floors are original; which I like, but I HATE the rough an multicolored slater the landlord put in the bathrooms and kitchen. It raises the f.f. up nearly 3", is impossible to clean, and far too heavy for the support piers under the house. I feel like we'd have to rip out the kitchen for sure, and redo the cabinets because they're 100% particle board, plus we'd want to build a garage and pave the driveway, and a proper utility room to get the washer/dryer out of the tiny European sized bathroom.
They want $180,000 for the house, and I think we'd need to put another 30 into it. Figure I will know by Christmas, and start getting my ducks in a row for whatever the plan is.
Yeah, this guys's a joker. I've sent a field report to the contractor and owner outlining the steps that need to be taken to rectify the situation and talked it through w/the contractor. If he can't pull it off in a week, including the holiday weekend, then I'm informing the owner that it's blown. It does not help that the owner's been making on-the fly changes without informing me. Owner hired a cheap contractor is getting a cheap job. I might have to get the inspector involved to shut it down, I'm not sure the contractors capable of building what's drawn because he can't read the drawings. Of course, once I get it shut down, then I'm the bad guy. Jezzz...no good way out of this.
Yeah, the guy's american, but is one of these guys who thinks he can do everything but really has no clue. I'm amazed he has a contractor's license. I'm also always amazed when someone's stupidity sneaks up on you. Usually you can tell right off. The client isn't much better and I suspect the client will be happy with whatever's built, so as long as the contractor straightens out the obviously crooked walls and the inspector will sign off on it, then who knows. The project is a second story addition to an existing single story home. The home had 3 existing roofs built over the top of each other, each with 3 layers of shingles, (yes, 3 sets of framing and sheathing). So I'm not concerned about the structure, it's already been holding something like 35 pounds per square foot of extra dead load. I'm concerned that the contractor will put the ceiling way too low and end up with windows that don't meet egress requirements.
I have been rummaging round in a restaurant this Holiday weekend. You know one of those Saute Jobs. Need to get this banged out in a hurry yet there are millions of things that need to fall in place. Started on Thursday, measuring existing conditions, worked on drawings on Friday. Went back to the site on Saturday and back checked some measurements. Basement for storage, First floor Bar /Restaurant, second floor Offices, staff bathrooms and lockers and storage. Was at the computer again today, working on the site plan and the Basement. Tomorrow meeting with the Zoning Guy, to be sure we don't have any problems with a 115 sf addition ( for wood fired Pizza ovens). Tossed in the Patio improvements to get him pumped. Tuesday want to pull the building permit if possible. Oh ya and have been doing in the field demolition instructions to be sure we are not touching structure, Guess this is going to be one heck of a busy week. Then there is Big Tuesday, and the Brazil Fotbul game....Hope they win!
Sarah, if there were additions you can just look for where the foundation changes? Might be harder to find if the newer foundations match the old, but even then there should be an expansion joint. The roof might change between the original and newer parts too
That archive is pretty cool... kind of wish some developers would just build some of those houses with some simple hvac upgrades than the crap they do now.
Curt, the house is pier and beam, and it's 100 degrees in Texas so I'm not about to crawl under there with all the snakes, ect to compare new and old piers.
With a catalogue house, how much floor plan modification was typically done on the fly? The house doesn't look ANYTHING like the ones on the Sears site, but it could've been altered, or may not be sears at all.
I have been up in the attic, but other than some bracing, all the wood is the same deep golden colour of old attic wood. I DO know that the back two bedrooms have different wood flooring than the front rooms, and I can see where hinges used to be (every doorway had a door!) but that's all I've been able to determine.
And why is it that old 2.25" wood floors FEEL so differently than 3" newer floors? Is there a way to replicate that? Would you need to go at each joint with some sort of 'pointing' tool?
Anybody want to come done to Texas to check it out? I'd give you free room and board. Maybe I should ask that kid on the internship thread....
I'd rather ask a friend, but all my architecture and building friends are on here. I've been out if the field too long. I certainly don't want to hire someone for curiosity's sake.
Hmmm. I looked through all the plans from all the builders between 1918 and 1926 just in case the landlord gave me the wrong dates, or the original owner used an old plan book. Can you even do that? Anyway, I learned some things: my house is not in those books, and I'm very glad the gambrel roof style never took off around here.
toasteroven - outhouse; the garage is for the ATV store the trucks and boat in the driveway so your neighbors can ogle; dunno about the bunker, could probably dig on into the yard :D
I swear there are entire streets in StL with GVT #531s
I'm on the South Carolina coast this week. Trying to breathe.....the ocean helps. I took on a tiny freelance kitchen remodel right before I left, going to measure it when I return and try to come up with some options in the next few weeks. I'm somewhat concerned at how inordinately over-excited I am to work on a little kitchen remodel....guess I miss self-employment more than I thought.
I've just completed on my own a small package for an addition. I don't do much of this but I never get tired of spending a few long evenings on these side projects , scotch (double) in one hand, sketchbook in the other.
The change of scale from my normal 8-6 multi-million office tower to a $5k house project is refreshing.
You miss it until you have one of the kinda days I have. Enough Said. Enjoy your vacation, cause I can't be on Vacation. Ocean always helps, but so do mountains, mad running rivers, endless prairies...oh so much to enjoy in life. I hate having to work for a living, thinking I'm ahead only to discover I'm behind.
Just won (my first) an $8k street furniture commission. It is not architecture per se, but it is equally exciting for me - definitely know what you are feeling, Donna.
Hopefully I have some built projects/ established clients by the time I get licensed.
My crap contractor continues to f-up the project, I'm doing frequent site visits and field reports illustrated with pics, doing my best to get in the good graces of the owner, owner would fire the contractor but made the mistake of paying too much and now not sure if he can get away from this contractor. I see lawyers in the future...dammmmmm.
Oh gruen. So sorry to hear it. I just attended an AIA talk on contracts, insurance, and liability that was exhausting even to listen to let alone live. Good luck.
Sometimes it's best to cut one's losses - have you suggested options for the owner? Pro/cons of sticking with current contractor vs replacements and potential longer term problems with built product - depending on where the project is at, you might save headache/money. Problem with lawsuits is that you end up losing so much paying the lawyers that you could lose even more just to get a settlement.
Thread Central
I accidentally walked through one of my hop vines today and it dragged across my neck - now I have a nasty, itchy welt across my neck and I look like someone tried to decapitate me! But I love my hop vine, so pretty, and I love the structure of vines.
hops are cool plants. There is an old homestead across the road from my in-laws and they found old hop vines there. They took them to a guy (expert) who thinks it might be a unique strain!
The hops are the little flowers.
I'm doing a TI space for a foot spa! I miss architecture, but I don't miss the tedium of CAD, specs and printing issues. After 4 years away, I can still design an ADA bathroom.
Ok folks, I changed my name, "there is no there" comes across negative and that wasn't ever my intention. Sorry for changing names so much, but change is good.
tint, they told you they changed the ada, right?
I've been calling you that forever.
You're welcome.
No, I don't know about no changes! I'm not licensed anyways so not doing construction docs. I'll just do the fun stuff then hand it off to an architect.
I considered the name milesjaffe but decided that was too negative too.
Zing!
I came to work this morning to discover some kind of road excavation/sewer project has closed the only road that allows access to our 100 Acres Park. We have tours and events scheduled for this weekend and the contractor I spoke to said the road will be closed for two weeks! We were never informed that our parking lot was going to be inaccessible for two weeks. So I will unexpectedly spend today trying to find out who issued this right of way closure permit.
And here is one of the problems with private contractors rather than using City workers for projects: this contractor didn't know who at the City had authorized this work, he only had his supervisor's name. The supervisor only knows it's a utility company job, not who the contact at the utility company is. I didn't believe him, frankly, and in pretty nasty terms told him so. But since he's a private company, not someone working as an employee of our tax dollars, what pressure did he feel to provide me with any info that might mess up his job? None.
The City permit office hasn't returned either a phone call or an email. Ugh.
Trying to visualize 'tint'. Pale green? Chartruse? Pink?
The $25m spec-now-custom house up the street from my project has completely snarled traffic. 50+ contractors and laborers vehicles plus heavy equipment plus deliveries every day.
pale green, chartreuse and pink, interesting. Like watermelon. Sure, I'll take that.
mmm... watermelon. sounds like a good afternoon snack (oddly I've noticed it as the snack of choice among world cup crowd in CT...)
semi-recent pic of the mechanoo project in Boston (not mine - source):
i am not sure i have had any watermelon this season...
Also, digging that Mecanoo project! Brick?
I had a run in with poison sumac earlier this year and now poison ivy. I got into it two days ago while measuring....but I swear I didn't touch anything that looked like a plant. I ended up with it on my ring finger and now can't get my ring off, on the underside of my left had and on a portion of my face. So I'm thinking I need to go get a phantom of the opera mask to go out in public.
Starting a project in a town where I have never worked so I can only imagine what the building official is going to think of me after visual inspection. Most likely he will not touch my drawing with a ten foot pole.
Liberty that sucks.....maybe you should just take a vacation while the road is closed.
Miles....did you go to Bernies...and steal a dishwasher from his Pad? I read in the Hampton Times a dish washer went missing at his place over the weekend.
Picked one up on CL for $50. Almost new, came out of a reno. You wouldn't believe the stuff that gets thrown away here.
And Snook, I once came across poison oak. My legs were blistered and swelled up so badly I couldn't put on pants for a week. Had to stay home from school for a week, and since I was home alone, watched Dirty Dancing without getting caught. Maybe I should confess my sin to my mother now that I'm no longer in 5th grade.
Ugh, sorry, gruen. Not fun.
@nam - yep - brick - if you check out that link you can see more exterior details... it's really nicely done.
gruen - low bidder? LOL
Stop the job. It isn't going to get any better.
Sarah....that is the best! How be the new digs?
Green, says everything! Your contractor speak American English?
Yeah, I agree with Miles in that you need to be VERY careful, gruen. It would not hurt to send a letter/email to the owner right now saying "I have very little faith in this contractor's ability to deliver the project I designed and the project you want. In my professional opinion I need to inform you that you might be better-served by stopping work and finding another contractor." At least that way you're on record saying that you foresee problems, and that shields you from at least some of the liability and added cost to fix those problems.
Snook, the new digs are getting better, but I'm not sure if we will buy the house when the lease is up. It's a 1924 catalogue house, and half the wood floors are original; which I like, but I HATE the rough an multicolored slater the landlord put in the bathrooms and kitchen. It raises the f.f. up nearly 3", is impossible to clean, and far too heavy for the support piers under the house. I feel like we'd have to rip out the kitchen for sure, and redo the cabinets because they're 100% particle board, plus we'd want to build a garage and pave the driveway, and a proper utility room to get the washer/dryer out of the tiny European sized bathroom.
They want $180,000 for the house, and I think we'd need to put another 30 into it. Figure I will know by Christmas, and start getting my ducks in a row for whatever the plan is.
Yeah, this guys's a joker. I've sent a field report to the contractor and owner outlining the steps that need to be taken to rectify the situation and talked it through w/the contractor. If he can't pull it off in a week, including the holiday weekend, then I'm informing the owner that it's blown. It does not help that the owner's been making on-the fly changes without informing me. Owner hired a cheap contractor is getting a cheap job. I might have to get the inspector involved to shut it down, I'm not sure the contractors capable of building what's drawn because he can't read the drawings. Of course, once I get it shut down, then I'm the bad guy. Jezzz...no good way out of this.
Yeah, the guy's american, but is one of these guys who thinks he can do everything but really has no clue. I'm amazed he has a contractor's license. I'm also always amazed when someone's stupidity sneaks up on you. Usually you can tell right off. The client isn't much better and I suspect the client will be happy with whatever's built, so as long as the contractor straightens out the obviously crooked walls and the inspector will sign off on it, then who knows. The project is a second story addition to an existing single story home. The home had 3 existing roofs built over the top of each other, each with 3 layers of shingles, (yes, 3 sets of framing and sheathing). So I'm not concerned about the structure, it's already been holding something like 35 pounds per square foot of extra dead load. I'm concerned that the contractor will put the ceiling way too low and end up with windows that don't meet egress requirements.
I have been rummaging round in a restaurant this Holiday weekend. You know one of those Saute Jobs. Need to get this banged out in a hurry yet there are millions of things that need to fall in place. Started on Thursday, measuring existing conditions, worked on drawings on Friday. Went back to the site on Saturday and back checked some measurements. Basement for storage, First floor Bar /Restaurant, second floor Offices, staff bathrooms and lockers and storage. Was at the computer again today, working on the site plan and the Basement. Tomorrow meeting with the Zoning Guy, to be sure we don't have any problems with a 115 sf addition ( for wood fired Pizza ovens). Tossed in the Patio improvements to get him pumped. Tuesday want to pull the building permit if possible. Oh ya and have been doing in the field demolition instructions to be sure we are not touching structure, Guess this is going to be one heck of a busy week. Then there is Big Tuesday, and the Brazil Fotbul game....Hope they win!
And good luck, snook. Seems you'll have earned a beer or three come soccer time.
Sarah, if there were additions you can just look for where the foundation changes? Might be harder to find if the newer foundations match the old, but even then there should be an expansion joint. The roof might change between the original and newer parts too
Sears has an archive online with pics.
That archive is pretty cool... kind of wish some developers would just build some of those houses with some simple hvac upgrades than the crap they do now.
Curt, the house is pier and beam, and it's 100 degrees in Texas so I'm not about to crawl under there with all the snakes, ect to compare new and old piers.
With a catalogue house, how much floor plan modification was typically done on the fly? The house doesn't look ANYTHING like the ones on the Sears site, but it could've been altered, or may not be sears at all.
I have been up in the attic, but other than some bracing, all the wood is the same deep golden colour of old attic wood. I DO know that the back two bedrooms have different wood flooring than the front rooms, and I can see where hinges used to be (every doorway had a door!) but that's all I've been able to determine.
And why is it that old 2.25" wood floors FEEL so differently than 3" newer floors? Is there a way to replicate that? Would you need to go at each joint with some sort of 'pointing' tool?
Anybody want to come done to Texas to check it out? I'd give you free room and board. Maybe I should ask that kid on the internship thread....
Taking on an unpaid intern to help you figure that out? lol.
Are there any stamps or markings in some metal like vents for the HVAC?
http://www.wikihow.com/Identify-a-Sears-Kit-Home
3tk - only one bath for the entire house? where's the 3-truck garage? costco bunker? how can anyone live in one of those places??!!
It might be a Gordon Van Tine kit, they had a plant in Mississippi.
Miles, Tis Sad but I think I have either walked by or been inside every one of those Gordon Van Tine houses. Guess I have become an old fart!
well... this is interesting - dematerialization and the "sharing" economy.
toasteroven - outhouse; the garage is for the ATV store the trucks and boat in the driveway so your neighbors can ogle; dunno about the bunker, could probably dig on into the yard :D
I swear there are entire streets in StL with GVT #531s
you miss the green grass on the other side more than you thought.
I've just completed on my own a small package for an addition. I don't do much of this but I never get tired of spending a few long evenings on these side projects , scotch (double) in one hand, sketchbook in the other.
The change of scale from my normal 8-6 multi-million office tower to a $5k house project is refreshing.
Donna,
You miss it until you have one of the kinda days I have. Enough Said. Enjoy your vacation, cause I can't be on Vacation. Ocean always helps, but so do mountains, mad running rivers, endless prairies...oh so much to enjoy in life. I hate having to work for a living, thinking I'm ahead only to discover I'm behind.
Just won (my first) an $8k street furniture commission. It is not architecture per se, but it is equally exciting for me - definitely know what you are feeling, Donna.
Hopefully I have some built projects/ established clients by the time I get licensed.
Oh gruen. So sorry to hear it. I just attended an AIA talk on contracts, insurance, and liability that was exhausting even to listen to let alone live. Good luck.
Sometimes it's best to cut one's losses - have you suggested options for the owner? Pro/cons of sticking with current contractor vs replacements and potential longer term problems with built product - depending on where the project is at, you might save headache/money. Problem with lawsuits is that you end up losing so much paying the lawyers that you could lose even more just to get a settlement.
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