First, there was a lot of back and forth about correcting window sizes that were shown in the plans as a different size than they had been. Window proportions are something that I'm quite particular about, it turns out. The window in the prep kitchen (that faces the patio) had been reduced, as had the laundry room window and the hallway windows at the front of the house by Tim's room. All of these had to be adjusted in the plans so they were as close to the original size as possible, while at the same time considering how they might be affected by interior cabinets and exterior trim.
Second, some field conditions (whether due to the building process - combining new materials with old - or new code requirements) made for some drawn out problem-solving on other windows. The dining room windows and kitchen windows along the front of the house were a bit of a puzzle to make sure the top line of the windows lined up on the outside while still giving the desired look at the ceiling inside. The windows in the prep kitchen (facing the driveway - shown below) ended up changing from three smaller windows to two windows in order to streamline the sizing. The tall windows in Tim's room (facing the driveway) had to get wider in order to accommodate new code for accessibility.
Third, we added some new windows, and they all took a little fiddling to get just right. One window in the new guest bathroom (in the guest bedroom by Tim's room) needed to be adjusted to make it a similar proportion to the other horizontal windows. A new window in the pool bathroom is the same size as the prep kitchen windows, but took some creativity with the plumbing and HVAC since we needed to eliminate the soffit over the shower (which previously held all those items). A new window in the hallway by Tim's room took on a few different forms before finally being settled upon as a slim vertical window that will be intersected (on the inside) by a floating bench. We debated about (and eventually decided against) adding windows to the great room (on the side of the driveway - shown below) as a way to break up the large, solid, expanse of siding. A shift in the application of exterior materials ended up solving the situation. Other new windows in the basement (the bane of Chris's existence) were able to be eliminated, due to a new understanding of regulations.
Last, we had a heck of a time getting solid information about the look and function of the different style of windows Fleetwood carried. The architects and contractors weren't sure, so they brought in their window rep. He was generally unsure and confused and offered no useful information, and recommended we visit the factory showroom. They, of course, are not open on weekends, so Chris and I made arrangements to make the 45 minute drive out there during the week. There, we thought we received clarity, and told the contractor what to order. Then the window reps' boss came out to the job and we discovered that all the information we had received at the showroom was wrong, and the entire order needed to be readjusted.
Sigh. Still, eventually, we believe we got it sorted out. We'll find out when the windows arrive if we have more problems to deal with.
 |
| Sorry my finger made it into the top of the picture. :( |
 |
| Shout out to Audrey who has dealt with all of these long, boring house meetings like a trooper! |
 |
| Digging the trench in the entry way to accommodate the new HVAC stuff. |
 |
| The doorway between the kitchen and entry way is a new subject for discussion. It would nice to keep it wide open, but be able to keep a way to close it when needed. Since there will no longer be two doors into the kitchen, this one needs to really work! |
 |
| Some of the basement windows will stay, others will go. |
 |
| Audrey found a small lizard on the tree in the cul-de-sac. Can you see it? |
No comments:
Post a Comment