What a great couple of weeks of construction!!

It's been 2 weeks and so much has happened, that it's difficult to keep track of it all!  Remember that I have an Architectural office with several employees, and being a contractor is a full time job too!! So far, I've been able to juggle the two schedules, but it's definitely NOT easy...  Waking up earlier than usual and going to bed later than usual takes some getting used to.  What's gonna happen when my two jobs have important issues at the same time? I imagine a scene like the one in Mrs Doubtfire where he was having dinner with 2 different people AS two different people...  I'm strangely kinda looking forward to it!
As I mentioned, a lot has happened... but only a "few" pictures are needed:'

First, here's the "red-lined" version of the shop drawings for the trusses.  I don't know that I've ever reviewed any shop drawings so diligently in my life!

Then I redesigned the stairs on the fly...

Ceci is always  up for going to the site with me...Future Contractor? or Architect? or does she just like to hang out with me?!

 Batter boards were all set up.  Just what I needed for the Setback Inspection, right?  If only construction was that easy... Setback inspection can't be done with out the rebar in the foundation, so...

...let's put in the foundation rebar! Oh wait, first we have to spray the site with termite killer...

Now, let's put in the rebar! Oh wait, next we need to compact the soil and test it for density...

...with a very sophisticated piece of machinery.

Now can we put in the rebar?  Almost!  Just a vapor barrier first, THEN....

 The rebar?  YES! and don't forget the wire mesh, and the corner bars, the top steel, the slab depression forms, the window openings, the door openings, the reinforced masonry bars, the column steel, the dowels, the electrical floor outlets, the panel and sub panel locations, the elec outlet for the island cooktop, and the hundred other things that had to go there before the slab gets poured...

Oh yeah, don't forget the electrical service lines and the grounding to the foundation steel!! Whew! So much to remember!

NOW, I can call for my Setback Inspection, Foundation Steel Inspection, Slab inspection, Compaction inspection, Termite Treatment Inspection, Plumbing Underground and Sewer Connection Inspections, Underground electric inspection, and Mechanical Underground inspection.... And hope none of them fail!

Let me introduce you to the Property Owner, Architect, Contractor, Plans expediter, and Inspector!  Everything looks good... I'm ready to pour concrete on Monday (weather permitting, of course. there is rain in the forecast.)

All inspections are APPROVED!
Ready for a Concrete floor!!

Construction is in full swing!

So after almost one week of construction, it looks like a big  pile of dirt!  But there's been a lot of progress...
After the surveyor came out and located all the corners of the building, the perimeter of the building was laid out with batter boards and forms for the slab and the steel for the foundations were delivered.

 

Bill and I posed for a picture.  But I know he wanted to hurry up and unload his truck!











Rebar

The deep foundations had to be dug in the few spots that we had them--in the connection between the 2 rectangular volumes (Thanks to Juan Fernandez, I learned about "portal frames":)  Kevin had his mini-bobcat out there... This thing was mini!

I had heard that the soil was hard in this area, so when I saw this little thing, I worried!  But for the most part, it did ok (other than breaking down once or twice and not being able to get the last small part of a foundation that was solid rock!)
After the foundations, the dirt fill was placed to the approximate level of the bottom of the slab.  
Meanwhile, Santi and his helpers worked feverishly for 2 days trying to tear down the last little bits of the remaining walls with chipping/sledge hammers

and by Friday, everything looked great....til Tommy got there on Saturday!  Tommy and I met there early and laid out all the underground plumbing lines,
including the Camper waste line way out in the yard... We spray painted them on the ground after completely redesigning the plumbing layout to avoid plumbing lines running thru the deep foundations. This is the kind of thing ONLY an owner/builder/architect can do ON SITE!  After a couple of hours of that, Tommy's backhoe arrived to dig trenches...  This thing was a little more equipped to handle the terrain!  Before 4pm, he was done, and all that was left to do was reassemble the chain link fence and we called it a day.
Next steps--put in the pipes, get the temporary electrical hooked up (so I can stop borrowing from my awesome neighbors, Orlando and Dora, who I consider GOOD friends already!)  and put in the underground electrical/mechanical and prep for the slab pour...  Stay tuned!!

It's January 16th....

...and construction didn't exactly start, but some progress has been made.  Thomas Garcia (Tommy the Plumber, or Plommy the Tummer, as Max and Ceci like to call him!) came by and got the water meter hooked up, a big truck of clean fill came in and dumped it on the site, and a 20 yard trash container was dropped off.  I'm happy that something happened and unhappy that something was stolen from the site already!  That's right, stolen!  My Picnic Table/Construction Site Conference Table has been claimed by someone who thought that it either belonged to them or thought that this was an abandoned property, even though the No Trespassing signs are clearly displayed.  I have spoken to Miami Police about the situation.  Let's see what that does...
Anyway, I'm really excited to see things starting to move after a month of sitting idle.  I hope to be writing often throughout the process.  I have a prediction that I'll be moving in on -- October 31, 2012. 

 First truck arrives and thankfully, the dumpster wasn't here yet!
 










Then the dumpster arrives.  Watch out you don't hit the tree with your exhaust!

Ooops! The tree may have won...












So now the site is ready for January 17.

Starting construction on the 16th of January...

At least that's what I'm told... who knows really, though.  There's so much that needs to happen.  As a contractor for the first time, (other than smaller projects without permits!) I'm learning what it takes to do this... I know this process is going to be a heck of an eye-opener.  I know that I will be able to relate to my homeowner clients better and be more sympathetic to their issues.  Maybe it's the kind of thing that every Architect should do earlier in our careers (if only we could afford it earlier!) Tasks like ordering a floating meter, to temporary electric, to negotiating fees with subs, and pulling permits... These are only the beginning.  I know. Now I need to get a dumpster company, and hire the surveyor to locate the "4 corners".  I think I'll order it WITH offsets... I'm learning alot already!  Anyway, January 16, Kevin from CKA Construction should start digging footers...
Stay Tuned!! 

Demolition...

  Demolition was awesome... I was up early that day and got everyone up as well!  by 7:30 the whole family, including the temporary dog (a stray Cristy picked up a few days before and we still hadn't found the owner yet), were all at the site, where we saw Santi, from MAK Builders, who was there on Miguel's behalf.  The smaller of the 2 trucks that were supposed to be there, was already there and the operator, who had an attitude and a chip on his shoulder, started with what he thought he would be able to with it (after an argument with Santi and throwing a hissy fit!)...which turned out not to be much!  A few swipes at the overhangs of the roof, and he had to stop.  He needed something with more BALLS, to tear down this structure!  It was a happy day from there on...  there were at least a couple of occasions where I had to wipe the tears of joy from my eyes!  This was quite a morning for the neighborhood!  Although we had already met all of the adjacent neighbors, this was a day to meet many others!  The kids will have lots of playmates around, including a couple of homeschooler's!  The dog was a great ice-breaker for the kids...  I spent the morning taking pictures and videos.  I wanted to stay til they finished, especially since I was nervous about the wall that needed to remain to maintain the non-compliant setback.  But Santi was there, so I felt ok when I had to leave to go the in-laws for whatever reason, I don't remember anymore.  I was glowing that day, though, and I showed off the pics and videos to just about anyone that stopped to talk to me for more than 2 seconds!  Have a look for yourself!

This is what the "House" looked like before DEMO.

 On our way to the site...

And so it begins...
A small back hoe, is never enough!
http://youtu.be/bgSWYRHEPIA

Time to bring in the heavy artillery!

Good thing Santi was there...

Even the kids got in on the action!

I just love this picture...the machine eating the building!

The events leading up to Demolition...

Once the permit was obtained, I was anxious to get started... I immediately called Miguel Kristaly, MAK Builders, to let him in on the good news...Miguel had recently gone thru the construction of his own house, too, so he could probably understand the excitement I had!  Anyway, we arranged for demolition to start, but I needed to FPL disconnect service to the house.  I spent the next couple days trying to get that done....But of course, dealing with any government agency (FPL isn't entirely a gov't agency, but so heavily subsidized that it operates the same way) that no one is responsible for mistakes or idiocracies...  First I contact them to have the power lines removed so we can do the demo, they tell me that the process takes 10 days, but if you request for it to be done quickly, it can be done in as little as 3 days.  Of course, I request that it be done in 3 days, but that takes an authority to approve it... Well, I got it.  So 12 days later, when I'm ready to demo, I drive by the property to find that the power lines are still connected!  I call to find out why...I ask for the person who authorized the 3 day timeframe....She doesn't work for the dept. anymore and didn't bother to have someone else take care of it!  So of course, with demo supposed to happen the next day, we had to re-schedule.  When I explained the sitch to the NEW guy at FPL, he says, he can't promise, but he'll put it on the calendar for the next day.  I figure, "let me give him the benefit of the doubt and schedule demo for 3 days later instead."  Following up every day, it was still not done!  I had to go in person to speak with a "Supervisor".  I said, "I don't mean to get anyone in trouble, but...." He said, in true gov't agency fashion, "no one ever gets in trouble here!"  I guess they're all lucky it's not a private company.
Anyway, finally, the demo gets scheduled for Saturday, December 17th.

The permit process...

Owning my own Architectural practice, I am always dealing with the permit process...but never for myself. I have done several projects for myself, but never with a permit! The Cobbler's children have no shoes, ya know!
This is the largest project I've done for myself, and working without a permit is not an option. Normally, a permit "expediter" takes the plans thru the City and deals with all the incompetency from the government workers, but I decided to "run" the permit myself and experience the process firsthand. I must admit, the permit process is not as bad as people say, but then again, plans produced by my office are not normally difficult to have approved. However, running the permit myself and running a business, I think I did pretty good by getting all the plans approved in less than 3 months. Could I have done it faster with an expediter? Maybe, but not by much. The process takes long because of the "drop off" process -- Drop off the plans and wait 3 weeks, then see the comments that the building dept made about the plans. Most of the comments pertain to the reviewers not having sufficient time to review them and see that their comments are actually already addressed on the plans. Not to say they aren't right sometimes and do actually have legitimate comments... I can appreciate it when that's the case. The best part about the entire permit process was when I went to pay for the permit... In the design of the project, we were planning on demolishing the existing house due to structural damage and the cost to repair... however, we maintained one of the existing walls so that we can grandfather a non-compliant setback. In other words, remove the existing wall and build it at the new setback regulation (10'), or maintain it intact, and keep it at the existing 6' setback... Well, the advantage of doing that is the Permit Fee, City/County Impact Fees and Future Taxes are MUCH LESS because (as ridiculous as it sounds) keeping 1 wall up constitutes an "ADDITION/REMODELING". Tearing it down would be considered "NEW CONSTRUCTION"!
So, I'm off to a good start... Saving money already!