Progress report -- Week 11

Laundry room plumbing:


Main showerhead plumbing, accompanied by Isaac:


Insulation in garage:


I've been out of town, and then when I returned the whole family came down with one of those very nasty norovirus stomach bugs (trust me, you don't want the details), so I haven't been able to post lately. I'm probably also leaving some things out.

Progress accomplished this week:

--Plumbing has been routed through walls and pipes in their final locations in the addition
--Plumbing finished in the garage/study, and building inspector approved
--Electrical wiring finished in the garage/study, and building inspector approved
--Insulation added to garage
--Furnace and ductwork installed in the garage. Wagner convinced Jonathan that it would be best to leave the furnace up in the attic area, but he rearranged the ducts so that the warm air would be coming out at the floor level of the study. That was a more feasible compromise than exchanging the furnace.
--More framing/carpentry work done in addition. Archways for shower built.
--New wider skylight ordered, will be installed after Thanksgiving.
--Lighting fixtures for addition selected and ordered, will be installed this week.
--Blocking for grab bars, towel racks, etc. laid out in master bath. Wagner thinks we should go ahead and install the grab bars for the bath, tub, and toilet, again with an eye to having everything accessible for the future. I'm not quite as convinced, as those grab bars are awfully big and clunky looking. I asked Wagner, "how long does a typical tile job last in a shower?" and suggested that we could always add the grab bars the next time we retile. He replied that it could last as long as 15-20 years, and then he asked, "How old is Jonathan?" (56). Point taken. We may compromise and just put one bar at each location and block for the others to be installed later as needed.

Obstacles encountered this week:

--I realized that I forgot to tell Wagner we wanted a humidifier installed with the new furnace in the addition area. Oops. So now he has to route a water line to the furnace room.
--Horrible weather here... rain, bitter cold, snow flurries. This has slowed brickwork.