House Progress

On my way to work this morning, I was on the phone with Arch. Ramos. We're getting the additional battens for the roofing through him instead of Stone 2000. His supplier will give it to us at PhP11,000.00, almost 50% cheaper than Stone 2000's PhP21,000.++ quote. We really shouldn't just say yes to whatever they say, we have to scout for the best price possible. And supplier/contractor really make money on add-ons.


We did not get APO engineered wood anymore, as originally planned. Price went from PhP1,200.00 to PhP1,700.00 per square meter. It's now beyond the budget (with all the adjustments). And we have to keep cost from ballooning too much. Last Saturday, we made partial payment for Steiger laminated flooring. We were able to get contract price at PhP70,000.++ (vs. APO's PhP204,000.++), for entire second floor up to the attic, including labor. Well they're entirely different from each other in quality. But we'll be okay with laminates for now.


I am now canvassing for quality Graphicoat painted glass for the bar and kitchen splashboard. Arch. Co gave us two suppliers to call. Pacific Glass and CNS Unique. Called them up last Friday. We're definitely not getting from Pacific Glass! The sales officer who took the call was kinda rude. Since I'm not familiar with this item, it's only natural that I ask her about it. She explained in a way that made me sound so dumb. Hello! It's a potential buyer calling, you may want to be a little pleasant and accommodating? If all their sales people were like that, I won't be surprised if the company closes shop and they find themselves unemployed soon. CNS Unique was totally different from that other supplier. Beth, who's not even in sales, was very nice and answered all my queries, explaining every detail without a tinge of "impatience" in her voice. I asked for swatches to be presented to us so we can decide right away.


Applied first coating of paint...two more coats to go, using the final shade (Davis Liquid Tile for outdoor and Boysen Virtuoso Silk Touch indoor). Door jambs and cabinet framing are all in place; entry and cabinet doors will be delivered, hopefully, within the month. We are expecting full installation of Vignet uPVC windows by February 15, as committed by the fabricator. With the way things are going, it is very unlikely we'll be moving to our new home within the month. Maybe next month. Unless we ask Architect Ramos, our contractor, to rush things. There's really no urgency. We want things done right. Every time I visit, I check the lines and workmanship. If it's not acceptable to me, I ask them to do it again... even if they have to undo everything. I warned them beforehand that I'm particular about quality of work. Well I ask them nicely, with matching please and occasional lunch treat for all workers. With all the effort and penny poured into this project, it should very well be worth it.

Almost there

Roof Tile Dilemma

I was at the construction site yesterday. Some of the windows have already been installed, more will be delivered and installed these coming days. They're now polishing the ceiling and walls, no second coat yet, but we've chosen colors already. Most of the bathroom tiles are already in place, and we now have some cabinets too! My sister-in-law came to check out the progress. She's very excited about the house as well. She was supposed to stay for a short while, but we ended up having a 3-hour lunch at Cafe Breton and practically spent the rest of the afternoon together! Which, I'm sure, from our husbands' point of view, is not a "practical" thing to do! LOL


Going back to house progress, the roof saga continues. Picking up from my Raise the Roof post last time, well we had a meeting with them (us, Arch. Ramos, Arch. Mark, Stone 2000 Account Executive, Stone 2000 Project Manager, and Stone 2000 sub-contractor). They were supposed to add battens to raise the slope and apex, around 4 inches. I've been waiting for price quote for additional materials...since it's their lack of coordination that resulted to the problem, we will only shoulder materials for readjustment; I got the quote just the other day. And it was a whopping PhP21K! Just for additional battens?! It's like they're trying to squeeze in labor cost as well! I told them I am not paying that much for additional battens (we've already spent more than 250K just for roofing alone), Zay, the Account Executive said it was for an 8-inch adjustment, and she'll try to negotiate for at least 10% discount (which, I think, is still too much). I called for another meeting yesterday with our contractor and architect, and we all agreed 4-5 inches is enough, since we have secured undersheeting. So I called up Zay again, this morning, and told her to give price quote for 4-inch adjustment, she said yes at first, now she just sent me a SMS saying the sub-contractor had already installed half of the area...8-inches adjustment! My reply to her was "how can they do that when I just got the quote last Monday, and we DID NOT agree to it?" No reply from her yet. I'm starting to get really peeved with this roofing brouhaha.

Raise The Roof!

Our lot is not that big. It's around 248 square meters. There's a 3-meter setback for corner lots, we just have to maximize every inch of space we can actually build on. With the family getting together every so often, we need space to accommodate more or less thirty to forty people. Having this in mind, our architect designed a house with basement parking, attic and lanai. The thing with attic is the heat. Even with lots of insulation, it will still be hot, especially during summer, if you were to use just the usual galvanized iron sheets. The architect recommended CPAC Monier roof tile, which they say is cool (literally). Installation and material now costs around PhP1500.00 per square meter for the Elabana design. Good thing we canvassed and made partial payment early on, we were able to freeze the contract price at PhP850.00 per sq. meter. Good deal, eh? These tiles are heavy, our structural engineer made sure the foundation, posts and beams will be able to take on all the weight.

We had problems with the initial design. The project architect made a mistake, the roof beam on the stairway going to the attic, was low. They redesigned the entire area and roof detail.

The insulation, galvanized iron under sheeting, and battens (it's where they bolt the roof tiles on) are in place. Now the Stone 2000 (CPAC Monier Distributor)sub-contractor is saying the slope is not high enough! Oh, man! Talked to our contractor, Alex Ramos and architect, Alex Co, about it. They discussed with Stone 2000. The solution is to raise the apex a bit, just enough to avoid water backflow during heavy rains. So they'll add more battens to make it higher. Hopefully roofing will be done in less than a week's time. Now I just have to follow up the cabinet design (again) with AGC Design Concepts.

Beginning To Look More & More Like A House

Hey, everyone! House construction's coming along great. Roof undersheeting will be ready by Wednesday, Stone 2000 will be delivering the materials for installation of CPAC Monier roof tiles within the week and will start working on it as soon as possible. The Vignet uPVC windows are now being fabricated and will be installed most likely by January of next year. Long holiday for construction workers will start on December 22, I think. So these coming days, we'll try to finish as much work as we can. 


Progress photos as of 07 December 2008:

Coolness!

Split or Window type AC? Now this is another debatable topic. “Go split” you’d say. And who wouldn’t? It is said to be quieter than its predecessor, the window type, since its condenser and compressor are separated from the evaporator and blower. It’s very sleek, aesthetically appealing and you do not need a big “window” for it. Just a teeny hole for the copper wiring. Downside is the lowest Horse Power available in the market is 1.0 and it’s pricier than the window type. The window type is the tried and tested kind, less expensive and you can get one with 0.5 HP.

The husband and I have been discussing about the kind of air conditioning unit we’ll be using in our new home. We have to decide on this before the second coat application of our exterior wall paint. As I really do not want to see those uneven map-like thingies on our walls. I specifically told our architect and the contractor that no pipe or wiring should be seen, including the AC drain, so they’re all embedded. For the Master’s bedroom we will be using 1.5 HP split type, as there’s really no place for a window kind in this part of the house. The exterior wall finishing on this area, facing the corner, will be the “highlight’ of the entire house, with slate cladding, picture window, etc. The floor area in Bea’s room and the guest room is not big, so a 0.75 HP window type unit per room will suffice. For the attic, which will be the family room, a 2.0 HP split type is recommended. And as he would want to have the ground floor air conditioned as well, a free standing (floor mounted) split should be used as the area is big. This free standing unit will be placed in the pocket-door closet, initially intended for storage, in the living room.

Last Friday the surveyor from Carrier arrived and checked out the house and gave some recommendations, we weren’t at the site then. Originally, we wanted all outside units for the splits to be at the rear area of the house. The surveyor said it’s too far from the indoor unit, thus may result into early conking out of the AC’s. He would like to put the them on our precious highlighted area! No way! So I’m meeting with him again with our contractor on Saturday, to check out other possible location for the condenser/compressor.

Of course, I did some googleizing about air conditioners. I checked out chat rooms and blogs as well. They're practically the same in energy efficiency and maintenance. The big difference is really just the look and the price. Choosing the right AC unit is not really that hard. Just think about what you need, the space, etc. The best thing is really to have the surveyor come to the place where you'd want it installed, so they can make proper suggestions. They usually do this for free, just coordinate with your local vendor. We usually get our appliances from Abenson. http://www.learnaboutairconditioning.com/ gave me an in-depth information on this topic.

Man's Bestie

Our dog Napoleon turned 2 last November 26. Originally a present to my pa-in-law from the hubby's sister, this Labrador Retriever has been in our care since he was 3 months old, since we used to stay at my in-laws’ home. When Pa passed away, Nappy (as we fondly call him) moved with us to the townhouse. He stays with us inside the house, but we tie him up because we really wouldn’t want any accident with Bea, as you can see he’s very muscular and when standing on his four legs, he’s big (thanks to Eukanuba). Like any other lab, he is very playful and energetic and has literally dragged his handlers several times when he’s “chasing” or excited about something. This guy is very gentle and affectionate to humans though and he still has his “puppy-eyed” look even if he’s an adult dog already, even his vet at Animal House Alabang, Zapote (his cousin Cappuccino, my brother-in-law's German Shepherd, goes to the same clinic) says he still acts like a puppy. To know more about dogs check out http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/.

Caring for this breed is quite easy, a bit expensive though…bigger dog--bigger stomach to fill, bigger coat to shampoo, vaccine and meds (monthly maintenance) volume depends on dog’s weight. I’m not complaining, just stating facts in case you’re looking into bringing home one. Here are some of the stuff nappy uses to stay healthy and gorgeous-looking:

*Eukanuba Adult Large Breed Formula (Dry), we alternate Lamb & Rice and Chicken
*Lambert Kay’s Fresh ’N Clean Oatmeal and Baking Soda Shampoo
*Virbac’s Enzymatic Toothpaste in Vanila Mint Flavor
*Pedigree Denta Stix
*Heartgard – for prevention of heartworm disease
*Frontline drops or spray for flea and tick control (best way to prevent this is not to let your pet “socialize” with flea-infested animals.

We usually get the “personal hygiene” stuff from Animal House, but for food and other things, they’re cheaper at Canine Depot (near the terminal at ATC). A regular visit to the vet should be observed. More importantly, a loving home will do wonders for any pet.

Bea and Nap

No Way, Jose

Was off from work yesterday to wait for the delivery of our Toilet and Bath fixtures. Waited from morning until delivery truck finally arrived at 3:00 p.m.. I went through all the goods with the foreman, and the Wilcon guys. Good thing we checked. All the stuff were in A1 condition, save for the bathtub which I refused to accept cause there was a teeny weeny surface scratch, though it came wrapped, like the plastic we peel from our mobile phone LCDs. The delivery guys were like "Sa plastic lang naman po,Ma'am." (It's just the plastic, ma'am). But I could really see that it went through the plastic wrapping, so I asked them to peel off that portion of the plastic. And there it was, the teeny weeny scratch. I told them politely that I want it changed and to make sure that all items they are going to deliver next should be in perfect condition. I am kinda OC about these things. I feel for the owner of Wilcon, yeah, I do. But hey, we paid in full. It was not on "bargain". We should get our money's worth.



I warned our contractor, Architect Alex P. Ramos, earlier on that I am very particular about these things. And I am pretty sure AGC Design Concepts, firm we contracted to do architectural and interior design, know this very well. I understand it can never really be 100% perfect in projects like construction, but sloppy, lopsided work is unacceptable. So far, so good. I mean something will come up every now and then, but with all parties working together closely (homeowner should be very involved), we manage to address each and every problem that arises. But we're not done yet, and real house woes will start to come out months or so AFTER turn over.

Tiles, Tiles And More Tiles

As early as December last year we started the search for our preferred materials. Criteria: good quality, visually pleasing, and friendly on the pocket---value for money.



Like I mentioned on my previous post, we are about to start with the finishing part of the home construction. Bitoy, our site foreman, has been asking us for the Toilet and Bath tiles and fixtures. Started purchasing items around February of this year. Wilcon Builder's Supply Depot can actually store them for you while waiting for delivery date, and the sales people there are just so friendly and accommodating. For all the fixtures we got Kohler and Karat (a Kohler subsidiary).

Choosing tiles can be a pretty vexing task. And you have to work closely with your architect on this, as they need to see the tile of your preference for them to design the "look" of each space. Word of advise: when you've made up your mind on an item, show it to the architect, and have him do the final wall and floor pattern right away and buy it immediately. When we went back to Wilcon to buy the tiles last Saturday, most of them have very limited supply already. And you really would not want to get tiles from different branches as they might have different manufacturing dates. I've been told that even if they're of the same brand and specification, sometimes there's a slight difference in the actual color. They should be of the same batch. We ended up not getting anything that day. And I had to go back to Wilcon yesterday with our architect and the contractor. This was our original choice for Bea's T & B, Rhapsody White and Green with multicolored accent from Indonesian brand Romangres:





It would have been perfect for her room. But they did not have much stock left in their warehouse.



There are just so many options. Price ranges from PhP20.00 to PhP2000.00+ per piece, some even at PhP10000.00 + per square, depending on brand, design and size. Spanish, Italian, Indonesian, Malaysian, China and our local brands. They're all nice. But we do not really like the "shiny" look. We prefer matte finish. We decided to mix brands and opted to use same items for Bea's and the extra room (for the twins? he he). Got Grespania's (Spain) Luz series(Pistachio for Bea's, Turquesa for the extra room) for accent and Arte Ceramiche's (China) Waal Blanco, as main tile. In doing so, we were able to cut down cost. Imagine one of Grespania's Blanco line costs around PhP112.00 per piece. So that's PhP112.00 x 600 pcs vs. Arte Cermiche's Waal Blanco's PhP28.00 x 600? Almost the same style and quality? For powder room and master's T and B, we want neutral colors. Opted for Romangres' Vulcano Beige and GT Natural Stone's mosaic slate in Multicolor or Autumn Mix. Living, dining and kitchen will all have Malaci's (China) Kairos. I kinda like our very own Mariwasa's Liberty Ivory for the service area.



So there, we're finally done with the tiles. Next decision to make: solid wood, engineered wood, or laminates for the second level and attic flooring?




*progress as of 08 November 2008

Bea's Room

One of the fun and very exciting things about house building is space decorating. To actually witness something you've visualised be built from scratch, to slowly take shape, one can't help but feel giddy about it. The room I'm most excited about is Bea's. We do not have much shops here in the Philippines specializing in Kids' room. We have Color and Life at Mall of Asia, there used to be one at ATC and I guess there's also Sheridan at Shangri-La Mall. Good thing we have the internet...and Pottery Barn! I just love Pottery Barn stuff for kids. We already have some items ready like the Madison Touch Lamp with pink Gingham Bell Shade, the quilts and beddings, courtesy of her ninang (my cousin) and my aunt. They also have really nice wall decor, window treatment and other accessories. If they weren't that pricey, it would be nice to buy them all. I am thinking of getting her this clock:




Isn't it cute? The theme of her room is basically spring. Dominant colors would be kiwi green, pink and white. I'm scouting for a nice, sturdy, white twin bed, and so far we haven't found one yet (the hubby enjoys furniture hunting too). Will check out other furniture shops, if not we'll probably have one custom made. We want the room to be "fun" for her. So she'd want to stay in it. Until now she sleeps with us eventhough she has her own room at the townhouse. Maybe when we transfer to our new home she'd start sleeping in her own bed.

My 3rd post for today. Slow day, eh? Well it's Friday and no blogging on weekends.

Architect's Perspective

This is my second post for the day. Meaning? I'm quite excited about this blog thing. Novelty, I guess. Or just eager to share my thoughts and the happenings in my life. Well anyway, I attached here photos of the architect's perspective of our soon-to-be home. Construction is in full swing. We're looking into January or February move in. Just in time for our 7th year wedding anniversary. The husband and I are really excited about this. I will be posting more progress photos soon. We're still undecided though whether to use Autumn Mix Slate or Light Rustic Slate for the accent on the exterior wall. But the architect said either will be perfect for the exterior wall color we chose. For the roof, we'll be using CPAC Monier roof tile in Tropical Tan. Finishing will start pretty soon. Now I've been told that's the hardest part in building a house. I'm just glad that my hubby and I are in sync when it comes to our taste in a lot of things, like our preference for Modern-Contemporary design. Just imagine not wanting the same thing? Oh, boy.