Improvements—and costs—continue downstairs

On Wednesday, August 27, Matt and I got to say “hello” to foreman Miguel and worker Jorge, as well as meet Jan. We were discussing with Steve Wasko the additional work needed to shore up the bathroom area under our bedroom. Steve explained in Tuesday’s e-mail, “The sheetrock was removed today and there are some things that need to be addressed, which were not in the Engineer’s report.”

Once again, the structure was less sound than expected, adding another two grand to the project cost. In addition, Steve wants to see whether it is possible to lower the floor so we won’t need three steps to go up from the walk-out basement to the bathroom. This will require removing soil from the crawl space.

As Matt looked around that room yesterday, he re-envisioned the design, removing the side window and putting the sink in that spot, making the lake-facing window larger and swapping the placement of the shower and toilet. Much better.

The biggest improvement of the week is the exit. Before, we had to walk down a step to open the back door and then walk down another step once the door was open. It felt like falling out of the house. With the wonders of concrete and craftsmanship, this odd hole is filled, making a smooth transition from the floor to the door. We now step down to a couple sets of cinderblocks and onto the patio. The new deck, once installed, will make exiting better still.

The crew also put the old stairs back in place inside, making it easier to get to the utility room to do laundry.