Tubs in!

Both of our tubs were installed today. The photo on the left shows the tub and shower enclosure in the first-floor bathroom. We were sure that it wouldn't fit (the unit specifications said it was 85 inches high, and the space available was measured at 84 inches), but somehow it worked. Because of the size of that bathroom, it was difficult to get a good photo of it, but you can kind of make it out through the door opening. The photo on the right shows our larger tub in the third-floor bathroom. The separate shower enclosure is on the right, outside of the image. We got this tub at a steal: on sale for $189, down from $981. It had been previously installed in another home, and the owners decided they didn't want it for whatever reason (colour, fit, etc.) and returned it. It's six feet long by 3.5 feet wide; big enough for two, if you were so inclined.

For those of you who might be wondering, I braved the ladder (a different one, this time from the second-floor deck to the third-floor balcony) to check out the progress upstairs. As mentioned earlier, Alan, our stair builder, is working hard to put my ladder days behind me.

Front bricks complete!

In other exciting news, the front brickwork is now complete! We love it, and are looking forward to seeing how it integrates with the front porch. Bricks on the sides have also begun, and with the help of some tight-fitting scaffolding, will continue tomorrow. Good job, Tony!

STAIRS!

Alan Gustafson, our talented stair builder, installed the stairs to the second floor today (with a little assistance from some helpful mechanical suppliers and his dad). It is difficult to express just how excited we are about this milestone. The stairs are one of the most dramatic features of our home, and they are turning out even better than we had hoped. The stairs will have steel railings on the right-hand side, finished off with a maple handrail. The treads will also be maple, as I mentioned yesterday, and will extend about two inches off of each side of the stairs. John and I both took a test climb, and they are solid as a rock. We love the gradual incline, too, which gives the impression that you're floating upwards instead of climbing. They are truly amazing. The small run of three stairs from the landing to the second story are also in, but the photo was taken after dark and isn't too clear.

Alan thinks that he will install the stairs from the second to the third story next Tuesday, once the concrete floors have cured. More pics to come soon!

And more bricks!

The brickwork is almost complete on the front of the house. It will be completely finished tomorrow, and then the guys will move on to the sides. We're anxious to see the house without the scaffolding in front of it, and to get the front porch started.

Setting the stage

The house was a hub of activity today in preparation for two major milestones: installing the stairs and pouring the concrete floor.

After a lot of discussion and calculations, the original landing between the first and second floors was taken apart and rebuilt on a smaller scale. The photo on the left shows the new landing. The first run of stairs will end at the top of the landing, and the second shorter run will run from the landing to the second floor. (There is no landing from the second to the third floor; it is one continuous run of stairs.) Our stair builder was on-site yesterday to do some final preparations, and we happened to catch him during his visit. It was great to meet him, and we're confident that the stairs will be a sight to behold. He will install the stringer (middle part that supports the stairs) and the steel holders for the treads tomorrow, but not the treads themselves. Those will be maple, and will be put in closer to our move-in date to avoid damaging them during the construction.

All of the floors were cleared to make way for the insulation, which is shown in the second photo at right. Tomorrow the piping for our radiant heating system will be laid; on Friday, the concrete floor will be poured over top. The concrete floor warrants its own blog entry, that's for sure. More to come.

Most of the electrical work is also complete, although we have some minor corrections to make before it's final. Patric, our architect, joined us on-site today to determine the exact location of the pendant light over our dining room table, the pendant lights in the kitchen, and other small items. If all goes according to plan, we will have electricity on Monday!

Meet the boys — Botan Construction

When it came time to find a contractor, we narrowed it down to four contenders. The two most professional bids left us with a difficult choice. One was from one of Ottawa's most established and respected construction companies, an award-winning builder whose work we had admired in person. The other was from a young firm whose owner was a passionate advocate for green construction. The prices were comparable. What to do? We invited Patrick Reardon, owner of the young green firm, Botan Construction, to our tiny apartment to go over the bid in person. His commitment and enthusiasm overwhelmed us. When he left, we knew he would be building our house. We never looked back.

Patrick would make an excellent teacher. He explains everything to us very clearly, and answers all of our questions. He knows his stuff, and can communicate it to others. He's patient, knowledgeable, mathematical and dedicated to doing a good job. Plus, we like him. It's a great bonus.

Of course Patrick isn't building our house alone; he has a great crew. Some have come and gone, but Mike and Joe are still making it all happen. We owe them a lot.

Keep it up, boys!

Meet the boys — Vert Design

Credit: Jean Levac, Ottawa Citizen

It's about time we introduce you to the guys that made this all happen. Patric Langevin and Chris Straka (shown left to right) are co-owners of Vert Design, an Ottawa-based green design and planning firm. Our first meeting with Vert was on June 1, 2007, just over one year ago. Thanks to them, our design process was very smooth. More than that, it was collaborative, educational and fun.

Chris and Patric are very creative, attentive to detail, and flexible. If you have a vision, they can propose more than one way to realize it. For budget-conscious clients like us, this is a key skill. They expertly balance aesthetic considerations with functionality, and have a very strong sense of space and flow. In terms of green construction, they are extremely knowledgeable. With green design, there is no single way to go; they present the pros and cons of various options very well, and leave the ultimate decision making to you. They are continually investigating new products and can present the benefits and trade-offs clearly.

Value for money is definitely an A+. If you are ever in the market for a talented, committed and creative design firm, I would not hesitate to go with Vert. We are thrilled that we did.