Floor plan for the "Willow"

That's an awkward looking bump out directly near the other, thinking if it were my home, I'd a wanted it married into the breakfast area... would have made the outside aesthetics more appealing, and I'm sure I or (the wife) could have come up with something creative to do with the additional interior space gained.

I played with my house plans for over a year before it got built. You always would have done something different after it's built though...no matter how hard you try.:fishslap:

I agree.....the fireplace bumpout is fugly.



I'm living in a house I drew plans for and built when I was 21 years old.....still like it....but would have done some things different.

That house would look great with a masonry/stone chimney........ been awhile since we built a home with a traditional brick fireplace.
We had a homeowner who wanted that look... so we framed a wooden chase to above the roof line to house the gas flue and applied a cultured stone veneer.
I've seen where it gets wrapped with vinyl siding........but that looks awful.

For front stoop and porches....we do the formwork and it gets poured concrete. We dont have a regular masonry subcontractor/bricklayer any longer.

LOL Spoken like an architect........

Got in before the moving vans for a few pics

Fireplace and foyer....Stair treads, railings and flooring are maple.

We are having another great year building new homes.... all presold before we start. I like a one story house....no stairs to finish.
The stockpile of lampposts I built in my shop during covid are getting used up fast.

Now that’s more like it !
When you build mine add freeze boards….. ;-)

I never thought Id see the day......that houses in this price range...get vinyl siding....and aluminum covered rakes and facia.

The recessed lights in the kitchen....could have looked so much better if they aligned with the center of the cabinet doors. Hard to tell from the angle I took the picture from.
I realize it might be difficult for the electrician to get exact locations...and there can be a joist in the way sometimes.
He leaves a wire up in the ceiling for the pendant lights over the island so those will be precise.

Another electrician we sub to uses led recessed lights that can be installed after the cabinets to get them aligned with center of cabinet doors.

Change of pace ...and location. Got away from our current subdivision.. waiting on a bunch more houses to be ready for inside trim. Got a walk around deck to finish... house is on stilts...maybe about 150 yards to the ocean. I set up underneath in the shade...I'll be the cut man. The ocean breeze yesterday was fantastic....better than AC.

Wow!
Let it blow that frame will take it….

Yep...galvanized steel columns welded to steel beams above.....at first glance i thought the columns were concrete.

Really digging this thread, great pics and commentary. living in a 24x40 raised ranch for 22 years now, I know small kitchens. This year we said good bye to the original 56yr old cabinets (new knobs though, they dressed em up nice 😊 ). Gutted the kitchen to the studs, new door, windows, an opening/cut out between kitchen and living room and the tiles being laid as I type. The cabinets were ordered in April and should* be installed aug10th. Quite a process, always impressive watching pros work. It had to be nice so that’s why I have no part except for painting, and as a Navy veteran, I had lots of practice (once over dust twice over rust). Again, great thread and top notch work from the looks of things.
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Thanks....I will keep the thread going as long as guys like yourself are interested....your kitchen remodel will come out great I'm sure.....sounds like you did the proper planning and have patience.
Thanks for your service to our country.
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View from my work.
Framing is off a little but we will make adjustments as necessasery.
I love working outside going back to my days as a framer.
They want this deck to look.....not hacked....so Im here with my finish crew.
That is Cuttyhunk right out there.

Speaking of finish carpentry, 162 years old and tight as can be. My neighbor has the exact same stair rail built 10 years prior and I'm assuming made with the same tools by the same craftsman. Look at those joints!

Nice new office, Bob! And change of project. I enjoy seeing a high end deck through to finish.... I would have taken the cut position too!

I have a growing list of very old exterior doors that need to be tuned up or have thresholds replaced or refinished. Can't touch them until this humidity goes away... Some of these folks getting their (wet) houses painted really need their heads examined. Going to be a lot of bubbling paint showing this fall, I think.

Your exit photos on recent houses have been consistently showing off your craftsmanship. It is also very nice to know you have a good paint crew following behind you...

Thanks Ross. We keep commercial grade dehumidifiers going 24/7 on the job to prevent problems with our finish work.
The three guys I'm working with make coming to work a pleasure...good-natured and respectfull... no slackers.... no bitching or argueing....just teamwork...everyone doing their job.We get alot of work done.

Spence that is a really neat detail....with the wreath fitting into the newel cap. I have done many railing jobs like that......where the railings go on top of... rather than into the newel posts.

Trex decking is done....had to replace some of the pressure treated joists that were crowned upside down causing a dip in the floor. We are not using the hidden fasteners and grooved decking that is commonly used....all solid edge...face screwed and plugged. Joists are all 12" o.c....adds up to a lot of screws and plugs.

On decks over twenty feet where deck boards have to be pieced in length..... we have found that the grooved decking with hidden fasteners allow the boards to expand lengthwise and slide apart....opening the butted joint.....when they contract....the joint stays apart.

Jig for skillsaw..... to cut all the posts down to 45" high.
The jig can be used for square cuts on decking or.... anything else.

Where can I but one of those 10' speed square you have laying down below on the gravel?

Haha.....Its actually part of the septic system design........some sort of filtration

I don't like the hidden fastener decks. I have built quite a few and the face screwed decks hold up better. JMO

Those little plugs that cover the screw holes....and there had to be thousands on this deck.....have to be inserted with the grain going the same direction as the deck boards.....and they become almost invisable....and if you dont take the time... they are clearly visable.

Glad to be done with this deck.......been kinda hot the last few days working there in the full sun.....tired me out.
42" high railing.... posts were less than 6' apart ...very sturdy.

Looking good with the landscaping done...except for grass seeding. These were sold pre-construction...more being framed ....and another one or two are ready for finish. Supply chain for materials is not an issue right now. Kitchen and bath cabinet supplier has been on time...getting them to us as soon as the job is ready. This small subdivision is getting sold out fast.......company always has more land being readied for future construction.

The kitchen install I did this week started off badly.
Instead of using our regular kitchen designer/supplier....this customer wanted to handle the whole thing themselves through someone they knew at their local lumberyard. Cabinets get dropped of and I start laying out according to the plan provided. Right away I find that after the 24" upper corner cabinet...they show a 12" wall cabinet that covers over the kitchen window casing almost to the jamb. I notify my boss who calls the customer. Customer comes to job and asks me how this happened! Classic!

Customers should only be allowed to sign checks,,,, ;-). LOL

Haha yeah....I have to hold back what I really think when they ask me a stupid question...."how could this have happened?".
me...."well someone either moved the window or the wall" or could it be your designer just #^&#^&#^&#^&ed it up?

Started another install..... soffit detail in progress.....not liking the microwave location right next to upper corner cabinet.....also unequal spacing from cabinets to window casing. I just install....but sometimes have to ask when I see a potential problem. I did and was told.... all approved by the customer. Frost white cabinets and Expresso (dark brown) island does not look good to me.

What table is that???? Did it come with a fence too? Heavy? Like that...

Ross.....its a Husky brand from Home Depot....99 bucks....legs are easily detachable and store under table....also set up for attaching a router underneath...comes with other hardware for making extended work support.
It has recessed tracks in the table top to receive a hex bolt..... to attach a fence or hold saw down.

Finished the soffit and crown on this one... going to wait for hardwood to finish up island cabinets. Next house...cabinets were delivered after lunch....so I didnt get them all up. This one will have micro drawer in the Island.

Kitchen installation was going smoothly.....until i took on the job of installing the hood vent. WTF!

The pvc vent had to be moved over to the next bay and the 3 x 10 vent extended 90 degrees and to the left.
A fellow employee had placed the metal venting incorrectly during the rough....and then the plumber installed his pvc... thinking he was clear of it.....my guy took responsibility and did a very good job fixing it all.
Glad I didnt have to deal with that mess!

I hate when these kind of mistakes are made. I mark up everything when its in the rough, crayons and spray paint all over the place. Hood, gas, island, etc. and somehow they still take it upon themself to put things where "THEY" want it. Looks great as always.

I can't wait to get back!! I've been out for 7 weeks with Covid and pneumonia. Seems like its been a year. Stay healthy my friend....this sucks!

Hope you are back soon, Spud! Try being out for the better part of two years.... Sucked. Wife is a saint...

During kitchen roughs I use a piece of strapping screwed to studs and mark it with what goes where with magic marker. One time, the electrician decided to use that for his needs, without asking...??? Last time I used his company. Is a friend too. Made his guys take their work down and bring the "story board" back to me in pieces. He whined about their time. Told him to pound sand.

Done with this one....still not sure that I like the island in the expresso color. Nice part about doing all these houses with white cabinets is.... any left over crown, soffit, fillers or toe-kick can be used on the next job if I run short.
A co-worker of mine is doing the stair finishing now......and doing it as well as I could. My hands have gone through a lot of use and abuse over the last 48 years in the trade........they dont function as well as they once did......even my pinky fingers are stiff and useless.....feel like they are just in the way.

Cleaned up ..... ready for occupancy.

Yesterday my boss asked me about my plans for retirement...I had mentioned to him a few months ago that I will turn 66 this december.
He has been struggling with how much work to take on in the coming year....says he may have to turn down jobs if manpower is not there.
He has always been very selective...or wary of new hires as they can be a total bust.

I told him that my head is still in it and I enjoy my work and the guys I work with. Bottom line is i intend to keep working until I cant. But also that I would like to have more time off during boating season....so part time next summer. He was glad to hear Im not going anywhere. He told me that the almost new company truck I drive will be mine to keep when I leave.......I will start collecting my ss in a few months but salt them away for future use.
The camera is distorting the stairway picture.....I know for a fact that the railing mounted to the wall is dead nuts parallel with the skirtboard