Southlake Update (Day 20)

It was day 12 (8/27) when these pictures were taken... Note the new siding above the porch.



(I should really crop my finger out of this picture, but I'm too lazy.)

Things are progressing well at Southlake. Of the list of items that were "up for this week" in my last post, everything has been done except for some of the electrical upgrades. The kitchen cabinets are on order, the sheetrock has been removed where necessary, the walls have been cleaned, the trees have been trimmed, the floor has been leveled and repaired, and the new bath and laundry room have been framed in.

The central air is also in, although apparently the technicians assumed the hardwood was not salvageable and carelessly cut several vent holes in the wrong places. This left holes where Andy will have to lace in new hardwood. This is a pain and a little nerve-wracking because the stain on new wood never quite matches aged wood. The only silver lining is that there was already one place where the hardwood is so distressed it has to be replaced, so Andy had already purchased some hardwood.

Further, the plumbing for the new bath and laundry is in and the new shower and replacement bathtub are installed. The guys spent Saturday replacing all four exterior doors, no small feat in a remodel as door replacements never seem to go smoothly.

Monday was spent working on the electrical and installing tilebacker in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Next steps: Complete electrical upgrades, patch hardwood, and sheetrock interior where needed.

After much consideration and debate we have (I think) decided to paint the exterior of the house, as we've done on several brick houses in the past. Painting brick is a very controversial decision, as in theory it takes something maintenance-free and makes occasional maintenance necessary. In our limited experience, though, the paint has a long life and the curb appeal and fresh look it gives the house make it very worthwhile. In the case of the Southlake house, almost every house in the vicinity has the exact same brick, and that influenced our decision as well. We think the paint should make the house stand out in a positive way and have a positive impact on the neighborhood.