Sunday, November 01, 2009

Measure once, cut twice

I have some major, MAJOR concerns about my new laundry area. Or rather, with those working on the laundry area. These concerns are beyond the question of whether a building permit was necessary (I insisted) and beyond the fact the work did not pass said building inspection. My current concerns are of the arithmetic kind.

At the beginning, the contractor suggested that the doorway from the new room to the rest of the house be cut last, to minimize the migration of dust into my living quarters. I wondered (unfortunately, not out loud) how the carpenters would verify the height of the new floor would match the height of the floor in the house, but hey, that's what tape measures are for, right?

When they first framed the floor, I thought it looked kind of high, but I measured and it seemed close enough. So again, I did not say anything. Now that they have laid the plywood on top of the joists, the floor looks really high. Again, I measured it and there is a good 1" difference, with the subflooring and Durastone yet to be added. A tripping hazard if I ever saw one, and definitely not according to plan.

Friday they also delivered the door. The door that, including the frame, measures 33" wide. There is a pipe (the stack?) going up the wall where the door is to be installed, which allows only 29" for the doorway. Seriously. Unless that pipe is part of the old plumbing and destined to be removed, the door is simply not going to fit.

I am the first one to admit that my construction skills are nil (which is why I hire people to do my home improvements), so maybe, just maybe there is some kind of magical explanation for these whacky measurements. If not, this project is a big FAIL and will require a DO OVER. Oh, and did I mention I am on Angie's List? Heh.

On a brighter note, my SO and I once again spent the afternoon in the backyard (and the weather was perfect), him finishing off the mulch pile and me continuing to put the garden to bed. Mission accomplished, on both fronts. I can't express how grateful I am for his help. He not only does the heavy lifting, but because he is helping, I work harder than I would if left to my own devices. Thanks, hon!

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