Remodel Day 107 to 111 - 5/20/2011 thru 5/24/2011

This post is going to be a long one.  So get something to drink and get comfortable. 

We have spent MANY days and MANY hours discussing the electrical plan.  Tom's attention to detail has paid off for the electrical plan, but I now find myself trying to escape into the crawl space under the house to avoid any further discussion on this subject. 

The reality is that this was a much needed upgrade to the house.  The area of the house being remodeled was part of the original house built in 1937.  With the original wiring.  It was not good.  When we turned on the microwave the lights in the old living room would flicker.  We would joke that the ghost of Fairview Street was visiting us.  I guess the ghost will have to find a new place to live. 

OK - back to the remodelling update.  Have you ever just sat back and thought about where the electrical plugs and light switches should be in a room?  I never have, but BRAVO for you if you have!  We have been faced with the quality problem of having one large empty box (i.e. the addition/great room/kitchen/dining room/free for all room) and now we have to design where/how/what/why the lighting should function.  We started out by guessing and also had to keep in mind some of the code restrictions.  Such as having outlets no more than 4 feet apart and also the GFCI requirements when there is any sort of electrical near a water source.  It's exhausting, but Rob and Rich seem to understand it all so I guess that's all that counts.  Here's the link if you'd like to read up on it yourself.

http://www.ci.burbank.ca.us/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=2691

One night after the kids went to bed Tom and I took flashlights into the addition and pretended to walk through the front door and then into each room and marked each light switch.  Then we had to go back because we didn't remember that we had to figure out which lights should be turned on at each light switch.  Then we did it all over again the next day with the electrician and Rob.  If nothing else, Tom is thorough.  Or annoying.  It depends on how much time I've spent with him as he continues to talk through the project.  But I digress.....so after MUCH discussion, we think we have covered all of our bases.  Here's hoping. 

Enough talk now.....let's see some pictures.

Here are more recessed cans that will be in the great room.

And here is the electrical wiring being run.  The blue tape shows where the electrical outlets go.

The fuse box in the hallway.  It will be nice not to go outside to deal with a blown fuse.

Circle being cut for placement of the lights outside the front door.

Adding lights to the closet ceilings.

Now, onto the discussion of the air conditioning.  There were two different issues we had to deal with. One was how we were going to "equalize" the air conditioning throughout the house.  Some rooms were freezing and others were really hot.  The existing family room where we spent most of our time was always hot.  The middle bedroom was always cold.  So we needed to add another vent into the family room and make sure the air duct placement would not overpower any one bedroom.  Or at least we are hoping that's how it will all pan out.  I guess we won't really know until the end of the project.  Also we were surprised that the vents are placed in the ceiling and not in the walls. 



Here's a better picture showing the air vent placed in the ceiling rather than in the walls.  Well here's hoping you made it to the end of this post.  It was a long one.  If you did thanks for hanging in there.