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Cisterns & Waiting for Spring

Having completed the interior of The Villa at Beaver Grade and getting the exterior concrete poured, we eagerly await spring so we can do the landscaping.

Many people have asked us about “that big milk carton” in our yard. Let me explain. That big white thing is called a cistern, which we will install in the ground before we landscape. We will drain all our rain leaders from our roof downspouts into that tank. We will then use that to water our garden, shrubbery and yard.

Cisterns were very popular in centuries past, before the time of public water. People, animals and plants need water the most during dry times, so people used cisterns to save water during rainy seasons in order to use that water during dry seasons.

While Moon Township has excellent water, it does cost money. We will be able to use rain water for watering, and in times of emergency, we will have water for drinking if need be.

Waiting For Spring! Stay tuned.

Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. - Proverbs 5:15

[bachman1200]

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is (EIFS, Stucco)

I have heard this phrase said since I was a kid. As an adult, business owner and builder, it translates essentially as, “it’s one thing to say you believe in a product and another thing to actually spend your money on it.”

For years I have extolled the virtues of EIFS, (Exterior Insulated Finish’s System) or in other word, synthetic stucco. EIFS became popular in Germany in the post WWII period. The half ruined buildings were rebuilt with chipped bricks from neighboring buildings. 

Since the bricks did not match, they needed to be covered. Masonry stucco was not new to Europe, but the drawback to masonry buildings are that they provide very little insulation. This is where the foam insulation proves so very helpful.

A layer of foam is applied over a used brick structure and then synthetic stucco is troweled on top of the foam, creating a water-tight insulated covering that can be used to create a myriad of different architectural styles. 

Stucco can be used to create a Tudor manor house, a quoined formal French château, an arched Spanish villa, and yes, a Tuscan ranch. EIFS got into a lot of trouble in the US because it was applied over wood structures. While the EIFS seldom failed, windows, doors, and wood trim often did. Once the moisture got into houses, it could not get out.  A ton of homes rotted from the inside out. Most of the damage was caused in the Carolinas, where boom times in the 1990’s created a perfect storm; a product requiring great care and knowledge when applying, being applied by untrained crews working in a frantic pace to keep up with an unrealistic schedule.

For years I told clients that the product was not the problem, the application was, especially since EIFS industry developed a new waterproofing system membrane as an added precaution. Some building inspectors allow the EIFS foam to be mechanically attached over Tyvek Stucco Wrap but I have always believed, as does Moon Township’s building inspector, that two layers of paper are required. 

I tell the framer to install the Tyvek paper as if he is providing the only waterproofing and I tell the EIFS installer (or synthetic stone installer, which Is a similar products with similar dangers) that they need to apply their Tyvek paper as if they are applying the only waterproofing system. 

 After the paper, foam sheets are screwed onto the wall.

The screws are set into the foam so the foam can be scraped smooth and level. Then the dimpled holes are filled. 

 and the entire wall is brown coated.

I know the coating is actually grey, but we call it brown coating because the type of tradesmen that applies stucco used to apply plaster, which has a first coat that is actually brown. (I just wanted to clarify because, having grandchildren, when you call grey brown, you get corrected.)

The key to avoiding failures in an EIFS application is that the seams between the stucco and the windows and doors need to also be waterproofed. The most important thing is that the gap be as wide as a finger,

 which allows a wide caulk joint. This is the biggest challenge with all the EIFS contractors I have worked with over the years. They left small gaps and the smeared the caulk over the crack, not into it.

Once the brown coat is on and the gaps created, the finish is troweled on.

 I initially selected a color that was tan, matching some of the stone but Deby and a couple of friends told me that it would look better if the stucco was darker and stood out from the stone.  So we selected a darker color……………………..and had a moment of panic when the first finish coat was applied.

 Deby said our house looked like a pumpkin. 

I was concerned at first as well, but then we decided to give it the chance it deserved. Once the plastic was removed from the stone, we loved it! 

It is certainly not dull, and in fact I say that it is a happy house. I love it, Deby loves it and we have gone ahead with the rest of the exterior painting.

It truly is becoming a Tuscan country villa.

Stay tuned! Painting and Landscaping coming up!

[bachman1200]

Creative Concrete

“Breakfast on the veranda!” was a call I often made to my kids on Sunday mornings in the summer when they were young. I usually made Sunday morning breakfast, often featuring pancakes with nuts, fruits and raisins.  Sundays were the only time our family ate breakfast together and I loved to eat on our little back patio. My kids would snarl something to the effect, “It’s not a veranda Dad; it’s just a tiny porch.”  Their implication seemed to me that if it wasn’t a huge elaborate porch in Fox Chapel overlooking the Allegheny River, it could not be a veranda. But with an awesome wife, three wonderful children (albeit a bit snippy), and a little house of our own, I felt like an aristocrat even if my “veranda” did not measure up. (Don’t judge, this photo was taken in 1993 on a camping trip. A perfect visual for that “albeit a bit snippy” comment above.) 

Deby and I are doing much of the exterior work of our home and so have had time to visualize and create some unique spaces, a veranda indeed. This is the benefit of not being rushed with a deadline. The house and yard are a creative work in progress. As a craftsman, there is nothing more rewarding than being able to build some unique, custom work into your own dream home.

We are lucky to be helped in the forming and the design of the veranda with input from our family and friends, including Caleb and Nadia, our Pittsburgh grandchildren and a dear friend, Mr. Paul Harris, who shared a glass of wine with me one evening before we formed it (ok, so it might have been more than one glass).

 When we landscape we plan to plant a dense hedge on the outside of the arch, creating the feeling of enclosure, without the sight-blocking rail. We will eventually build a cooking center at the far end near where we currently have a grill.

We designed the front steps to be arched for several reasons. One is that it continues the Tuscan theme of simple arches. It also mimics the stone arch above the porch, creating a unity of form. 

Deby and I also formed the curved concrete.  I cannot wait to see my five grandchildren sitting on the front steps this coming week when my son, John, gets married.

Lastly, the curved steps off of the master bath door lead down to what will be our outdoor shower room. Since I work in the construction field and love to hike and garden, I often come home very dirty. With this outdoor shower, Deby will no longer have to yell at me to “stop dragging all that mud into the house!”    

It’s all coming along nicely and we cannot wait to see where the winds of creativity take us. Thank you for following along as we take our time, creating our dream home. 

Until next time,

David

[bachman1200]

From Russia With Love (& some WWII history)

Well, technically, Russian speaking Vladimir and Valarie are from Belarus, a former republic in the USSR which is now independent. Vladimir and Valerie are recent immigrants from Minsk which is the capital of Belarus. Their skill is only matched by their desire to do work correctly.

I have heard of problems with water infiltration into stone but these guys were very diligent to do all the flashing correctly. They were clean and their joints are admittedly much neater than the ones I did on our fireplace and the interior arch this winter. 

If people ask me the difference, I will have to have an excuse, I mean reason, why my joints are not as neat…can anyone help me out with a plausible reason?

I am very proud to have immigrants work on our house since they are legal, insured and pay taxes. They work for Ystone, a company owned by another Belarusian immigrant, Yury Horbach. The stone is Dutch Quality brand, supplied by P. F. Cook in Cranberry.

When we use cultured stone, it is a challenge to make it look like natural stone. One of the ways we do this is to use natural sandstone for the mantels, caps and pier caps. Another way to make the stone look natural is to apply applications on the house that make sense, and to use mass when natural stone would have had mass.

We were very careful to make the front porch arches very thick, as they would be if constructed of natural stone. On a personal note, one late addition to the plans was the little arch on the side of the porch. This arch was created for my oldest grandchild, Nadia, to sit in when she visits and waits for me to arrive home. My other grandchildren, well, I will make some curved steps to the porch for them. We will pour the steps and have pictures of them soon (although not soon enough for Deby!)

Back to Vladimir and Valerie, as a student of history, I had to ask them if they had relatives with remembrances of WWII. Given the horrific casualty rates of the Russian people in that war, they did not have a lot of relatives who had experiences that they could relay to them. But Vladimir did note that one of his aunts lived in Kursk, a few hundred miles to the south east of Minsk. Kursk was the site of the largest tank battle in the history of the world in the summer of 1943. The Germans were trying to regain the offensive that they had lost the previous winter in Stalingrad. Vladimir related that she said the skies were filled with planes from both sides and the tank battles were enormous and thunderous. It was a brutal defeat for the Germans and they never launched a major offensive attack again until The Battle of the Bulge, which is when my father went to the front in late 1944.

Thanks for following, more to come! 

David Bachman

[bachman1200]

Not quite a novel on why we chose a red tile entryway

Deby and I initially disagreed with the selection of flooring for our foyer. She wanted a formal, off-white marble tile and I wanted something less formal. I was able to convince her that our home is more like a Tuscan farm cottage, not a Tuscan palace. During this decision process we were waiting to be seated at a local Italian restaurant and took note that the bar floor was made of red clay tile and we were inspired to use that style in our home.

Since that sort of tile is often used outdoors, using it in the entry would give the foyer a transitory feel going from the exterior into the home, especially since we have a stone arch around that doorway. Deby and I completed the floor over a weekend and enjoyed the work. The tile is so hard and thick it can only be cut with a saw. Deby operated the saw and was a great “cut man” for me!

My desire to use red tile was not simply from an interior decor viewpoint; it was personal as well. I had a great uncle Bob who emigrated from Dundee Scotland with my grandfather, David. Bob was a carpenter and David was an electrician. David built a home for his family in the Beechview section of Pittsburgh in the late ‘20’s from a kit he purchased from Sears and Roebucks. They provided everything but the masonry and delivered it in sections as needed.

Uncle Bob did everything with the exception of the plaster and drywall. Unfortunately, he lost the home during the Great Depression. He told me later that if he had done the brickwork by himself, the mortgage would have been low enough for him to keep the home.

Later in the ‘50’s, Uncle Bob built a home with my Grandfather’s help in North Sewickley Township. That home had a red tile entry floor and I loved the earthy feel of it. It made the home feel warm, welcoming and organic which is what I want our home to feel like.

Those ancestors are not the only ones in my lineage who built homes. My great, great, grandfather Jacob Boehmer emigrated from Germany in 1880. My daughter Lindsay still has the trunk that he used to bring his family’s possessions over in. 

Over the next decade or so he and his sons built 6 houses for their large families on Mt. Troy Rd in Reserve Twp. The first house stayed in my family until 1999. Myself, my wife and my children have many awesome memories in that house and of our relatives who lived there.

When I was 8 years old I helped my grandfather put up an exterior pipe rail on the side of the house. When we were done, I went inside and my Aunt Lou fed me and I went to sleep. My grandfather reminded me later that the job is not done until the cleanup is complete, a valuable lesson.

While none of my ancestors started their own homebuilding companies, building is in my blood. My mother was an art major and my dad graduated from Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie Melon) as a civil engineer. I have often said that I am not as creative as my mother, and not as smart in math as my dad, so I blended their strengths and became a custom homebuilder.

Back to the present, since we did use the red tile flooring in the foyer, I am concerned that I might have to paint the white paint in the foyer a darker, earthier color. What do you think? Any suggestions?

[bachman1200]

Reusing Earth, Wood & Metal

While not being an extreme “greenie,” I do believe that we are to be stewards of the earth. The best way we can be good stewards is to build energy efficient homes. 

Every one of the homes I have built has exceeded energy codes at the time it was built. We became official Energy Star early on in the process and we are always careful to preserve trees when we can and try very hard never to waste topsoil. I figure that if it takes God so long to produce topsoil why should we waste it? 

Another aspect of being environmentally friendly is to recycle when we can. During the process of the renovation we made three trips to the metal recycling center. 

We also re-used some lumber from the original home so we could really see that we are living, not in a new home, but in a home that has been renovated. We therefore “harvested” hardwood and trim and made sure we used it when we could. Some of the trim in the lower level game room and does not match the rest of the home. I want it that way. This home has been a great home for some very fine people over the years and we want to celebrate that.

One other note on recycling wood. Old wood, particularly trim that we harvest from homes we renovate from the turn of the century (that means at the beginning of the 20th century for all you Millennials who think that the Beatles are part of ancient history), is much better than wood trim we get today. The “old growth” wood is much more dense and much more stable. Jon Houston, our field expert, and a much more knowledgeable person with respect to wood, has pointed out to me how many more growth rings are in a piece of old growth wood compared to new. Wood flooring is the same, although oak is still oak.

NOTE: Deby and I have moved in. Final pictures will come once we are more settled. The outside is a work in progress. Stay tuned for more and thanks for following along.

[bachman1200]

From Ecstasy to Agony in 24 Hours, Down Goes...

Deby and I handpicked the granite slabs months ago from Monte Granite. One slab had an arched pattern that we picked as the arched counter top. It was perfect. We had the countertops templated on-site then we met with Kelsey of Choice Marble and Granite to place the templates on the slabs in order to get the exact look we wanted. This was something Deby was very specific about. This piece was "her baby." When they were installed it was perfect. We loved them. 

The installers put a temporary support under the curved bar top and asked us to wait 24 hours to install the brackets that will hold them up permanently. But the next morning, another crew came in and thought that the top was self-supporting and removed it. Down, down, crash went our carefully chosen, beautiful, perfect granite piece, shattered on the stone hearth. 

We thought about gluing it together and putting a steel plate under it. But in the end we had to order and cut another piece. A piece that just didn't have the exact marbling and curve the original had. 

It was disappointing and needless, but we will move on……………After all, the wine, olives and cheese we put on the new top will taste just as fine as if the original top was there. 

Disappointments come and go in life. Construction projects are no different but crying over spilled milk, or smashed granite, is senseless. We keep our eyes on the positive, on the prize - a perfectly functional, still-gorgeous countertop/bar that will host many wonderful events and make many wonderful memories. 

As a bonus to this story, when I went to our home and saw the broken top and my vendor explained what had happened, an old memory came to me. An epic heavyweight championship boxing match occurred when I was a teenager. The announcer yelled “Down goes Frazier!” (also known as my granite.) 

For a Starbucks gift certificate, who was that announcer and who was Frazier boxing? 

Stay Tuned,

David

[bachman1200]

My John/Jon Ideas

I consider myself a highly creative builder - one that uniquely and equally distributes that creativity between new construction and renovations so it was a bit surprising to be outdone in that department by my two John/Jon's.

When my son John was home for Christmas, I proudly took him on a tour of our developing home. He really understood the Tuscany theme and casually suggested we bring a little of the outside into the inside. A stone entrance. 

Since I am more than capable (and willing as I quite enjoy playing with cement, stones and wood) of doing this work myself, it was not a huge financial increase in our budget. We went with it and couldn't be happier with the outcome.

My "other" John/Jon, my right-hand guy, Jon Houston, suggested we put the post under the end of the beam at the fireplace to add a balanced, more-authentic functionality apperence to the home.

I had what I thought were good reasons NOT to do either one, but to be a successful in any business project, one must listen to other's creative ideas and use that to make a project better. I'm thankful to be surrounded with creative, open and intelligent people. I cannot now imagine this house without these ideas.

Stay tuned - we're wrapping up! 

~David

[bachman1200]

Selections, Part 4: Lights, Camera, Cabinets!

Picking the lights was Deby's thang!!! And boy did she pick some very nice pendant lights from Cardello Lighting. Although a bit pricy, Deby assures me that these lights will make the entire home “pop” when we walk in and will make a bit of an eclectic statement. 

Knowing that Deby wanted a specific look with the granite tops, we chose a builder’s grade cabinet, but a very well built one from Wellborn Cabinets from one of our local designers, Larry Lucci. I told her we had to keep that selection in budget if she wanted her granite choice!

   Her counter top selection, which I do love, is white with black veining and just enough tan tones to tie into the Tuscan Cottage feel and to blend with the fireplace stone.

   I suggested to Deby that although the house certainly has a relaxed feeling, it can look like she had the kitchen installed by a designer from Florence, who brought a more sophisticated urban look to the kitchen with granite counter tops in a Carrera marble mode.  

Stay tuned,

David

[bachman1200]

Selections, Part 3: Meats & Cheeses, Posts & Beams - comprendere!?

Often new homes are built with one architectural design on the exterior but a different, sometimes more contemporary one on the interior. For instance, we have built some very nice Craftsman Homes with clean, simple and rustic exteriors but the clients have selected more elaborate painted colonial interiors. Deby and I chose to be consistent.

We both work hard long hours, me as a builder and her as a realtor for Berkshire Hathaway. So whether it is a cold Friday evening sitting at our open kitchen bar with the fireplace on or a Sunday afternoon on our shady rear porch, we want to enjoy a relaxing time with each other in a Tuscan manner. Our ideal - relaxing with a bottle of wine, some cheese and olives, and if I am lucky, some anchovies on Bruschetta. (No, Deby will not eat them, but since bruschetta is something I can make well, I will put anchovies on my half).

We want the Tuscany theme to pervade the entire home, inside and out. 

One aspect of Tuscan homes that worked well for us are the exposed wood beams that many of these homes traditionally have. As discussed in a previous blog, the only way this 1950’s home would work for us was if we removed the middle bearing wall to make the home open.

The necessary post and beam would work well, but when we looked at buying a simulated beam, the cost was very high. So chose to do what we have done for some clients in the past, we took regular framing lumber and ripped the edges on a 45 degree angle to make it look like an old solid wood beam

. 

The fun part is that this wood needs antiqued, and we were able to get some rough wood to start (our lumber supplier, H.P. Starr, is not used to hearing me ask for rough lumber). We then hammered it and I got a broken concrete block and dragged it across the wood. Deby wanted in on the fun and she grabbed another block.

Now I am a normal guy and do not like my lady’s hands all roughed up, but she was having too much fun so I let her continue her antiquing process. This was our Friday evening “date," and the fun we had will be fondly remembered.

  I can’t wait until we get the beams stained and “finished."

Enjoying the Process, David

[bachman1200]

Selections, Part 2: The Roof!

As discussed in an earlier blog, based on compromise, preference and the pitch of the current roof, we came onto the theme of a Tuscan Cottage. 

The Tuscan Cottage look, which is obviously a European genre, but works so well with low pitched roofs, both gable and hipped. But to really pull off Tuscany I felt we needed the look of a red clay tile roof.

 Let me just tell you, the cost of a real tile roof is prohibitive! So I searched high and low and found GAF brand Monaco shingles. Though also a significant upgraded that we wrestled with, we decided (well, I guess I should really say that I decided) this selection would be worth the upgrade.

Deby agreed, and as is mandatory if you are going to stay married for 37 years, my roofing decision came with some tradeoffs as she has certainly chosen interior upgrades that I did not think were worth the cost.

Somehow after all that discussion about the roof upgrade, Deby forgot what the shingle selection was because when she pulled up to the house the day the shingles were being installed, she called me in a panic.

“They are all curled up!” she exclaimed. I assured her they were not. “No!”, she said, “They are!” I explained that they are supposed to look that way to simulate clay barrel tiles that are typical for Tuscan homes.

Once completed, we BOTH believe that these shingles were a good choice; they look real! Like most upgraded materials, these shingles are more difficult to lay. We are fortunate that Ryan Zilwegger’s guys took the time to lay the pattern correctly. 

More to come,

David

[bachman1200]

Selections, Part 1 - Pick & Choose, Pick & Choose

Making selections for a new home or major renovations can be looked at in terms of the Agamemnon Theory. Agamemnon, in ancient Greek mythology, was a King who led the Greeks into the tragic Trojan War so well described in The Odyssey. Furious that Paris of Troy seduced Helen, his sister-in-law, Agamemnon seeks revenge. His actions, understandable initially, build upon each other until the bitter end results are catastrophic. 

How this pertains to Deby and me as we make selections for our renovation project is that each decision, while reasonable (maybe) based upon the previous decision, could produce financial catastrophe if we maintain that mindset. You can see the dangers of an Agamemnon trajectory. So we pick and choose, pick and choose - with functionality and energy efficiency remaining our top priority. 

For instance, we did upgrade to a really nice Therma-Tru front door so it would be logical to set it off with fantastic (expensive) light fixtures, right? Of course then the next step would be a pricey marble entry floor, etc.

There are simply so many options, so many selections so before we act like fat kids in a candy story, we check ourselves over and over.  Moderation is the key! Picking and choosing, picking and choosing.

Another selection we did not want to compromise on was the EIFS stucco, because not only does it look great (example)

but it is an excellent insulation choice. Having the inch and half insulation on the exterior of an older home is great way to seal it up, and will be an investment.

We did however, limit the stucco details around the windows, because the cost-devil is certainly in the details. Plus, when it came to the garage, which will not be heated, we decided to use Hardie fiber cement siding instead of stucco. The siding will work with the Tuscan Cottage look, and it will save a lot of money.

The stone we chose was in our original price-package allowance - a great selection from Dutch Quality Stone from our supplier, PF Cook,

I did remove the stone from the lower portion of the rear and side of the garage and will bring the siding to grade to save some money there. (Picking and choosing, picking and choosing!)

This is the fun, glorious and maddening experience that is building a truly custom home. It's what we're all about at Bachman Builders - the anti-Agamemnon builder. 

Stay tuned! Lots more selections to show you.

~David Bachman Bachman Builders, Inc

[bachman1200]

Open Up Your Heart & Let The Sunshine In!

Even though we have been in this business all our lives, and we have “opened up”other older homes for clients, we were not sure how our home would look opened up. But we knew we wanted a flowing floor plan where we could host large gatherings at which our friends and family would easily interact. We're all about opening our hearts and home! To make this possible, we removed the walls between the Family Room and Kitchen, 

the Kitchen and the Dining Room, 

and the Dining Room and the Family Room.

We will have one main beam down the center of the home with a post in the middle, bearing on the old fireplace foundation in the Basement. 

We also made the small double window in the dining room a larger triple window to create a lengthier feel in the house.

This particular home had another problem. The front door entered at the far end of the Family Room, making guests walk through the furniture of the Family Room to get to the rest of the home. So we moved the door and windows around on the front wall to make this happen. 

Now we will enter the front door into a Foyer, then walk the rear of the Family Room, which is a much shorter and more efficient traffic flow. 

We can't wait to throw our first shin-dig! 

[bachman1200]

No More Scary Basement!

We knew the home was not going to be big, and with only two bedrooms on the main floor, we expect lots of little visitors sleeping downstairs. Since those visitors will be our grandchildren, we wanted to ensure an anti-scary basement vibe! 

Our original idea was to have a Bilco door installed as the "legal egress" - a  way out of the basement in case of a fire. But we were concerned that younger children may not be able to easily get out in case of a fire so we built in a full door with concrete steps. 

Since that is on the far end of the basement, and the kids will sleep in the other end of the basement, we also added a legal egress sliding window that will have a ladder. 

While it does not seem so evident yet, when we are done, this window and door will add a lot of light as well - our anti-scary basement antidote.

Speaking of doors, the front porch is framed and I am excited to see it after the stone is applied and the front door installed. We debated the front door as to whether to spend the money to upgrade it to have glass. We decided that this was a good place to spend some money to set the Tuscan feel. I can't wait to see the front door!!!! 

[bachman1200]

A renovation update & a bonus rant about American's obsession with square footage

We love it!! That is what Deby and I said as we walked around our home this past Sunday before we had our first back yard fire.

Here's the thing. This home was a very simple home and as discussed in a previous blog, could have easily turned out looking like a giant double wide.  The master suite addition on the left side of the home and the garage addition on the right side of the home required us to spend a lot of time and let's be honest, a fair amount of money, adding architectural details. But details and decor are only surface deep if they're not also functional. 

While Deby and I do not say that this is the best home ever conceived, we are very happy and believe it will fulfill our desires for a compact, efficient, one level home that will serve us well into our retirement years. We can't wait to move in.

As appearance combined with functionality is a huge passion of mine, Deby and I walked room to room this past week and made sure everything was the best it could be for how we want to live. As we are finalizing all the demolition, framing and mechanical work, we mentally placed furniture, looked at the different views of the interior of the home from different perspectives and just walked like we will be walking in our home when it is done. More than once we would say something to the effect of this room is not exceptionally big but it really lives well.

(READ THE REST AT YOUR OWN RISK!)

This experience reminded me of something that I have often wondered in my 30 years in the homebuilding industry; Why do Americans buy most products based on function and style but they buy their homes based on square footage?

I never heard a Boomer say, Forget the BMW with all the features, I want the big white Chevy box van because it has more square feet!

Likewise, I never heard a Yuppie walk into a TV store and say, Don't show me those flat screens, I want the real deep ones that fit into a massive oak cabinet.

 Finally, I have never heard a Millennial (side note: I'm still slightly unclear about what Millennial even MEANS - does anyone really know?!) ask for a big wall hanging phone with the oversized handle instead of a new slim down iPhone.

So why the fascination with big barrack style homes with brick and windows on the front only and vinyl siding without windows on the side?

Only when buying a home do they ask to take as much quality out of a home as they possibly can, to barely meet code in order to make it as big as it can be.

In 100 years will our great grandchildren walk through our newly built neighborhoods like we walk through Sewickley, Shadyside and the parts of Allegheny City (the North Side) and marvel at the architectural beauty of the homes?

Likely not. And that's a shame.

End rant.

Tune in to your regularly scheduled sweet renovation update blog next week. I just couldn't help myself.

~David

[bachman1200]

Check out my MITERS!

When we first designed the additions to the house, we wanted to have a two car garage off of the right side of the existing home.

When we did the official survey though, we found that the right side property line had unexpected several bends in it, and the building side set back line prevented us from building the garage where we wanted it. So we moved it to the back of the house and angled it to keep it off the side set back line.

We liked the revision, but when our framer, Scott Ware of Ware Construction, was actually laying out the footer, he realized we did not need such a hard angle.

As I was in a client meeting all afternoon, he just redesigned the garage, mud room and rear porch on the fly. This is one advantage of working with the same people for close to 20 years; he looks out for my interests, knows what makes sense and just got the footer ready for the 3:00 pour.

Although the re-design is better in every way, it does make for some very difficult cuts of the roof and beams.

Notice the NICE MITERS on the beam cuts. I cannot wait to see what it looks like done! Better yet, I cannot wait to see it while sipping a glass of wine with my beautiful wife Deby on a Friday afternoon.

Bachman Builders, educating & building with integrity

mi·ter

ˈmīdər/

noun

a tall headdress worn by bishops and senior abbots as a symbol of office, tapering to a point at front and back with a deep cleft between.

a joint made between two pieces of wood or other material at an angle of 90°, such that the line of junction bisects this angle. (WE MEAN IT THIS WAY, but I wouldn't mind seeing Jon Houston in the other kinda miter) 

verb

join by means of a miter.

Stay tuned,

David 

[bachman1200]

From Breeze To Green

I have often heard people say, "They don't build them like they used to." Sometimes I agree, and say, "Thankfully they don't!"

When we removed the plaster from the interior walls, we discovered there was absolutely no insulation. As an Energy Star partner, we know that insulation is one of the most important aspects of building new homes. It's remarkable to think that this transformation happened within my lifetime - no insulation vs. energy efficient building.

When we are finished with the interior plumbing and wiring, we will insulate with modern applications including Tyvek paper on the exterior.

For our windows, we chose an exciting new product from Andersen. The 100 series allows us to choose a dark colored exterior casement window to compliment our Tuscany style. Until Anderson came out with this product, it was very difficult to find such a product in a economical vinyl window. 

We are confident that with insulation, house wrap and modern Andersen windows, we can keep the same 92% efficient Lennox furnace, even with the additional square footage. 

With all of these products, we will be ready to cozy up to the fire and keep the breeze away this winter.   

Stay tuned & live green!

~David