Rock and Stucco

The rock retaining wall looks beautiful today after the little bit of rain we had which washed it clean. I asked Elizabeth to sit on the wall to give perspective to the size of the wall. It has a very nice thick ledge. The landscape planned in this area will be rock and drought tolerant plants native to Texas.

The back porch and dormers are ready to go if the stucco comes in today. On the back porch we had planned on putting rock on the bottom half and stucco everywhere else. Were are hoping the stucco we ordered arrives tomorrow. Then the rock men can move forward completing all the stucco work needed preparing for the roofers to come on Tuesday. That is why I say we are hoping the stucco comes in today.

Rock Step Entry

Paul has been at the house very early every morning this week when the rock layers arrive. He had a clear idea of how he wanted the front entry to look. Meeting with the Foremen each morning was worth his hours of effort. The entry steps came out just as he planned. He surprised me by adding the entry walk from the drive way which was a great idea. Beautiful job!

The framers completed the closet stair case to the third floor attic. Then they moved on to our latest building change. We added a sitting room in the second story attic above the garage. This was originally Elizabeth's idea she has always wanted a secrete room. It is no secrete any more!

First Step

The retaining wall started going up yesterday in the afternoon. Those men don't fool around. They had the first step in by 9:00 am this morning. My sister asked what kind of rock we were going to use for the wall. I should have posted this bit of information. It is the same rock used on the house. Once the sawdust is washed off the rocks it will look like the rock on the house.

Rock Retaining Wall

The bulldozer came yesterday and moved the dirt in front of the house around to the back of the garage. I don't have pictures of Marcus Herrera moving the dirt. He never called us to tell us he was at the house! I think he likes to work without an audience. He did a super job moving the dirt from the front to the back by the garage.

Early this morning Paul met the rock layers at the house. He wanted to make sure they understood our plan for the retaining wall. They understood the plan and started digging the trench preparing for the cement truck to arrive at noon. These men are very talented at what they do. After the cement truck left they went back to work on the front of the house. They had just a little more rock to lay at the front today.

We are hoping the retaining wall is completed before Thursday, there is rain in the forecast for Thursday.

Rock Delivery

Paul and I worked on the retaining wall markings yesterday. The rock-men are going to build a retaining wall for us in the front of the house. Later in the afternoon I went back to the house to continue on the markings and ran into the electrician. It was wonderful to see progress being made while waiting on the rock. We went back over to the house this morning and found the electrician back at work on Saturday. I like him.

While we were at the house the rock delivery came. At the same time the cabinet maker stopped in to see the house. We talked to him and his wife for a short time and will meet with him at a later date. They really liked the house especially the view from the balcony.

Out of Rocks

The rock work continued around the chimney yesterday until the men ran out of rocks. We will have to wait on another shipment before they can start up again.
The electrician was pulled off our job yesterday and will hopefully be back tomorrow.
Elizabeth and I have been at Angelo State University the past two afternoons. She met their requirements for the High School Dual Credit program and will start classes next week. We are happy parents and she is excited to start college courses.

Rock Work

The rock work continues around the perimeter of the house. The men completed the back of the house over the porch yesterday. Today they are working at the side of the house over the garage around the second chimney. Now all they have left is the rock on the front of the house.

We met the painters today. They started working on their prep work before painting the trim on the dormers. I told them of my concerns for them to be working up on the dormers without a safety rope. They agreed that it was pretty high on the roof and discussed tethering themselves around the waist through the upstairs dormers. I liked that idea.

We met with the electrician yesterday all morning going over every outlet and switch through out the house. He was very helpful and patient with us.

South Concho River Flood

Saturday morning at 4:00 a.m. Paul woke to rushing water right through our camp. The South Concho River was flooding about 50 ft. from the trailer door. Hurricane Erin had dumped over six inches of rain in less than 24 hours causing the river and draws upstream to flood. This flooding continued right down stream to our camp. The South Concho River goes right through the little town of Christoval where our home is being built. The river water broke over the bridge through town. It was estimated by the local news station the river rose 12 feet in order to breach this bridge.

This photo of Elizabeth walking her dogs was taken Sunday evening after the water had receeded. The hump she is walking over and all the area behind her was covered in water in the above photo the day before. Our swimming fun is over for this season. It is not safe or healthy to swim in the river for the remainder of this year. I think the last time the river rose almost this high was the summer of 1992. We were here on vacation at that time. I will have to check that date to be sure.

Gold

There's gold in them there rocks! The rain from Hurricane Erin washed all the saw dust and dirt off the rock last night. With the rock washed its true color showed through, gold! After the storm when the rock dries out the gold color will be less bold. I posted pictures of both a wet and a dry wall to show the contrast.

Stucco Sample

We went to the house very early this morning to meet with our builder before he started his days work. We had several fears and concerns to discuss with him. His is very easy going and always helpful with our many needs. Afterwards one of the rock layers started smearing the sample color of stucco we chose on one of the dormers. He laid the stucco with such ease just like someone frosting the icing on a cake. It is always exciting to see the next project start. We were not positive about the color and had to call on Rita to drive up and help us. With Rita's great eye for color we were able to make a color decision. After the stucco dried it matched the mortar color in the rock just perfectly.

The rock men continued working up the garage wall this morning until it was complete. They stopped for a short time at lunch then moved around to the back wall of the house. They will complete the rock on the screened porch after the back door is installed. Hopefully the door we ordered will be in tomorrow so they can finish the rock on the porch.

Fireplace

The fireplace in the photo is in Paul's study. Notice the cinder block wall going up behind the fireplace? The cinder block goes right up through the second floor for added strength in the center of the house.

The rock work continued around the back side of the house today.

Rocked Chimney

I was in town today and did not have time to drive by the house. Paul and Elizabeth took this picture so I could see today's progress. Wow! was I surprised at how good the rock looked all the way up the chimney wall. Take a peak at the photo from yesterday, and then the finished chimney wall today. It looks great finished. We are so happy with this color of rock.

Second Story Rock

The rock is going up the second story today. That scaffolding is way up there! I noticed the scaffolding swayed back and forth a little as the men moved around on it. This didn't seem to bother the masonry men at all, just me.

The front porch rock work is completed and looks just great. Can you see our girl on the porch? We purchased two front porch lights this week which will flank the front door. Paul thinks he would like a train whistle as our front door bell. I think I would prefer something more traditional.

Rock Half Way

The first day the rock started going up the walls of the house I hadn't notice the rock was not actually on the house at all. There is about a two inch gap between the rock and the house wall. When the mortar meets one of those metal stems attached to the wall of the house the mason bends it down into the mortar. These metal stems in the mortar hold the rock to the house. I am learning new things every day.

These men make rock laying look simple, they do it with such ease. I am sure it's not, but they make it look easy. We have enjoyed watching them work at their craft. It makes us think we could make a rock wall entrance to our place ourselves. Maybe.

By the end of today the rock almost cover the entire first floor. Monday, onto the second floor.

Rocks Going Up

The rock continues up the walls. The masonry crew was a little larger in number today. While the men worked from the scaffolding they had extra helpers below who continually refilled their rock and mortar. They have their work well orchestrated. Before noon they were already above the first story windows. After lunch they started on the wall inside the screened in porch. They will come back tomorrow, Saturday.

The heat and air conditioning men were on the job again today. I felt sorry for them having to work up in the attic laying those vents, it was a very hot day today.

The electrician came late today to put in the plug boxes on the outside of the house.

First Rock

This morning we had a great surprise. The first rocks went up on the east side of the house. Late last night a large load of the correct color rock was dropped at the house. This morning the builder called to tell us Pablo and his masonry men were ready to start applying the rock to the house. We sped over to the house as fast as we could.

We took our pictures of the Starbucks building rock style that we liked to show to Pablo. After he looked at the pictures he understood exactly what we wanted. He then made us a test pattern on the wall to make sure we agreed with his pattern and it was perfect. From there his men took off with the rest of the east wall. Watching them select the right size rock, chip it then apply the mortar caused me to realized what an art form masonry work really is.

Rock Yard

We drove out to the Hill Country Rock Yard in Kerrville Texas on Tuesday. The rock yard had a large variety of rock to choose from. Before we arrived we thought we knew exactly what we wanted. We walked around their yard looking at many different piles of rocks and after seeing all their selections we were confused! The owner Kevin, spent some time with us explaining the difference between color and style. He could see we were still confused and offered to drive us around Kerrville to actually look at some homes with the rock color we liked. Afterwards we were able to make our choice because his tour was very helpful.

There was a Starbucks in town with the exact color and style we liked. Kevin told us this color of rock was called gold and the style is 8 to 12 inch cut rock with a few 4 to 6 inch smaller pieces of fill. We placed our order and went back to Starbucks before we left the beautiful hill country of Kerrville. We enjoyed a large frappuccino together admiring the rock on the outside of their building.

Duct Work

"There is a lot of duct work in a two story," Joe the installer said this morning. I think that was his way of saying they would be working on the heating and air the rest of the week. This same company delivered the living room fireplace this morning.
The fireplace we chose is made by Inglenook called the Country Flame. It is a wood burning stove with blowers and will easily heat the first floor. I am looking forward to staying toasty warm this winter after the long unusually cold winter last year.

Trane Heating and Air Conditioning

We chose Trane for our heating and air conditioner units. The installers brought the heater last week. The space for the heater is above the garage right next to the dormers. The installer will be back Monday. He will continue to install all the duct work next week. The rest of the unit will be placed in the third floor attic.

The builder Steve Gaines swepted up all the floors in the house Thursday and Friday. He is very neat. He always keeps the outside perimeter cleaned up too. He said he dosen't do house work, but does keep a neat work area. Steve said the electrician should be out this next week to start on the wiring.

The plumbers did a very neat job insulating all the hot water lines through out the house. Their work is complete for a while.

Wrong Rock

The plumbers have finished their work for now and the framers are at a stand still until the roof goes on the house. However, we can't put the roof on until the outside-rock arrives. After the rock arrives we can better select a color to paint the stucco on the dormers. The stucco has to be painted before the metal roof can go on....and so forth. Unfortunately, most of the rock quarry in San Antonio is under water due to all the recent rain. We concluded we would just have to wait on the quarry before we could move forward.

We went to the house after lunch today and found a pile of rock had been dropped off. We were so happy we could now move forward! Paul was so excited he jumped out of the truck before I could stop and park. By the time I met up with him he had noticed the quarry delivered the wrong color of rock.

Within an hour the masonry-man Pablo met us at the house and agreed this was definitely the wrong rock. It was too white and dark brown. We had selected a cream to yellow color rock from a sample Pablo gave us weeks ago. We decided the best thing to do is to drive out to the rock quarry in Kerrville this next week to select the rock color. We want to make sure the color of rock is right before we move forward.