The Red Stone

The floors are almost in. The floor in the living room is green slate. We purchased a red stone and we planned to place it inside the entrance to the house. After the floor was layed, we realized that there was a mistake and the red stone could not be put in the entrance. The green tiles were layed in the wrong direction. We had to decide, either to tear up the living room floor or find a new place for the red stone. So, we decided to find a new place for the red stone. We chose the outside entrance. After they finished laying the tile for the outside entrance, we found out that the red stone would not sit in the center. So once again we have to find a place for the red stone. To be continued...

I Like Our Bathroom and Green Window Frames

Here is a link to the latest tour of our house:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjD3xkDHoic

I spent most of Thursday afternoon walking through the house with Alan and Ofer. I had to pick the outside color for the house, the inside color, and the window frames. Alan showed me several small samples and it was hard to imagine what they would look like covering the whole house. I made some decisions, but I'm not posting them here without a picture.

Fortunately, Sima came home from the army just in time to help me pick the color of the window frames.

Sima Chose the Window Frames: Green

I really like our bathrooms. That's right, I have a bathroom and Harry has a bathroom. I will let him use mine from time to time.

Taking a Look at My Bathroom with Alan

A Look at Harry's Bathroom

An Update...Finally

I know months have passed since I updated this blog. I have a good excuse. Building a house takes a lot of time. There are so many things we have to choose and so many decisions we have to make. In general, I am not very particular about things. If they offered me one option, I would just do that.

In the end with all these choices, I think the house will be beautiful.

So where do things stand?

The inside walls are plastered and almost all the floors are in. They are working on the outside plaster, the roof, sealing the bathrooms so they can put in the floors, and finishing the other floors.

There have been days over the past months when it almost seemed to us that no one was working. I would go by the house after work and the progress seemed so slow. Today I went by and there were workers inside, outside, and on the roof!

Today I stood outside the house with Ofer (one of the builders). He was admiring the house and the work. He told me that from his point of view this house was built really well. "It will stand for at least one hundred years," he told me. "Unless the engineer miscalculated." he added. "And then it will all fall down."

Update

Here is a link to the latest video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCmky0__si4

The house is really coming along. We have had a few issues/questions come up over the past few weeks. Fortunately, I think we are working with really good people, and we seem to be able to resolve the problems quickly, and Harry and I are generally satisfied.

The view from the house is amazing. Harry and kids have gone up on the roof several times. (I went once, enough for me.)

Video of the House

Click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yNLa9lr9eE

Windows, Inside Doors, and Floors

Every night on my way from work, I stop and check the progress of the house. It is usually dark by the time I get home, so I just pull up in front and turn on my brights. This Monday, I could not believe it, I pulled up in front of the house and just sat there staring. The house looks great!

Tuesday, we met with Alan, Iran, and Ganadi and they are all very pleased with the house.

We made some real progress this week. We decided on the windows, inside doors, and floors. We chose windows from Elron http://www.elronltd.co.il/. I liked their windows and they have an electric shutters that I liked. http://www.trisolan.com/ We will have 2 electric shutters, one on each of the front living room windows that get the most of the sun.

The doors will be build by our neighbor Bentzi who does great work. It took us a long time to decide on the doors. I actually thought that would be an easy choice. I think I have become a little too knowledgeable on doors.

For the living room and back porch, we chose a

green slate floor. The idea was to chose a darker color floor, which will hold the warmth in the winter. The windows are designed so that the sun will hit the floor in the winter. In the summer, when the sun is higher and there will be less direct sunlight.

The kitchen is an ivory granite porcelain. Since it faces the north, we are not as concerned about the summer/winter sun. The color is paler.

In the kids area and our study, we chose a simpler tile and used a few colors. The rooms on the south have darker shades of the tiles than the rooms on the north.

In our room we also used a green granite porcelain. There is too much to chose from. Alan directed us and so far we have been really happy with everything he has suggested.

Finally Looks Like We're Gonna Build a House

If you want, you can click here:

http://www.kindersite.org/Directory/Content/Build%20a%20House.swf

The house looks great! The first floor is almost complete. The inside walls are up and they are starting the ceiling. That's Eli and me outside the front of the house.

About three weeks ago, Alan, Iran, Ganadi, and Harry and I met at the house. They had laid the blocks for the rooms on the first floor. We walked around and made some very minor changes. As soon as we were done, Iran told the workers to start putting up the walls.

Now that there are rooms, the kids have chosen their bedrooms. Leia and Sima plan to share the large bedroom and Sarida will have her own room. Eitan has taken a room for himself and Bentzi and Eli will share a room. The boys are on the side facing the meshek and the girls are on the side facing the street.
Now we have so many decisions. We are starting with doors and windows.

We need to pick inside and outside doors. I've been to about 4 places so far. Inside doors can be handmade or factory made, white, off-white, colored, or wood colored. The price can range from 800 NIS to 3000 NIS! We have 15 doors in the house. I have not mentioned the outside doors which can we also have to chose.

I have estimates from two window companies. There are 65 windows in the house. We have to chose the type of window and the look. Alan recommends insulated windows with double glass. One of the window people recommends what is called triplex, it is 2 pieces of glass with plastic in the middle. The advantage of the type Alan recommends is that it provides the best insulation. The triplex provides less insulation but is will not shatter because of the plastic.

Picking windows also includes deciding on the window covering. In Israel, it is common to put aluminum coverings called tressim. These keep the sun out and darken a room during the day. They can be electric or manual and open several different ways.

We haven't made any final decisions but we have to very soon. And then we can start choosing floors.