Day 87-89: Energy Star Audit and Failed Electrical Inspection

Days 87/88: Saturday/Sunday, July 13/14, 2013...No work on the house.

Day 89: Monday, July 15th, 2013:

Energy Star 3.0:
They did our Energy audit today and passed with flying colors. I didn't quite realize how excited I was about having a house that can properly heat and cool on every floor and in every room.  I wouldn't have really known this but I've been observing how consistent the temperature is in every room in the house now that the AC is running. Then I come home to a 8 year old house built by the lowest bidder and the main floor can be either comfortable and the upstairs is broiling hot or the downstairs is freezing and you can almost not stand to be upstairs (in certain rooms).  The winter is the exact opposite.

Drywall:
The drywall guys were back in patching up the holes the electricians made and working off more blue tape discrepancies.

Electrical:
The final electrical failed.  The inspector claimed there was supposed to be a light on the stairs leading to the basement.  When I was there for the rough inspection, the inspector specifically noted the light at the top of the stairs and bottom of the stairs and was satisfied.  The PM checked the prints that were submitted to the county for approval before construction and the electrical was built according to the plans they approved when they issued the permit.  He is going to talk tot he inspectors and see if this is right.  the solutions they were coming up with to fix the problem, I really didn't like.  For instance a sconce on the wall or a dome light.  The sconce I would run into and would have to remove to get furniture down there and the dome light is ugly and we would see if every time we would walk by because the stairway is open.

Front Columns:
We've been waiting for the fluted columns that go above the transom window in front of our house.  The siding installer thought they were the wrong ones so the re-ordered them and as it turns out, they are the ones they are using now.  RH has been having trouble with the supplier that makes these items and it is possible they are deviating from the original design based on the available material.  I've tried to check pictures of older homes to see what they used but can't find pictures with high enough resolution.  High Hopes for your Highgrove used the same ones we received, so I guess they will work.

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On the Horizon:
- The punch out guy will be working on the house all week getting ready for the QI.
- Electrical re-inspection scheduled for Tuesday but nothing has been done to correct the problem yet.
- Painters come back in Wednesday to do the touch up.
- Landscapers come on Wednesday and will do the entire yard in 1 day.
- Hopefully the trim will be put on the front of the house now that we got resolution on the columns.
- The new glass cabinet back can be put on too.

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Missing parts:
- Cabinet back for Glass Cabinet in Kitchen (Came in, just needs to be installed)
- Columns for either side of front door (Came in, but same part as what we already had)
- Ceiling fans (MIA)
- Surface mounted light for formal living room (MIA)
- Niche Light for Upstairs
- Door knob for laundry room door
- Cracked front window in dining room

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So what's left?

Electricians:
 - Swap wrong fixture in the Formal Living Room (Still waiting on Light)
 - Need to install all our ceiling fans (x4). Waiting for these to come in.
 - Lights in basement (Storage areas) are all linked together are supposed to be on their own switches (didn't verify this was done yet.).

Trim:
- Interior Door Handles (They missed 1. Will probably be installed by Punch Out Guy)
- Replace cabinet back for cabinet above microwave (they were going to install the electrical outlet for the microwave in the glass front cabinet...so basically you would see the outlet and plug for the microwave)
- Tighten one of the railings on the cat walk

Plumbers:
- Shower surrounds (x2)
- Install Gas Cook Top

Painters:
- Do touch ups from future blue tape rounds (this will probably include all the painting from the repairs above)
- Exterior trim needs to be painted (Finish this once parts come in for trim around door)
- Paint front door (apparently the door that was painted in our house was not ours...but the same color)

Appliances:
- Install Gas Cook Top (Done by Plumbers)

Siding:
- Finish trim around front door and foyer palladium window (Parts came in and they were the exact parts as the other ones. Apparently they can't get the correct ones and this is what they are using now.)

Excavation:
- Finish grading the front yard after cement is poured. This will be done by the landscaping company.  I also asked if they were going to run a rock hound over the yard and the answer was "Yes".  This is going to be done by the landscaping company, not the excavation company.

Flooring:
- Install carpet runner on stairs (still haven't done this)
- Fix large gap they left next to wall in basement. The carpet didn't quite make it all the way to the wall.

Landscapers:
- Everything (Trees, shrubs, bushes, sod, seed, straw and irrigation system)

Drywall:
- Work off blue tape discrepancies (This has already begun)

Other Misc.
- Install permanent air vents on first floor
- Hang front door and install handle and lock set
- Caulk around the outside of the windows and in between the brick
- Put Address #'s on Mail Box
- Insulate Attic Stairs (They are going to do some sort of batting at the top of the scuttle)
- Paint Attic Stairs closure
- Install covers/trim pieces over dryer vent in laundry room
- Install covers/trim pieces over washer spigots in laundry room

Inspections:
- Final Electrical Inspection (Failed)
- Final Plumbing Inspection
- Final HVAC??
- Water Inspection by Health Department (Can be done at any time now)
- Final County Inspection for Certificate of Occupancy (This is ready once electricians and plumbers are done...can be anytime between the end of this week and end of next)
- Quality Inspection by Third Party (This is a bigger deal to the PM than the above inspections. This is one of the things that effect their bonus...I suspect they will be preparing for this the next week or more).

Utilities:
- Need to run cable to the street (or the ugly box in front of my yard)
- Need to run telephone to the street

Home stretch:
- Clean house, garage, yard and get ready for closing