Surviving Hurricane Harvey

In the process of purchasing the Joan of Arc property, I got to know the previous owner, who had lived at that location for decades. She shared with me her struggles about surviving floods in her home. I was inspired to build a new house so that its future homeowner would feel more comfortable when a severe rainstorm would hit Houston. The new house's finished floor of the foundation is two feet above the crown of the road (which is over 3.5 feet above the old home's floor). In addition, the french drains around the perimeter, coupled with the finished grade, will allow any excess water in the back and side to escape faster.

When Hurricane Harvey dropped eight inches of water in two hours on Saturday August 26 at 8:00 p.m., Bunker Hill Road was about two feet under water.  The water came 23 feet from the front door and never entered house. There was no ponding in the back yard and the back yard drained perfectly. Further, the driveway was never under water.

I am truly grateful that the JOA home was spared, but I realize that others were not so fortunate. My fellow Houstonians are still out there struggling and my prayers are with them. When the sun finally came up on Wednesday, so did the spirits of many people. The rebuilding has already began. From what I've seen in Houston, the city is resilient and we will rebuild it together, one house at a time. #HoustonStrong

JOA Paint Colors and Paint Finishes

When selecting the house finishes, the paint colors and paint finishes are just as important as the marble and light fixtures because they can set the tone and establish the first impression as guests enter the house. There are different degrees of painters and selecting the right painter to paint your trim and cabinets can make your dream white kitchen look stunning. Knowing and understanding the preparation process can help narrow down the right painter for the job.  

Selecting paint color is a daunting task, specifically when selecting the "white" for the house. White is the most difficult color to select because it absorbs the colors around it.  For example, if you have live plants inside the house, the white may look more greenish or if you have soft 3000K LED lights, the white may look more yellowish. Natural stained white oak floors may make the white look more pinkish.  This is the beauty of white. For the Joan of Arc house, I chose a softer and warmer white to balance the black steel doors and to allow the white undertones in the marble counter tops to stand out.  In addition, I chose a deep dark midnight blue for the kitchen island to counter balance the black steel doors in the great room.  The dark blue has enough weight and contrast to highlight the white marble island.  Stay tuned for updated pictures.

Square vs Bull-nose Edges

One of my design philosophies is to maintain "clean" lines.  I want to share my thoughts about how to implement my clean line design in edge finishes.  There are many edge finishes in a house, such as wall corners, counter-top corners, and stair treads. Have you ever thought about what type of edge finish you like?  The most common edge used is the bull-nose edge, named after the rounded nose of a bull.  It is basically a rounded corner as if there is a semi-circle at the end. Below is a photos of a bull nosed stair tread.

Even though the bull-nose is most common, I prefer square edges. A square edge, like its name describes, is less rounded. It is a pointed edge with a slight ease to it. My preferred ease is 1/16. 

 

      

JOA Marble Install Part 1

The fireplace surround and hearth are the first to get the marble slab installed.  It will be surrounded with cast stone.  This is one of the whitest natural stones available and it will be the same stone installed on the kitchen island, countertops, and backsplash.  

 

JOA Prep and Prime Trim and Cabinets

The painters are starting to sand, caulk, prime, and clear coat the trim and cabinets. The picture below shows painted hinges but those are only temporary hinges. Once we complete painting, new black door hinges will be installed to match the door knobs. 

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JOA Driveway- Update

Pre-pour concrete inspection passed and it is time to pour.

FYI - I like to install 4 inch pvc sleeves across the driveway so it will be easier to install lawn sprinklers and other landscaping lights. 

This time it took only 3 cement trucks.

 

 

JOA Driveway and Metal Roof

We finished installing the special Silver Metallic metal roof and it comes with a level 4 certificate for insurance credits. At the same time, we started to set the forms for the 20 feet wide drive way. We installed new culverts to allow a straight drive-into the garage.  In addition, we will install some curb "checks" over the culverts just in case someone forgets that there is a ditch there.

 

JOA Rough Ins

I love it when trade guys come in, install what they need to install, and finish on time.  Good job MEP, Low Volt, and Fire Sprinkler.  

Onto insulation and sheetrock. I hope you like the fire place herringbone design.