November 15, 2018. This frame is one of a pair that I have purchased for Tumble Moon. I’ve been trolling online quite some time searching for this style called Tramp art to use as vanity mirrors at Tumble Moon. Charley ended up finding them right here in Dallas. Not only are they quirky and rustic, but they have the perfect dimensions to fit in the wall space above each bathroom sink.
May 2, 2018. I, Charley (architect), and Michael Parkey (landscape architect) met with multiple contractors at Tumble Moon in Saint Jo. It was a very long hard day. One of the contractors was the son of my general contractor, who has been undergoing extensive treatment for some serious illnesses. The son had been brought into the company to take care of things while his dad took care of his health. He had not met any of us and had to be filled in and brought up to speed which included going over the building of the side-door deck and steps and of course, the front porch’s elaborate system of steps and terraces. This was at least the third time, and hopefully the last, going over all this. I had construction documents drawn up to give Jacob, the general contractor’s son. He’s an engineer, so this was helpful.
Tumble Moon status updates are currently being created. This year’s construction progress had quite a few hiccups, and then there were months where no progress was being made. Needless to say, it’s been an extremely frustrating year. Since it’s been a year since the last update, I have decided to break up 2019’s developments into multiple posts. This will take some time, especially since there will be a ton of photos to organize and then upload. So check back sometime in late January 2020. In the meantime, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
This update is three and a half months late. Not much has occurred since this visit at the very end of October, because we’ve been on hold waiting for the septic system to be installed. And the reason for this delay was because of a major communication hiccup between contractors. The electrical trench and water pipe were installed right through the area where the septic field was suppose to be. So we all got together and discussed the pros and cons of viable placement options. Meaning… Once we agreed on the new location, new plans had to be redrawn and then permitted. Then the holidays happened, folks got sick, and the weather has been working against us. Long story short, three point five months later, the septic system has now been installed, but we’re waiting on the electrician to provide an electrical outlet in the pump house so we can plug in a heat lamp to keep the water from freezing and bursting pipes.
Here’s the progress as of Friday, September 15. The interiors have now been painted, the stair bannisters and counter tops are now in place, the water pipes are now connected to the well, and the house now has electricity. The tiling of the kitchen backsplash, bathrooms, and hearth had just began on the day I was there, and as of last week, Friday, October 6, all of this had been completed. This week, the light fixtures and door hardware, which are there and waiting, should be installed, and I will also be ordering all the appliances. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait to place them until after the floor has been stained. The septic system should also be installed soon. The poor guy who will be doing this had to wait until all the water pipe and electrical trenching had been completed.
The fifth and final site plan concept. The wood steps down from the porch have to end in a wood landing because the landing will be about 2′ above the slope below. This is too much grade change for the lower steps. From that landing down to the parking area are formed concrete steps with stone veneer applied to the top surface. There are two identical runs of steps (4 risers and 3 treads) and one 4′ x 4′ landing. We may not need the retaining wall you see near the bottom of the slope, because the lower steps are now going to be formed concrete.
Michael Parkey, the landscape architect, is currently tweaking this concept, and the final site plan should be ready for me to show you in a couple of weeks. Stay tuned.
Here’s the progress as of Thursday, June 29. All the cabinetry had been installed, and the carpenter was informed on how to proceed with the trim work. The painter applied floor stain samples and interior paint colors for our approval. Unfortunately the floor stain was not at all what it was suppose to be, but the selected interior wall, ceiling, and window/door trim colors were perfect. The design and materials for the front steps and the descent down to the driveway were finalized, and one final site survey was done. I know I’m forgetting several somethings, but the following photographs should illustrate how far things have progressed.
My landscape architect’s accompanying letter:
Attached are three sketches for the driveway, parking, and porch steps.
There are two major problems that we are trying to solve. The first is the elevation change from the finish floor height (FF) of the house (assumed to be 100.0′) and the garage and parking area. The difference is about 10 feet. The second is the tight maneuvering space for cars between the garage and the house.
Last week we all met at Tumble Moon to go over wood floor options, exterior colors, and interior paint, tile, and countertop colors. And most importantly to work out the site’s grading and how to develop the approach to the front of the house, which I will cover in a future post.