what it's like to build: details

The design modifications to our Calchaqui Homes semi-custom-house plans began in March, 2010. We accepted a construction bid from Norberto Cornejo in August. Construction began in September.

By that time Calchaqui Homes had sent us numerous revisions of nearly 100 drawings that specified the detail of our house, including these:

1. aire acondicionado: air conditioning
2. antepechos: windowsills
3. arquitectura: floor plans
4. baño: bathroom
5. calefacción: heating
6. carpinteria: cabinetry
7. chimeneas: chimneys
8. cielorrasos: ceilings
9. columnas: columns
10. corrientes debiles: Internet, phone, & TV outlets/wiring
11. cortes: interior cross-sections
12. escaleras: staircases
13. estructura: structural supports
14. gas: gas lines
15. iluminación: lighting
16. lavadero: laundry
17. paisajismo: landscaping
18. parilla, aka asador: outdoor barbecue
19. pintura: painting
20. pisos: floors
21. pluvial: roof drainage
22. riego: irrigation
23. sanitaria agua: clean water
24. sanitaria cloaca: waste water
25. solias: thresholds
26. techos: roofs
27. toilette: powder room
28. tomas: electrical outlets
29. umbrales: thresholds
30. unifilar topologico: electrical box
31. vistas: elevations
32. zócalos: baseboards

We found the amount of detail daunting & wondered how to keep track of it all. How would we even remember what we had decided?

By mid-December we began to create a spreadsheet that would contain everything we knew about the house we wanted built. This task took us nearly a week. We created the spreadsheet as a Google document & shared it with our Calchaqui Homes liaisons & the Cornejo construction team.

We used this incrementally updated spreadsheet as the base document for all our meetings with Calchaqui Homes.

The benefits of the spreadsheet have been great. At all times, we know which design decisions are open & which are closed. By the time our house reached the finishing stage (now), all the decisions have been made.

Below I describe each section of the spreadsheet.

Costs

For our house, the uncovered, aka additional costs above & beyond the construction bid, include these items:

1. air conditioning
2. cabinetry that cost more than the builder bid
3. ceiling fans
4. granite that cost more than the builder bid
5. heating
6. irrigation
7. kitchen appliances (dishwasher, garbage disposal, microwave oven, refrigerator, stove)
8. landscaping
9. laundry appliances (combination washer/dryer, wine refrigerator
10. lighting
11. solar hot water system
12. window stop bars
13. wood-burning stove

We listed each cost along with this information:

1. item
2. brief description
3. supplier
4. cost
5. date we approved the supplier's bid
6. open issues

Drawings

We listed each drawing & this information about each drawing:

1. name
2. brief description
3. revision #
4. date we received the latest revision
5. open issues

Finish Details

Ooh, dauntingly long list: seems like it took forever to make all these decisions:

1. acequia extensions: locations, materials, shape
2. air conditioners (artefactos de aire acondicionado): # of units, kCal ratings, locations of interior & exterior units
3. appliances (artefactos): kitchen, laundry
4. backsplashes (revestimientos): kitchen, laundry, vanities
5. baseboards (zócalos): shape, type of wood, wood stain
6. bathroom tile (baldosa, porcellanato)
7. bathtub (bañera): shape, size
8. bidets (bidets)
9. bridges (puentes) over the acequia: how many, material, shape
10. cabinet handles (manijas)
11. cabinets, interior & exterior (carpintería): bathrooms, kitchen, laundry, pantry, linen closet, walk-in closet
12. ceiling fans (ventiladores): attached light fixtures, heights, locations, models, switch locations
13. closets (armario, ropero): height of hanging rods, rod material, shelving
14. countertops (mesadas): bathroom vanities, kitchen, laundry room
15. door & window handles (manijas) & latches (picaportes)
16. door keys & locks (cerraduras)
17. door sashes (bastidores): shape, type of wood
18. driveway surface (superficie del acceso vehicular)
19. electrical outlets (tomas): # of outlets per plate, locations
20. faucets (grifo, grifería): bathtub, bidets, kitchen, laundry room, lavapies (foot-wash), showers, vanities
21. flooring, interior &amp (pisos); exterior
22. garden borders: location, material, shape
23. glass (vidrio): cabinets, doors, windows
24. hose bibs (llaves)
25. hot water heaters (caldera, calefón): brand/model, locations
26. lighting fixtures (artefactos), interior & exterior: heights, locations, switch/plate brand/model & locations
27. lintels (dinteles): locations, shape, size, type of wood, wood stain
28. mirrors (espejos): full-length, vanities
29. paths (senderos): location, material
30. plants (plantas): list of plants, planting locations
31. ponds (lagunas): depth, lining, plumbing
32. radiators (radiadores): # of elements per, brand/model, locations, temperature regulators, zones
33. roof beams (vigas): shape, size, type of wood, wood stain
34. screen doors & windows (telas mosquitera): framing, type of screen
35. shower enclosure (mámpara): material, shape, size
36. showers (duchas): height of showerheads
37. sinks (bachas): kitchen, laundry room, vanities
38. staircase (escalera): banisters, rails, steps
39. thresholds (solias, umbrales), interior & exterior: materials, shape, size
40. toilet roll holders (portarollos)
41. toilets (inodoros)
42. towel racks (toalleros, perchas)
43. trellis beams (vigas): shape, size, type of wood, wood stain
44. window sashes (bastidores): shape, type of wood
45. windows, fixed (paños fijo) & opening (hojas de abrir)
46. windowsills (antepechos): shape, size, material
47. window stop bars
48. wood stove (salamandra)

For each finish detail we listed the following:

1. item
2. specifications including, where applicable, brand & model numbers
3. date of decision
4. open issues

Ok, this is very anal, but guess what: we think it's working. Hardly any last minute decisions or missing component schedule delays. When it's over, we'll tell you how it all worked out.