First major service call done

Well we've been in the house 3 months. We had a variety of small issues pop up and put in multiple service tickets. The Service Manager came out to take care of them or evaluate. Here's the rundown and remedies:

-French door deadbolt wasn't keyed right. He replaced it and fixed on the spot. 

-Evaluated siding we weren't pleased with. He related there are a few problems and they'll gladly replace in Spring. 

-Cracked sidewalk. Will replace in Spring.

-One Ethernet doesn't work. I tried contacting the vendor previously and got a run around. The SM got right on the phone with them and told them to fix it and stop the run around. 

-Kitchen cabinet door that had a sloppy touchup on (we didn't put in a ticket). He said no problem, was sloppy, will order new one and replace. It was just a minor ding, so we're very pleased. 

-Some interior door and drywall issues we'll take care of at the 10 month. 

-Driveway spalling. The SM was very upfront and said he can't make that decision, that decision is above him and will be evaluated in Spring. 

Overall very pleased. He was super nice and attentive and did not fight us on anything. The majority of our issues with paint/trim/drywall will be during the 10 month. 

Also feel free to join our Facebook group!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/518775804929369/

Come join our Facebook group!!

Jim and I decided to start a new Facebook group for all the owners of Ryan Homes.

If you are a longtime owner, halfway through the build, or thinking of maybe buying a Ryan you are more than welcome to join us. 

Here is the link:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/518775804929369/

The group name is the Ryan Homes Owner Group 

Hope to see you all there!! 

Rooms getting done

Finally putting the finishing touches on some rooms. Seems like we get 90% done, then get distracted and move onto something else. Ha. So family room is finally done. Just hung the curtains. The dining room is basically done other than wanting to hang a family picture canvas on the wall to the left, but we'll have to wait until spring to take it. Also the house across the street from us is almost done. Hope everyone else's progress is going well, and with any luck Spring is around the corner. (Again just crappy cellphone pics)

Crappy concrete work

I'm basically blogging this to establish a timeline and for future reference. Our driveway was poured on Nov. 7th and the sidewalk that goes from the driveway to the front stoop about the same time. One part of the sidewalk is already cracked. The driveway is also spalling badly. All the dark spots that look like kitty litter is the concrete crumbling. No salt was ever placed on the concrete from the snow. I believe too much water was added to the top when they were finishing it and overworked the finish causing it to weaken. I remember the surface in that area looking "wet" for quite awhile. Also the sidewalk crack from not properly compacting the soil. Well, they better have their jackhammers ready come spring to rip the problem areas out and replace. 

Sidewalk 

Driveway

Siding ripping off!

Well currently high winds here and our siding is ripping off! To say this will be addressed is an understatement!

Now a few hours later. 

Cheap storage shelving

So I knew that we wanted to do organized storage for one section of the basement. Nothing is worse than an overflowing basement, and we only wanted to dedicate one specific spot for it so we can finish the basement in the future. I bought what's called Shelf Links made by 2x4 Basics. I'll include a link below. Basically they are plastic links that you then screw 2x4's to. So it's super customizable. You can make it as tall or wide as you want. So I knew I wanted it 16 feet wide and the top shelf about 6 feet tall so I can use it up to the 8 foot basement height. It's standard at 16 inches deep. Now I did modify the shelfs from the plan. You really need a vertical brace about every 4 feet. But I made wood bracing instead of using a Shelf Link to be ultra cheap. Lol. 

Cost: 9 shelf links: $36

40 2x4's 8 feet long at $2.40 a piece: $96

Total: $132

That's not bad for so much shelving. Now it will look far neater when all boxes are gone through, etc. I just kind of threw everything in the shelf to get it off the floor. Also I built it on the fast side, I had better things to do. It's storage, no one will really see it. But it could look far neater and cleaner taking your time. This would work equally well in garages, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0030T1BGK/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1422325373&sr=8-2&pi=AC_SY200_QL40&dpPl=1&dpID=418I3-s3iHL&ref=plSrch

Our view

Quick post. Oh the joys of living in a construction zone. Few weeks ago had a flat tire from a nail and a chunk of steel. So we love our view out the back. Serene, snow covered and peaceful. The front is a series of houses in various stages of construction, and nothing like seeing "puto" sprayed on the side. Stay classy subcontractors. Lol. 

Peaceful

Not so much