Document Actions
Curtailed by Curtain Wall!
Editorial Rating:
Reader Rating:
(
2 votes)
Four words succinctly describe my mood at this point: I've f#&kin' had it! Even enthusiasm and anticipation can only sustain one for so long. I had read about it, but I never thought it would happen to me. Alas, I am dealing with the contractor from hell. More specifically, the curtain wall contractor from hell. Perhaps I must come across as the biggest sucker in the world. If it wasn't one thing, it was another. The following is a short list of the bullsh%t I was fed that kept delaying the curtain wall installation:
-All of the fabricators are sick with the flu.
-A bunch of my fabricators resigned.
-So-and-so's father died.
-So-and-so's grandmother died.
-So-and-so has jury duty.
-My truck was broken into in Brooklyn and all of my tools were stolen.
-We're having trouble finding a large glass truck willing to deliver that far away.
And the most oft used line of BS:
-I had an emergency on another project.
And every time I expressed disappointment or tried to light a fire under them, I was fed one line of BS after another. "They'll be out tomorrow." "They'll be out this weekend." "I will call you tomorrow to let you know." And, of course, the targeted days would come and go without nary a peep from this wonderful contractor. Unfortunately I am not exactly in a position to just let my fingers do the walking and find someone else to do this. I am certain that 99.9% of curtain wall contractors would not touch me with a ten-foot lolly column- they either work exclusively on commercial projects, or they would not be willing to make the trek all the way out to the East End of Long Island. Plus I have already put down 25% of the project cost.
Now that the curtain wall and door installation is about THREE MONTHS LATE (and counting), I have incurred all kinds of consequences. The siding/trim contractor has essentially walked away in disgust. We're crossing our fingers for good weather so that the first floor concrete pour can begin. I have thousands of dollars worth of kitchen cabinets and bathroom fixtures that I will have to stall the delivery for. I have additional builders risk insurance premiums. I have to file an extension on my building permit. The bank is breathing down my neck, etc., etc.
So, indeed, the curtain wall has been going up very slowly. VERY, VERY slowly. Rather than attacking the frames and glass all at once (thus saving multiple trips from Cherry Hill, NJ), they chose to put in three-hour work days days and weeks apart. As if this wasn't bad enough, they put in the wrong glass at the roof; it is opaque instead of clear. So now, due to their total ineptitude, they have to trash seven large pieces of laminated glass- nominally 4' x 6' each. Perhaps someone out there in LiveModernville could use these? Lord only knows how long it will take them to re-fabricate these units with clear glass.
In any case, despite the disaster that the curtain wall has become, I must admit that it looks AMAZING. Admittedly I had my misgivings about having such large expanses of glazing in relation to the close proximity of neighbors and the street. I would have been living in a fishbowl. However, the laminated panes are wonderful- they provide lots of soft light while providing total privacy.
Here are some shots of the progress:
March 4, 2006:
Details of the balcony. The cladding of the balcony joists turned out quite well.
The capping of the curb at the roof line has almost completed. They are waiting on the completion of the curtain wall before they proceed with the final trim details.
Here is a detail of the "naked" curtain wall frame in the living room.
The "naked" curtain wall frames at the roof.
April 6, 2006. Most of the curtain wall has FINALLY been installed. However, the triangular end gables are still being fabricated.
A view of the back of the house:
A view from inside looking out the front:
Looking up from the first floor:
Looking down from the loft:
View from the roof deck, where you can see the opaque laminated glass that was installed in error. I actually kind of like it. However, I want to see stars when looking up at night.
The front entry. The door is still being fabricated (ugh!).
Although I am being reassured that the curtain wall will be wrapped up soon, I am forging ahead now that temperatures are pretty much above freezing. My short term goals are:
-First floor and garage concrete: This has turned out to be outrageously expensive- somewhere on the order of $500 per cubic yard. Apparently this will involve using lightweight concrete, lots of mesh/rebar and temporary support structures in the basement.
-Stair fabrication. After months of weighing the various options, including steel and aluminum, I think we are going to attempt to do this purely out of wood; the quotes I have received for steel fabrication have been disastrously expensive. My goal is to have an open riser stair with stringers that are very close together- virtually a single stringer. Using 2" treads should enable a pretty decent cantilever off of the stringers.
-Garage Door. I am pretty much resigned to putting in the Clopay Avante. My only concern is whether I am going overboard on that whole anodized aluminum-opaque glass look. What if it becomes horribly dated in a few years?
-Solar Panels. My contractor has received the panels and is ready to install them once the electric service has been connected. Unfortunately, the electric service is dependent upon being closed in to the weather, which is dependent on the curtain wall and doors. Ugh!
-HVAC. The geothermal heat exchange and blower units are ready to be installed once I am closed in. A pipe then has to be run from the supply/discharge wells.
-Finishing the trim. I suspect this will be my first official "sweat equity" task. I am going to paint the boards that will comprise the trim/fascia pieces. I am still not entirely certain what color this will be. I want it to be a bright color, whatever it is.
-Staining and sealing the cedar siding. This will be my second "sweat equity" task. I suspect this will be tantamount to hell on earth.
-Parging the Superior Walls. This should be fairly straightforward.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Cite/Attribute Resource.
Timeless
Thanks... I hope you are right. As a kid in 1980's I used to think half-rounds over square windows were the coolest things ever. And I thought glass block walls seen on "Miami Vice" were cool too. Oh well... who knows... maybe in 20 years this will also look passe, but then again, it will probably need to be replaced anyway.
Hang in there!
It'll be worth it.
What doesn't kill you will make you stronger... so you can take some spare 2x4 and pound the living !@$*%$ out of that dumb#$%@ contractor.
WTH can't people just DO THE JOB they're paid for and agreed to? Makes you wonder why this country is so sue happy... with idiots renegging on contracts or milking the heck out of their customers like that. They likely had other jobs and just teased you along.
Bait and Switch
Well, hindsight is always 20 / 20, so this is definitely one of those "if I knew then what I know now" situations. The owner of the curtain wall company kept telling me about this modern house he did in Great Neck, NY, so that seemed to be a level of reassurance that this guy understood modern design and why curtain wall was necessary for this application. Alas, my project totally took a backseat to the new 12-story Marriott that they are working on in Brooklyn (as if Brooklyn actually needs a new hotel!). Funnily enough, on curbed.com (NYC building blog), I read a brief article about how disastrously the Brooklyn Marriott construction is going- they had to close down sidewalks around a neighboring school due to the hazards of falling debris! And this hotel is not weathered in yet after many months. How come I am not surprised??
curtain wall, stairs
You got your curtain wall sub from Cherry Hill NJ? Thats all the way down here by Philadelphia where I am!
Anyway, your aluminum garage door won't go out of style any sooner than your aluminum curtain wall so I say go for it.
Here are some more stair resources for you:
strictly industrial stuff, but maybe it will work for you: http://www.lapeyrestair.com/
A modular product: http://www.modularstairs.com/ http://www.modularstairs.com/knockplus.html
Similar product: http://www.architecturalstairs.com/index.html
Another with single stringer cantilever designs: http://www.mylenstairs.com/ http://www.mylenstairs.com/architect.htm
Any decent metal shop should be able to weld you up a set of stairs.
00:00 & $$$$
Thanks for the links... I actually received proposals from Mylen and Architectural Stairs as well as a local ironworks. As with virtually everything in the world these days, there is no problem that a lot of money can't fix. Suffice it to say, I do not have five figures in my budget to pay for a set of stairs. Additionally, I am not patient enough to wait another 6-8 weeks for stairs, only to hope and pray that they come correctly and can be assembled without lots of additional expensive help. Oh, the joys of being me right now...
I hear you
Amazing that its become impossible to buy a stair for under 5 figures but I'm not surprised. I think there is an opportunity there for some of the young modern cabinet makers that frequent the message board.
You should try Ian Mclean - http://www.ianmaclean.com/ He seems to be reasonable and a timber framed open riser stair could give him a chance to expand into something new. Seems like he could grab some business if he could offer a stair that was a good value.
curtailed by curtain wall
are you serious about having some glass to get rid of? Could you contact me off the list with details of size, glass type, cost? I might be able to use it wisdomgourd@yahoo.com thanks. oh, congratulations on your perserverance.
Local
Because these are glass panes (as opposed to finished window units), they must be transported via a glass truck, which means you would have to arrange your own pick-up and delivery. If you are not local to NYC-Philly, this could be prohibitively expensive.
I will check with the curtain wall contractor to see what they plan to do with these pieces and post back here.
It's looking great..
If it makes you feel better, just about ALL contractors are like this. If you find one that isn't he's too busy for the next two years to start your project. Like in love "all the good ones are taken". I can't wait to see how the house takes shape. The Greenbelt 2 is a VERY strong contender for our new build. Alas, we still have to sell the one we're in.
One bad apple
I have had pretty good experiences with my subs so far. The framing crew was a bit like Keystone Capers, but they were at least responsive and pleasant to deal with. My electrical contractor is a dream to deal with and extremely reasonable. Anyway... you just live and learn.
Good luck with your house selling/building venture! Just make sure you know what you are getting yourself into- even the most seasoned GC will have a challenge on his/her hands. And make sure your neighbors are receptive. I have seen quite a number of people gawking and pointing as they've walked or driven down the street. But so far, so good. The only negative comment I've heard so far is that the scale of the house is inconsistent with the other houses in the neighborhood, which are predominantly converted vacation cottages from the 1950's. Plus, without proper foliage and landscaping, the house is a bit "naked," so it will probably be a matter of time before it blends in with its surroundings. But the people I've met seemed to be of the aging hippie/artist/designer/writer ilk, so it stands to reason that they would be more receptive to something new and different, than a place populated with McMansions, Hummers and Republicans! Yes, I went there!
Curtain Wall
Hi All
In South Africa we are bricks and mortar people.
I have owner-built three houses myself and am about to start a little retirement place for my wife and I.
I have been following this build with great interest, especially the Superior walls, an incredible product.
But for the uninformed please advise me what a "Curtain Wall" is.
If the question is an ignorant one, please excuse me. But I must say that I am learning a lot by reading the site and therefore take the liberty of asking.
Regards - Dennis Johannesburg South Africa
Curtain wall
Thanks for your interest! It's not an ignorant question at all... most people think I am putting up walls made out of drapery panels inside of my house. ;-)
Curtain wall is basically the glazing used in the construction of most high-rise building construction these days; it's practically unavoidable- in train stations, hotels, restaurants, stores, offices, etc. It's basically a wall constructed of extruded aluminum frames with glass panels of various sizes popped into them. Although I could have created a similar popping traditional windows into a wood stud frame, it wouldn't have looked right- the mulls would have been MUCH bulkier 7" vs. 2.5" and it would have presented all kinds of issues about trim detail, finishes, etc. The curtain wall is also much stronger (and lighter?) and is supposedly less susceptible to moisture and air penetration. Cost-wise it is a bit more than traditional high-end windows, but it provides the flexibility cover small-to-large openings and even odd shapes (like the triangular end-gables) fairly simply.
Superior Walls are great in concept, but I'm not 100% sure if I would go that route again. On the positive side, I love the solid feel of it, i.e., the whole house does not vibrate when you strike it. And the first floor and basement were installed in just a couple of days. And it allows you to place steel beams directly on top of it. However, it presents a series of nightmares for every contractor. Only the bravest would dare attempt to run ductwork or plumbing through it. Even the electrical contractor has to use special outlet boxes that attach to concrete studs. And installing/finishing windows and doors was quite tricky. Everybody thinks I was kinda nutso for going this route... but I am hopeful that the ends will justify the means.
Spiral Staircase
Your home looks amazing. I am an artist blacksmith (ironworker) here in South Carolina. I did want to add that the estimates you are recieving for the staircase, although high, are correct. A spiral is extremely difficult to fabricate and infact I avoid them at nearly all costs. On our website I have a photograph of the last spiral we did. There are a lot of alternatives out there and many companies that produce these (spirals) for far less money than what you have been quoted, but you are going to sacrifice all around for the less expensive alterantives. As you said any problem can be fixed by throwing more money at it. I look forward to seeing what you come up with and send me an email if you have any other iron fabrication questions. http://charlestonblacksmith.com/modernhome.htm
peyton@charlestonblacksmith.com
Staircase
Hang in there!!!!! I've been working on mine for over 19 months with about 2 months to go. I just ordered a floating metal staircase from The Iron Shop (http://www.theironshop.com/metal_straight.htm). I don't know if it would work for you but the price was the best I had found. It comes as a kit but it's an easy assembly. You just give them the floor to floor measurement and they'll figure in the rest. They will do custom railings for the upper level as well. Best of luck!
Good lead, but...
Thanks for the Ironshop link. I really like the look of this, so I called the closest showroom in Stamford, CT. When asked about compliance with the IBC, the rep sounded a bit vague. He said that I should check with my local jurisdiction, but that in order to meet IBC, the components would have to be welded together, which would require a custom fabrication. But even for a custom job, the price was pretty reasonable... but the deal killer for me was that the lead time would have been 8-10 weeks!
For what it's worth, the pricepoint for this (as a welded custom order) is similar to the modular stairs offered by ArchitecturalStairs.com .
Cost
First of all, I am really impressed with the way your project is turning out. I look forward to your blog updates. Secondly, you have mentioned the curtain wall being somewhat more expensive than high-end windows. Would you be willing to share a ball-park figure? Also, does the curtain wall system allow for customization of the glass inserted into it? I see you have some frosted panels. What about insulation value? Hang in there.
Prices
Thanks for your encouragement.
It's hard to really isolate the cost of the curtain wall since the curtain wall contractor is also providing commercial sliding doors (4 of them!), the front door and the roof glazing. Plus, the entire south-facing wall in the living room will be curtain wall- about 25 linear feet. If I had to exclude the roof windows and the doors, I would say that the curtain wall itself is probably somewhere in the mid-high $20's range. Although it's a bit pricey, when you're done, you're done; there's no additional trim work/finishing/carpentry that you have to perform, which does help to justify the cost somewhat.
The thing I really appreciate about curtain wall is that it does give you lots of options for glazing. I had even considered Lexan at one point (too expensive). And in addition to static glass, you can insert operable units, screens, etc. As far as performance is concerned, Lexan would be the most efficient in terms of U-/R- values; however, it does not protect against solar heat gain. Additionally, it is very prone to scratches. I am using 1" double-pane low-e glass, which is similar to the H windows I am using- this should help mitigate the greenhouse effect in the summer.
It's been almost two months...
I'm having blog withdrawals. Where are you at on this project? Any new pics?
looks great!
great job! persistence pays! I think the aluminum/glass will be pretty timeless as modern homes go.