More info on the shower.

yes, I promise. when it's done.

Between you and the other bloggers... I'm going insane with jealousy! I read of the pains you guys have endured, but I swear... it seems like the joy and gratification you guys get from the slow, but eventual bounty of home is well worth it.

Q: Who makes that vanity?

Q: How does one find a welder/metal fabricator? Net? Yellow Page? Contacts?

Q: Is that metal/glass walkway skirt-prohibitive?

Q: How do you guys get around the building code that prohibits horizontal... (watchamacallit)... for railing? Is it just Michigan code or what?

1. S. That orange color is WICKED! I hope I have the courage to strike out like that instead of playing it safe with WHITE.

Vanity is Duravit Architec.

The steel shop was one of my hugest hurdles I assume because of the nature of the work I wanted, not ornamental or fancy, but not a commercial job (stairs,railing framework, + other stuff) I think I worked harder to find them than any other sub and basically just called every shop I could find that said they did tthis kind of stuff online and in the yellow pages.

Yes, glass walkway is probably skirt prohibitive. I wasn't originally planning on using transparent material, but I ended up changing my mind about using polycarbonate or other because of scratching, and tempered, frosted glass is too expensive. I may put frost film on it later.

Horizontal rail isn't prohibited by our local code. We verified this in advance, of course.

Huron windows, chosen for energy efficiency and functionality vs. style, but they're OK on that front too, I guess in that they're free of trim and other weirdness. Oh to live in a mild climate.

I built and set the tub form and will pour the tub using regular indoor flatwork mix from the plant, along with the countertops. The form is laminated particleboard, intended to be left on until the concrete cures rather than stripped for troweling. What you can't see in the pic is the seat inside, and there's also a floor (pitched slightly to the drain), so it's one big chunck of concrete. I'll definitely post about this whole process in depth later on.

I'm digging the loft style finish. Keep the updates coming.

Q: Does one of your older blogs mention what brand window and doors you used?

Q: Who did you get to mold you tub (i.e. Is that the flatwork guy's role or do you find a specialized cement guy?)? And what is the cement mix to make it? Also... is it formed with plywood? I've always wondered how one goes about pouring a tub (i.e. Do you pour the base level first. Wait for some semblence of stiffness, then pour the sides... so that you maintain the bottom? But then... how good is the joint between base and walls - leaks?).

Thanks

if you have an open house for forum buds i'll bring the champagne!

Things look great! Seems to me you need a break for breakfast at the bryant-lake bowl or a drink at the triple rock. Wish I could have found the time to take a look when I was in town in October and August. maybe in the future.

Everything looks great.

After a major build, I find it hard to keep focused on the finishing details. The shower is amazing and I love all of the other details you have done. Very nice.

The metal of your mezzanine/walk and rail is great!!! Are your stairs steel?

How is the temperature inside the house? The ICF and heated slab doing their job through the cold winter?

Look forward to more updates....and the open house...

The stairs are steel, same fabricator as the railing framework and deck. I love them even more now that the railing is finished.

The house in terms of temperatures is pretty impressive. Overall, I think the most noticable difference is due to the radiant heat. It's amazing and exceptionally comfortable. The upper level zones almost NEVER run as far as I can tell (a data logging set-up for the entire system is high on the list of post move-in priorities, but my favorite resident software engineer is otherwise occupied right now, designing and implementing some uber neato LED stuff). We keep the thermostats at about 60-62 and that feels like 70ish in forced air terms. The lower level zones run almost exclusively at night, never during the day unless it's really, really cold outside and then it's only once a day at most. The most striking thing, which took me a while to figure out, is that the house is absolutely quiet. No noise from air movement through duct work, etc, and almost zero intrustion of noise from outside. It's was strange at first not to feel the movement of air, ever, and I definitely notice that it feels less dry as a result. The quiet and stillness thing is actually a little weird too but very nice. As an added bonus, the acoustics are amazing.