Category — shopping

Spent a half hour this morning at G&K Floor Covering, looking at all of their Marmoleum samples and chatting with Scott. I got their name from Forbo when I requested samples. It was instructive — I really think we can use the lino effectively in the “converted barn” part of the house, as well as in other places. For budgetary purposes, we’re talking about $10/ft installed, possibly less if there aren’t too many price increases between now and when we’re ready to build.

In fact, we’re considering putting lino instead of hardwood in the kitchen/dining/family area. Lino is more appropriate for a chem lab, anyway.

I know it doesn’t seem like it here on the blog, but I’ve been feverishly trying to get stuff finalized for the various components of the house. The construction drawings are still in progress, but I think Bob has enough to go on with regards to stuff I’ve already picked out.

For the past couple of weeks we’ve been struggling with the plumbing details, some of which I talked about in the last post. There are a multitude of faucets and trim kits and shower heads and other crap, and I am totally overwhelmed. Part of my problem, I think, is that any number of them (or even all of them) will work just fine, but I need to balance cost vs. the aesthetics which are at the moment only hazily defined.

And then there’s the kitchen. It is impossible to talk to anyone about designing a kitchen without hearing “have you picked your granite?” Nothing about the cabinets, nothing about the style, it’s all about the stone — and if it’s not granite, it must be soapstone. Granite isn’t really appropriate in a chem lab setting. Soapstone might be but it is way too expensive. So we’ve been going around and around with alternative designs. Frequently these design excursions occur because we see a cute sink and think “I like that!” but then realize that it really doesn’t have any “labbishness” to it. Then there are the incredible variety of stainless steel sinks. I am really enamoured of the zero-radius sinks, but they are pricey (they’re typically handmade rather than stamped) and are apparently available only as undermounts. An undermount sink isn’t a problem unless we end up with a laminate countertop, in which case…

One day last week I went to a couple of kitchen shops. They weren’t really useful visits, except for getting a couple of brochures. I’ve been looking for an independent kitchen designer to give me a couple of hours of advice, but it seems that all of the designers are associated with builders or kitchen stores.

Anyway, today I went to Dexter Cabinet and Countertop almost on a whim. When I mentioned to the fellow in the showroom that I was planning a kitchen that looks like a chemistry lab, he perked up and said “We just did a lab. Want a sample of that countertop?” “You bet!” said I. And so now I have a 4×5 inch piece of black phenolic resin countertop (backsplash, actually) of my very own. I then spoke to Josh about the options for a matte black surface. He thought the phenolic might scratch a little too easily, but said he’d be willing to try to price it for us (we’ve been having problems getting lab supply houses talk to us). He also showed me a sample of Richlite in Slate Black that is also a possibility. Richlite is made from paper and phenolic resin. Josh will also try to give me an idea of pricing for that, too. I figure that these will all be in the “Corian” range, which is still pricier than laminate, but typically less than stone. He will also find out if I can have an undermount sink.

Other trips: I went to the Rock Shoppe to chat about stone veneer. Basically, real stone veneer will run about $15 a square foot (not including labor). Concrete stone veneer could be as low as $8/sq ft, depending on style, color, etc. I’m looking for Michigan Basement/Foundation, which are typically granite cobbles. I think I’d like a split-faced granite cobble, but that’s a bit more expensive. The Rock Shoppe has a list of masons they recommend, if we decide to act as our own GCs.

Bill and I also visited the current project for Living Space. It was an interesting trip, and deserves its own post.

Updated to add: I nearly forgot that I went to a local glass shop to see their (rather teensy) showroom of shower enclosures. A budgetary price for any sized 3/8″ thick glass (not “neutral” but greenish, and not etched or patterned) enclosure is $55/square foot including the hardware and the installation. The lady behind the counter said that 3-sided showers weren’t a problem.

Updated 7/29: I spoke briefly with Josh about the countertop pricing. Richlite (and it’s competitor PaperStone) are way out of the budget (well over $100/square foot). He’s still waiting to hear about the lab tops.

Yesterday Bill and I went on an unplanned excursion to Walled Lake. We started out by visiting Ferguson‘s bath & kitchen showroom on Jackson Road. Ferguson is primarily a plumbing supply firm, but they offer some retail. We went specifically looking for the right size and style of tub to get for the master bath. Since Bill is the primary user of the tub, I want to be sure we get one that’s comfortable for him. So he sat in a few out on Jackson Road (where we also looked briefly at kitchen sinks — more on that later), and after eliminating the cleaning nightmares, we pretty much picked this one.

It seemed a little long, however, so we wanted to try a 5 and a half foot version. The showroom didn’t have any, so Jacqui (the very helpful showroom person) suggested that we go to their big “destination” showroom. Seeing as how we didn’t want to go home and mow the lawn, we decided we might as well drive out to Walled Lake.

Once there we were impressed with the size of the place, but disappointed with the selection. They had full kitchens displayed (some working), a section of building materials, a huge array of faucets and sinks and only a few tubs. None exactly like we were looking for, but Bill got into a 5.5 foot tub and we agreed that it would be too short. So, the 6 foot Archer it is. Yay! A Decision!

I like this tub for a few reasons: the styling is simple and a little squared off, the overflow is cool-looking and allows an extra inch of water in the tub, it is slightly deeper than a standard tub without making you feel like you’re in a coffin, and it has armrests. The six foot length gives me the chance to have my knees underwater And, since it holds about 72 gallons, it has relatively low water use for a soaker.

Along with the tub, we’ve decided that we’ll get the sink from the same line, but I’m not sure yet if it will be undermount or abovemount.

Then we have to decide on the faucets. This is hard, because I’m not quite sure where the valves will be located. I don’t think they should be in the external (south) wall, but that’s the end where the drain is so far planned to go. We may have to put the valve in the west wall (near the foot) which is ok, but I’m not well-versed enough in plumbing to know whether this causes some sort of issue with the drain. We’re ok with using one of those lift up drain stoppers rather than the remote kind.

Other issues in the master bath: faucets. Having just cleaned gunk out from behind our current faucets, I think a wall-mount lav faucet might be really nice. However, they tend to be more expensive and probably are more difficult to replace. So, back to the counter (or sink) mounted faucet. I prefer 8″ centers, two lever handles, tall spout, chrome. Again, styling should be simple and a little squared off. I’ll keep looking for this, but all of the master bath faucets should all be from the same series.

I’m having difficulties in figuring out the shower. Most showers I’ve seen have two (or three) solid walls and two (or one) glass. We’d talked earlier about having a glass-block shower, but the kits call for two frame walls and two glass walls. If we want to get daylight from the window to the sink, we need three glass walls. Again, we could have a “sideways” mounted valve set (perhaps with an overhead showerhead?).

As for other design, this is probably the only room where we might consider having tile. It really depends on the shower enclosure, I think. Overall I’m not seeing “spa” so much as “sanitary, with touches of decoration.”

It was a useful trip. In the next post I’ll talk a bit more about the kitchen.

My friend Laura and I went to IKEA this week (it helps to go in the morning on a weekday), specifically to look over the kitchen cabinets and sinks. After coffee and a cinnamon roll we strolled through the showroom, where we saw this sink. It is a simple apron-front porcelain single bowl sink. I liked it because 1) it is “farmish,” 2) it isn’t terribly expensive, 3) it will work with laminate and 4) it’s a decent size. I am less happy with IKEA’s faucets, so I would have to find some single-hole faucets, but I do know they’re available.

In another of the “rooms” I saw a cabinet arrangement similar to what I’m expecting for the fridge area. Whether or not the cabinets over the fridge are full-depth is still to be determined, but the microwave-on-a-shelf next to the fridge is what I’m interested in.

One of the cabinet door-styles we’ve been considering is a simple frame with inset panel (not exactly Shaker style, but simple). However, since I also want drawers in nearly all of the base cabinets, I’m concerned that the framed fronts are too busy. So, something even simpler (or perhaps with smaller frames) — in wood colors. There are a couple of options, for instance Fagerland or Kalsebo. I liked the detail in Tidaholm. Unfortunately it is oak. I also liked Askome but it is one of the more expensive styles. One of the advantages to using IKEA cabinets is their drawer hardware, which is made by a well-known high-quality manufacturer. One of the disadvantages (I’ve read) is IKEA’s difficulty in getting the entire kitchen order right the first time.

The last thing I looked at was this bath sink. It comes in two sizes — I thought the smaller one would be good for the powder room & lower level bath, and the larger one for the two main baths. I don’t know if it can be wall mounted, but it can go on a vanity or on legs. I didn’t see any particular vanity at IKEA that I wanted, but the sinks appear to be sized to fit on American style cabinets.

After wandering around upstairs, we went to the marketplace area. I managed to leave after spending only about $20. Not too bad.

Here’s who we talked to on the second day of the Home Show:

Jim Kovalak Excavating (no website) will install septic systems and participate in soil evaluations with the sanitarian prior to getting a septic permit. He said that it would be a few hundred dollars to do the soil test. He also said that the load limits are on right now for a few weeks, so getting equipment there might be an issue.

Dexter Cabinet & Countertop had an example of PaperStone countertop material, as well as various others (Vermont soapstone, granite, etc.). They also sell Merillat cabinets, or will custom-build cabinets.

Peninsula Panel is a dealer for Insulspan. They typically will make the Insulspan shop drawings, erect the shell, and then make referrals for the rest of the project. They often work with owner-builders. Chris (who makes the drawings) said that depending on the season, it could be 2-3 weeks to get the panels once the drawings are complete and approved.

Fingerle Lumber had a large booth that was dominated by decking materials. They offer two brands of glass balusters, Fortress and Deckorators. While neither is what I had in mind (I would prefer steel cable), glass is something to consider. I have seen steel cables used in restaurants in Ann Arbor (Vinology, for one).

Arbor Building Company builds Woodhouse timber frames and offers Muros SIPs. Muros panels are either Polyurethane or EPS.

Schafer hardwood flooring offers northern hardwoods (as well as exotics). American Cherry “millrun” grade is less than $5 a foot. Bill talked with a local installer who was at the same booth. If I can find his card, I’ll edit this.

Paragon Sight & Sound installs really complicated looking home automation systems. Bill is concerned that they’re not complicated enough, since he wants it to be able to “learn” our habits and to take care of itself. And have a webpage.

English Gardens offers plants and landscaping services.

The Rock Shoppe on Gottfredson sells rocks (real, fake, and veneers) and hardscaping supplies. They suggested using a split quartzite (real rocks, not cut into veneers, but split) to simulate a “Michigan foundation” look, as the price was close to the concrete rock price.

Heart & Soul Ecological Landscaping has experience with cob building and natural designs.

Perkins Construction does everything from home maintenance to new construction to commercial work.

The Grate Haus has both gas and wood zero-clearance fireplaces. I have information for Heat & Glo, Majestic and Fireside.

Brighton Building Company was honest and said “We don’t know anything about SIPs.” However, they offer an interesting granite tile decking material as well as all of the other types of decks.

Fireside Home Construction specializes in EnergyStar houses, and their model has a LEED Platinum rating. They partner with Riverbend timber framing and Insulspan.

Wow. Two days of looking and chatting (and reporting!) has worn me out. Now to organize all these pamphlets and brochures!

This weekend Bill & I went to the Builders Home & Improvement Show. Even though it’s not a huge show, it’s big enough, so we spent about 6 hours over 2 days visiting various vendors. Even with splitting up the event, we both nearly succumbed to “museum shuffle” — that dazed feeling with accompanying backache that you get when you’re trying to take in too much at a very slow pace.

First, I must say that we didn’t visit every booth. I have no interest in miracle mops or home-show pots and pans or repair services at the moment. Our focus was in talking to new home builders, with forays into landscaping and interior and exterior materials. We didn’t talk to HVAC companies or banks, for instance. That said, we did learn a lot, some of which I’ll try to summarize here as I go through the brochures we picked up (not in any order — just as they come out of the bag).

Belanger Builders is a custom home builder and remodeler from Livingston county. The owner, Steve, said that they have done some SIPs/ICF houses, but they don’t feature them.

Midwest Skylights (Canton, MI) doesn’t seem to have a website. They sell Velux Skylights. We talked about leaking, and he said that Velux has an excellent warranty, but they are strict about the installation instructions being followed. We also talked about flashing; a metal roof requires a different flashing system.

Riverbend Timber Framing is a sister company of Insulspan (SIPs) and Plastifab (Advantage ICF). We had a nice chat about the styrofoam products — the panels are made in Blissfield, MI, but the ICFs are shipped in from Canada. They also sell the under-concrete foam. Since we are already familiar with the product, the sales lady, Connie, pointed out that Insulspan offers a complete package, including cutouts and all the sealing products required to finish off the structure.

Loewen Windows, offered by The Window and Door Store of Jackson. I know very little about windows, but these sure were pretty! They offer a push-out casement (no cranking) and what they call an “access” window which rotates 180°. (I’m reminded at this point to ask about egress requirements for M’s bedroom.)

Riemco Homes sells component and modular houses. (I didn’t speak with them, Bill did.)

Manchester Victorians builds “new old” homes based on updated Victorian plans. Not exactly our style, but they also build period barns which might be interesting to remember if we decide to build an outbuilding.

Diamond Floors (no website) offers polished (and stained) concrete as well as epoxy floor coatings.

Arbor Green Landscaping will do landscape design and installation.

Arbor Insulation is a spray foam insulation contractor for Demilec. They offer open and closed cell poly as well as a soy-based formula.

MM Water Solutions (no website) offers water filtering by LWC of Maumee (no website).

I’ve also picked up brochures for Fendt and Unilock pavers. Fendt is offering a permeable concrete paver (Eco-Brick), but doesn’t know anything about poured permeable concrete.

We also saw various roofing companies, but the only metal roofs they exhibited was the Decra line, which is shingle-looking stone-coated metal. Not interesting to us.

That was it for day one. I got tired just going through it all again!

Kitchen and Laundry

We currently have GE Profile appliances in our kitchen, and they work and look ok for us (except the over-the-range microwave, which first burned out the lamps and then stopped heating after only 6 years). So with that in mind, and reserving the right to change out as models/features change here are my appliance selections:

As for the range hood, I really don’t know. It depends a little on what the ventilation system requires, doesn’t it? I mean, I really like this hood (it’s $2500 on sale) but I don’t know if its mechanics are appropriate. I’m looking for something to handle the smoke from steak seared in cast iron pans, stainless steel or stainless + glass, with some good lighting.

Bathrooms

This is more difficult, as I haven’t been able to spend much time looking at vanities, sinks and so forth. I have, however, picked the toilet (I figure we’d get all four the same):

Toto CST744SL Two-Piece Elongated Toilet (“Drake”) Mfg Page. The list price is about $500 each (including the “soft close” seat) — web sources are about 40% off that. (Buying 4 from Faucet Direct, to name one, would cost about $1300 shipped.) Color: Cotton White.

I’ve been keeping a couple of scrap spreadsheets with this info on it. I’ll try to get it put together better within the next week.

We stopped at Stadium Floors to see what’s available locally, and start to develop an idea of budget.

The sales guy (I’ll have to find his card) was very nice and showed us (nearly) everything I asked about (cork, bamboo, marmoleum, brick…). He said that he could have most items in a couple of weeks, and they offer installation with experienced people.

When we talked about budget, he said that the Marmoleum (for example) could run about $12 or so installed. He also was forthright and said that he could not match Home Depot’s stock prices, but he could beat their special order prices.

I’ve picked up a few brochures.

While we are no where near ready to buy stuff to put in the house, it’s fun good to remind ourselves what’s available in the area.¹

Today we visited the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, and saw quite a bit of interesting material. There were ovens and cabinets, tile and granite, plumbing fixtures and chandeliers. Most are donations from other people’s remodels, but there some new pieces too, including a whole bunch of wire closet brackets and drawer pulls.²

After that, we went to expressions Design Center which has recently moved to the west side of town. We haven’t been to the store since two moves ago, when they were called something else. They have high-end plumbing, lighting, and decorative hardware. I saw quite a bit that I like (including the TOTO dual-flush toilets), but it is high-end (i.e. expensive). They have a NKBA designer on staff (Elizabeth) and she was very nice. It may be worthwhile to talk with her (or someone like her) when we’re further along with the plans.