Endgame

Dear Readers,

I have come to the realization that blogging, while therapeutic at first, is not helping my problem. There continue to be a myriad of problems, METRIC CONSTRUCTION is still trying to charge money for their ineptitudes, etc. and after 20 months of construction, I still don't have a completion date.

That said, this will be the last blog entry. My father has already agreed not to tell me a single thing more about any of this until it's all finished. I do not know when that will be, nor do I care at this point. I only hope that this blog has served as a warning to all who start a new construction project, and you have learned from my mistakes. Get everything in writing. Create contingency clauses (if it's not done by x, you owe me restitution, etc), and above all, DONT EVER BUY ANYTHING BEING BUILT BY METRIC CONSTRUCTION!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Regards,
The King

I HATE THEM I HATE THEM I HATE THEM

I hate them. METRIC CONSTRUCION f's up again.

This time it's the fireplace. I think I noted before that Metric Construction was going to enlclose the fireplace at no cost to me. My father called Krispy and informed him he didn't have any faith in METRIC CONSTRUCTION'S ability to get it right--since they are complete incompetents, but if Krispy felt they could do it to the specs of the plan, to go ahead and close it in.

No surprise this morning when dad got there and it was COMPLETY FREAKIN WRONG. COMPLETELY! It was supposed to be 3'5" wide and go all the way to the ceiling. Instead, it's 3'10" wide and about 4' high. What's even better is that the fireplace in the unit next door looks how mine is supposed to.

EVEN better is that now that the frame has been built around the fireplace, the floor has been damaged. So when the frame/fireplace is fixed, the floor has to be repaired. The maple floor I had to fight for. Damaged by morons who work for METRIC CONSTRUCION.

I just can't handle it. Something must be done.

Something smells funny about this...

Well they are sealing the floor today. After that happens, the 1st coat of polyurethane goes down. Once that dries, work can continue. In terms of the range height vs the counter, Krispy assured my father things would be rectified, and right now it looks like they will remove the wood flooring that runs between the island cabinets, so that the range is level. The range leveling is important, as it has a glass top that must sit on the countertop with balanced precision, as stress on the glass could crack it.

Let's see them try to get this right.

A man possessed

Last night I had a dream that I was doing one of my regular drive-bys of the building. When I got there, it was a shell. It looked exactly like it looked over the summer, with nothing in it but some windows. You could walk right through and all around the building at will. The workers were starting to rebuild things. My parents, who for some reason were already there, along with Auntie Angela (who by the way was driving the car she had when I was like 7) told me that the 5th floor had fallen in, and taken all the other floors with it. No one was hurt, because no one was there when it happened. Instead of trying to repair the damage, Metric thought it best to gut the building and rebuild from scratch.

I was livid. I started screaming because after all the fighting, all the aggravation, I was going to have to go through this whole process AGAIN.

I don't remember how it ended, but I woke up angry. That's been happening a lot lately. So the dream of the roof caving in, is that about this project itself, what I've let it do to my life, or my life in general?

Just an update...

...Here was the list from last week, updated as to what has been finished.

- Delivery of range and refrigerator *DONE!*
- Bringing gas line for range up through the floor
- Installation of range
- Templating of countertop for island and base cabinets
- Installation of remaining cabinets
- Fabrication of countertops
- Installation of countertops
- Installation of undercabinet lighting
- Installation of dishwasher, 2nd oven, and refrigerator
- Installation of sink, garbage disposal, drain and faucet
- Installation of bathroom fixtures
- Installation of hot water tank
- 3 coats of sanding and poly on the floor, 4 coats in the bathroom
- Finishing the deck, installing the patio, fence, and gate
- Fixing the crooked ductwork on the bedroom wall
- Fixing the crooked ductwork in the living room
- Closing in and connecting the fireplace
- Fixing the ceiling over the kitchen
- Filling the hole in the ceiling over the dining area

How bout that! One whole line item in one week! At this rate the closing will be sometime in JULY

Any wonder why I still don't live here?

Nothing to report AGAIN, except they were sanding the floor.

Happy Black Monday

No update to report today. The side panel for the fridge came in, and that's about it. Email was sent regarding the whole cabinet fiasco, we'll see what happens.

My 15 minutes

You may or may not know that I was the subject of a Boston Globe article about a year ago, regarding the digital era of music, etc. The article had a sentence that started with something to the effect of "When he moves into his new loft in the former Charleston Chew factory in March..." That was SUPPOSED to have been March of 04. Now I'm not even hopeful for March of '05. I bring that up because my uncle brought it up today, and I had completely forgotten it said that, but I digress.

We did a site visit on Saturday. The flooring was almost all sanded, the bathroom tile was done, and there was even some lighting (albeit ugly fluorescent stuff) over the entry door. The kitchen however, was a different story, as the cabinets have been installed below the finished floor. This wouldn't be a terrible issue for most, but since the range is a slide-in model, it has to be level with the countertop. As it stands, it's about 1/2" over, because the finished floor is run through where the range is supposed to go. Time will tell how they fix this one, but it could mean a complete removal and re-installation of the kitchen cabinets, AGAIN.

Anyway, check out the current pictures. You can see that it's nearing completion, but we still have a long way to go.

Hope everyone had a nice weekend.

From the back door

Across the living room

From the fireplace

Maple is good for pancakes and for floors

The flooring was supposed to get sealed today, but the sander broke mid-sanding. The flooring contractor apologized to my father but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to finish the sanding, which would also postpone the sealing. So far the flooring/tile installers have been the only ones showing that they care about their work, and have been the most helpful in answering questions, etc.

The refrigerator is in place, but I'm not sure if it's connected yet. I do know that they wont do the rest of the kitchen until the floor is done. That only makes sense.

I am going to try to go tomorrow and take some pictures, but if the floor is being sealed I might not be able to get in. However, in daylight it will be easier to take pictures through the glass doors.

That's it for today, hope everyone has a good weekend.

-J

The leaning tower of Cabinets-a

Ok so we found out why they decided to mount the door they way they did. One of two things is wrong. Either a) the pantry cabinet is not plumb, or b) the wall is not plumb. We already know that the walls bow in as they move toward the brick wall, but they may even bow in as they approach the floor. How fun! That said, the filler strip is about 1" wide at the top and 1/2" wide at the bottom. Translation: the door wouldn't have opened anyway. Therefore, instead of fixing the problem, and actually taking some competent initiative, the cabinet installer decided to just make the door open the other way. Welcome to my life.

Rainy days and Thursdays always get me down...

Yeah, I know it's supposed to be "Mondays" but these days it's every day that gets me down.

The stove and fridge were delivered this morning. No word on if they are damaged or not (like the dishwasher is). Flooring contractors are still working, rumour is they have most of the bedroom area done.

The cabinet installers, yes, METRIC CONSTRUCTION, idiots that they are, have installed doors that open in the WRONG DIRECTION. Ah yes, just when you think people can't get any more idiotic, Metric comes along and just wipes that thought out of your mind. There was a filler strip added to the right of the pantry cabinet door, because if the door opened, the kitchen designer was concerned that with the depth of the handle, there wouldn't be enough clearance between the door and the wall for the shelves inside the cabinet to pull out. Did you read that? Between the DOOR and the WALL. Metric decided that it was going to go the other way. I guess they are taking artisic license now. Now, you may not think that it's a big deal, however the only reason that filler strip was put in was for the door opening toward the wall. Now, if you want to get into that cabinet, you have to a) walk AROUND the door to get into it and b) wedge yourself in the 18" space between the door and the wall to get into the cabinet. Below are pictures of the way it should be, and the way METRIC CONSTRUCTION managed to again screw up the most basic of tasks.

The wrong way, notice where you'd have to stand to access the cabinet.

The right way, with the door opening to the wall and full access to the cabinet.

Pick em up and lay em down

Early update today. My dad called around 10ish this morning to report that the flooring contractors had started the floor installation. They were even using a LASERLINE to get it STRAIGHT! How about that! Actual integrity by a contractor! Now, we dont know if they were using the laserline correctly, but at least their hearts are in the right place.

Supposedly the whole floor will be done today, or at least laid down, as there is going to (again supposedly) be a team of 6 working on it. The following still has to be completed:

- Delivery of range and refrigerator
- Bringing gas line for range up through the floor
- Installation of range
- Templating of countertop for island and base cabinets
- Installation of remaining cabinets
- Fabrication of countertops
- Installation of countertops
- Installation of undercabinet lighting
- Installation of dishwasher, 2nd oven, and refrigerator
- Installation of sink, garbage disposal, drain and faucet
- Installation of bathroom fixtures
- Installation of hot water tank
- 3 coats of sanding and poly on the floor, 4 coats in the bathroom
- Finishing the deck, installing the patio, fence, and gate
- Fixing the crooked ductwork on the bedroom wall
- Fixing the crooked ductwork in the living room
- Closing in and connecting the fireplace
- Fixing the ceiling over the kitchen
- Filling the hole in the ceiling over the dining area

Needless to say, for all those that were thinking that there's about 2-3 weeks left before my closing, take a look at that list. Not only is there a lot to do, but there is SOOOO much they can still royally F up.

IT AIN'T HAPPENIN'

Here's a shot through the glass doors. In the foreground, the black thing wrapped in plastic is the dishwasher. The boxes to the right in the foreground are the upper cabinets. You can make out the island cabinets and wall cabinets pretty easily. The wire hanging from the wall is for the under and overcabinet lighting.

38, 39, 42

No, they're not the Pats' Dynasty numbers (God I hope you know what the right ones are for that.) The island cabinets were supposed to be installed 39" away from the wall cabinets. They were installed at 38". Since they had to remove and reinstall them anyway, I had asked for 42" instead.

Today upon my fathers' daily site visit, he encountered the cabinet installer, who told him that they would move them to 39", since it was their error, but to move to 42" they'd have to charge their hourly rate, since it wasn't in the plans. Now, they had to be moved anyway, but apparently 3 more inches is a monumental project. That said, my dad went to find out just how much labor was involved, and just how much it would cost. To no one's surprise, the GC head, (henceforth named Slimy for Oscar's pet worm on Sesame Street) told him that he wasn't sure what the hourly rate was, and wasn't sure how much time it would take to put the cabinet in 3 INCHES FROM WHERE IT WAS, and that it could be a couple of days before he figured it out. I should note that these cabinets aren't even installed yet, they are just sitting there on the floor, all that needed to be done was a measurement of 3 inches.

The floor is another issue. Supposedly it's being done tomorrow. Of course, it was supposed to have been done yesterday, but again, no surprise there. In what could only be described as a cost-cutting measure (again, no surprise, you should see some of the corners that have been cut, don't worry though, it'll all be documented) the flooring is being installed AROUND THE CABINETS. Yes, so the flooring installers have to work around cabinets so that (my guess) Krispy and Kreme can save a few bucks on the flooring they were trying to cheat the 1st floor out of in the 1st place.

Now, anyone that buys this place that wants to change the cabinet layout someday, will have to patch the flooring.

Supposedly, Black Magic Chimney finally got the fireplace ductwork right. We all know that's just too good to be true.

Tonight I'll snap some pictures through the glass doors so you can see where we're at after 20 months of waiting.

Every day, like the one before...

Last week's expectations:

-The wood flooring would get installed today
-The island cabinets would get moved to the correct location

Today's reality:
-The wood floor is untouched
-The island cabinets are in the same, incorrect spot.

Nuff said.

The Pats win AGAIN

Not that I am surprised. What I AM surprised about is that there is, in fact, one person living at the Charleston Lofts. I know who she is, and I gotta say kudos to her for being the only inhabitant of the building, by herself, when 'secured' doors are still left unlocked. Though there is a certain creepy-coolness about being the only one in a building. I'm thinking that if it were me I'd probably be walking around the halls all night.

I did notice furniture in a 2nd floor loft, so perhaps someone else has closed. It looks like all the wood flooring has been delivered for A104, and it's supposed to be going in tomorrow. However, my island cabinets are improperly located, and they have to be moved before the flooring gets laid. We'll see what happens....

Wood floors must acclimate

Nothing too exciting to report today. The flooring has been delivered (which I had to fight for, they wanted to just leave the subfloor and sand that). They actually moved the sprinklers in my unit already, so maybe that's a non-issue. I'm sure they'll find a way to make it one.

Last night I woke up in the middle of the night thinking about something. So far, Metric has managed to have their workerbees install ductwork that's crooked, install a hook on the bathroom door 42" off the ground, and put a towel bar on the wall, half on the tile, half off.

Since I spent $1000 on a tile pattern that was supposed to only cost around $280, I had my father email them telling them absoultely NOTHING is to be installed ANYWHERE on that tile without my approval. I just know I'd go in to find a crooked mirror drilled into the tile. Then I'd take the mirror down and find out that they tried covering up tile they'd cracked doing some other stupid thing.

I'm still waiting for them to tell me that my glass bathroom sink has been smashed to bits.

I had to email Pat (named for the Pats who will WIN on Sunday) at Metro Cab to tell them the installers didn't install the island cabinets in the right location. He confirmed it was wrong, and said he'd contact Krispy to have the installers (hired by Metric of course) fix it. Kudos to Pat for getting back to me so quickly.

Here is what the loft was supposed to look like upon its completion. I am likely never going to live there now. I hate being in the building, I hate thinking about it, I hate what this project has done to my life.

And so it began...

I have decided to turn this blog into therapy and hopefully a helpful tool for anyone involved in new residential construction. I will be updating this daily so you may read the horror that has become my investment in one of the worse residential developments ever to grace this Earth. I will also be putting in 'pre-entries', entries of things that happened in the past, and will date them as such. Ergo, new postings may actually occur in the past, so feel free to delve into archives.

It all began in the winter of 2002. I was 28 years old, and was getting ready to take my first big step into adulthood (yeah I know, at 28). I was going to buy a house, or a condo, or whatever. I had started searching in the Salem area. I liked Salem, went to college there, and it offered a bunch of things (close to the highway, near the water, etc.) I looked and looked but was finding one disappointment after another (foreshadowing of my entire experience at the Charleston Lofts). I had put things on hold for a while, figuring I'd wait until after the holidays to restart my search.

Around April of 2003, I got an instant message from a friend of a friend who was an architect working on a new project. He found out it was in Everett (where I grew up) and wondered if I knew where the building was. The building was the former Charleston Chew Factory. I had driven by that building literally THOUSANDS of times, wondering what it was like inside, wondering if it still smelled of chocolate, etc. I have a fascination of old abandoned buildings--and this was one I had wanted to sneak in and explore one day. Imagine my elation when I found out that it was being converted into CONDOS. Not just condos, but LOFTS. I had always wanted a loft in the city, and what made this more exciting was that it was right in my price range.

I told this friend of a friend (henceforth named Cosmo, after Cosmo from the Fairly Oddparents--my fav cartoon right now) to let me know as SOON as they were for sale. I saw preliminary drawings, floorplans, etc, and even had a unit picked out.

Soon, the big day arrived. On June 28, 2003, on a warm Saturday morning, I purchased the very first loft in the Charleston Lofts. I was given a tour of the building, and got to see exactly where I was going to be living. Since I studied the floorplan, I knew where my walls would be before I even got there. The developer, who was there for the first sale, didn't. I had to tell him where they would be. I should have known on that day what I was in for. I however, was so caught up in the exposed brick wall, the high ceiling, the promise of T-1 access, an onsite gym, lush landscaping, and a life not unlike David Addison's from Moonlighting, that I never in my wildest dreams thought things could get so bad that I no longer want to even be near the building, let alone live there.