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No, this is not about the sound of carpenters sawing wood.  Contractors working as busy as bees would be a great sight given the difficulty of getting craftsmen out to work on the GarageDominium.  However, a swarm of bees is creating the buzzing sound.  We noticed a lot of bees hanging around the site, particularly if there were any sweet snacks or drinks around.  Our neighbor pointed out the source.  A partially hollow oak tree is serving as home for a large beehive.  It looks like something straight out of Winnie the Pooh. 

Bees can be a big problem since they often infest walls in homes and other structures. Of course, they can also be a hazard to people, particularly those that are allergic. But bees are very beneficial to many plants, so you don’t want to kill them if you can help it.  

To protect both the bees and people working on the GarageDominium, we called in Keith’s Bee Service.  They came out on June 22 while we were enjoying a day at SeaWorld San Antonio with the grandkids.  They removed the bees from the tree and plugged the holes in the tree to prevent future critter infestation.  Then they relocate the bees where they can safely harvest the honey later.  They use a chemical free treatment that does not harm the bees and is safe for people and pets.  This is definitely a job best left to professionals.

This week Turnkey Builders has been pushing various trades to complete their worklists.  The jungle of wires is almost complete.  The electricians finished everything except for a couple of can light fixtures.  They finished moving outlets, installing the remaining 110V and 220V circuits, and correcting some switch locations.  The Dominion Design and Integration completed the wiring for the security and camera system, audio/visual systems, fire detection and alarm system, wiring for motorized shades, and the computer network.  Both contractors will be back to attach all these wires to switches, outlets, and equipment once the sheetrock and painting is done.

Colonial Iron Doors installed the front door.  It seems massive.  It is a custom steel and iron double door.  The doors will have a textured glass insert.  The glass sections are operable for easy cleaning.  To protect the doors during construction, they are wrapped in plastic and the glass will be installed later.

An third party inspector completed the first inspection.  He surveys the framing, electrical, HVAC, and plumbing.  He noted few findings on HVAC, but most of the findings were in the framing.  Some areas need additional anchor bolts.  Stud spacing was excessive in some locations so additional studs are required.  Joist hangers are needed in some areas.  In addition to correcting those issues, the framers are installing blocking for TV mounts, grab rails, and cabinetry.

Plumbing is waiting on the specified hose bibs so they can install those and finish a few other items.  We decided to go with Aquor hose hydrants rather than the typical hose bib.  The Aquor hydrants are freeze resistant, leak resistant, reliable, and provide a flush mounted design.  The drawback is that they require a special connector.  But these connectors can remain attached to hoses so that we don’t lose them.

I’ve mentioned the HVAC issues before.  Airtron has been waiting on the correct dehumidifier to arrive so that they can swap it out and correct the ducting issues.

Stucco work has also started.  The synthetic stucco, while simpler than traditional stucco, still has several steps.  A craftsman first seals all the seams, nail heads, other dents and penetrations in the stucco board.  Next, they roll a on primer.  Finally, they trowel the stucco onto the wall.  The stucco comes premixed with the correct color.  Stucco above the roof line is complete.  Now roofers can start.  This is a major milestone. 

The metal roof will be galvalume (silver).  The silver complements our exterior colors and reflects more heat.  The completed roof will allow the pest control guys to do their treatment, then insulators can do their job.

We also reviewed another revision of the cabinet drawings.  They still need a few changes, but we are very close to final cabinet design.  U.W. is suffering decision fatigue (although it could be decidophobia – which is a real thing) because of the continued choices and details.

So, the push is on to complete all these items.  Contractors have a lot of miscellaneous stuff to complete before they cover the walls with sheet rock. 

We have some guests, besides the bees, occasionally visiting the site.  I finally got a picture of them.  They are white fallow deer that likely escaped from a nearby exotic game hunting ranch.