| May,
2005 construction update |
Trusses arrived in early May and work resumed at a frenzied pace--first over
the garage, then over the morning room just off the kitchen. In the second
week of May a crane lifted trusses one-by-one to the third story roof line
where framers secured them in position. In two days they had completed most
of the job.
Framers from Eagle Eye Construction completed work on the stairway that wraps
around the elevator shaft from the basement up to Longview, the fourth story
viewroom, high atop the structure. For the first time Robin and John stood
on the floor of Longview and could see Pike's Peak, the Rockies and a pastoral
landscape that stretched in a huge 3/4 arc before them with an estimated
viewing distance of 70 miles. This will be the hit room of the home.
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Heir Drilling company dug Longview's well in one day (May 18) and it tested
out with enough pressure to pump 100 gallons a minute. That was more than
enough because we are allowed to pump only 15 a minute. Well depth was 477
feet. The well was "Static" (depth to which the pressure forced up the water)
at 230 feet. The "Draw down" (depth to which the water dropped after baling
tests at 15 gallons per minute) was 260 feet. "Awesome!" said Bruce Heir.
The large pentagon roof on John's office went on two days later. The pentagon
roof on the master bedroom was in place by May 23. Work is continuing on
Longview. Side walls that will house huge vertical Pella windows were in
place at the end of the month.
The weather has turned warm, with temperatures as high as 90. |
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| June
1 to July 12, 2005, construction update |
Warm, mostly clear weather in early June allowed framers to move quickly
to put the roof on the towering view room (Longview) and to begin to attach
the fascia on all under-roof areas of the home. Afternoon thunderstorms hampered
work in mid to late June but did not delay construction of the 5-stop elevator
shaft. Rubberized plastic sheeting was applied to all roof areas by late
June, and the third story deck was completed and ready for its concrete floor
by June 23.
Installing of the 5-ton, pentagon-shaped skylight drew crowds of photographers
in late June. The huge steel frame was assembled and welded on site, then
lifted by crane to its third story resting place. Workers guided the frame
into place and bolted it to ledges designed to support it. Twin steel beams
were installed to steady portions of the frame that juts out over the third
story deck. |
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Pella experts led by Doc Tully began to install Longtree's 119 windows in
early July. Since some installations took place nearly 65 feet above ground
level, Tully called in a crane to assist. Installers work on one window at
a time--one of them outside on an extension ladder, the other inside. Most
of the work was completed by June 12.
The prow-shaped roof over the main entrance was completed by July 7. Temperatures
soared into the mid-90s, typical for this time of the year in Colorado. Because
of heavy spring rainfall, the land around Longtree continued to teem with
native grasses and wildflowers. |
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| July 13 to September 1, 2005, construction update |
With the installation of windows finished and framing about 95% complete,
much of the work during the warm midsummer period turned to the inside of
the home. Lance Graham and his crew from Precision Plumbing began the
installation of water pipes and drains in late July.
Especially interesting was the installation of piping inside the elevator
shaft, soaring from the basement to the floor of Longview. Lance made it
look easy. And since water pipes underneath the bridges between the center
home and the two towers will be exposed to freezing temperatures, arrangements
were made to pipe in heat to protect them. Most of the rough plumbing was
in by Sept. 1.
Four Seasons Heating & Cooling began its preliminary work in August.
"Tinners" led by Dan |
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Maul assembled from scratch the heating and air conditioning ducts that will
feed every room in the home. One large duct zooms up the elevator shaft next
to plumbing pipes. By Sept. 1, their work was about 70% completed.
A new crew appeared in late July and began to double wrap the outside of
the building with black "felt" preliminary to stone and stucco. By early
September they had covered the "felt" with supporting wire and were about
ready to begin the application of stone and stucco (the stone will be dark,
the stucco a dark green to make the building blend into the forest that surrounds
it).
Chilly nights and turning leaves marked the beginning of September. The forecast
is for an early winter. |
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| Sept. 2 to December 7, 2005, Construction Update |
The installation of Longtree's heating and air conditioning systems continued.
The home will include four G61 furnaces and three Lennox HSX15 air conditioners,
all from the Dave Lennox Signature Collection.
In October, a smiling gentleman named Merlyn Discua, of Arapahoe Fire Protection,
began the installation of Longtree's sprinkler system. And if you zoom down
to row 26 on the week-by-week picture page, you'll see him demonstrating
his dazzler.
Later in the month, the Romeros decided to cut back the tall, ship-like prow
atop Longview, the fourth story viewing room. The move took several feet
off Longview's height without altering the interior. A powder room was added
to Longview as well.
Also in October, the home's Waupaca elevator was delivered by the Certified
Elevator Company, Inc., of Centennial, CO. Certified's owner Tony Mateyko
says his men will begin assembling the cab inside the elevator shaft early
in 2006. |
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Stucco work was delayed by the alteration to Longview, but will resume in
December, weather permitting. The Romeros chose a forest green stucco color,
accented by dark stones on the lower elevations of the home and towers.
The installation of contrasting brown shingles began in late November, and
was expected to be completed by late December.
Snowstorms? We had a wicked one in October. It hit before the trees had shed
their leaves and resulted in widespread damage in metro Denver. The wet,
heavy snow that measured two feet deep and more caused a number of broken
branches.
We were nailed again in late November with a combination of snowfall and
very cold weather. This time the trees survived, but the overnight in metro
Denver was -4, and the high on Dec. 7 was 11. The storms and cold delayed
work on Longtree by two to three weeks.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good year. |
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| December 8, 2005, to March 31, 2006 |
Most of Longtree's electric work was completed in early March, by a crew
from Endeavor Electric led by Mike Drinkard. The home has two mechanical
rooms, each with two panels.
In February, Acoustic Visions of Boulder, CO, began installing low voltage
wiring with a team that included Kyle Novak, Bazil Baldwin and Adam Weisgerber.
Longtree will have eight HDTV sets of varying sizes (some are flat screen
swing-out wall mounts, two of which are in the kitchen) plus numerous dedicated
telephone lines. Acoustic Visions also will install a home theater in the
basement entertainment center. .
A pump and two large cisterns were installed by Arapahoe Fire Protection
to serve the array of overhead sprinklers throughout the house. A lightning
protection system consisting of copper spikes placed strategically on various
roof sections and a heavy copper wire that connects them was in place by
the end of March.
Stucco application went slowly because of intermittent snow and cold and
a custom texture change from lumps and bumps to a smoother, more wavelike
surface. The dark green color blends beautifully with forest surroundings
and virtually makes the home disappear when seen from a distance. |
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Colorado Plastering completed most of the stucco and began application of
cultured stone as March ended. The stone, although multicolored, has a dark
appearance that meshes with the stucco color and the surrounding forest.
A double leach field northwest of the house was completed in February. It
was covered over and made ready for use when the home is occupied.
Millwork under the direction of Randy Wade Millwork began on the home's large
main entrance and various interior doors. The front door will feature two
rows of clavos (large metal studs) which will be picked up by key interior
doors.
Quick Hits: Work began on the entertainment center pub...the larger of two
guest suites was outfitted with a corner tub and ceiling-mounted rainfall
shower...the entrance to the library was custom built by Nate Latimer to
mimic the home's soaring main entrance...Robin and John chose bronze-colored
All American Rolling Shutters for various windows...insulation and drywall
work are due to start in April.
Sure looks like a beautiful Spring. |
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| April 1 to October
6, 2006 Construction Update
Robin steps up
makes decisions that bring Longtree in on time |
March to October sounds like a long time. It
isn’t when your dream home is rapidly coming together and there are
hundreds of last minute decisions to make. We had good weather most of the
way, so that helped.
We also had Robin, who stepped up (a little
sports jargon, there) and took charge of selecting interior and exterior
lighting, tile, carpeting, interior room colors and kitchen decor. Come to
think of it, that’s about everything we had left to do.
Robin’s work was made easier by designer
Lyn Bartels, an executive of the contractor and a close friend. Her expert
guidance and knowledge in both interior and exterior design saved us time
and error.
The granite top kitchen counters and island,
for example, came from a showroom that Lyn recommended. She and Robin checked
out the inventory and Robin settled on Vyara, a beautiful varicolored stone.
Robin had an idea to use the serried edges of the original slab as the back
splash. The striking finished product looks like the distant Rocky Mountains.
Robin chose three different carpets--one for
most of the home, a second for the basement only and a third for the stairway.
She then selected eight different rooms colors (most will be shown on the
week-by-week pictorial record of Longtree).
Friend Tony Mateyko, owner of Certified Elevator
in Denver, installed a beautiful. five stop Waupaca elevator. Near the completion
of construction, Acoustic Visions of Boulder, CO, ran low voltage wiring
and installed the various television sets and speakers.
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Project Manager Ron Schauman said he could
bring the home in by October, and did it. Without Ron’s knowledge of
every facet of homebuilding, we’d never have made it.
The kitchen appliances came from a number of
brands--our favorite being a Meile Steam Oven that can cook three foods at
once One of the last projects was “Bailey’s Yard,” a grass-covered
courtyard in the center of the home for Robin and John’s Basset Hound,
Bailey. Another beautiful final touch was added by Nick Latimer, owner of
Latimer Construction, who installed cedar wood at the top of the iron pentagon,
under the third story deck and under other extensions.
Racing the snow, we moved into Longtree in
mid-October. Unfortunately, we didn‘t win. John moved his computer and
office machines to the home a week in advance of the furniture move and would
have been snowed in his second day if not for a neighbor who plowed the driveway
so he could escape.
So Longtree was completed. Well, almost.
Landscaping still remains to be done, along with the labyrinth. And there
are about 3,000 old growth Ponderosas that need trimming. So stay tuned.
We’ll be telling you (and showing you) about Longtree as it develops
over the next two years.
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Architecture and the quality of life
I think people are realizing that Architecture...has a lot to do with
the quality of your life.
--Architect Daniel Libeskind, selected to create a
master plan for the
World Trade Center in New York, and the man who designed
the Denver Art
Museum and the adjacent Museum Condos, as quoted in
the Denver Post
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