Insulation, Drywall, Retaining Walls, Drains, and a Discussion About Art

A week ago the house passed what Mateo says is the biggest inspection of the construction. It was for mechanical systems, framing, retaining wall grouting, and other stuff that halted construction until they were approved. Now that the Casa passed, construction resumed in earnst this week.

Insulation all around the house (including the fireplace) followed by drywall. It looks like the whole 2239 square feet interior of the house will be drywalled in about a week.

The following pictures are from two different angles but are of the same retaining wall along the easterly property line. In the first the foundation was approved so that the wall can be constructed. Here you see it made out of concrete block.

The finished wall from the other end of the lot with the drain pipe installed. Because the dirt was not as solid as originally believed (bedrock), the footing for this wall had to be dug deeper causing the wall to be taller than the plans called for. Structural engineer Jorge redrew the plans and was going to drop them off today.

Finally, the house begins to get wrapped in preparation for stuccoeing. I've changed my mind twice so far on the color of the exterior stucco. I believe the colors of the stucco and metal roof will more than anything else define the "look" of the house. I have thought long and hard on this (and changed and not made up my mind several times.) The relation between the surfaces or elevations, and the sharp lines of the roof and it's effect on the whole house are what is at stake in these colors.