[N8 v2.0]

This is my latest spec house. It is just about finished with one week to got for final touch-up paint(including staining the base shoe on the cabs) and other last minute details:

I loves me some rounded arches!

Kitchen with alderwood cabs and a nice fruitwood stain. Black granite countertops with a tumbled stone back splash laid on a 45 deg angle to finish it off.

Under mounted 60/40 stainless sink with a pull out spray head.

Front entry way ceiling detail:

Travertine fireplace surround:

Living room

Another shot of the entryway ceiling with living room windows in the back.

 

[maxyedor]

How utterly bland.

 

[N8 v2.0]

How utterly bland.

Ok, I'll jazz it up like your house next time, Christopher Lowell.

 

[maxyedor]

Ok, I'll jazz it up like my life partner's house next time:

Fixed

 

[Bicyclist]

Fixed

Bwahaha. :evil:

But seriously, I don't really like it. The kitchen is OK minus the tile on the wall and the rest is pretty sterile.

 

[Transcend]

Ugly. The kitchen looks like they used $2 wood panels with bad stain and nice marble. The chandeliers are also tacky as hell.

 

[EPB]

That's really nice, I remember you got for 2-300k?

 

[maxyedor]

Just noticed this, but would it kill you to use a little paint on them light switches, It looks like a bunch of bondo spots on the walls

 

[DirtyDog]

Ugly. The kitchen looks like they used $2 wood panels with bad stain and nice marble. The chandeliers are also tacky as hell.

I would imagine that for the price it's a pretty nice home. Round these parts, a house in that price range would be a pile of ****. Literally.

 

[DirtyDog]

Just noticed this, but would it kill you to use a little paint on them light switches, It looks like a bunch of bondo spots on the walls

Paint light switch covers? You should stick to Tool.

However, I've never understood why builders spend so much money on a kitchen and put plastic outlet covers on top of the tile. Why not use SS covers to match the appliances?

 

[DH biker]

We are building a spec house right now. Should be forsale in a matter or (a) week(s)! Looks like a nice house.

 

[BurlyShirley]

Looks good N8er. Id live in it.

You build me a house, what kind of discount do I get?

 

[Bicyclist]

Wait, what's a spec house?

 

[maxyedor]

Paint light switch covers? You should stick to Tool.

However, I've never understood why builders spend so much money on a kitchen and put plastic outlet covers on top of the tile. Why not use SS covers to match the appliances?

SS is great in the kitchen, but everywhere else the white looks like sh7t! A good auto paint store can match the color and after a quick sanding your golden, makes the house look $10,000 better for about $75.

 

[N8 v2.0]

Looks good N8er. Id live in it.

You build me a house, what kind of discount do I get?

7% off.

 

[N8 v2.0]

That's really nice, I remember you got for 2-300k?

1724_heated. 2 bath (Master has whirlpool tub), living pre-wired for 5.1 surround sound....... $189k here in NW Louisiana.

 

[DirtyDog]

1724_heated. 2 bath (Master has whirlpool tub), living pre-wired for 5.1 surround sound....... $189k here in NW Louisiana.

That's a hell of a deal. You can't buy a lot here for that.

 

[N8 v2.0]

MizN8 and I are also working on this custom home for a client which will be sheetrocked next week.

Laminated beam pr0n!

HVAC pr0n... note the radient foil barrier on the bottom of the osb decking. A HIGHTLY recommended item.

 

[N8 v2.0]

That's a hell of a deal. You can't buy a lot here for that.

Gotta live in a hot humid climate tho... where it might get down in the teens once a year...

 

[dump]

The kitchen walls remind me of argyle socks hehe.
nice work

 

[Potroast88]

Those cabinets and countertops look familiar.

 

[N8 v2.0]

Those cabinets and countertops look familiar.

I was inspired by your kitchen pix.

 

[Potroast88]

I was inspired by your kitchen pix.

Cool. It looks good, good luck with the sale.

 

[Potroast88]

We had custom shutters made for the kitchen window and back door and had them finished in distressed black. They turned out really nice.

 

[N8 v2.0]

Nite time photo:

 

[ALEXIS_DH]

hey nate, i´ve got a question.

i´ve got a small outdoors deck in my garden. its black granite, just like the ones in those countertops, its about 15ft by 7ft with like 3 3ft*3ft squares of connecting roads.

they are old, dull are chipped and in kinda bad condition, and it has been waxed quite a few times in the past... so it has like a wax sludge.
on the other side of the garden, i´ve got another small deck-corridor about 3ft wide and about 30ft long that connects to the 3´*3´ squares. they are black porcelanatto. its pretty shiny and nice (and its new too).

now that i see this, i was thinking about replacing the black granite for porcellanato, or grinding the granite to fix it.

what are your thoughts? price vs convenience?
i got granite-marble floors on the kitchen and a couple other small rooms that got grinded.. but it kinda sucked. when they finished my granite it was not nearly as bright as yours.. what you using?

 

[N8 v2.0]

hey nate, i´ve got a question.

i´ve got a small outdoors deck in my garden. its black granite, just like the ones in those countertops, its about 15ft by 7ft with like 3 3ft*3ft squares of connecting roads.

they are old, dull are chipped and in kinda bad condition, and it has been waxed quite a few times in the past... so it has like a wax sludge.
on the other side of the garden, i´ve got another small deck-corridor about 3ft wide and about 30ft long that connects to the 3´*3´ squares. they are black porcelanatto. its pretty shiny and nice (and its new too).

now that i see this, i was thinking about replacing the black granite for porcellanato, or grinding the granite to fix it.

what are your thoughts? price vs convenience?
i got granite-marble floors on the kitchen and a couple other small rooms that got grinded.. but it kinda sucked. when they finished my granite it was not nearly as bright as yours.. what you using?

That is 2cm black Brazilian granite ($38/sf). I am not sure how my counter top fabricators polish it though. I'll ask them next week sometime.

 

[-dustin]

Just noticed this, but would it kill you to use a little paint on them light switches, It looks like a bunch of bondo spots on the walls

that was the first thing i noticed.

 

[N8 v2.0]

that was the first thing i noticed.

No one paints swtiches or plugs on a spec house.

 

[Bicyclist]

No one has answered what a spec house is....

I feel like I'm missing something

 

[black noise]

That's a hell of a deal. You can't buy a lot here for that.

Yeah, but you also have to live in NW La. In Santa Cruz I don't think you could get a shack for twice that (I think the median price now is $800k?) but you get to live in Santa Cruz.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

Looks real good N8

 

[3D.]

hey nate, i´ve got a question.

i´ve got a small outdoors deck in my garden. its black granite, just like the ones in those countertops, its about 15ft by 7ft with like 3 3ft*3ft squares of connecting roads.

they are old, dull are chipped and in kinda bad condition, and it has been waxed quite a few times in the past... so it has like a wax sludge.
on the other side of the garden, i´ve got another small deck-corridor about 3ft wide and about 30ft long that connects to the 3´*3´ squares. they are black porcelanatto. its pretty shiny and nice (and its new too).

now that i see this, i was thinking about replacing the black granite for porcellanato, or grinding the granite to fix it.

what are your thoughts? price vs convenience?
i got granite-marble floors on the kitchen and a couple other small rooms that got grinded.. but it kinda sucked. when they finished my granite it was not nearly as bright as yours.. what you using?

Alexis DH, if you need to resurface any flat natural stone face, don’t use a grinder. Get a Makita GV5000 (5”) or GV7000 (7”) and silicon carbide sanding pads. This type of sanding pad is the most commonly used type. You start out with a 60 or 80 grit, then to a 120, then a 240 (gives the “honed look”), then a 320, then 500 (starts to give the “high polish look”), then 600 for real bling-bling. Your other alternative for polishing natural stone or porcelain is diamond impregnated polishing pads, very pricey and not as forgiving.

Usually the only time a fabricator will polish the top surface is when he either:

1. Is trying to flush out a stubborn seam that will not lay flat due to a warped slab or shotty setting installation.

2. When a customer has found a slab that they really like all except for the finish polish, then they might have the fabricator hone, re-polish, or even sandblast or flame the surface.



Typically, when you purchase 2cm or 3cm natural stone slabs (granite, marble, travertine, etc.), from a slab supply house, the top face will already be at finish polish (gloss, honed, flamed, etc.). The slabs will most commonly be dimensioned at around 4’-6” x 9’ x (2 or 3cm). After the fabricator cuts to fit, he will then shape and finish polish all exposed edges (bull nose, flat polish, even chiseled), but most often he will match the type of pre-existing finish on the slab top surface. Upon request, there will be a laminated matching stone rip epoxied to the under side of the slab perimeter (before shaping & polishing of the edge), which makes the slab look twice as thick as it really is.


When trying to figure out if you want to remove the existing granite pcs. consider a few things:

1. Are they structurally sound and intact or are they loose.

2. If you did remove them, would you have to damage any surrounding materials (concrete, other stone, etc.)

3. Are they currently so badly damaged, that it would not be realistic to have them re-surfaced.



Gres Porcellanato or any type of porcelain is nice. It’s durable, attractive, and impervious to water… but I personally prefer natural stone over porcelain anytime. If the granite isn’t badly damaged, its worth having it refinished, and a lot cheaper.

If your interested, post some close up pictures of the granite and I’ll tell you what I think.




Nice N8, it has a really clean detail... you can barely get your plans, engineering, and permit for that price around here ($1000 per sqft of living for building permit and $350,000 for .5 acre)

Sweeeeeet Job N8!

 

[3D.]

No one has answered what a spec house is....

I feel like I'm missing something

“Spec” house, is considered to be built on a speculative basis, with no customer or buyer yet.

 

[DaveW]

Kitchen is to dark overall in colour.... needs to be lightened up.
Arch doorways should be left to rot in the 1970's where they belong.
Like the ceiling mouldings (but not the light, it'd be a pain to clean).

But then like all things it's just a mater of personal taste, so as long as your can sell it or stand living in it, go for it!

 

[blue]

Wait, what's a spec house?

You (or oftentimes a builder) build and finance a house that you will never move into for later sale, because it's cheaper to build a house than to buy one outright. Makes money, but can be risky if the housing market in the area implodes during construction, or if your house is ugly, like N8s

It's really not that bad. I wouldn't build it like that, but if it was in the right area and the price was right, I wouldn't mind living in it.

1724_heated. 2 bath (Master has whirlpool tub), living pre-wired for 5.1 surround sound....... $189k here in NW Louisiana.

HOLY CRAP! Something like that in my neighborhood would push 450k

Thank god for renting. Not.

 

[Changleen]

That's pretty cool, N8.

 

[skatetokil]

speaking of the housing market, lots of people have been saying very dire things. . . the words bubble and collapse as well as mortgage debt and god-forsaken exurb ghost town have caught my attention as of late. In my humble opinion, the model of urban development we've been following is pretty ****ed. What are your perspectives as builders (all you industry types). Are you worried? How's business? The way I see it, the people who are in the market for cheap, confortable, customized housing are not financially capable of commutes that are 2 hours each way when gas is $6-8 a gallon. either we get serious about public transit (or huge ass highways) or these sorts of settlements will not be viable any more.

 

[Brian HCM#1]

It's kinda funny that everyone who's bashed N8's houses have never posted a pic of theirs Lets see them people!!!!!

 

[syadasti]

It's kinda funny that everyone who's bashed N8's houses have never posted a pic of theirs Lets see them people!!!!!

So what if they didn't?

Art/TV/Movie/Sports/whatever critics aren't the creators of the work and/or can't necessarily afford/own/compete with what they critique but they are still qualified to do their jobs