And Wires

Although there haven't been dramatic changes to the outside appearance of the house, a lot has been going on inside.

A week ago Kevin, the electrician, walked around the house with us and we pointed out where we wanted lighting, switches, and outlets. It is tricky guessing what corners of the house need more light and just where we will want to find an outlet.

Todd, the cabinet maker, arrived shortly afterward to sketch in where the cabinets would be so that the electrician can accurately place outlets for the fridge, dishwasher and other appliances. Since we want lights above or below the wall cabinets, he made marks for that. We decided to make the kitchen island counter four feet wide and eight feet long. Todd drew it out on the floor.

I learned a new term last week. "Smurf" tubing is what is used as a conduit for the wires that would otherwise be tangled or hanging in a loopy mess behind a big screen television. It is blue -- hence the name "Smurf".

Subcontractors are so busy right now, they are hard to schedule so Kevin didn't get to the electrical work until late this week. He isn't finished but already we are seeing a few things that need to be corrected. For example, the power cable threaded through the framing boards on the left will have to be moved.

The boxes for light fixtures and cans for the recessed lights are in place and the ducts for the central vacuum are installed. You can see the white vacuum pipes in this photo. They look similar to white drain pipes that are also installed. The smaller red and blue lines are hot and cold water supply lines. Bathtubs are set in place but not plumbed yet.

We haven't seen any "Smurf" tubes in the family room yet but expect the electrician to finish this house pretty soon. The wiring in the rental unit, however, is hardly begun.