1221 12th st- Looking Great

We're heading into the final few weeks at The Twelve Twenty-One Condos. There's a lot going on right now- painting, trimwork, tiling and all of the exterior projects. We should be finished within the next month.

In the back, the welders are working on the spiral steps. The joists are all put in for the decking, and today the carpenters started laying the Trex decking. Also, two masons are working on the wall on the first floor. This picture gives you a good idea of how much work this task has been. The wall is actually three bricks thick, and we totally changed the location of the two windows and added a patio door. The brick has to be taken out in sections to prevent undermining the brick wall above.

Today, the carpenters finished the coffered ceilings on the second floor. They need to put the crown molding in the squares, but they already look awesome.

Two guys are tiling all eight bathrooms. They're making great progress and should start grouting tomorrow.

Lots of the trimwork is complete. You can see we matched the trim exactly from the original windows.

2106 10th St- New Project

We just settled on a new project yesterday and started construction today. It's ground-up construction on a vacant lot only a few blocks from the U St metro. We'll be building a four-unit condo building that has a very similar feel to the condos we built at 1133 6th St NW. Each unit is 2 BR, 2 BA and there are two parking spots. We're really excited for this project to start taking shape.

Here is the front elevation of the new building- it has lots of glass:

Here is a picture of the lot yesterday before we started any construction. The excavators dropped off this machine, but then changed their minds, because there was a much bigger one in its' place by the time I got there this morning.

We went out yesterday and marked out the lot. We had a surveyor do the lot boundaries, and then we came back and used those to mark out the new footprint.

Here is the excavator that was used all day. They took out almost 25 dump trucks full of dirt today.

This is the progress.

1221 12th St- Getting Closer

The 1221 Condos are really looking good. The weather has started to warm up and we've finally been able to work outside. We're working full speed ahead and should be finished during the second week of April.

The entire house is sheetrocked. Inside, we're still sanding down the sheetrock and we will prime the walls with paint next week.

The big project of the week is the rear decks. The bottom two decks are finished. The welder is coming back monday to extend the posts up to the third floor, and then that deck will go in on Tuesday. Once we pour the concrete, the welder will build the spiral steps.

1221 12th st NW- Sheetrock Up

The snow has finally melted and we're back to work. Over the last week, all of the walls got closed in with drywall and we started working on the rear decks. The next two weeks will see a flurry of activity- all the interior doors, trim, cabinets, paint and tile will all be installed. We're excited to see the building take shape.

They planted the sign in front today, and lots of people were stopping to read it.



Here's the ceilings in the top unit. They're easily 15 Ft high.



This is the second floor. The fireplace mantel is just resting there- that's actually the kitchen.



Here are the kitchen cabinets, ready to be assembled. These are very high-end custom cabinets- we're excited to see them installed.



In the back, the masons worked on cutting the brick for the patio doors and windows. The top two floors are done.



The floor guys finished patching the original pine floors. They ended up moving a lot of the old floor from areas that will be tile- like the bathrooms- to fix damaged spots in the living areas. When it's sanded and stains it will look good as new.

1221 12th St- Lots of Small Tasks

Things are progressing well at our 5-unit condo project. I'm hoping to have the drywall up by the end of next week, which is definitely possible. Right now we're working on all of the small tasks that have to be completed before the walls are closed-in. The biggest project right now is preparing the basement for the new concrete slab.

In this picture, you can see Andre preparing the drain in the basement that will drain to the sump pump. It's wrapped in a fabric and then surrounded by gravel to help keep dirt from clogging the small holes meant for water.




Here's a ceiling on the second floor unit. We ran 2 x 4's to hang the sheetrock because the original joists aren't 100% straight. This isn't because they've moved, but it happens because 125 years ago they cut them all by hand, so the cuts on each one aren't perfectly straight. To correct this, we ran a chalk line and then notched the 2 x 4 so it's level.



Here's a closeup of the soundproof boxes we built around all the recessed lights. This prevents sound from going up through the spaces above the light. We built the boxes out of cement board and fire-rated sheetrock.



This is a perfect example of one of the small but important projects that needs to be complete before you hang the drywall. The stand-up showers have to have the mortar placed underneath the rubber membrane.



This is the kitchen in the top floor unit. You can see all of the orange fire sprinklers and the metal duct for the hood exahaust. This one is all done and ready to close-in.

308 9th St. SE- SOLD!

We finished the house in Capitol Hill, and it looks incredible. The construction took about three months, which is impressive in relation to how much work we did. It only took one week to sell the property, and the new buyers are moving in this week.

The front is fully restored. This is what the house would have looked like 125 years ago, except even nicer.



This is what greets you as you walk in the door. The custom built-ins match the kitchen cabinetry and surround a gas fireplace.







Here is the upstairs hallway. We put the biggest skylight we could find in order to bring lots of natural light into the house.



The master bathroom has tons of glass and dual vanities.



In the master bedroom, we were able to bring in a lot of light with the new patio doors.



Here is the basement in-law suite. This is currently attached to the main house with interior steps, but could be made totally seperate if the new owners decide to do so.



The backyard has a huge new patio with flagstone pavers.

1221 12th st NW- Progress

Things are really moving along at 1221 12th st and we're on track to finish in March- April. The condos look really awesome and have a great mix of historical elements and new features. At this point, we've got about half of the mechanical and plumbing rough-in work done, and hope to start electric later this week. Next week, we will tackle the basement, and insulate the rest of the house. I'd like to have the sheetrock up by the end of the month.

The upstairs unit is all framed and the plumbers were working here today. The ceilings are at least 16 ft tall in the main living area.




The new steps are installed and are a straight shot up from the front door, which was the best layout to maximize the space.



Throughout the house, masons are working to repoint the brick, which will be exposed.



Here's the bathroom and master closet in the first floor. Lots of wood!



At the rear of each unit, the walls are all framed out for the new windows and patio doors. We're waiting to knock out the brick until the doors come in from the manufacturer.