June 8, 2007: ARC Engineering of Rincon has situated the location of the home on the lot, which covers about 7% of the land, leaving plenty of room for the natural preserve. It is a striking sensation to see the house go from concept to reality. The initial site preparation and fill had been done by Francisco Carrero Earth Moving of Rincon (787-823-2624). We've decided to make this home as green and self-sufficient as possible, leaving room for future energy conservation technology advances, such as affordable solar panels and rain water recovery systems. Besides natural preservation and energy conservation, a conscious decision was also made to use local vendors and suppliers as much as possible, in order to foment local business and conserve fuel.
June 18, 2007: A decision was made to treat the soil that will be under the slab for subterranean termites, which the area is prone to, after seeing the effects of this wood-destroying organism on the nearby trees and the wood home that originally occupied the site. We initially contacted Oliver Exterminating, an island-wide pest control service. Their regional salesman visited the property and after a long wait, quoted $1,941 for the treatment, which was deemed to be sky-high. Avilés Exterminating Services of Mayagüez (787-832-2968) provided a more down-to-earth quote of $516 and was selected for the job.
June 21, 2007: Ground is broken. As the machinery digs for the footers of the hillside columns, a huge pocket of soft, sandy soil is discovered. Hard terrain is found about eight feet under it. This causes a design change that adds another sub-level under the house and about $10,000 to the cost. Experience as the owners of a Home and Building Inspection Service in South Florida, Apple Inspects Homes & Buildings, had us set aside about 10% of the total cost for such contingencies.
July 2, 2007: Things are well under way at Amapola House. Last week, the hillside footers were poured. Today, the plumbers and electricians are laying pipe and conduit on the lower level. Alert Security of Rincon (787-823-4865) has been selected to provide land-line, Internet and Cable TV connections, as well as web-accessible video security. Owner Scott Montgomery, a local surfer, rescue diver and triathlete, has wired most of the modern homes in Rincon, besides doing intricate work for the Coast Guard, the U.S. Post Office and many government and commercial installations.
July 11, 2007: Concrete has been poured for the hillside level footers, slab and retaining wall. The second level forms are being prepared. Barring bad weather, ARC says that it will finish this home ahead of schedule.
July 27, 2007: The second level floor has been poured and the forms for main level slab and its retaining walls are being installed. Silva's Aluminum Works of Aguada (787-252-5157) will be providing and installing the metal doors and windows. Potential suppliers for the A/C units, cabinets, granite and tile were visited.
August 2, 2007: Western Air Conditioning of Aguada (787-868-2580) has been selected to supply and install energy-efficient split system cooling units, which will mostly provide Summer service. In the Winter months, ambient temperatures average mid-seventies during the day and hover in the mid-sixties at night.
August 20, 2007: The foundation walls have been poured. Fill and compacting is next. A close call with Hurricane Dean caused a slight delay, due to slight flooding from the torrential rains of outer edge of the storm. At this point, it was time to create a furniture, appliance and A/V layout to determine the exact location of switches, outlets, etc., for the plumbing, electrical, A/C and other systems.
August 22, 2007: Fill and compacting for the main slab have been completed. The soil was effectively treated for subterranean termites, along with a nearby Flamboyan tree. We've encountered a snag in getting the water turned on. The utility, AAA, failed to close the previous account when requested to, seven years ago! To handle this, we've hired Luli Soto of Rincon, who provides expediting services for construction and related areas. She's assured us that she'll cut through the water agency red tape in a very short while.
August 28, 2007: The main slab, including the main level terrace and second level ceiling, has been poured. This ends the main structural phase of the construction. From here on, poured-concrete columns and six-inch cement blocks will be added to build the exterior walls. In a departure from construction methods in the U.S., the inside walls will be constructed with cement block. Later, a poured-concrete roof will be added, making this home a good place to weather any storm and a long-lasting investment.
August 31, 2007: The cement block walls are being erected at quite a steady pace. As August closes, we realize that it has only been 84 days since construction began. We received good news from Luli Soto. She's managed to cut through the water agency red tape and informed us that we can expect the service to be turned during the first week in September.
September 12, 2007: The wall columns have been poured and the forms for the poured concrete roof system are being installed. We've decided to forgo the mirrored closet doors in the bedrooms and take a more modern approach.
September 24, 2007: We visit Amapola House. As we enter, we feel excited to see the actual walls, despite the metal columns and wood pieces that make everything look smaller. When we climb to the rooftop terrace, we see more than we expected; to the east, we can see Aguadilla Bay, Punta Borinquén and the Wilderness surf break.
October 12, 2007: The molds and steel on the roof and stairs have been completed. The concrete has been poured and finished. Late afternoon light rain makes conditions perfect for the concrete to set.
October 19, 2007: The lower level room walls have been built. The septic tank has been started. We reviewed the electrical fixtures plan to ensure their proper location before the wall finishing begins.
October 26, 2007: The grade-level retaining wall is being formed. The septic tank is being built. The forms and jacks in the main structure have been removed. Tropical Storm Noel swept by the construction site, but no damage or serious delays were experienced.
November 18, 2007: The main structural components and the septic tank have been constructed.
December 12, 2007: Tropical Storm Olga tested the structure and no problems were encountered. Activity has slowed down, as we await the surface finishing crew to complete its work on another project. A holiday vacation for the construction workers begins on December 21 and lasts until January 7.
January 27, 2008: A visit to the site shows some progress in the interior finishing and the installation of the rails for the stairs and for the main and roof terraces. The electrical conduit has been completed. The construction schedule has fallen behind by two weeks, due to crew scheduling delays and other reasons. ARC assures us that the pace will now pick up. Electrical service has been ordered and is scheduled for installation by the end of the week.
February 8, 2008: ARC has picked up the pace. The interior surfaces have been finished, the exterior walls are also being quickly finished. The terrace balustrades have been installed. The windows and doors have been called for. The electrical installation has not been completed by the utility provider and supposedly is scheduled for next week.
February 28, 2008: The construction is over 70% completed and it now appears that Amapola House is scheduled to open on time. All exterior and interior wall finishes have been completed. The electrical and AV system wiring is nearly complete. The tile and paint has been ordered. The windows will be installed in the next two weeks. Most of the appliances, light fixtures, ceiling fans and most of the furniture has also been ordered. The only concern is with the main electrical installation, which has not been installed since it was ordered in late January. We have not been able to get proper information from the electric authority, nor from ARC, regarding the exact nature of this delay.
April 1, 2008: Construction is nearly at the end. The stucco finishes have been completed. The floor and bath wall tile installation is complete. The windows and doors have been installed. The air conditioning systems are being installed. The paint job is well underway. The electrical drop point still awaits connection to the power grid. ARC assures us that we'll be able to sleep in the house upon our return in late April.
May 3, 2008: As construction nears the end, several issues have arisen that have caused disappointment, mostly in the electrical area. In order to get our main power line installed, we had to reach out to a friend, who happens to be a ranking government official. After hearing several versions about the cause for the delay from those responsible for making this happen, we concluded that we were not being accurately informed and decided to take matters into our own hands. Upon making our call, we had power within 48 hours. This delay caused an unplanned stay at a local lodging establishment. The electrical work at Amapola House has not been fully completed and shows several mistakes, including a damaged distribution panel, an off-center ceiling fan fixture and a kitchen counter outlet that is behind the stove. As far as electrical work is concerned, we'd rather recommend Juan Velazquez, with whom we consulted with to get the main installation approved, after the sub-contractor had initially stated that we needed a new (and very expensive) utility pole to get the electric power to the house.
June 10, 2008: Amapola House has been completed, pretty much on schedule and with no major surprises or cost overruns.
July 10, 2008: After making a final inspection of the house and finding some plumbing issues, we make our final payment (see above image "the end") and conclude our business with ARC Engineering, who in our opinion, was the best contractor available at the time of construction. When we build another home in Rincon, we'll definitively go with Hector Vargas, 787-810-9077.
