Floor Protection & Underfoor Storage

      Now that Flooring has been installed on all floors, it is time to protect it from scratches as the work continues.

      Flooring on the first floor differs from that of the 2F and Loft on account of the fact that we have underfloor heating and needed a special kind of engineered floor. We are very pleased with the wood we selected and can't wait to see it when it's all polished and varnished.
 

      To protect the flooring, our carpenters installed fairly thick sheets of what looks like pressed cardboard.  Just protecting the floors took a couple of days, but things moved along faster once their assistant arrived!  Here's how this works:

     With all the tools around the site, it's easy to see why protecting the floors is imperative. Accidents can and do happen during construction, even by conscientious professionals, and protecting the house throughout the project is really a wise idea, as emphasized in this Article by Gary Gilbert and featured in Fine Homebuilding.

         Now onto a different area.  We happened to be there when Fukuzumi-san was installing our underfloor Storage Unit in the kitchen.  This was a good thing because he needed to know what side we wanted the unit to open from.  The lid is not heavy and can be removed entirely for easy storage.

      We changed our minds about the flooring in the kitchen and decided to use flooring instead of tiles; that was a wise choice because otherwise the lid might have been a bit heavy to lift with tiles.  The frame of the unit is thin and discrete and the top is covered with the same wood as the flooring.  Since the unit is not in a visible area of the house, it will hardly be noticeable, which is what we wanted.

      I could just anticipate Yani's excitement about this new 'hide-and-seek' spot so I showed him the manufacturer's warning: no kids inside!!

Showrooms Worth Visiting

      A while back, we went to Aica’s Showroom located in Nerima mainly to check out their Melamine samples. Aica makes Exterior Wall Finishes, Melamine, Kitchen panels, and countless other indispensable items for the home. 

      We were easily able to confirm our melamine choices with the large panels on display. We had previously received Aica’s Catalog with tiny swatches of melamine boards, and had made some preliminary selections.  But of course, it is much easier to decide on or reject a sample when you can actually see a large enough sample that allows you to visualize it in your home-to-be. 

     To visit Aica, there is no need to make an appointment; you can just walk in freely and contemplate to your heart’s content.  We were able to try out various combinations freely since customers can simply pick up coded samples from the long row of melamine sample drawers to test them out. The staff was helpful and knowledgeable.

      We never thought we would be choosing melamine instead of wood, but considering the fact that it is apparently so easy to maintain, we finally conceded it was a sound choice. Also, I might be mistaken, but I think that wood tends to expand, as I remember Dad sanding some of our doors so that they would close better. In any case, we'll be using melamine for some of our storage cabinets and counters, but not for room doors (these will be from BLC).


      For home accessories and cabinet handles, we went to Kawajun which is located within the grounds of the former City Air Terminal at Suitengumae Station (Hanzomon Line).   The choice was impressive and we finally made our selection after going back and forth between various options. 

     We noticed that the offer in Japan tends to be quite modern and we had a hard time finding accessories with a more European touch.  But we are still quite happy with the choices we made.

Insulation and Flooring

      Despite the relentless rain, we made it to our site last Thursday.  We were so thrilled to see the advancements ! All of the insulation had been done.

In the roof, we have 16cm of Moko Foam, a foamy-type insulation. It looks like sprayed snow or whipped cream, but firmer! On all external walls, we have 8cm of the same insulation.

The thickness is verified using a thin blade inserted into the foam.  The foam flowing outside of the wooden frame is then cut out, leaving a flat surface.  The great thing about Moko Foam is that it doesn't leave any voids.  This VIDEO explains the properties and installation of this type of insulation. 

      We were also real happy to see that the flooring was being installed. This time it was Fukuzumi-san Junior who showed Yani the ropes: spread bond-type glue to the slat, place the slat so that that it interlocks with the previous one and adjust it with a piece of wood, place a few tacks and done!

Watch the experts in action!

Piping and Wiring

After Jotoshiki, the electrical wiring and piping work  started. 

      Here is Shibata-san and his Assistant wiring up the second floor.  The piping was done last week: blue for cold water, red for hot water, grey pipes for sewage water.  Finally, the green is for the water running through our underfloor heating system.

      A couple of months ago, our architect provided a basic electrical plan, and we then studied each room carefully to decide on the placement and number of consents, switches, TV and LAN ports.  We think we've covered our needs well, at least we hope so. 


      Because we will mainly be working, studying, doing family finances, etc. on the first floor, we thought we would place the main hub in the Studio.  Efrain drew a fancy layout of a small cabinet with shelves that he wants to be built within the wall, below the cabinets, and that will hide cables, routers and all that other stuff we need to be properly connected.

      We want to see a minimum of cables, especially in the Studio and the Living Room.  Hope the electrician got it right!

Fussing over Roof and Windows

     Golden Week was pretty eventless on the New Home front.  The site was closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, for a well-needed rest for the Building Team. But on Thursday we were surprised to see both our Carpenters hard at work! We noticed they had installed the base for our heated flooring (Yuka Dambo) and finished placing all windows in the Loft. They had also hung a makeshift front door to ensure the safety of all equipment.

      We brought a couple of items to the attention of our architect. The first was the shape of the roof for the front part of the house. It was executed exactly as planned but somehow we had envisaged it differently. This is why planning a house on paper is tricky. We had failed to see how the shape of the roof of the front part of the house would blend in with the shape of the roof in the back of the house. A bit hard to explain.

      At this point in the construction, any change in our plans to rectify this would put us at risk of a lengthy delay and additional costs. Our architect suggested we think about placing an addition to the roof that could be held with a pillar on the second floor balcony. This part can be added after the construction is finished, so we will take the time to consider it.

      The second item we started fussing over was the windows in the Master Bedroom. We had hoped to have two small windows above the bed, but instead, our plans called for two windows joined together in a single frame.

      We had not noticed this on our paper plans - and I supposed we had failed to express our wish clearly to our architect. After consulting with our Builder, Yakushiji-san explained that at this point in the construction, any changes in the windows would throw our schedule off by at least one month. Not a good idea!

      In short, YKKap would need about that much time to produce and deliver our new windows, and this would also translate into additional costs for us as we could not return the current twin windows.  Plus, the insulation is supposed to be installed this week, and after that the dry walls will be done. Everything else also has an assigned schedule, so there is no way we are going to disturb that since our priority is finishing on time. So we will try to make the best of this window. We're now looking for a good drape solution...

      All of this is showing us again and again that the whole process of planning and building a house is not smooth sailing.  Sure many aspects of the house will be exactly as we had hoped, but others, that we were unable to foresee, may remain to haunt us...  But we will just have to adapt and find creative solutions: if you can't change something, learn to live with it!

Jotoshiki

      Normally, the ceremony of Jotoshiki marks the completion of the frame of the house. In our case, we did a very low-key version of Jotoshiki later in the construction process, after walls and windows had been placed. 



Seeing the house with the windows and most doors was so exciting! 



Kitchen Door

      We are so happy to have selected this type and color of windows.  We especially love our Patio Doors and Living Room windows!  The decorative lines in the windows are held within the double panes and are therefore not exposed to the elements as in regular French windows.  These YKK Episode (エピソード) windows are made of aluminium and resin which makes them sturdier and hightens their insulating properties.

Patio Doors next to our Wood Deck



      Unfortunately, we're still missing the front door, but the frame was installed and so were the moldings.  So we assume the delay won't be too long.



Front Door Frame and Molding



     This meeting coincided with the start of the electrical work so we had to go through all of the rooms to check the position of consents, switches and lighting.  We had to make a number of minor adjustments here and there.  We placed dimmers in the Living Room and in the Master Bedroom.  We confirmed the location of 'Komame' Switches (that allow to turn power off). 

      With us that day was Chief Carpenter Fukuzumi-san (Touryou), Construction Director Suzuki-san (Shachou), Carpenter Fukuzumi-san (Daiku- 大工) (yes, the carpenters are brothers!) and the Electrician, Shibata-san.  We were also accompanied by our architect Yakushiji-san as well as by TwoStyle Director Shioda-san who made a big impression on our son as they spent time playing together while we reviewed the plans...

      We exchanged greetings and heard from Suzuki-san about the overall progress of our project.  Efrain expressed his gratitude and admiration to the team for their commitment and craftsmanship.  We also thanked each of these key players (as well as Site Manager Kato-san who was absent) with a small token of appreciation.

      Our degree if confidence in our Architect and our Builder is something that has amazed us from the start of this project.  We could not imagine going through a project of this scope without having complete faith in them.  So far, they've also proven to be flexible when we requested last-minute changes, and efficient in rectifying problems when we pointed out anomalies. Great team!

Setsuden Spirit

      Setsuden - Energy Saving - is on everyone's mind these days in Japan.  Messages calling for the cooperation of people and businesses in restricting their use of energy were put out throughout Western Japan, as can be appreciated in this BLOG. 

     Saving energy will be a big issue this summer when the demand is usually high, exceeding Tepco's current supply capacity.  A positive effect of the electricity shortage affecting Western Japan in the early weeks of the Fukushima crisis was that we found that when we start paying attention, we can actually do a lot to save energy without really feeling too much discomfort. The fact that we can go on less is proof that we are prone to excess whenever we can. 

      Now we’re starting to have doubts about having opted for Inax’ Satis Toilet with the heated seat and the washing options… Electric toilets apparently account for 3.9% of household electricity consumption! But we’ll use the low-flush option and set the seat heater at the lowest level and only during the coldest months.  Keeping the lid down also helps maintain the seat warm, or so I've read. We’re also wondering whether we really need a dishwasher… It might help that we plan to run it only with full loads, and only on days when the mess seems unmanageable. And definitely at non-peak hours.

      Here’s a few of the non-structural actions we took when planning the house to save energy and natural resources:

*  Selecting a smaller bathtub

* Using a washing machine pump to reuse bath water

* Opting for an energy-efficient gas water heater - Eco Jozu

* Foregoing a clothes drier

Granted, with this last choice we’ll be totally stuck during the rainy season.  But we've done without one for 20 years, so we'll just have to resort to the laundromat if need be.

 
      We're also hoping to reduce standby power using Panasonic’s Komame Switch こまめにスイッチ. This gadget allows to cut the electrical current without unplugging the appliance. The cost is very reasonable, at approx. 500 yen per unit. We’re planning on getting this for all air conditioners, and for the kitchen workstation that includes the oven, the rice cooker, the toaster and the bread maker. Wherever possible we will also use extension cords with on/off switches.

       There are countless other ways to cut down on energy and waste.  One meaningful step is to buy used, or to buy only when the previous item or appliance has broken down.  It is often cheaper to buy new than to repair, which is really a big problem for the eco-conscious. 


      Also, aside from your municipal recycle shop, and the occasional local Flea Market where you can get amazing deals, there are also a number of groups specifically- but not exclusively- targeting foreigners living in Japan who wish to buy, give away or sell.  Here are 4 groups that have been around for a while and which I find extremely useful.  Got a great bread maker for free through one of these!

TOKYO FREECYCLE

FREE STUFF JAPAN

TELL & SELL JAPAN

TOKYO PETITES ANNONCES

     

The French Group was particularly active following the triple crises which motivated so many expatriates to leave the country before the end of their term.  Forced to empty their apartment in a rush, they often sold their belongings at very interesting prices. 


      And still on the subject of energy, we’re still debating whether it would make sense to get a car in a country where cycling is so popular, and where public transportation is so efficient and reliable. We need to think about this because we’ll have to make some landscaping decisions pretty soon. If we do get a car, wouldn’t it be so cool to get one of those neat pop-up garages that are the latest rage in the UK?

      Just dreaming of course, since these devices are far from energy-conscious, requiring plenty of power to lower and raise the car from underground. Plus the exorbitant price tag of approx. 5.5 million yen is a little bit of a put-off.  Back to reality now.