{ A+ }

...as we check items off our list, final inspections become inevitable.  and at this point, the patio doors, garage door, and air conditioning system were ready to undergo the scrutiny of city inspectors.  so, we scheduled our first three inspections and the inspectors came in…  as they examined the work, I found myself rooting for inanimate objects.  holding my breath till I heard “this looks good” or “you got your money’s worth.” 

…and finally, we—the doors, A/C system, and us—passed inspection!  what a great feeling.  I imagine it’s similar to what parents feel when their children ace a test.  I want to walk up to the house, high-five it, and say “Way to go kid!  Great job!”  oh, and of course, they are totally getting displayed on the fridge!

{ FROM THE PROS 1 }

...although we are hands-on, do-it-yourselfers; have our own, inventive, ingenious, do-it-all, version of Holmes (Leslie’s Dad); and awesomely supportive friends who are willing to lend a hand in exchange for cold beers and hearty laughs*—there were several improvements we just could not do ourselves.  so, after endless bids, these are the highly qualified professionals we chose to carry out our vision:

Roof:

ISTUETA ROOFING

RICHARD AMADOR

305-266-1011

http://www.istuetaroofing.com/

Electrical:

BI-US ELECTRICAL SERVICES, INC

WES MUELLER

954-815-7309

http://www.biuselectric.com/



Mechanical (A/C):

JJ AIR CONDITIONING

JORGE JACOMINO

305-281-5444

Garage Door:

A-QUALITY GARAGE DOORS & OPENERS, INC.

JOE GONZALEZ

305-256-1438

http://www.aqualitygaragedoors.com/

…before you ask, there are no kickbacks for this, we are just truly impressed with their level of service and professionalism and wanted to give them some well deserved recognition. 

*special thanks to the Wintersesss, the Heckosesss, and Michael Guarino

{ LOVE IS IN THE AIR }

…much like our roof, our air conditioning system was nearing the end of its life expectancy.  although the unit was cooling, at 18 years old, we expected it to stop at any moment.  well, the bucket under the condensing unit was not exactly an indication of adequacy and efficiency.  the ducts were filthy, missing insulation, and the one in the second bedroom was actually completely disconnected from the diffuser.  between this and the attic vents which were never sealed, the attic must have been a pretty breezy place.

…so, we also needed a new air conditioning system. check out our old one:

…getting a completely new system involved a few things:

·   installing new energy efficient compressor and air handling unit;

·   relocating drain (previous drain was running through the master bedroom closets and exiting towards the rear)

·   replacing all the duct work;

·   installing new vents in the bathrooms;

·   installing new returns for the rooms which were until now returning under the doors;

·   expanding the A/C closet (originally a linen closet) by a few inches to fit the new unit; and

·   changing the closet door to a full louvered “plantation” door to improve air flow… and looks ;)

…and at 95% percent complete, here is the new system: