Well it has been exactly four months to the day since we broke ground on (10 June, 2011) and we are very pleased with what we have been able to accomplish in this period of time. As you will see below we are now getting to the interesting stuff!
The boys from IE Caribbean are here installing the HardiePlank fiber-cement lap siding to the front of the home. Note the green board waterproofing between the product and the wall behind – we also use the stainless steel fasteners – two quality steps that many other contractors simply do not take.
This product, from the James Hardie Company is a great product for a lot of reasons other than just a great look.
Hurricane resistance: The property damage from hurricanes can be staggering. Due to its impact resistance against hail and windblown debris, fiber-cement siding has been specified by hurricane-zone building codes for building homes in hurricane-, tornado-, and wildfire-prone areas.
Fire resistance: James Hardie fiber-cement exteriors have been tested by various IAS Certified Laboratories to ASTM International standards for exceptional fire resistance, smoke index and fire spread ratings.
Moisture and Rot resistance: James Hardie Siding is warranted not to rot, warp or delaminate. What else would you use in Caymans incredibly corrosive, sun-baked environment.
Painting perils: Since James Hardie Siding is made of fiber cement; it does not undergo the same degree of expansion and contraction that hinders wood-based and vinyl sidings. Therefore, James Hardie Siding will hold onto paint three to four times longer than wood siding, reducing your overall maintenance costs, without compromising aesthetics.
Make sure that the product is installed on the right substrate with the right fasteners, then make sure you get yourself a qualified installer like IE Caribbean Ltd and get this great product professionally installed!
What a great contemporary hardwood door! Wait, it is not wood – it is a hurricane-impact--rated aluminum CGI product! No maintenance, with sleek satin-nickel Hager hinges, and Baldwin leversets. Nice.
While we are on the subject of doors, these 8 foot stain-grade poplar doors have just arrived and are going to look amazing with the chocolate colored Italian flooring. They are pre-stained with a wood conditioner for longer life before the finish stain is applied. The hardware is a contemporary Hercules square rosette by Emtek – we will get a good picture of the finished product later when it all comes together. Heck it looks good now! Let’s scoot outside for a minute and see what Phoenix is doing in the outdoor kitchen.
This is going to be great. Phoenix has built a concrete housing for all the outdoor cooking elements! You can see an undermount stainless sink at the far end, the cutout is for the big gas-fired grill that Home Gas is plumbing in from the mega tank in the front yard, and the circular hole is for “da smoker”! This is going to get a Big Green Egg ceramic smoker! We will come back to this later!
Makes you want to build a house doesn’t it?
