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Archive for the ‘dining room’ Category

The project is complete

Posted in basement, building codes, dining room, furniture, livingroom on October 12, 2011|

Thank you Graduate Brothers — the new donor wall has been installed in the living room.

Nearly eight months to the day that the first wall came down, the chapter house project is done. Lambda Nu is the one of the safest and most modern fraternity houses at the University of Nebraska.  A few last-minute projects included replacing the patio area directly in front of the 1931 building and adding a railing to the 1964 addition to bring the building into current safety codes.  A new front door was installed last week and landscaping will go in on Monday.

The house corporation is still accepting donations (the final construction bill is coming in at $1.6 million).  Visit the How to Donate section for information on donating.

The completed living room — looking into the study room. The furnishing include new leather couches and chairs, side tables and art work (historical photos from Lambda Nu’s archives).  The House Corporation was able to save the coffee table, piano, grandfather clock and library table.

Study room at the back of the living room.  The conference table was acquired a few years ago and is heavily used resource in the chapter house.  The chapter awards line the walls and the 1936 pledge class photo hangs over the fire-place.

The dining room features new chandeliers and is painted in a darker tan with a green hue.  Lambda Nu’s former homes are featured on the walls. The original dining room tables were refinished for years of future service.

The room formerly known as B2 has been made into the Andersen Study Center and features a large study tabel and desks for students to complete homework.  The old door that use to exit to the parking lot was blocked and filled in.

A ‘small’ television was added in the basement for brothers to gather and watch the big game on the big screen.

The back of the old diamond room now features of pool table, complete with purple felt.  Several pool tournaments have already been held and this area is one of the most popular gathering places in the chapter house.

The hallways now feature composites. This hallway is 2nd old.

A new railing has been added to the balcony to bring it to current building codes.  In addition, the floor was pitched and sealed to prevent leaking in the foyer below.

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They day before the fraternity property returns

Posted in dining room, furniture, kitchen, lighting on August 15, 2011|

65 new mattresses arrived today

Tomorrow, Tuesday, August 16 is a big day – all the fraternity property will be moved back from storage. Due to the extent of the renovation, the chapter had to store its property off-site.  We kept the large round coffee table, grandfather clock, piano, trophy case, library table, conference table, milk machine, Hobart mixer, and freezer – along with all the composites, chapter records, supplies, etc.

Today, a few deliveries were made – including the washers and dryers for second and third floor, 65 mattresses and rest of the dorm furniture (bunk beds, dresser, wardrobes and desk). Tomorrow the new living room furniture and copy/scan/print machine will arrive.

The house corporation also met with the locksmith today — the chapter will be installing a master key system for all interior doors and a card system at all entry points. This should help manage the who has access to the chapter house.

Thank you to all the graduate brothers who have donated to the project.  Our young PhiGams are going to have a safe, modern chapter house to call home during their college years.  If you haven’t donated yet – we can still need your help!  Visit the How to Donate tab for more information.

The living room is ready for furniture — minus the fire door on the right (which will be installed upstairs tomorrow).

The dining room floor was sealed and waxed today. Chandeliers were hung late last week.

The first piece of furniture was brought back to the chapter house last weekend — the grandfather clock. It has been in foster care for the past few years as the exact date of construction was not known.  It is working properly and keeps excellent time.  The small white box to the left is the carbon monoxide detectors that are now required to be approved university housing.

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The final countdown

Posted in 3rd new, 3rd old, dining room, livingroom on August 11, 2011|

The finishing touches are being put on the FIJI construction project. This week, rest of the carpet was installed on 2nd and 3rd floors, light fixtures are being hung in the building and various hardware is being installed (such as door handles, pulls, railing, etc).  This weekend the cleaning crews move in to get the house ready for move in on August 18. The AC was fired up for the first time – and it appears to be working as expected.

Next week the construction crew will finish up and the chapter property, currently in storage, will be returned. If any graduate brothers in the Lincoln or Omaha area would like to come down on Tuesday, August 16 to help move our property back – please email the house corporation.
3rd floor hallway — between the 1964 and 1931 building. The doors to left are the location of the new laundry facility.  If you look all the way down the hall — you can see into room 310 (use to be 312).

New carpet on the ‘old’ stairs — from first floor.  The railing is scheduled this week.

Living room – standing on the north wall – looking south to the fire place.

Living room — standing on the south wall — looking north (towards the front of the house)

Dining room floor has been installed and tables returned (they were refinished)

Detail of the new door hardware.  The chapter house will have a master-key system — so the house corporation will have a single key that will open every door.

The new fire alarm panel — this is the extent of the exposed equipment.

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New back lot and trim work starts

Posted in 2nd new, 2nd old, dining room, livingroom, paint on July 28, 2011| 3 Comments »

Updated 1st floor fire place and woodwork

New cement has been poured for the back lot and the DMZ. The original back lot was in disrepair, and the large trench that had to be dug to accommodate the new electrical service put the final nail in its coffin. While they were pouring the back lot, they also graded the DMZ and poured cement as well. This should solve the water issues for years to come.

Other finish works continues – including installing crown molding and baseboard in the living room, bathroom sinks, toilet dividers and tile work in the 1964 addition bathrooms. Painting and carpeting continues. The original 1931 wood floors are scheduled to be refurnished next week in the living room and tile installed in the kitchen and dining room.

Living room furniture has been ordered, 65 extra-long twin mattresses should arrive next week along with 90 window blinds. The next few weeks are going to be highly organized chaos, but the project is on schedule for an on time opening.

Living room trim work has been installed.

Foyer, looking from the dining room into the living room.

Dining room walls have been painted – ceiling is done.  Floors will be installed in the next two weeks.

2nd floor bathroom of the 1931 building — the sinks are located where the showers use to be.

2nd floor bathroom of the 1931 building — individual toilet stalls have been installed for privacy, shower curtain rods will added in the next week.

The study room for the new room 208 (old location of 208 and 209).  There are two bedrooms off this study room that will house two students each.

The 2nd floor hallway — going from the 1931 building to the 1964 addition.  A new door jamb has been installed for the balcony door.

New back lot!  The old surface needed to be replaced, but when the new power lines were buried, that sealed the deal.

The area between the ATO and FIJI house (known as the DMZ) has been paved.  This will help with basement water issues by getting water away from the building.

Phi Gamma Delta’s very own power transformer. The power lines are buried from the transformer to the house.

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We’re open…well…soon to be: the final month

Posted in 2nd old, 3rd new, carpet, dining room, drywall, fire sprinklers, livingroom, mechanical systems on July 14, 2011| 1 Comment »

The fire sprinkler main is open

Lots of progress this week – with dorm room furniture scheduled to be delivered on Friday, July 15 for the 1931 side.  The crews have been busy installing the fire sprinkler system (the item that started this entire project), HVAC equipment, carpet and paint.  Based on all known information at this point, the project is scheduled to be ready for the undergraduates to move in on August 15.

Inspections were approved to start finish work on the 1964 addition.  Drywall has been hung in the dining room, foyer, 2nd floor ceiling and 3rd floor.  Work continues on the bathroom.

The entire building will now enjoy central air.  The cooling equipment sits in the corner of the parking lot – where the ‘new’ and ‘old’ houses meet.  While this location is not ideal, it is the best solution that could be developed given the multiple factors that needed to be considered (including distance from the mechanical room and costs).  We were able to continue to use the boiler that was installed in 1997 for heat.

An individual ‘make-up’ air unit was installed for the kitchen.  This will provide both additional heat and air conditioning for this specific area of the chapter house.  The guys are going to have some cool cooks.   In addition, a new stove and refrigerator are on order for the kitchen.

The new AC has been installed on its pad.  While not ideal, this was the best of many not-so-good options.

Make-up air unit for the kitchen.  This will provide additional heating and cooling.

The living room has been primed with tinted primer.

The dining room has had drywall hung.

The housemother’s bedroom. Due to changes to the women’s restroom (will now be an ADA complain unisex restroom), the housemother’s bedroom gained much-needed, and I’m sure apprecaited, square footage.

Room 200 (formerly 200 and 201) carpet has been installed.  The camera continues not to do the actual colors justice.

Room 302 (formerly 303).

The 1964 addition has a little ways to go — this is taken in the study room of the new 309 (formerly 310 and 311), standing on the south wall — looking to the north.

The poor back lot took a beating and is scheduled to be paved next week.  The cement pad at the top of the photo is the location of the new transformer that will be installed next week as well.

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Old side upstairs painted, carpet to be installed

Posted in 2nd new, 2nd old, 3rd new, 4th floor, carpet, dining room, fire sprinklers, kitchen, paint, plumbing, tile on July 7, 2011|

Refinished dining room tables

The painters have finished 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors of the 1931 building. The camera is not doing the colors justice – the hallways and individual sleeping rooms are light beige with the study rooms a light brown.  Carpet should be installed next week.

Mechanical and electrical rough-ins continue in the 1964 addition.  Fire sprinklers are being installed in the entire building.

Lincoln Electric System buried the power line last week.  While it is nice to have this line concealed, the downside is the back lot took a beating.  Luckily, as they dug a trench from the pole to the back of the 1931 building, no surprises were found (such as a buried fuel tank).

A new stove and refrigerator has been ordered to replace the 1964 appliances.  The fraternity’s freezer is relatively new and will be reused.

The board was able to contract with Cornhusker State Industries to custom build dorm room furniture (will be installed in the completed rooms next week).  CSI also refinished the dining room tables and a few other wood pieces from the chapter house.  The dining room tables look brand new and are ready for another 50 years of FIJIs celebrating lunch and dinner together.

Room 200 — the study room and sleeping room has been painted.

Room 401 (old 4 south) — the hallway that leads to the main study room. The sleeping rooms  are off to the right. 

The bathroom on the 1931 building — 3rd floor — ready for final finishes.

Mechanical and electrical rough-ins. Photo is taken on 2nd floor — looking west into room 210 (old 212 and cleaning closet).

3rd floor bathroom, 1964 addition — plumbing rough-ins are installed.  Drywall should start soon.

Fire sprinkler rough-ins on the 3rd floor, 1964 addition.

The 1964 appliances have been removed and new ones are on order.  The kitchen layout will remain relatively the same.

The poor back lot has seen better days — LES dug a trench from the pole in the middle of the photo to the back of the 1931 building to install a new power main.

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Progress made on 3rd new – six weeks from finish

Posted in 3rd new, 4th floor, dining room, drywall, livingroom on June 30, 2011| 1 Comment »

Framing on 3rd new

Wood studs and beams are being framed in on the 3rd floor of the 1964 addition. The original plan was to install cinder blocks, but the project engineer put a kibosh to that when the original manufacture of the floor joist system was not able to find records to confirm it the floor was designed to carry that kind of load. The modified plan calls for wood studs to be used, along with a handful of wood beams, to carry the load of the roof structure.

The heating and air conditioning work is being finished on the 1931 building.  For the first time, the entire building will be able to experience the joy of central air. Each room is equipped with its own fan coil unit — which will provide cool air in the summer and fall and heat during the winter.

The 1st floor and basement ceilings have been finished and painting will begin next week.  All of the rough-ins on the 1964 addition should be complete next week and ready for inspection.

Ceilings and drywall work is complete in the living room.

Fancoil units have been installed in the 1931 building.  This is taken in room 401 (old 4-South) — southwest corner.

Drywall will start next week in the dining room.

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Carpeting starts

Posted in 2nd old, carpet, dining room, drywall, fire sprinklers, insulation, livingroom, mechanical systems on June 23, 2011| 1 Comment »

Carpet installed in room 300.A

The 1931 building final finishes continue – carpeting is being installed in sleeping rooms, the living room and basement drywall should be finished this week and the painter is scheduled to return next.  The plan is to refinish the 1st floor original hardwood floors after the painter is done.

As noted last week, the 3rd floor and roof of the 1964 addition did not meet current building codes.  A plan has been developed and approved to  install additional support beams – framing should begin next week.

Ceilings will be installed next week in the dining room and 2nd floor of the 1964 addition next week.

The project is on target for an August 15 finish date.

2nd ‘old’ bathroom — standing in the southwest corner (where the showers use to be) looking to the northeast.  Each bathroom will have two private shower stalls.

Drywall work continues in the living room and should finish this week.  Insulation was installed in the exterior walls.  The cove above the 2nd set of windows conceal the heating and air conditioning systems for rooms 200 and 201.

Workers install the ceiling system in the dining room.  The drywall can not be screwed directly to beams as that alters the structural integrity — so instead they screw the drywall to these channels — which also helps reduce sound transmitting from floor to floor.

The new fire sprinkler shut-off valve.

Doors will be installed to the 1964 addition fire escape. In addition, any window within 10 feet of the fire escape must be a fire-rated window. These non-operable windows have a wire mesh imbedded in the glass.  In the event of a fire, this would delay the window from breaking under — thus allowing the residents to safely exit the building using the fire escape.

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2nd and 3rd floor walls gone

Posted in 2nd old, 3rd new, 3rd old, 4th floor, building codes, Demolition, dining room, drywall, insulation, kitchen on May 19, 2011|

Cinder blocks from 2nd floor

The demo and asbestos crews have been busy – the first floor foyer, dining room, and hallway ceilings have been taken down.  The second and third floor walls have been taken down in the 1964 addition.  Demo has started in both bathrooms and should be finished next week.

Work continues in the 1931 building. Insulation is being installed on exterior and interior walls.  This will help with both energy efficiency and sound. Drywall and insulation has been installed on the fourth and third floors, including the third old bathroom.  The mason is building the new egress doors on second, third and fourth floors.

Next week the masons will start laying the walls on second and third floors of the 1964 building. Cinder blocks will be used which will help with longer term maintenance of the building (no more broken drywall).

If you would like to see the house in person, the House Corporation is hosting a breakfast next Thursday, May 26 at the chapter house.  The breakfast is from 7 to 9 a.m., with a short campaign update at 8 a.m. Please send an email if you plan to attend.  The cost if a suggested donation of $10.

Dining room, taken from the northwest corner looking towards the east.

The told tile has been removed in the kitchen. While the layout is not going to change, new appliances will be installed.

2nd new — taken from the northeast corner of what was the cleaning closet — looking towards the west.  The red wall on the right was room 206 and the red wall with the Husker N was room 210.  The cinder block wall in the middle of the photo is a load bearing wall and can not be removed. It was the south wall of room 210 and 211.

Hallway outside the balcony and 2nd new bathroom.  The ceiling has been removed.

2nd floor — taken from the southeast corner of room 206 looking to the west.  The purple wall was room 212.

Taken from the northwest corner of room 210 looking into room 211 and 212.

Standing in room 212, looking into the bedroom area of room 211 and 210 (the red wall).

Old side of the house — 2nd floor — this is where the window for the fire escape was located.  Code required a door be installed.

Southwest corner of 3rd floor (room 309) looking east.  The walls will be removed after the cinder blocks are stalled to hold up the roof.

Taken from room 310 – northwest corner looking into room 211 and 212.

A detail of the roof structure of the 1964 addition.

Demo in the third floor bathroom (3rd new)

3rd new bathroom — shower and toilet area.

Drywall in 3rd old bathroom looking at the area were the sinks will be installed. This was the area where the showers were located.

Interior insulation being installed in the new room 300 (approximate location is where the old room 301).

Drywall installed in the new room 301 (old 302). Standing in the educational/study area looking into the sleeping rooms.  These will both be private rooms.

Room 400.b — old 4South. This will be a bedroom for two brothers.

Goodbye 2nd new toilets — I think we’ve all cleaned these at one time or another.

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Demo starts on the new side

Posted in 3rd new, asbestos removal, Demolition, dining room on May 12, 2011|

Room 312, looking into 311 and 310

Finals are done, graduation is over and the undergraduate Phi Gams are out of the house – wrapping up another great year – now, let rest of the demo begin.

The demo crew started on the 3rd floor bringing down the walls, ceiling and stripping the bathroom.  At the same time, asbestos crews have removed the dining room and foyer ceiling along with the original floor tiles on 2nd floor. An unexpected surprise was to find that 75% of the floors on second and third floor had asbestos tiles under the carpet that has to be removed. Early next week the crews will swap with the flooring being removed on 3rd floor while the demo crew removes the walls and bathroom on 2nd floor.

Insulation, boxing and drywall continue on the 1931 building and should be wrapped up next few weeks.  All final finishes (doors, tiles, paint colors, carpet) have been identified and are on order to finish the old side of the house.

A request from the undergraduate brothers: The Rush Chairmen are busy starting the rush season – if you know of any good young men who plan to attend UNL this fall, please email their name and contact information.  If they decided to join Phi Gamma Delta, they will be living in one of the best fraternity houses on campus.

Taken from the southwest corner of 3rd floor (Room 309) looking into 308, 307 and 306.

3rd new hallway — looking for the nook that use to be outside room 311 towards the window.

The author of the blog had to purchase a new camera — a new feature — panorama’s — this is taken standing in the northwest corner of room 312.

Demo in the 3rd new bathroom — this is where the sinks use to be located.

A panorama of the demo in the 3rd new bathroom.

The new slide from what was room 307 — the undergraduate are going to love this!  (just kidding, will be used to shovel the 3rd floor remains to the dumpster, then be gone).

The House Corporation’s love affair with asbestos continues — the is is outside of the removal tent in the hallway outside the dining room.  Both the dining room ceiling and the tiles in the kitchen, hallway, break room, ice room and pantry contained asbestos.

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