Construction begins… And so do the problems

The first step in turning this shell of a warehouse into a functional Studio space is replacing the roof and adding some skylights. The reason for the skylights is since we are in a warehouse; we have no windows and no natural sunlight. I ended up designing a space that would require15 skylights in all.  Nine for the Studio, six for the Loft, and one roof access door. We sought out our new neighbors in the design district, Skylight Solutions, to begin the first stages of construction.

Wednesday, March 14th, marked the first day. The skylight crew began measuring and installing the internal bracing for the skylights. Things were going smoothly for a whole 24 hours. On the 15th, all the materials needed for the job were loaded into the warehouse, completely filling both bays.  Of course, 30 minutes later, the forklift gets delivered but can’t be moved into the warehouse on account that there is 6000 square feet of roofing material and equipment in its way. It is a good thing that we hired our neighbors because they were able to drive the forklift over to their warehouse a couple blocks over. Crisis adverted.

6,000 sq feet of roofing materials in our loading bays

But wait... roofing then gets delayed due to inclement weather for a few days. The following Wednesday brought some better weather and I agreed to begin roofing to make up for the time lost due to weather. That same day, the shipment from Baileigh arrives with all the equipment. Now I have no roof, no space and no forklift to accommodate this delivery. I have to add the new equipment to the forklift in Robert’s warehouse, along with another surprise delivery of a massive compressor. Everybody’s patience has been officially tested.

The new Multi-Hammer in a warehouse down the street...

That same night after the roof was ripped off, a surprise storm makes its way through Dallas. It rains… and it rains a lot. The warehouse is flooded. By the time I arrived the next morning, the weather had cleared outside but it was still raining on the inside of the warehouse. Oh, and I forgot, the roof to the bathrooms caved in. Disaster is an understatement.

No quite what we had in mind...

Then another delivery arrives from a picker in Connecticut, I have to call on Robert, AGAIN. While tensions are high, I am grateful for the first forklift problem because none of the new equipment and materials were in the warehouse as it flooded.  We are crossing our fingers for dry skies and better luck so that we can get on with the roofing process.