Sewage Connection

Abilit, the not so honest construction firm, insisted that we had to create our own sewage line - rather than taking the less expensive, more obvious road of connecting to the land-lord's existing line. So, we went through the lengthy, time consuming, headache causing process of getting 'official' documentation from the water and sewage department that insists we connect to the landlord's line rather than dig our own. In a meeting with Abilit two weeks ago this situation was among those discussed on our list of grievances ... we explained we were not paying more money and spending more time on construction to put in our own line, showed them the official paper from the water and sewage department and told them to connect us to the landlord. They consented.
So, we were a little confused yesterday when this crane, six workers and all this equipment showed up and started putting in a separate sewage connection. Apparently there isn't a lot of communication within the Abilit structure - we told the man in charge of the dig that we weren't paying for any of the parts or labor they were using to create our own sewage line - that we already agreed to connect directly to the landlord.
Well, that did not go over well at all - and a conversation of more expletives than actual words ensued. We ended up bringing in three other engineers, and our local attorney ... they installed the thing anyway ... and we are not paying for it.
Whatever.
As long as we're connected (finally) that is the main thing ... because we can't turn on washers if there is no where for the dirty water to go.

AMAZING

While we've had more than a few run-ins and set-backs with construction, permissions, and the firm doing our work ... we've also had lots of second and third opinions on the work that has been completed. And, the really great news is, all those added opinions from engineers, the gas, water, and electrical departments are all very impressed with the quality of construction, piping, and work that has been completed. 

That's all fine and well. It's costing enough, taking long enough, and giving enough grey-hairs and premature wrinkles that it should be done well. 

Saturday another plumber came to do some work. He was truly in awe with all the piping and work that we've put in. His response, similar to too many local responses to mention, was something like:

"Wow, this is a lot of work. You must have been at this for what ... a year-and-a-half? Two years?"

No. Four-plus months, thank you very much. 

But here in lies a major problem ... all the local people are patting themselves on the back for doing so much in such a short period of time, and we are banging our heads against the wall saying "why is this taking so long!" Different perspectives? Maybe. Different expectations? Certainly.

Blending American and Ukrainian building and business techniques requires a bit of finesse and patience that we are trying to cultivate.

Good News

Who's the most powerful man in town?
Mayor - No, he's elected and can be ousted.
Mafia - a Hollywood farce. Please.
Okay, that was sort of a trick question, since it isn't a single person in Lviv ... more like a single entity. And the answer is (drum roll please) - Lviv Gas. Nothing here gets done without the blessing of the gas department (especially if you have industrial dryers that run on gas).
Today Lviv gas came, dug a trench from the main gas-line in the road to our building, laid the gas pip-line, and covered their marks. This is good news for Bubbles, great news for us. Now we just need them to flip the switch and send that clean-burning energy our way.

Covered & Completed Gas Line for Bubbles

To grasp the full-nature of this situation, we have to give a little back story. Before we quit the day job in San Francisco to start this venture, we hired two Ukrainians who are long-time, trustworthy friends to get the business process started. A main task entrusted to their care was to find a location for Bubbles - said location was to have specific capability for the water, gas, and electric needs (all clearly outlined in writing). The location we're in, they said, met all the needs we sent ...

and to be sure, they even sent pictures of the gas pipe-line connected to our building (painted yellow).
So we gave the green-light, and they began the time consuming paper-work process to lease the building.
You can imagine our horror when, in July, we learned that the building does not have gas at all. How can this be?! You even sent pictures of the gas-line to the building before we gave the final okay? "Oh, sorry ... those pictures must have been to a different building," was the only response and explanation we received. While an honest mistake, this 'mix-up' has cost us dearly. Lesson learned - you are only as successful as those who represent you ... and if you want something done correctly, you have to do it yourself.
We then began the arduous process of securing gas for our store. Many, many hours (late nights, early mornings, and full-days of work) were spent meeting people, getting signatures, project approval, and such ... yes, even at times meetings in back seats of cars, because 'offices' are not where such business is conducted.
White gloves were used as many players seemed to emerge with vested interest in how, when, if, and at what cost we were to receive our necessary gas-line - our construction company, and landlord, for example. In truth, the whole scenario has not yet fully been played out. The good news, however, is that we hold the ace - the gas-line - and it is sure to be a meeting of gentlemen that even Georgette Heyer would be proud of.
In addition to the gas-line, yesterday we also received final documentation from the water and sewer department, allowing Abilit (the construction company) to connect our sewer line to the already existing line - rather than building a whole new line, costing more money, and time (which Abilit previously insisted was the only way).
All and all, we'd say it was one of our most productive days since we've been in Ukraine - and that is the good news!

Devil's in the Details

While it's true, 'the devil's in the details,' detail work can be fun (and a bit more easy than government approvals and documents).  The glass reception area and decor are nearly complete ... Our blue and grey couches arrived ... The wall heaters are installed ... And the custom door to the industrial iron-room was put in place - now we just need to drywall the edges.

We had a brief issue with the piping connection from the washing-machines to the water-line. 

The threads on the American machines did not match any of the connections in Ukraine. We knew this ahead of time, of course, and sent Abilit (the construction people) all the specifics regarding thread-count, sizes, and every possible dimension imaginable. Plus, we sent the crew to Poland to take scrupulous notes on how everything was installed at a similar laundromat that uses Dexter products. 

Needless to say, Abilit forgot this detail, and said it would take THREE weeks and hundreds of dollars to special order parts from America. Oh, the grey-hairs this construction team has caused. We, of course, did what any resourceful, forward-thinking person would do ... found a reputable welder in Lviv to custom make the parts. Done in a day - cost $12 American dollars, and the problem is solved.

Construction Quirks

Turns out, there are just different standards for construction in Ukraine than we're used to in America. First, we'll show you some of the poor building choices that we live with in our flat - a flat that was renovated this spring with the intent of being leased to an ex-pat family.

We have a great gas stove - better than our our SF rental - except for the fact that plastic molding was used on the wall behind and the heat has since melted and warped the molding.  Then there are the electrical outlets that occasionally 'pop' off the wall - and the builder actually used cardboard pieces to help stabilize the plugs and keep them in place. Whatever. 

Next, the bathroom. The tub water faucet is about two inches misplaced. How the water runs now actually hits the inner ledge of the tub ... if someone had thought through what they were doing, they would have moved the faucet over a couple of inches so it runs directly into the tub. But, the problem is, construction things are often not thought through. We've found the mentality is, "drill now, patch later." And we'd prefer it to just be right the first time. Finally, the sink leaks constantly - and it's only been used for 3 1/2 months.

Similar issues already plague us at Bubbles - why can you see this bathroom light cord? There is no reason that the hole should be visible. Why is this heater plug exposed two inches into the office? Why didn't they cut it so it ended behind the drywall? Why is the plumbing and piping ABOVE ground on the toilet? Why didn't they take an extra hour and dig down six more inches so the toilet could sit directly on the piping instead of exposing everything? Finally, why did they drill these extra ventilation holes in all the work rooms before they realized that there was a steal beam at one end that would prevent the pipe from going all the way through?

True, none of these issues on their own are earth shattering, and they aren't the reason we're 6 weeks+ behind schedule ... but when you are paying a decent amount for construction time and materials, you'd expect a decent completed job. We guess it's all a part of the crash course in Ukrainian business we're taking - and we're learning to work with it, through it, around it, and beyond it!

LIGHTS, camera, action!

We have power and the lights are on! While we've had governmental power permission for weeks, it wasn't until Monday that the electricians were willing to connect our power. Then, of course, when the wires were to be connected on Monday, issues came up, and it wasn't until Thursday that everything was up and running ... but it is up and running! One of the hold-ups was that the little beady things on either side of this meter can only be removed by a city electrician - and if it's tampered with, there are fines, and fees. However, it takes weeks to get a city electrician during working hours, so we hired one to come by after working hours and get the job done - "When in Rome," right?

Another problem was the way Abilit (our main construction firm) wrote up our electrical project - suggesting we need 3 x's the amount of power that we really do need (an absurd amount!) so as to stall government approval, and have us pay them more, so they could use their "contacts" to get the project through ... see the corruption here? Anyway, problem averted, we have our own "contacts" and Bubbles will triumph. This is the folding room for hotel contract orders - lights, lights, beautiful lights in every room!


As far as other construction progress goes - the door frames are in, doors painted, and waiting to be hung.

 

The metal baseboards are mostly up and we'll remove the protective cover soon. The lip connecting the windowsill and drywall is installed. And the outside facade is coming along - more of a sky-blue than dark. So far the Ukrainian response to the blue has been overwhelmingly positive.

Update

We are now a month and a day past opening ... and getting closer.
The fire department installed the emergency exit signs and detectors.
Interior painting is finished.
The lights are getting closer to being complete.
We've re-plastered the outside facade because it was not done correctly the first time.

Our honest bush thief has returned yet another bush.
And we continue to try to navigate with and around the web of complications Abilit has created.
Power should be turned on today (fingers crosses) and we are getting closer with gas permissions.

On a final note, we had a dream last night ... we were on a balcony of a home on a mountain. We tried to get off the balcony, walked around and around as it winded down the mountain ... until we realized there was a tiger at the end. So we went back the way we came only to discover there was a bear on the other side. As they both approached we realized there was no way off ... except to wake-up. So, that's what we did - we woke up. Any interpretations?

Paint it Up!

Each week we create a list of tasks to be accomplished within the seven days ... one of last weeks was to have the interior painting complete. Well, unfortunately, clean-up from the re-sanding of the cement foundations lasted a few days longer than anticipated and painting didn't begin until Friday.
To find cardboard to protect the floor from drips (remember our floor is a piece of art all in itself!) we went to an abandoned train car area where people sell (or buy) cardboard boxes. For about 12 cents, you can buy a kilo of broken-down cardboard.
Since we don't have pictures of this Ukrainian experience, you'll have to use your imagination ... you walk through an abandoned field, littered with garbage, to a three story brick structure - not quite sound enough to be called a building - where you then make the business transaction.
While we were there a man and woman came with 13 rolls of old wall-paper ... Soviet era old. The couple looked emaciated from drug addiction - and could barely carry on a conversation with the head-rolls and twitches. They said they'd sell us the wall-paper for 80 cents a yard to use as floor covering. We weren't interested - and they lowered the price - 80 cents total!
"He needs some whiskey," the woman explained. "Six - rhp (or 80 cents) will get him what he needs."
So we bought the wall-paper.
When we returned to Bubbles we told the workers we changed our minds, and instead of painting the walls, we wanted them to put up wall-paper.
They were visibly up-set - so much time and effort into texturing, sanding, and stabilizing the drywall just to put up wall-paper!?
They were very pleased to hear we were kidding. For now our 80 cent Soviet wall-paper covers the floors, and the interior painting continues ... a top the "to-be-completed" list for this week.

Slowly but surely ...

Good news is the gas pipeline is in and hooked up to the dryers. 

The not so good news is we're still waiting on the gas pipeline to the building and permission to turn on the gas. 

But we're making progress.

Another plus - the industrial iron is hooked up and ready to run - now all we need is a store to start processing those hotel orders.

The heater piping is in place, and these air-vents (that we were not anticipating) are now a part of the store. We were more than a little upset when we saw Abilit put these large stop-light style vents in the store, they were never previously discussed. But everyone who's seen them says they like them, and that it adds another 'industrial' element to the store ... so for now they stay. And the Bubbles chandelier boxes are wired, and cut for lighting.

At this point we are just looking forward to opening the doors for business and giving the people an option beyond line-drying. Not to sound too altruistic, since we are doing this to make a profit, but after living here for three months, we are personally ready to have dryer dried towels rather than crunchy line-dried. Far too many hours a week are consumed with washing, hanging, rotating, re-hanging, and waiting on wet clothes to dry - not to mention if there is humidity or a slight summer shower, clothes (especially jeans - and we all know there's not a shortage of denim in Ukraine) can take days to dry. How do people manage in the winter?!

How Firm A Foundation

For the last 10 days we have been re-leveling the concrete foundations for the washing machines. We realized the machines weren't level and properly spaced. This was a bit surprising, since we sent the construction team, Abilit, and our worker in charge of this project to Poland to take scrupulous notes and get an accurate visual of the exact way to install the washers. Unbeknownst at the time, the worker (and good friend for over a decade) who oversaw the foundation pouring added an extra couple of inches of cement to the foundation, after the original was dry. He says he just wanted to make it look smoother.

We agree that aesthetics are important ... but level, properly functioning machines trump a smooth visual. Fortunately, in a way, the finished product wasn't level and we took off the machines to sand down the cement. Well, as soon as we started sanding, chunks of cement started flying. It seems our worker, friend, self-proclaimed construction guru, didn't prime the dry cement before he laid the "smooth" layer ... causing the foundation to be not so solid, and the top couple of inches to chip off like peanut brittle. It's fortunate that this incident came to light before opening the store, because within a couple of weeks of routinely running the machines, the top weak layer of cement that was not properly bound to the foundation would have given way, and we would have had to close up shop to fix the problem.

After a week of sanding, drilling, re-pouring, sanding, and re-drilling, the machines are being installed correctly. If this store were the end all, we'd be pretty downtrodden at this point - every day there are new set-backs and disappointments. But this store is just the beginning! and our little Ukrainian empire of laundromats is going to take off ... hotel contracts are waiting to be signed, future locations are identified, the next machine order is in process ... and Bubbles will have a firm foundation! 

Update

Construction progress as of August 13, 2011.

After many weeks of putting in ALL new pipes in the basement of the building, the water company has given us the green-light.

Our beautiful pipes, water tanks water storage containers  heaters  and such, all in place and ready for business. 

Still to do: a few more pipes, and filters. Check.

The machines made the long journey, cleared customs, passed certifications, and are finally in place.  

We still need to build the center box between the washers to cover the pipe - but the ceiling "box" above is ready for the assembly of the most amazing glass-bubble chandelier ever known.

I'm mildly in lust with these machines ... they look sharp. Here's an assignment - find a local laundromat with Dexter machines and check them out. You'll see why we went through the effort of importing them. They're stunning. Not to mention they're eco-friendly, energy efficient, and have the best warranty/service history of any other industrial machinery on the market. They are wonderful.

All our electrical work is in place, and ready to go.

The custom double-glass-door entry way was finished today. 

All the folding room, office, industrial iron room, bathrooms (yes, two - since employees and customers can't share), and every other required room is dry-walled, puttied, sanded, and ready to paint.

We're close ... really close. But there are still a few more long days of construction, finishing touches, decor and arranging, clean-up, and governmental permissions before we open shop.
It's going to be GREAT!

Bubbles Interior - August 13, 2011