Mark and Kim's Building Blog

Finish floor

2011-03-05T17:54:00.000-08:00

We've just finished installing the wood flooring -- "character" grade hickory. Lots of knots, ranges from very dark to almost white. Haven't sanded or finished it yet, but it looks good. Very hard.

Staying warm -- Kim at the garden

2010-11-22T11:23:00.000-08:00

Snow November 2010

2010-11-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

More window trim

2010-11-22T11:18:00.000-08:00

Tile grout

2010-11-11T20:13:00.000-08:00

Grouted tile in the bathroom.

Fir window trim

2010-11-11T20:11:00.000-08:00

After much debate we decided on fir trim for the windows. Here's the first one, not yet fastened but all cut and in place.

Tiling, wainscotting and window trim

2010-11-10T07:02:00.000-08:00

Installing bathroom tile.

Pine wainscoting in the loft.

Trial window trim using some scrap pine. We'll do the real thing with D fir.

Drywall

2010-11-10T06:28:00.000-08:00

Everyone claimed this is a miserable job, and they were right ...

Kim taping, using paper tape which we quickly abandoned for the mesh stuff.

Measure twice, cut three times -- no that's not right ....

Mud everywhere.

Ceiling

2010-05-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

We've used tongue and groove knotty pine for all the ceilings in the house. Despite recommendations to pre-finish the pine, we put it up bare, and it went pretty fast. We're still debating waht finish to use; obviously now that it's up, it has to be easy to apply....

Nailing the last of the ceiling.

Ceiling in the loft.

Looking across from the living room toward the loft and bedroom.

Insulation

2010-03-29T19:53:00.000-07:00

The plumbing/mechanical rough in inspection was today, and the electrical last week, both went w/o a hitch. We're now insulating, all high-density fiberglass, R21 in the wall, and a combination of R-30 and R-38 in the ceiling.

December 2009

2009-12-24T09:51:00.000-08:00

Taken from the mossy knoll above the house.

The moat around the house will be filled in and a planter box with moss and ferns will be built by the windows behind me.

9' + chimney pipe, with two supports to keep it from blowing over.

Warmth at last!

Vent plumbing, pex and wires -- exciting stuff ...

Wires and Windows

2009-11-21T09:47:00.000-08:00

Kitchen switches and outlet

Main electrical panel

French doors and living room windows

Loft floor

2009-08-31T22:10:00.000-07:00

A few more photos of the loft beams, plus the loft floor. Actually what is shown will be the ceiling (3/4" T&G pine). It's pretty bendy (on 3' centers), so we'll have 1/2" ply glued and nailed on top, and then finish with 3/4" VG fir flooring. The original plan was to use 2x6 T&G ("car decking"), but the material available on-island was not very nice, and we have lots of the pine (it will be used for the ceiling throughout the house).

Loft beams go up

2009-08-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

Work has finally switched from rough carpentry to things that will show. Last year's insane work week (during which we raised the walls) didn't scare Bart off, and he, Barbie, Brian and Alison came up for about 10 days, during which we put up the beams for the loft, and installed a set of pre-hung French doors.

Cutting a beam.

The human drill press in action.

Sighting the hole.

Bolting on a custom bracket, made by Bart.

Another beam goes in. ... Bart looks a little short!

Beams and a post.

A little R and R .

One of the bridge washers we used on the beams.

Let there be light ...

2009-06-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

We picked up the windows (Andersen vinyl-clad wood) a few weeks ago and are now installing them.

First step is to remove the plastic and tarps that have been covering the openings, make sure that all the framing is properly nailed, the rough opening is the correct size, and the bottom is level.

Some of the rough openings are oversize, which allows for a beveled filler at the bottom of the window.

Here it is nailed in place.

A layer of 9" wide flexible flashing goes on next, and serves to ensure that any water that gets in does not rot out the framing.

The sides of the opening are wrapped in 15# roofing felt, which laps over on the outside, as shown in the next photo.

A bead of caulk goes on at the edge of the opening, and then the window is inserted and screwed in through the flange.

After the caulk cures 6" wide butyl window sealing tape goes over the flange. When we get around to covering the plywood t-111 with real siding we'll butt tar paper up to the edge of the window, over the tape.

The windows on the inside (minus trim, of course).

The final screw

2009-05-25T19:16:00.000-07:00

The final roof panel goes on -- still a few bits of trim to go, but the hard parts are done.

Still more roofing

2009-04-30T06:28:00.000-07:00

Finishing the north side of the roof.

Don't slip -- it's a long way down ...

More roofing

2009-04-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

Here's the ridge venton the loft roof. The center of the roofing panels is bent up to form a dam so that rain can't be driven up into the vent.

The corners are realed with some very sticking all purpose flexible flashing.

The (almost) finished product.

Metal roofing at last

2009-04-06T17:38:00.000-07:00

We had what is hopefully the last snow of the season a week ago, but today was in the 60s.

The metal roofing is finally going on.

A learning experience, but no serious misteaks so far.

The skylights are (temporarily) in -- they will come out breifly when the skylight flashing goes in. I've used some Grace's all purpose flashing around the skylights, which isn't leaking, even w/o the roofing.

End walls -- framing and sheathing

2009-02-22T09:27:00.001-08:00

The weather has finally improved and the end walls are framed and sheathed.

Next step, weather permitting, is to install the roofing.

Ski season on Kahboo Hill

2008-12-21T22:01:00.000-08:00

The temperature was 8 degrees the other morning, not really the best for building, so we've been skiing instead ...

The road and driveway

At the entrance to Kahboo Hill Rd.

Going up .. .

Down is more fun!

More overhangs

2008-12-04T21:17:00.000-08:00

Here's the last of the pine. It will be covered w/ tar paper ASAP, before it rains.

Predator-in-chief

2008-11-23T20:31:00.000-08:00

On the job

Overhangs

2008-11-23T19:52:00.001-08:00

Back to work after a month away. The current job is to finish the sub-facia and overhangs , which are being done with 1x6 T&G pine. So far the south-facing roof is done, with the higher north facing roof and loft still to go.

There will be three skylights above the porch.
The supports are temporary; hopefully we don't get any major snow loads anytime soon.

2008-10-04T09:11:00.000-07:00

2008-10-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

More loft ratfers

2008-09-16T17:06:00.000-07:00

Loft raters are up

2008-09-16T17:03:00.000-07:00

A view from the north.

The loft is just 10' wide, but the rafters are 2x10s, to get enough depth for the required insulation (R-30). They're held at the peak by plywood 1/2" gussets, glued and nailed (lots of nails).

An interesting roof line for a small house.

Building the loft wall

2008-09-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

The loft wall being assembled, balanced on a few 2x6s that are across the temporary loft floor joists. A bit precarious but it worked fine.

Building the loft wall

2008-09-14T07:15:00.000-07:00

2008-09-02T10:37:00.000-07:00

Plywood is on the lower (south) side of the cabin. The clerestorey wall is up, and the rafters on the high (north) side are on. The ceiling in the living and dining room area is 15 feet (~4 m).

You can see a gap in the rafter spacing behind me. This is where the (yet to be built) loft will be.

2008-09-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

Detail shot of roof outriggers.

Avez-vous vu des souris?

2008-08-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

Skylight above kitchen

2008-08-17T21:49:00.000-07:00

The architect atop the roof

2008-08-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

Lifting the plywood on top of the roof

2008-08-17T21:46:00.000-07:00

The rafters

2008-08-05T21:06:00.001-07:00

Hanging a rafter on the south wall.

Only 15 more to go ...

Rafter detail.

Half the rafters are in!

The predator-in-chief takes a snooze.

And on the seventh day ...

2008-07-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

they rested ....

at least a little.

The crew atop Mt Constitution

Brian at the lookout tower

Whew! What a lot of work.

Sadly for us, the crew departed on the red eye on Sunday, having arrived late the previous Saturday. They have another 16 hour drive ahead of them, while we will be contemplating just how much was accomplished in one week (and how much remains .....).

The fifth wall

2008-07-27T16:32:00.000-07:00

Most rectangular buildings only have four walls, but to keep things interesting we added a fifth -- running down the center, it supports much of the roof, and will allow us to have clearstory windows in the middle of the house.

The center wall is essentially a 24" x 6" plywood box beam, supported by 4 6x6 posts.

The top of the wall is exposed on one side, so we've insulated it.

Russ and Bart fit plywood to the box beam.

Russ inspects the post.

The walls are up

2008-07-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

Great progress!

I need another set of hands ...

Looking good Bart ....

Gee, I wonder what happens if I let go?

A wall a day ....

2008-07-23T05:46:00.000-07:00

Here we are fitting a wall section. The long walls are 42' long, and we're building and raising them in pieces about 12-16' long. So far we've raised two full 42' walls in two days. The j-bolts protrude through the bottom plate into the wals, which makes for a very strong connection, but it means the walls must be lifted over the bolts and down onto the bolts. Here the wall is up on blocks being aligned over the bolts.

A view from the reverse side. Brian prys the walls up and removes blocks while we makes sure it doesn't topple off the floor.

Brian with one of the 3 nail guns. No shortage of nailing power!

Bart: How were you planning to build this detail?

Me: Not sure.

Bart: Well you drew it!

Me: But you're the engineer ...

Bart and Russ are both maniacal (usually written as mechanical) engineers are great at coming up with creative solutions on the fly.

Th crew: Bart, Mark, Russ, Brian and Keith.

Floored

2008-07-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

With the aid of Bart's new nail gun the floor almost installs itself, although the plywood does need a little assistance to get up on the floor from the lumber pile.

The floor will be below the top of the walls in the bedroom and bath, due to the slope. The solid blocking between joists will support the 6x6 posts that in turn keep the roof from falling down.

The 6x6s -- the long ones (14') will support the center of the roof.

Joists and floor insulation

2008-07-15T08:59:00.000-07:00

The insulation -- R-30 fiberglass batts (10.5") is almost all in. I feel warm already.

Joists (2x10) overlap the centerline girder (3 treated 2x8s), which are supported by 10" concrete posts 6' on center. "Nothing too strong ever broke."

The joists hang from the treated sills on joist hangers; the j bolts will go through the plyood subfloor and into the walls, so the walls will be bolted directly to the foundation.

Girder and sills

2008-07-04T18:45:00.001-07:00

The girder (3-2x8s) is cut and dry fitted, will have to do a bit of shimming here and there.

Sills (2x8s) are all cut and drilled for the j-bolts.

The predator-in-chief on the job --- no mice in this lumber stack.

Pouring the wall

2008-07-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

The pour (actually more of a spatter, with cement going all over) took all of 30 minutes using the pump truck.

Girder brackets

2008-06-29T15:42:00.000-07:00

Here's the girder bracket (those are 3- 2x6 scraps in the bracket). There's a 5/8" hole where the screw & plywood pad are, in addition to the upper one. The girder (3-2x8s) will come up to about the bottom of the upper hole.

A girder support on a sonotube.

2008-06-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

What follows is a condensed pictorial of a couple of months of work. We'll try and post regularly in the future. The second and final foundation pour is scheduled for June 30, the lumber delivery for July 2nd, and then the pace should pick up.

First step ... removing plants and some topsoil from the building site

In come the machines. Nothing moves dirt like a bulldozer.

OUCH!

Excavation is done, starting the forms. This was made more interesting by the solid rock that intruded on the footings in some places, and the organic material and topsoil in others.

Footing is poured, forms being removed.

The foundation wall about half done. The blocks are dry-stacked (no mortar, except for the first row). The cores will be filled with concrete, and the outside will get a layer of surface bonding cement (essentially a stucco/fiberglass mix).

We can mount artillery in the crawl space.

Almost ready for cement pour # 2 (to fill the cores of the blocks).

Some dodgy scaffolding, fortunately the inspections are few and far between.