4th and 5th Week of January

Well, this has been another productive couple of weeks as you will see in the photos.  For those interested I am using Google blogger which is a free service and saves me emailing out allot of pictures to all interested.  My framing crew, Joe Rodger's Construction out of Mineola, TX has been super.  I'm also using Cade's Building Supply, also out of Mineola.

The house is turning out exactly as we pictures and planned for.  I've learned a few things along the way which I will share when appropriate.

  Garage

Weather holding out thank god!

There is allot of wood in this house!  I added 1/2 inch of foam to outside stud to act as a thermal break.

Note my "office& temporary home"  is now dwarfed in the back.

 

I'm using Louisiana Pacific Smart siding for out exterior lap siding and trim.  I't a wood product with a 50 year warranty.  Pre-primed and much easier to work with than the popular Hardie siding.

Front side... Still needs some stairs.  The front porch is 632 square feet.

Doors and windows in

Two faux dormers going on back.  The one dormer closest is actually a skylight into the kitchen!

Rear Porch is actually three section.  On right is a walk out from master bedroom.  In the middle is a screened porch with walkout from living room, all connect to the rear kitchen door with a breezeway.

Find Waldo, I mean Reg :)

 

Discussing something this past weekend, something important I'm sure!

 Stewart came up with Reg this past weekend and attended a welcoming party with the neighbors. There were three other couples there with kids.  He took this one of Reg and I..

So do you think it looks like the drawing at the top of this blog??

Continuation of 3rd week of Jan 2013

Second day of full framing saw all of the first floor walls up as well a garage.  We are framing with 10 foot tall walls, 2x6 exterior wall construction with 24 inches on center studs - this considered "advanced framing" and provides additional insulation.  There will also be 1/2 inch of foam over the house wrap to serve as a thermal barrier to heat/cold through the studs.

This one wall was framed with 16 in on center studs till the boss caught the mistake.

Weather turned nice with 50-60 degrees during the days, still chilly at night.

Rear views

The little vaulted ceiling you see here in in the master bath.

The vaulted ceiling here is over the kitchen.  There will be a roof over all of this.

Here you can see the 1/2 in foam being added

Regina came up for the weekend and brought grandson Aidan

Stay tuned, next week will be a big one!

2nd-3rd Week of Jan (Big Weeks)

Well, following the foundation pour on Jan 7th, we had some nasty weather. First on Tues the 8th started several days of heavy rain to include at least one day of 2 inches.  Good news is our new pond filled up.  Below, you see we got lumber hoping for the Monday start, but had to cover up for the rains.

Lots of lumber going into this house

Previous posted pic of pond.

Found a good deal on long-leaf heart pine flooring, 6 in and every plank is 8 feet long so I pulled the trigger on that  little early.  Purchased about 3300 square feet.  Below is one of four pallets.

Bought 300 square feet of eastern white cedar shingles to put on east side of house (master bath exterior wall)  A sentimental tribute to Regina's New England roots.  They will age to a silver grey.

Barn finally ready for business

Had a couple of weeks of pretty cold weather, 27-28 over night and 50's during the day

Dinner one night -

Foundation curing and the trench and white liquid is part of my termite treatment process...

Doors arrived.


 These are the interior knotty alder

Here is the mahogany front door with side lights



Porch lights came with the door delivery

Framers started first full day on Wed, Jan 16th.  Joe Rodgers is the contractor and he showed up with 19 framers by my count.  He operates like a military unit with squads and teams.  They really put things up fast.  The following pica may be a little out of order.   Framers started with putting up the "pony wall" which raises the foundation up 24 inched so we end up with a 36 in ch crawl space which will be insulated and "conditioned".

Still pretty muddy from the heavy rains

 First floor rafters going in

Garage 

By the end of the first day they almost had the whole first floor system in place.