I lose a Loft - Second Floor Framing

Oct. 22: Trevor is really busy framing up the second floor - I must admit, I was getting used to the wide open "loft" like space, but, as planned, the walls of our bedroom, bathroom and closet are up, along with the laundry room and studio (at the top of the stairs). It is wonderful to be able to walk among the rooms, imagining how we will live there. The attached images are not those of a maze or jumble of sticks - this is the outline of the second floor rooms - perhaps to be more evident with drywall. We can be patient. 

Through the walls into the bedroom.....

Stick maze....

Framing the Great Room

Oct. 21: This makes the house seem whole - the tall, two-story walls in the great room are being framed. it is exciting to have definition to this important space! I feel like I actually have a house... and I will say that many times in future blogs as the reality of this build settles in. Reality also mens that we need to finalize the heating and plumbing system, the exterior doors, and a million other decisions. Thankfully we have great support in making these decisions!

View from the ocean side

Looking from the Kitchen

Tall Wall in progress

West Wall ...... Awesome!

Garage Rooms Framing & Roof

Oct. 20: There was a surprise revealed as the rooms above the garage were framed in. There is a wonderful small roof that overhangs the large garage and workshop doors, and wraps around the East side of the garage. I did not notice this on the plans before, but can see several advantages to this small over-hanging roof. As well as protection from the weather for the doors and potential garbage/recycling area (East side), this is a great place to put lighting for the garage doors, allowing for a clean look on the street side of the house. The rooms above the garage are acquiring shape and a roof. I am excited about the size of the sitting room, that will also have an efficient kitchenette. The slanted roof is a great design feature! 

The view of the house from the street side. 

Roof line on the upper and lower level (garage). Photo taken from the deck. 

Entry to the sitting room above the garage from the upper deck. This is an 8' door!

Looking into the bedroom on the West side of the sitting room. The deck is outside.

The bedroom on the East side of the sitting room as viewed from the future bathroom.

Rooms above the Garage

Oct. 19: Great strides in framing the rooms above the garage today. Vancouver Island was full on winter today; drizzle, rain, fog, cloud and general wet. I still appreciate the rain, after 24 years in the desert but do worry about the constantly wet sub floor and framing wood. My project manager, Martin, tells me not to worry - it can all be managed. It was exciting to see the rooms above the garage framed in. The slant in the roof line is visible, as is the patio (North West corner of the house). I love the space in the rooms - but not the ladder I have to climb to get up there... looking forward to a staircase soon!

Martin on the newly framed patio above the garage

Garage & Rooms above.

North Wall

Garage Framing....

Oct. 17: Over the last two days, the crew has been concentrating on framing the garage, the rooms above  and the hallway the joins the garage to the main part of the house. This area has a lot of different levels of both floor and roof - a challenge for me to visualize, but not a challenge for Trevor et al to construct. The subflooring is completed, even on the raised patio, and the South and West walls are up. The slant in the roof line is obvious. In the second floor hallway ( towards the garage rooms) the windows are framed in to be level with the windows that will be above the front door. Speaking of the front door - well we don't have one yet cuz I can't make up my mind on the glazing..... We should have windows and the other exterior doors by the end of November. I suppose we could just use a sheet of plywood out front... classy. 

The Workshop side of the garage

On the second level looking towards the rooms over the garage and the slanted roof.

South & West walls (above the garage) The East wall is assembled on the floor. Love this space!

Tub Shopping

Oct. 14: Spent the day in Vancouver looking for a tub for the ensuite bathroom. I have always wanted a luxurious free standing deep tub to waste lots of time soaking, reading and sipping wine. (Heaven!) Sat in a few lovely options today - well worth the trip across the strait! Of course my sister was there to take pics and keep me grounded. 

This one is perfect!

An eco product from Quebec - a tub made of Soy and Minerals - very cool

I am in for a swim!!

2nd Floor Walls

Oct. 11: A very busy time for the build and for me!. My little apartment in Sidney has been full of family for Thanksgiving weekend (yeah!) and the house build has moved forward with walls on the second floor. Of course the only way to get to the second floor is by the builder's ladder but I am braving the 11 foot climb to get a feel for the height and view. Trevor, our framing carpenter, continues despite the continuous wet. 

Den Roof

Oct. 13: The roof is going up on the den. The house actually has 3 different roof levels; a lower flat roof over the den/office room, the two story high flat roof of the main house and the slanted roof over the garage. It is exciting to see the first one going in. 

looking up to the roof beams in the den.

View of the windows over the den roof. 

More House Everyday!

Oct. 12: This is actually my second post for today.... the first was dropped with loss of wifi.. Sigh. Winter is definitely here; lots of rain and cold, but the weekend was perfect none the less with the arrival of Sean and Chris for Thanksgiving. We feasted, and crawled through the build. The rooms over the garage are taking shape with completion of the second level sub flooring. Scaffolding has appeared onsite, as Trevor prepares to frame the over- height walls of the great room. 

View from the ocean side - the orange fencing is 'protecting' our delicate Douglas Fir tree. 

Garage and view of the I Beams which will hold the second level sub flooring.

Framing on the second level (laundry room and hall way). 

Chris likes the 10 foot ceilings!

Analyzing the human factors and air flow within the build- love the input from Sean!

More Framing

Oct. 10 The framing continues with our carpenter Trevor. Despite the rain and wet, I see progress everyday! Along with watching the frame go up, I have finalized our window order, patio door order and most exterior doors. (Hoping to finalize the front door this week). The target is to be weather tight before Xmas... 

Trevor is preparing to build the scaffolding to frame the great room and is in process of completing the second floor wall framing - more to come.

Wow - a second floor

Oct 5: The house grows upward as the second floor subfloor is installed over the first floor ceiling I Beams...... and we have a second floor. Never being one to enjoy heights, I braved the 11 foot ladder, to take in the view. (Going up is okay, but climbing down is a trick!). The flooring for our bedroom and hallways is in. The outward view was definitely worth the climb, but I do look forward to stairs......

Check out the 11 foot ladder!

Bedroom view

Framing Shapes the House

Oct. 4: It may sound redundant, but with the framing of each room, the house takes shape and becomes a reality. There is the beginnings of a second floor as well as outlining of rooms and closets. It was a beautiful Sunday on the coast, calm, steel blue waters, and soft blue skies, punctuated with the intense green of Douglas Fir and Cedar. (It is hard not to be a West Coast romantic on a day like this.) 

View from the mud room between the garage and the main house. Because of the slope of the lot, the garage is six feet higher than the rest of the house.  The East outside door (to the yard) is framed in front of the kitchen wall and windows. Several I Beams are in place for the second floor sub-flooring. There is even some of the tongue-in-groove flooring in place!

View from the West side looking through the great room into the dining room and kitchen area that now has a ceiling! The den and main floor bathroom is framed with wall boards on the left. 

Looking into the front door space and the pile of rubble that will (eventually) be the front patio. 

Beautiful view across Roberts Bay... Hard to believe it is October!

Second Floor & Our First Dining Room Guests

Oct. 2: The I Beams for the second floor are in going up! The house is really taking shape. Thanks to Janice & Martin - our first dinning room guest..

Okay - I am learning about the wide angle lens - the frame is really straight!

A House Takes Shape

Sept. 30: With the steel frames as anchoring points, the shaping of the house begins. The piles of wood and concrete begin to form into the house we have been so meticulously planning. Trevor, our framing carpenter, connects the east kitchen wall frame to one side of the large steel frame, as well as framing and enclosing the den at front entrance. 

With support from our project manager, Martin, the window purchased was finalized today to ensure delivery early December, with the hope of being weather tight by Christmas. (this is my hope!). The windows are double pane, clad in vinyl for wearability near the salty air coast. On the outside they are coloured to complement the cedar siding, while on the inside many will be framed in wood. This is only one of the numerous decisions that need to be made as the house comes together. Onto consider patio and exterior doors, and hinges, and handles.............

the front of the house and the den window.

Steel Frames

Sept 25: The steel moment frames are installed to provide added rigidity to the overall structure of the house, and protection for the Big One; we do live on the Ring of Fire after all. The engineer originally wanted 3 separate frames, but has parred it down to one large frame on the ocean side spanning both levels (dinning room and our bedroom) and a smaller frame in the garage. The crane is back, as is the steel frame installation specialists. Trevor has company. 

Crane here, tested to reach from the road side to the ocean side. 

First part of the frame set into place.

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The second level goes on!

Our earthquake protection. I hope we never have it tested.

Sub Floor Installation

Sept 25: Of course it must rain on MY new sub floor - I am taking this personally.

Happy Birthday Chris!!

Ummmm - thanks Trevor for working in the rain....

The sizing, gluing, tapping and screwing in place.

The Sub in Flooring

Sept. 23: The concrete mass is starting to look like a house with the installation of the subfloor. Trevor, the one man  carpenter show, is busy measuring, placing brackets, sizing the massive I Beams and sliding them into place. Sounds simple? - He does get some help with the heavy lifting - amazing process. After the I Beams are in place, the tongue-in-grove flooring sheets are sized, tapped into place, glued and screwed down. Walking the floor there is no movement or noise! (I assume that is the purpose of this multi-stage process). 

I Beams in place, ready for floor installation.

Framing the crawl space

Sept. 22: We have rooms below rooms! The crawl space is divided into smaller spaces, I believe to support the next phase (the sub floor). There are "windows" that will allow movement from space to space below ground... very cool. Trevor, the master carpenter, told me it is a great space for kids play as it is 4 ft. tall..... not my kids - LOL! Little does he know he is building the best storage spaces ever!!

Out door living space - Prep for the patios

Sept. 21: Our outdoor living space is under construction with preparation of the patio that will be accessed from the dinning room and great room. They look small, but I am beginning to understand that perspective will change as the house develops.  

Crawl Space Flooring

Sept. 17: Look! Big trucks, cranes and cement mixers! (sorry, mother of sons). The floor of the crawl space was poured today - it also poured rain most of the day. They could not pour the floor of the mechanical room yet - it is 3 feet lower and still quite wet and muddy. We thought the crawl spaces would be gravel, so delighted it will be clean concrete... no critters.