Raise high the roof beams, carpenters

At long last, the beams that would hold the roof were set in place in mid-December with a ginormous crank.  

The tolerance of the beams and the collar ties that connected them were only one inch.  A very great deal of math went into assuring the accuracy of the cut.  

One side set.  In this case, the beam near the bunk room.  Sandra is standing in what will be an upstairs landing, connecting the two bedroom wings, which will overlook the Great Room.

Once both beams were set, the work began on attaching the purlins.

Framing

It's all just a frame of mind...

During October and November, the construction crew was focused on framing which became quite a task given the complexity of the design.  One of the more interesting design features to show itself were the soffits with rafter tails with just the right detail.  

These soffits surround the garage, the master bedroom wing, the dining room/music room wing and will be in evidence when the trusses are set in place for the second floor bedrooms as well.  

The wood being used for the soffits and rafter tails is cedar which will remain natural.  The siding on the house proper with be a combination of cedar lap board and cedar shake.

Second floor framing included building scaffolding that could support the 12"X24"x32' beams that would soon be set.

This is the stairwell from the first floor looking up at what will one day be a window seat for reading and simply gazing at the lovely trees.

We look forward to many lovely evening hours spent on our second floor deck which will sit behind the chimney for the Great Room fireplace and beside the bunk room for the grandchildren.  The deck has a pleasant seasonal view of distant Crystal Lake.

Much of the rear of the house remains unframed awaiting the massive beams that will hold up the roof.  This view shows the master bedroom suite on the first floor, the framed bunk room and deck on the second floor.

Building Green

Hey, guys, what do you think of these:  they are called Zip Panels...


And, so, we were greeted one day by our builder, Dean Chamberlain, who was holding out a small section of Zip Panel for us to see.  The Zip Panels are an alternative to Tyvek or other wall materials which provide an all important air barrier. They offer several advantages, however, the most important, for us, being improved breathability.  They are also energy efficient and renewable.  They would also qualify for LEED points were we seeking such certification.

Following the framing of the lower level rooms, the visible work of framing the exterior began.  The garage was the first part of the house to be obvious.  The Zip Panels made for a distinctive exterior.

The first section of the main house to be framed was the entrance.  Here John illustrates how he will welcome future guests.

As the framing proceeded, the view from Lot 2, directly east showed the garage, the craft room, the kitchen and the music room peeking around the two giant Blue Spruce that the architect worked hard to design around and the builder and his able crews have tried hard to build around.  So far--so good.

The view from Lot 5, directly west, reveals the master suite and entrance to the lower level.

Framing will continue for several weeks.  The first floor will be completed.  Then the crew will roof the garage so that the windows can be stored there when they arrive.  Then the second floor will be framed and the temporary roof will go on.  All of this, hopefully, in time for winter.

"The project you have in mind will soon gain momentum..."

Believe it or not, a fortune cookie reported this good news, at Fusion Restaurant in Frankfort and we chose to believe it.  


Once the foundation was complete, the joists were set in place to be finished with decking.  Since our good friends, Karen and Mike Myers, were renting the Schmidt cottage for two weeks in late August/early September, we decided to host our first dinner party.  Karen and Mike, being good sports, went along with the illusion.  We set a picnic cloth on top of the concrete pad that would one day be our vestibule and enjoyed quiche, salad, french bread from Crescent Bakery and a wonderful champagne that Karen and Mike brought for the occasion.

We look forward to many wonderful dinners with all of our friends and family at 1858 Golf Lane.

What's up with that wacky rear foundation???

We have had a lot of questions about the design of the house given the unusual rear foundation.

There are as many theories regarding the rear of the house as there are theorists.  Here are three ideas that we have heard.

--We've heard that the zig-zags are part of a mysterious 'green' technology that enhances heating and cooling. Not so! The house is designed to be extremely energy efficient and we are utilizing a geothermal heat exchanger to heat and cool the cottage, but that choice did not affect the foundation design.

--Could the zig-zags be part of an advanced acoustic design that will transform John's playing of violin and viola? Not exactly! This is only true to the extent that one of the zigs holds a small music room for John to practice (to the probable delight of our immediate neighbors).

--Finally, the third theory asserts that the zig-zags are obviously designed to hold a series of complex windows. In fact, this is true! Ray, our architect does love windows and the angles definitely increase the surface area available for windows in the back. However, it is a little more complicated.

Actually, the design for the rear roofline of the house is based on roofs found on Scandinavian barns. These roofs swoop close to the ground on the north side of barns where they function like a wing, sheltering the house from cold northern winds and keep snow from piling up by lifting it up and over the house.

The rear of our cottage, shown here as an artist rendering, faces almost due north. The zig on the  extreme left side of the drawing holds the music room and porch.  The zags on the extreme right holds the master bedroom and bath. The great room is under the swooping roof.

Pilgrim Cottage: Poured Concrete and Concrete Block

The foundation construction would prove complex...

After the frames had been set, concrete was poured into them to establish the living spaces of the lower level which will be approximately 1000 square feet.  On the rear of the house, this solid foundation would meet a concrete block foundation that would outline a crawl space and provide support to the master bedroom, the living room and the dining room.  Masons, working with Dave Wiggins, began to set the block during the latter part of June.

Our three year old grand-daughter joined her Pa Pa for a visit to the site with her best friend, Murphy.  Maddy and Murphy romped through the giant sand piles while John and I inspected the very precise work

Once the perimeter was established and the electrical and plumbing were set, Dave and his team poured the lower level floor. While the concrete initially looked like West Texas mud, it is actually colored concrete which will be polished to create the lower level floor.









John and Dave stand in our first completed "room," a storage room on the lower level.

Pilgrim Cottage: Beginning the Foundation

With the Frost Laws lifted, excavation equipment could move once again...


Ground breaking gave way to mass earth moving when Chris Luedtke and his crew began digging the hole that would be the future home of our lower level.  Chris even gave me a "turn at the wheel" which was both scary and fun.

 Over just a few days, enough sand/dirt was moved to create two enormous mountains of sand/dirt that almost obstructed the view, of what was becoming the house, from the road.  Earth moving allowed the concrete forms to be set up and the concrete poured for the lower level where there will be a wine cellar, cedar closets, a vault, a tv room for the grandkids, an exercise room for the long winters and two mechanical rooms with storage.

The outline of the lower level became clear within a couple of days.  This is a view of the lower level from the west side of the lot where the steps going to the lower level from the outside will be set.

This view, from the SW corner, gives a sense of the future front porch.  The porch will be the home of two lovely concrete planters we purchased years ago from England and, possibly, a porch swing depending on room.

The concrete was poured into these forms and allowed to cure.  The balance of the foundation, with its precision tolerances was to be set using concrete block.

As Dean and his sub-contractors moved through their steps, John and I were selecting appliances, wood beams, kitchen cabinets, tile and stone, lighting fixtures and, what seemed like, a thousand other items needed for the home that was to be.