Monday, July 30, 2007

what NOT to do...

o
With radiant floor tubing there is only one iron clad rule - don't puncture the tubing. While we tried to keep all tubing 30" away from the perimeter of the slab, this sucker slipped past us and - against all odds - was bull's-eyed by the contractors roto-hammer drill. I was there talking with the contractor when it happened. Concrete dust shot high into the air, riding a woosh of suddenly de-compressing air. Let this be a lesson to you - messure twice, thrice, four times. The sinking feeling that I'd have to live another decade with baseboard electric radiant heat broke my heart.

HOWEVER, after a hard fought day with a skill saw, a concrete cutting blade and a chisel, our concrete contractor saved the day by unearthing the punctured PEX tubing and skillfully reconstructing it. Yea, our bedroom and bathroom will have heat after all!

This excavation, by the way, is hidden - or will be, eventually - beneath the straw bale exterior wall.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

and then ... plunk in the cross-beams




plunk.

These beams fly across the vaulted living / dining / kitchen space. Everywhere else will have a flat ceiling, but with the beams still exposed beneath. It's our nod to the santa fe style of architecture we both like.

On other fronts, we're close to securing our 650 straw bales and will hopefully have that nailed down by next week.



Tuesday, July 24, 2007

next....build a box


Getting the main posts and perimeter beams in place.

Bottom picture - Scott tests the top flange hanger for the 6x12 cross beams.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

first wobbly steps...



After a few minor mis-steps, the curb rail is mostly in place and the posts are going up. We're trying to get a boom truck in early next week to hoist the seriously heavy 6x12 beams up into place.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

gimme shelter...



Big, BIG winds show our fifth-wheel who's boss. Bottom picture shows our neighbor's house remodel, courtesy of a splintered cedar tree.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

selecting windows / cutting costs


Framing was pushed back another week. Disappointing, but we're using the extra time to draw interior elevations of all the rooms and make certain that window sizes are what we want before ordering.

This is the back wall of the master bedroom. Previously it was a vaulted space w/3 large windows & 3 clerestory windows - but after drawing it we decided it was just too busy. So we're going w/ a flat ceiling above the beams. We also decided the windows above the bed were too large - and as we have 2 pair of french doors opening into the courtyard on the opposite wall, we didn't really need the larger, egress windows anyway.

The lower of the two elevations shows the back wall of the master bath. There is no formal door dividing the bedroom from the bath - only a wall you walk around. The bathroom counter will be a wooden plank, probably held up with metal angles, with only one sink off to the left. Who would build a new house where the master bath has only one sink? - probably the same kind of maniac who would build a new house with no garage, or no home theater, or no air conditioning. Anyway, there's plenty of counter space, and we'll have some sort of storage located beneath. And I've always disliked bathroom cabinets. Oh, the square box on the far left is our Japanese soaker tub.

Friday, July 6, 2007

macro / micro


- Concrete cures and cracks appear. It wasn't until the weather hit 100 degrees that these smaller, arcing, almost electrical looking, cracks began showing up. From our previous visits to houses with finished concrete floors, this is normal and adds some antique-y quality to the floor.

- Macro view of the nursery from the road above.

- The framer is scheduled to begin work on Monday, July 9th.