Sunday, January 29, 2012

Framing Day 4

Clear, cold Saturday, January 28, 2012.  I really didn't expect the crew to be at the site but there they were...up over 26 feet from the slab and it didn't seem to phase them at all.  It made me dizzy just watching them and no ropes and only minimal scaffolding.


 This is the gable in the front of the house.  The guy is putting in the framing for a fixed window.  Notice the ridge beam is up and one side of the gable is framed.  The bottom of the beam is 18.5 ft from the slab.


These pictures are in sequence so it appears they put up supports to hold up the beam then once other supports are in place, the temporary supports are removed and work continues.



Notice all the different angles in the roof.


Lots of supports still up for the walls but do you see any ladders?

They used the horizontal bracings for their ladders and they are so agile.


Front view.

Beginning to put on the roof over the front porch.


Still no East side on the gable yet.




Just an interesting picture with the streaked blue sky showing off the wood sculpture.


Roof on front porch complete and East side of gable complete.


Now they are extending the higher pitch on the roof which is where lots of discussion went on.(that I couldn't understand) and I am assuming it had to do with the connections of all the angles in the roof.


See the Octagon piece of wood that is supporting all the angles?


I have no idea how high this point was but there were two places like this where multiple angles came together.  It may look rough here but by the time they were finished....it worked.


The clown of the crew.  He loved having his picture taken and he wasn't a big guy and that nail gun wasn't light.  Notice he is standing on the gable over the front door which is now finished.

TOTALLY AMAZING WORK BY THESE GUYS.


Friday, January 27, 2012

Framing Day 3


Early morning on Friday, Day 3.  Crew was not moving very fast and it was cold but we have more lumber delivered.


View is of the front of the house with some of the porch ceilings applied.


Starting to put the roof in over the garage.

More lumber placed for the roof rafters on the front of the house.




Garage roof taking shape.


Back of the house which seemed to cause them much discussion (wish I knew what they were saying...very animated) but they either figured it out or made it fit....not sure.  The roof pitches are somewhat complicated as can be seen from these pictures.




Still the back of the house.


Looks like the roof was cut short.


Wonder how the back roof is going to match up with the side roof????


The beginning of the vaulted ceiling in the Great Room.


Very tricky since they are 10 ft off the slab and no ropes or scaffolding...yikes!


They were able to nail it together then brace it ready for the beam that runs down the middle of the vaulted ceiling.  I got dizzy just watching them.



Thursday, January 26, 2012

Framing Day 2

It is just amazing what these guys are able to get done in just 10 hours.  The crew started with 4 guys then more showed up to a total of 8 in the crew.


Looking into the Garage Door which is the West side of the house.


North side of house which has a covered porch.


North side of the Garage.


Full back view or the North side.


Good thing I have liability but this guy never waivered while he walked across the top of the front porch and he nailed as he went.


View looking down the back of the house (North side) from the East side of the house.  Sure seems like a lot of lumber!!!



Front of house of the South side.  


Hope to begin hanging the ceilings and putting on the rafters of the roof tomorrow.

 YIPPEE!!!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Framing the House Finally

First day, Monday Jan 23, 2012 was slow getting going.  The electricity wasn't available and the lumber hadn't been delivered and it took a couple of hours to lay out the house and sometimes berate the Architect for his inept drawings.  Not really, but there is a difficulty between the 2D of the drawings and the real-life implementation.  It didn't help either when I could not understand anything the Mexican crew was saying except "TACO".  

The walls were layed out and the electricity hookups were put in place and the lumber was delivered late in the day and it began raining.  Just leave it to me to make it rain in Texas--start building a house.  80% chance of rain tomorrow and 100% chance of rain on Wed.

Tuesday morning the guys were there before 7:00am and plugged in with Spanish music going full volume.  The day was misty and threatening rain and the crew of 8 guys were hustling to get as much done before the full storm.





I found this sawhorse an interesting, dangerous but efficient way to cut a board.  I counted his feet when he left and he still had two.



First wall up was the front bedroom.  The header is over the front window which is 6 ft wide.




They were just flying and didn't even seem to be talking to each other...just knew what to do.


This is the back wall which is the longest continuous wall in the house and the last of the outside walls to go up.


Beautiful, isn't it?  Some of these guys were short but don't think all of them were since the outside walls are 10 feet high.



This is the front window which is 9 ft wide so should let in lots of light.  We had about 4 inches of rain with some areas in Central Texas getting 7 inches in 4 hours.

The rain caused us to lose a day, but look at all they were able to complete.


Our shower.  And also see the outlet box on the back of the electrical panel.
These tanks each hold 350 gal.  Do you know how long it takes to fill up one of these tanks with a 5-gal bucket?  TOO LONG..I quit when I had 50 gal in just one of them.  I have to find a water supplier for our construction needs.


This is the bedroom (as Becky says).  Although I, as yet, have not taken the time to lie in the hammock.  Maybe when it gets warmer..very cold at the site today (Wednesday) when I met one of the Rainwater Harvesting Sub-contractors at the site, and still misting.  Maybe we can get the garage framed and start on the ceilings and roof tomorrow.  More lumber to be delivered before sunup and I have to be there to unlock the gate for them.

Good thing I am not still in Austin and near by in Georgetown.