Thursday, November 26, 2009

ANOTHER MONTH, ANOTHER BUNCH OF TASKS DONE.


Finally got to the last big piece of exterior framing, the entry decks.
You may wonder why the joists are so close together.


Is is so, from below, they resemble the ribs in the concrete metal pan decking on the inside (to the right).
The plan was to have the metal pan/concrete go out and be the entry decks as well,
until we realized that would be a BIG thermal bridge through the exterior skin of the house.


Now they are flashed, and covered with many coats of waterproofing.
Note the gutter in the floor to take away rain water.


The entry (east) elevation takes shape.
The temporary stairs are where the final flight from ground level
will meet the first level entry deck.
Another run of stairs, from the left side, will go up to the second level.
What happens on the left side of the second level is still under consideration...


Meanwhile, when the weather cooperates, siding continues,
with the first fins and siding board on the south saddle-bag going up.


Alas, the weather has not been too cooperative.
Due to the back-caulking and gluing required to splice the boards and fins,
we need dry weather.


The core-walls (those with vertical white drain battens) will have horizontal siding.
The pattern has been decided, and the materials delivered.
The details of the corners, however, are still being mocked up.
And the application awaits the window frames, since the siding will cover
the caulk-joint between the aluminum frames and wood framing.



The glass company too was waiting for weather which was favorable to caulking.
Finally a dry day arrived, and so did the window frames.
Here, in the NW corner, the "casement" (since it will have
two casement windows in it) frame is in on the left.
Dan and Dustin are installing the "slot" window,
so called since it goes from top to bottom in one slot opening in the wall.


Last, but certainly not least, is the 14' x 14' BIG window on the south.
The last pieces are being field assembled, prior to the big lift.


Check once more to see if it will fit. It wouldn't.
Nothing a little surgery to enlarge the rough opening
wouldn't solve.


Everyone is on board for the raising of it into place.


So, what happens when the rains are all around us?
Inside is nice and dry, and, with temporary heaters, warm.
Time to pour the first level's concrete slab. First 2" of rigid insulation.


Then a quilt of welded wire mesh as well as 1/4" re-bar.


Finally four inches of concrete, which Darin and Grant,
from Ryan's crew, trowel off for a smooth, level finish.
(It will later get a layer of slate-tile for final finish.)


Interior partition framing also moves along.
Up high, an access hatch to the high roof has been cut it.
Headers at the hallway openings bring them down
to the magic 7'-6" number. (More on that later if it all comes out right...)
And pocket door wall partitions go down each of the hallways.


These pocket walls will receive sliding insulating panels.
The plywood panel is providing security over a slot-window,
but it mimics what the sliding panel will be like when closed over the window.
When opened, it will slide left into the pocket wall.


And of course, on those increasingly rare days when there is a sunrise,
the view over the estuary, down the coast, is quite fine.

Monday, October 12, 2009


CLOUD HOUSE GETS SIDING, WINDOWS (ALMOST) AND ROOFS!


After arrival of the cedar siding, excitement took over, and the west wall (to the left) was laid up.
Backwards, but, hey, looks great, no?
Then Saddle-Bag North was done: Abe and Ian screw from the back of a siding board a "fin".


It takes the whole crew to install a 22' long board with fin.


Finished!


For those who cannot wait to see what will go on the Core Walls
beyond the Saddle Bag, here is a sample.


Need to get the rain leaders in the niches, in order to do the roofs.


Meanwhile, Clayton of Pacific Glass ,
brought out a sample of the
store front window setting sill and frame.


His crew came and set their sill and then we added
a PVC sill-pan and ...


... a stainless steel sill, and edge metal.

At the top things got neatly wrapped with ice and water shield.
.
Now the Low-Roofs. First scuppers of stainless laminated with vinyl.

Then black under-layment tacked to the plywood sheathing.


90 mil vinyl unrolled, and cut to fit.


Where the roof jigged and jagged, the vinyl was cut to do likewise.
Heat gun in one hand, roller in other, the pieces were welded together.
A shrink wrapped roof!


Some places were pretty tricky.


But the results are grand.


Even the scupper looks water tight.


The Hi-Roof does not have parapets,
so edge metal was fit over the
under-layment and around the fly-rafters.


Then the vinyl sheets and pieces were fitted,
and welded,
and resulted in a much welcomed roof.


So this is where we are today...ZEBRA HOUSE...
waiting for windows, ready for more siding.


Thursday, August 20, 2009

CLOUD HOUSE PROGRESSES, EVEN WITHOUT ME!

I should have added photos before I went away in July, but didn't,
so I am playing catch up.
This is what it looked like at the last posting in early June.
Solar rack, with chimneys and skylight is up, and the fly-raftrers are
being laid out on the glue-lam beams.

Framing for the rack, skylight and fly-rafters.
The flys are notched to recess the plywood sheathing.


A case of insulating from above: in the fly-rafter cavity, first the insulation,
then pink foam inserts to assure air flow, then the roof plywood.

With the plywood in place, it can be notched
to take the metal sleeves (part of the weatherproofing scheme).

Meanwhile, out on the ends, where the fly-rafters will sit on them,
the beams have had a water-proofing regimen:
felt paper, shims for air flow, siding, metal cap flashing.
On the far beam, brackets which will hold the fly-rafters have been installed.

Under the fly-rafters, a vent has been built for the insulation below the lo-roof.

And a larger cricket is being built to enhance water flow towards the ends of the lo-roof.

Down on the lower level, Charlie is contemplating siding samples,
as well as the effect of sun beams through holes in the fins.

SO, this is where it was at when I took off for China in mid-July.

While gone, the crew got started on preparing for siding.
Peel&Stick is wrapped at openings and corners.
Felt paper is applied, and white drainage battens are affixed.

Horizontal battens for vertical siding, vertical battens for horizontal.
Makes sense, no?

The first wall to get sided, the west, with 1x4 horizontal red cedar, with small
"V" grooves to suggest water falling from the low roof.

Back to those pesky fly-rafters coming out of the house.
Felt, drainage battens (quick quiz: which way will the siding run here?),
Peel&Stick (never can have too much of that), and finally
those stainless steel sleeves can come to rest.


This has to be vented, so siding goes on, with blocking above...

...to carry the facia, which is blocked out to create the vent openings between the fly-rafters.

The interior has not been totally abandoned.
The header for the sliding doors is in, going the full length of the interior,
and some of the exterior as well!

And of course the engineers were not happy with everything we did.
Here they have asked for the top hold-down be relocated to a higher spot.
Ian has removed it from the beam top and holds in in the new location.
A coupling will hold the additional length of threaded rod required.

And that is what it looked like upon return from China in mid-August.
For the nonce, instead of calling it "Cloud House",
it is is known as "Zebra House".

I finally tried the route between Otis and I-5 which requires a
short ferry ride, but has no traffic signals, nor much traffic.
She holds 9 cars max., and takes about 3 minutes max
to cross the Willamette River at Wheatland.

And out front of the trailer, in the cul-de-sac, grows this!
Anyone know its gastronomic qualities??