Webprints

2011-08-03T16:42:00.000-07:00

WELL, AS I ALWAYS SAID...

...we would be finished in July, I just don't known which year.

Now in our fourth July, Cloud House is not finished but getting closer.

Finish site work took place in February.

A gravel driveway installed, and grass seed scattered and covered.

The first thing I did was drive off the gravel into the mud.

AAA came and struggled but got me out, and then

our ace site man Aaron came and cleaned up the mess.

We left off the previous post with the stairs installed.

Next step was getting glass "balusters" put in.

I wasn't there to take picutres of it, but Clayton and the team did a great job.

The grating casts interesting shadows.

Meanwhile, inside, the cedar siding has been laid up. Looking thru a door,

the alignment of the outside siding and inside siding is apparent.

Looking east in the Engawa at the inside/outside alignment.

Finish electrical is in; the white switch is temporary, final will

be black similar to the plug mold receptacle inserted in the siding.

(See it half-way down the wall?)

On the first level, with clearstory window above.

Be hard to stain this grey like the outside, no?

The insulating pocket doors are in as well.

Here they are open on the 2nd Level.

(Note the floor protection is coming off,

revealing the black concrete topping slab;

and art work is going on the walls..)

Now they are closed.

(Note the arrival of a mobile below the skylight.)

Same closed doors, from the SE hall.

Now open, looking west across the living/dining space.

Another view of the mobile.

All this carpentry requires clean up. Thank you Joey!

As well as removal of debris and left-overs.

The fireplace was installed.

Here David is placing the top sections of the flue.

The mechanical chase is getting crowded.

Out the chimney box comes the flue.

FIRE 'er up and see if she smokes.

(Didn't!)

2nd Level bath got fixtures and temporary lighting on this side....

...and shower tile and cove light on the other.

A temporary kitchen, with a sink and cook-top went in, but

we flunked the final inspection because the counter top was not

a water-proof surface. Instead of doing that, the permanent

cabinets and counter top are being made.

However, cooking can occur on the B_B_Q!!!

The entry to the 2nd Level north side.

Looking back, thru an entry on the 1st Level, one can see how

the glass door, glass "balustrade" and open risers, allow as clear a view

as possible.

Going further in, the two windows on the west wall are visible.

The left one is in the NW hall and the right one in the kitchen.

(Note the refrigerator is in on the left.)

However, moving in closer, one can that the" window" in the hall has a door in it!

It's actually a mirror wall, reflecting a

window on the north side of the hall. Getting all three

pieces of mirror in exact alignment is not easy.

So the other three mirror walls are on hold.

In the Engawa, on the south side, there is a window in the west wall,

similar to the one in the kitchen on the north side. They open, allowing

cross breezes thru the doors on the east wall.

The concrete slab is soaking up the btu's on a day like this!

The house gets visitors on occasion. Most recently

David and Bonkana and their children, in Oregon from

Bamako, Mali visiting David's parents in Eugene.

The old mailbox, three years older in the rain and sun of the coast,

still marks the spot for inspectors, tradesmen, and visitors alike.

When will it greet you???

2011-01-24T20:49:00.000-08:00

MEANWHILE, IT IS PAINT AND STAIRS ON THE OUTSIDE

Jeff Mullin, from the Greenroom, arrived with lift and sprayer and brushes

and transformed the house from wood...

to grey ("driftwood grey" that is).

Quite the transformation.

And then on up to the top to finish knocking down the shining flashing

and gutter, and painting the beams to match.

Up north aways in the town of Garibaldi, and in it, is Robert

Brodigan of Coast Metal Fabrications. After a number of months,

a number of meetings, and quite a number of drawings,

the exterior stairs were started. All aluminum, then powder

coated black, then...

...brought to the site and erected.

Yea! down with the temp. stairs,

and out with the ladder in the hoistway!

And just at the same time, the magicians at Anderson

Door and Window Mechanics came and hung the four

exterior doors, and rolled right on in and hung the

four bathroom doors as well (and the little roof hatch three).

So the exterior is buttoned up.

Next case is the interior cedar siding. In

some places on plywood shear walls,

other places on studs.

But no matter where, it will be great to get it up!

Task one was to open up the "cedar shack" and

inventory the siding which has been waiting a long time.

And step back and take a look with low winter sun

casting shadows of the tall spruces across the front.

(Note: no trailer! Towed and sitting by road with

a "For Sale" sign on it)

2011-01-24T20:22:00.000-08:00

AN INSULATION PARTY!! FOLLOWED BY DRYWALL.

While I was out east for a while, Charlie organized a workshop

with friends and relatives (here daughter April) to

install the insulation. Fiberglass batts in stud cavities

is pretty standard....

...but rigid sheets over the batts , with caulk at

all joints, and fastened to the studs with plastic nails

is rather unusual. Charlie and Colin soldier on...

And now we are ready for drywall.

Well at least where there IS drywall. Some areas have

cedar siding instead, and some edges needed "j" bead,

and some areas needed glue and minimal fasteners

(we would have used plastic nails but could not find

ones which were long enough). So I had to write in bold

lettering and arrows where got what, or got none at all.

Drywall time! Now, how to get it in the house...

...why, through a window, of course.

Wonderful hangers and tapers, Carlos and Benito.

Stilts make a 10-0 ceiling a piece of cake.

Now late afternoon shadows have white to play on.

2011-01-24T19:26:00.000-08:00

ONWARD WITH THE SUB-CONTRACTORS!

But first a side-bar of sorts.

Cloud House is in a Planned Unit Development with a

Design Review Committee. It also is in a Scenic Preserve

Reseach Area, under the Forest Service.

No bright colors or shinning metals. When the CPI panels

went up, so did a hew and cry: "¡¡WHITE ROOF!!".

We took some photos and showed that the roof coloring

varied with the sky, and the reflections.

This photo shows how some panel seem dark (with trees

and sky behind) others light (with yet to be painted

chimney and flashing behind).

We asked for patience until the painting was finished.

The last big flashing was the chimney caps...

too big to go through the roof hatch,

so here Colin (a recent grad. from Charlie's

U of O program) is on top, and ace flashing fabricator,

Guy, is below, preparing to hoist a cap to the roof.

The west cap is in place, the east is being set.

The skylight is still under wraps.

OH NO! Not the concrete guys again. Yup. 2' topping slabs on both levels.

And the black stuff got all over the place...

But did they do a great job of hard, smooth and flat.

Meanwhile Colin poured a sample for Charlie to take home.

(For a pillow??)

Its about June 21st, Summer Solstice, so this is as much

sun which will filter thru the leaves and land on the north wall.

Time for the permanent power to be pulled and do away

with the sheltered temp. power appearing in all the photos.

And time for the electricians to hook up some outlets for construction.

The main load center is on the right; the other is for "critical circuits", the ones

which the PV batteries will supply during power outages.

And over in the "sand box" (as I call the utility spaces and chase)

the HVAC guys are installing heaters, bath vents, and Heat Exchanger flues.

I shall not try to point out which is which....but you might wonder what

the wood plank platform is for: that is accessed by the ladder, and

the roof is reached out a hatch door off the platform.

2011-01-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

JUST WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE??

OK, so I have been distracted. BUT things have kept chugging along.

With siding done, it was time to get the "cloud" of Cloud House up.

First to prepare the flashing and edge conditions.

A wooden Rake Board was painted black and

attached to the outer most fly-rafters.

Cap flashing was placed on top of the fly-rafters,

then CPI panel system "J" channel screwed to the eave boards:

Wayne holds as Abe fastens.

A complicated set of flashings and drip edge were installed

at the down-hill end, where the CPI panel will overlap

the IB roofing on the roof deck. Bob checks it all out.

FINALLY a panel is installed...using the CPI provided clips.

They called for one clip every 30". But, with high winds (120 mph design load)

and butter-fly wing design, we did one every 10"...

Periods of rain did not stop the process.

The crew lays out panels to the left and right of the initial middle one.

The east end was the most challenging.

No deck below and a 14' gutter to go in between

the fly-rafter tails, so plywood sheets were

tacked to the rafters for temporary work platforms.

As panels were installed, plywood was pushed out

on top of the rafters and panel seam-caps.

Once clips were in place, one the left side only,

a panel was bent up to fit between

the top and bottom "j" channels.

Keep repeating the process until, at last,

the final piece of edge metal was fastened.

An example of the complex layering of flashing.

Note the CPI clip (on right) holding down a panel.

Now the completed "cloud" hovers over the house,

the black gutter sends the rain water away from it

and the stairs which will go in this end.

2010-05-15T14:45:00.000-07:00

THE LAST STAGES OF THE STAGING ARE REMOVED

Once again the cantilevers of the house can be seen.

As the days get longer, and the sun travels northerly,

its rays now reach the north fins at sunset.

Meanwhile, the first occupants moved in: winter wrens built this

nest between two 1st Level joists, and hatched a brood...

...which one day all decamped for a branch up behind the house,

and then deeper into the woods for their first summer.

2010-05-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

HERE COME THE SUB-CONTRACTORS!

With siding done, the carpenters "wood-shops" were cleared out and room was made for the PME sub-contractors to work.

First step was to sort out who was going to do what where and what order.

The mechanical space is limited. Black tape (blocking out large items, such as the refrigerator), cut sheets (describing items such as fans, washer/dryer) and paper cut-outs (locating items such as ducts and stove pipe) helped bring some order to the sandbox so the subs could play nice.

First on the scene was Steve, the ace plumber.

Running lines and leaving us to ponder what to do with exposed drains below the 2nd Level's metal deck.

Then David and Cory, the ace electricians, started runnng wires...

,,,and setting the many panels need for typical electrical uses, as well as photovoltaic and the elevator.

The last to have a turn was the HVAC team, who, on a day I was not there, came in, placed one of the heater-fan combos, and retreated waiting for instructions.

2010-05-13T15:46:00.000-07:00

CLOUD HOUSE SIDING IS FINALLY DONE

Siding resumed after receipt of additional special order boards. Tho this day was nice, it was still winter and rains were in the forecast.

So the east end was tented.

Under the tent, 4" horizontal and multi-inch horizontal siding was installed on each side of where steps to the first level will be located.

Things got tricky where siding hits walls, beams, doors, etc..

With the east end done, the tent came down...

revealing places such as the low Cubby at the 2nd Level stair landing.

The last decision was how to terminate the bottom of the Core Wall siding. On left, the simple "siding ended" detail; on the right, the more formal "belly board" or "house skirt" solution.

The choice, "belly skirt" was made, and the siding project, ten months after starting, was completed.

2010-05-05T23:31:00.001-07:00

PHOTOS FROM CHINA 2009

HANGZHOU:

Water taxi at south end of the Grand Canal

Dance class along the canal.

Restored merchant's mansion: the main entry courtyard.

Setting up for the solar eclipse.

Waiting for the clouds to go away.

Totality.

SICHUAN:

One VIP ("very important panda")

Sanxingdui museum of bronze era masks.

Remnent of old town near Leshan.

The Great Buddha of Leshan, keeping rivers from flooding.

Start of trail up Emei-shan, one of the major Buddhist mountains of China.

End of the trail, rain and fog limit customers for "have your photo taken here" photographers.

Lunch is served at a temple.

Shaanxi Guild Hall in Zigong.

Market in Zigong: selling hair.

The Sleeping Buddha at Dazu.

The Buddha's eye and a mourner.

Apprentice at Liu's workshop.

BEIJING:

Zhufeng's sister Zhuchun and her Buick.

Welcome to Beijing family dinner.

Panjiayuan Market

Palace Museum

National Theater for the Performing Arts.

Fondly known as "The Egg"

TONGZHOU:

The northern end of the Grand Canal.

Zhuchun, Zhuwen, Zhufeng, Zhuxian and friend.

GUBEIKOU:

A section of the Great Wall.

2010-03-01T20:30:00.000-08:00

CLOUD HOUSE SOLDERS ON THRU THE RAIN

Return after New Year was just in time to see the

Groth-Gates crew install the last screw of the metal roof.

Nice Job!

Ryan, from Western States Electrical, reviews

how to attach the future PV panels to it.

Meanwhile the crew finished up the vertical siding.

With metal roof in place, siding can go on the solar rack,

so a brown tarp is up to protect the work zone.

A view of the top of the vertical siding:

the fins are notched so the metal parapet

cap flashing can slip down behind them.

Under the tarp, Wayne installs the 4" horizontal siding on the solar rack.

The opening awaits a very custom hatch, the only access to the roofs.

Siding is a bit tricky in the close quarters between the fly-rafters

above and the low roof below, with the glu-lam beams

zooming out in between the two.

Abe and Wayne measure the last piece of clearstory siding.

Note the grooves in the siding on top. That is to give a different look

to the siding on the beams from the siding on the clearstory.

And note the cute windows cut into the clearstory.

They will daylight the south hall below.

The wide cap flashing is on top of the vent for the roof they are sitting on.

Out on their ends, the glu-lams, which carry the fly-rafters,

get a careful detail to allow air to vent the "rain-wall" cavity on each side.

Then a finish piece trims it all out so nicely.

Another view of the glu-lam siding continuing over the top of the clearstory siding.

The glu-lam cap flashing ends abrupty at the clearstory. The flashing gets painted,

so continuing the paint on the siding across to the flashing

on the other end may deal with that discontinuance.

AND FINALLY

Three days predicted for sunny weather brought the four BIG WINDOWS out.

The pane is resting on temporary forks on the front of the man-lift, which

Dustin and Dan raise and swing....

into position, while Clinton and Tom wait.

Once close enough, all four attach suction cups and

push/pull it into position in the frame.

A tug here, a tweek there, and she's set.

Dustin rolls the vinyl glazing strip on the outside, and...

the Tom applies backer-rod and caulking on the inside.

That's all there is to it folks!

After the four BIG ones, the skylight was a snap.

First the frame was brought up, and then...

...three glazing panels were installed and capped.

MEANWHILE, MOCK-UPS CONTINUE:

Charlie is mulling over how to get the rain water from the roof

scupper down to the ground. Black paper outlines what

a six-foot wide "waterfall" might look like.

Here Charlie, with a piece of mirrored acrylic,

considers how to do the mirrored wall

planned for the end of the halls.

The crew set a length of "Plug-mold" in a mock-up of the interior siding

to see if that may be a way to install electrical outlets.

A single fluorescent tube , set in a simple cove, suggests

how well it would illuminate the upper floor below the sky-light.

And Steve the Pipe Magician started running plumbing lines.

Things are happening on many fronts!

A walk up the hill gave this prospect down on to the roofs.

And, with much of the work-platform no longer needed,

its removal revealed what the final form of the house will look like.

Tho the clouds and rain have been with us this winter,

it has not meant there have been no sunrises or sunsets to enjoy!

2010-01-01T19:45:00.000-08:00

CLOUD HOUSE SEES ANOTHER YEAR END

In the last post Core Wall siding details were mocked up. After another round,

it was decided to miter the edges. The first boards were laid up in the NW corner.

The cedar boards have a range of tones, light to dark.

But after time they will turn to a rather uniform gray.

For now, tho, I wonder if we HAVE escaped the "Zebra House" look.

With the Core Wall sided, added to the Saddle-Bag on the left,

and the West "Waterfall" wall on the right, plus window frames,

the overall finished look begins to emerge.

A close up of the NW Core Wall, Slot Window (right)

and Casement (Left). Only things missing are the

battens on top of the narrow boards on the Core Wall,

and, of course, another visit from the window crew.

Meanwhile, on the east, the 4" horizontal

siding, with no grooves, gets started.

And laid up as far as it can go without

final decisions on flashing and top railing.

One day the window folks arrived, put in one of the casements, and left.

So at least we have an idea of what they will look like from the outside...

and the inside.

Abe applies battens to the Core Wall mix,

and the sun casts the acentuating shadows.

The west setting sun casts deep shadows

on the South Saddle-bag around 3:00 these days.

Now it is on to finishing out the South Saddle-bag...

and hope the window guys will appear again.

21 Dec 2009. Second Winter Solstice at Cloud House.

Will there be a third??

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

(I hear more are coming around and now are saying "twenty ten")

TO ONE AND ALL

2009-11-26T13:54:00.000-08:00

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.

2009-10-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-08-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

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??

2009-06-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

CLOUD HOUSE GETS TOPPED OUT

With low-roof beams in place....

...the low roof rafters could be framed in between...

...and topped with plywood sheathing.

Meanwhile, on the outside, the extensions of the core walls (on left) and the channels for the downspouts (on right) were added.

Back on top, Wayne and Abe set up the posts and brackets for the hi-roof beams.

Once ready, Joey came with his marvelous crane again, and handily completed the last of the four "beam-lifts".

Brian hand signals down to Joey, as Abe and Wayne guide the glu-lam beam into the brackets.

Beams in place, parapet sheathing was placed, carefully notched for the brackets.

Then the solar rack/skylight framing commenced.

The interior space begins to take shape, and light, with the Big Window on the right, and the skylight above.

Now there are lots of tasks to do. Abe installs the ceiling joists in the kitchen.

Being 6'-8" tall, he does not have to use his step ladder very much.

And on occasion the architect comes to review progress.

Here Charlie stands on a scaffold plank to consider the addition of a "diving board"

off the second level's entry deck.

And, with Bob, contemplates how to waterproof the fly-rafters...

Stepping back, looking up, to see the whole from the driveway...

...and, looking down, to see the tadpoles growing in a rainwater puddle on one of the protection tarps.

2009-03-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

CLOUD HOUSE GETS ANOTHER FLOOR AND WALLS ON IT

With the first level's walls up...
...the "balloon framed" glue-lam window jambs could be inserted.

The place is taking on the look of a playground set on steroids.

Wayne bolts the jambs to the walls...

... then, between the jambs, bolts steel angles to carry the metal pan deck for the 2nd level's concrete floor. This will allow for windows to continue the full height of the two floors.

Some sidewalk superintendents came by to see how things were going.

Once all the walls and angles were up level and braced plumb, Jim Sutton and son Mike cut and put up the pan decking.

Nice job. huh! Good old RK Concrete and Pumping was called in again, first to lay the re-bar and weld-wire fabric, then...

...pump and pour...
...and screed a 6" slab.

Mike, at the far end, starts hard trowelling the slab. Not that we needed hard trowelling, but the unexpected sunshine had the concrete setting up fast, and it TOOK hard trowelling to get it smooth.

And smooth they got it. Level too: greatest difference between high and low was 1/8"!

Charlie made a visit, to check on progress, and to simulate being the 45 degree wall which will reflect the view thru the window down the hall.

So, once again, walls were raised, and another brace of 40' glue-lams were lifted: one in back, and ....

... one in front.

Brian starts the task of installing hold-downs to secure the headers to the walls.

Next, he and Wayne trimmed a cross beam to sit in large metal hangers on the headers, ...

... then called in Abe to help lift it in place.

So, this is where we are at...now it is on to finishing up the 2nd Level walls, and starting the first of six (!!) different roof planes.

Meanwhile, where in the world is THIS side-walk super??

A note on the weather...from the above photos, you may be wondering about the purported rainy winter weather of the Oregon coast. Indeed, I had to go back to Feb 10 to find this shot of "Coast View: Rain Lifing"
but lack of rainy photos is also a result of dis-inclination to take photos when raining!

OH, BY THE WAY, HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-01-12T08:31:00.001-08:00

Sun setting on 2008? rising on 2009?

Either way, not bad, eh?

CLOUD HOUSE GETS A FLOOR AND WALLS

2009-01-02T18:32:00.000-08:00

Cloud House was last seen getting its four major glu-lam beams set on the ground level's concrete block walls.

Next, in mid-November, floor joists were laid on top, perpendicular to the glu-lams.

With sun setting, that was close to done.

But when laying the plywood deck, the forecaste was for rain, so

the crew worked into the dark to get most of it glued and screwed.

The first wall up was the North Saddlebag Wall,

which has a 38 food radius to it.

A plank was run out, a nail was set at 38 feet...

... an old tape was cut and tied to a block of wood, then it was stretched

from the nail, to mark the ends of the joists.

Bob on the right marks the last joist,

while Abe and Wayne start cutting them.

Meanwhile, down under the deck, Brian fashions a template of the 38 foot arc.

The wall plates were marked with the template, cut, studs were added,

and the north wall erected.

Note the sandwich wrap around the deck:

building in Oregon winters means wood gets wet.

To lessen the moisture in the wood, plastic wrap was placed,

an under-floor fan system installed, which is run at night,

pumping air between the plywood and its wrapper

On rare occasions, building in Oregon winters means building in snow.

With the center Angel Walls up, and

secured with large hold-downs,

(remember those tie-rods coming up from the

foundations thru the block walls? This is where they end) ...

the two center beams for the second level were lifted into place.

Seen from the driveway, the south (and north) Core Walls are up

and sheathed with plywood. Now, just

the South Saddlebag Wall remains to be framed, and,

of course, the two story high window jamb columns, the steel angle headers,

the ...., well, ....you will see.

CLOUD HOUSE SPREADS OUT

2008-11-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

With the first wood framing underway, Cloud House has spread to the west and the east, as seen here looking north from the road.

But before erecting beams, the framing crew first checked the masons' work. Abe, holding tape, Bob inspecting a beam pocket, and Brian on the transit learned the difference between the highest and lowest points to be 5/8".

With the bent plates snugged down, the protruding bolt ends are ground off.

The steel bent plates and shim plates are in place, wating for the glu-lam beams.

The first task for the lumberyard delivery, was to turn the truck without knocking over the port-a-jon!

Jim from the lumber yard works the boom truck, slowly lowering the 1st beam. Brian aligns to the block wall, Abe guides the other end with the tie rope.

The fourth and last beam is lowered onto its plates:

Brian drills out holes where thru bolts will connect the beams to the steel plates.

The bolt heads are countersunk so as not to interfer with the wall sheathing.

The mud sills, so called since they usually are near the concrete foundations and the ground, but here are 9' off the ground, are bolted to the top of the concrete block walls. Measurements showed the block walls only 3/8" out of square in one corner: the mudsill was tweaked to square up the floor.

Next comes the PSL: the two combined will support the main structural walls at the west end.

Wanting the floor deck to be square and level, Abe and Brian again measure to confirm their work:

The sidewalk superintendents on this site tend to be the local hear of black-tail deer. Here a young buck looks the job over.

CLOUD HOUSE CMU ENDS, SITE WORK RESUMES

2008-10-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

The last time we looked, the concrete block crew had finished the first four feet of the walls, and poured grout (sloppy concrete) in all the cells.

They came back and laid up the remaining four feet, then there was some back and forth on just what constituted "stainless steel" rods anyhow. They had four nice shiny ones, but the next four were dull grey. However the shiny ones failed the "magnets do not stick to stainless" test, whereas the grey ones passed.

The magnet won over the shine and four more grey ones were brought in and the second grout pour could take place. Joey, from RK Concrete, in orange, presses the remote which controls the flow of grout. James helps weild the heavy hose, and Chris moves it from cell to cell.

With the pumping done, James makes the final adjustments to the bent plates (both shiny and stainless), and trowels off the grout smooth.

Chris has troweled these cells and does the final step of imbeding the anchor bolts ... on 16" centers! ... which will hold the first pieces of wood to the concrete block walls.

With the block walls quietly hardening up in the background, Aaron and Kenny returned to carry on with site work. The first of seepage trenches for the septic drain field gets dug. Kenny holds a survey rod, with a laser detector on it: it beeps a code telling whether it is above, level, or below the laser transit (the yellow thing perched on white tripod, beyond the tread of the excavator).

Into the trench goes 18" of drain rock, 4" pipe, 2" more of rock, filter fabic, and backfilled.

Chris, Tillamook County's On-site Sanitation Engineer, arrived a bit earlier than expected, but he patiently waiting for the last pipe to be laid....

... and then he signed off his approval. He and I hit it off when we learned that we overlapped in Aspen, and we played the "Oh, did you know so-in-so?" game for a while.

After the drain field, Arron and Kenny turned their attention to the retaining wall's gabions, a word from Italian for "big cage".

When the BIG FedEx truck arrived, I wondered, "FedEx?" and "How big a shipment are these things??"

Folded flat, and bundled on a pallet, why, pretty small.

But unfolded, and wired up, they are indeed large baskets, ready for rock to be placed in them.

In order to quickly see what all three levels will be like, we placed them on the west side, ignoring directions which advised completing the lowest row first, then next, etc.

I told Aaron that I did not think they were going to grow, but he thought it best to water them anyhow.

I do admit, the rock looks much better when wet.

Fortunately on the Oregon coast, there will be many times when the rocks are wet.

Next step, continue installing the gabions along the benches cut in the hillside behind the house, while the steel plates, threaded rods await on top of the block walls for the wood framing to start.

And, of course, keep an eye out for arresting views of the coast line.

CLOUD HOUSE GOES 3-D!

2008-09-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

When I arrived at the site on 16 Sept 2008...

...I was happy to see Aaron had prepared a level playing field for the masons.

Block arrived and so did the crew from Rice Masonry.

James gets the fun work: mixing mortar and cutting unwanted parts from blocks.

Chris is the crew chief, here checking a row for level.

Joe also lays up block, and here checks for plumb.

By the end of the first day, Cloud House has risen into the 3rd dimension.

At four feet high, there was pause for the inspector to approve the re-bar and hold-downs, and then concrete grout was delivered by C.W....

...pumped and poured by Doug,...

...and vibrated by Chris.

When wet from washing, the ground face block's aggregates are plainly visible.

All cleaned up from the grout pour, the second lift got underway.

Excess re-bar is cut, but the shiny hold-down rods reach up for the first floor shear walls.

By the end of Friday the 19th, the CMU walls were well on their way to being erected.

On the home-sweet-home front,

the trailer we found arrived...

delivered by the seller, Sandy and her daughter, Liz.

And I had my first visitors: Steve and Sarah from Cambridge, MA!

CLOUD HOUSE GETS FOOTINGS AND TANKS

2008-09-08T14:15:00.001-07:00

There was a flurry of activity before Labor Day Week-end...

...under ground tanks and drain lines....footing slabs and grade beams.

But I am ahead of the story.

We left off with piers poured with their re-bar "fairy circles" sticking up. Now form work surrounds them.

On the left, below the gravel, is a curtain drain as well as a rain water discharge line.

Next to go in were three tanks: two cisterns for rain water, and one septic. Here Randy and Alan deliver the last one.

Took a little push from Aaron and his Link-Belt to get it up the hill and over the hole.

And down she went.

Meanwhile the crew from RK Concrete had completeted the form and re-bar work, and concrete was called in.

Loren Trion, and his big new shiny white truck, arrived, and, while chewing a straw for focus....

...the mad rush, which pouring concrete always is, began.

"What are the the orange tags for?" I hear you ask.

Ever hear of an "Ufer Bar"? Me neither. The inspector kindly pointed out that we forgot it.

(It's to ground the electrical system.)

"Put it in, take photos, put them in the permit box. Where do I sign off?"

Around the box the crew goes: Eric on the chute, Simon holding one end and Doug the working end of the vibrator, with Cameron and Jim, the trowellers, waiting to jump in.

The mad rush is over, now the finishing touches...trowlling, and, on the right, Eric adjusting the re-bar which will go into the concrete block walls.

More carefully, Eric placed the main hold-down rods. They will eventually rise over 11' to attach to shear walls on the first floor.

The concrete crew is gone, Aaron and Kenny are back filling tanks with gravel, and filling up with water to check for leaks.

The next day the concrete crew returned, stripped the form work, cleaned off all their debris, and left the foundations to cure.

SEATTLE JAPANESE GARDEN'S OLD GATE LOST AND FOUND

2008-08-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

I heard things might be getting started so I went and took a look.

Indeed, a payloader is always a good sign of things about to happen.

On closer look, the gate was gone. Very carefully removed. Wonder where it went.

Alterted by an email from Mary Nagen that it was at Kubota Garden, I went to see.

Sure enough, there it was, propped up in the maintenance yard. The friendly staff said they aren't quit sure what they are going to do with it, but glad to have it there.

>Here is a view we hardly ever saw, as the sides were buired in plant material in the old location.

And here is a closer look at the nice Kanshu-ji style stone lantern, seemingly also awaiting a home in the Kubota Garden.

CLOUD HOUSE GETS FEET

2008-08-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

31 JULY the first concrete was poured for the foundations.

Aaron and Bud Erickson (DJ Drilling) work on one of the four,

two-foot wide x 30-foot deep piers.

As the fourth pier drilling was being finished, the steel re-bar

cages arrived from Portland.

They were a bit longer than the holes were deep, so Ryan and

his son Trevor shortened them.

Bud transformed his rig from driller to crane, and lifted,

then lowered the cages into the shafts.

Plastic donuts are attached to keep the re-bar the required

minimum distance off the shaft wall.

Ryan calculates how much concrete is needed,

as Charles looks on.

The first load arrives, after backing about a mile along

the narrow road, fearing the space at the site

too tight to easily turn around in.

Trevor and Ryan guide concrete into a pier hole.

Ryan checks the drawings (how nice!)....

...then checks the pier placement.

A detail only a concrete person could love.

The hooked ends are left exposed so to lock

the pier to the footing slab,

which will be part of the next pour.

CLOUD HOUSES GETS UTILITIES

2008-07-11T21:13:00.001-07:00

The access drive pushes up; the water and electrical lines are pushed under; the pad for the foundation pushes in.

Looking south from the house site, the temporary electrical panel and the red water spigot stick up on the left.

Here they are on the right, as we look north at the foundation pad. All the debris in the pit is from the drill probe. It went down 30' until the GeoTec engineer said, "That'll do!" So now we know how deep our four piers must go.

Charlie, transfixed by the view out to sea, momentarily breaks from task of laying out strings for the pier locations.

CLOUD HOUSE GETS SERIOUS

2008-07-01T17:44:00.001-07:00

FINALLY, after 18 years of design, (with the last 5 years pursuing permitting as well), ground was broken at the site near Otis, Oregon.

From the main road, an access road to the house site was cut in, which also served as the landing zone for the BIG TREE. Sadly it was listing to port, directly towards the house site, and prudence said it best be removed before the house got in the way.

Too tall (175' or so) for my 35mm lens, so, top and....

bottom.

The tree man, Kevin Zook, with tree climbing gear on, confers with Aaron (left) and Ken, our ace site clearing and excavating team.

Kevin climbed 3/4's of the way up, taking out some limbs as he went. There he tied a rope, which was strung to the back bumper of his truck. He decended to about the 2/3's point, and, as his son, Justin, applied tension on the rope, he topped it.

The rope was re-tied to the new top, Kevin came to the ground, and cut again.

Again Justin pulled on the rope...

and, slowly, gracefully, and right on target, down it came.

Kevin bucked up branches and the trunk,

Aaron moved pieces towards the road...

as he chatted on the phone.

The based measured 7.5 feet, and ring count went over 225. Could have started out about the same time the USA did.

SEATTLE JAPANESE GARDEN KAMI CALMING CEREMONY

2008-06-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

On June 16 2008 a ground breaking ceremony, of sorts, was held at the site of the future Garden Gatehouse Village.

Reverend Barrish of Tsubaki Shrine in Granite Falls, Washington came to perform the Jinchinsai, a Shinto rite which is done prior to breaking ground for buildings. Respects are paid to the kami of the land about to be disturbed.

Bamboo poles held rope and folded paper at the building site. A mound of sand is placed to the side of the portable alter. The ceremony follows a series of moves:

bowing

clapping

waving

reading

pouring sake

burying an amulet, which later will be buried under the building.

Also a folded white paper amulet will be placed in the attic, together they, along with this ceremony will ward off disasters and misfortune during and after the construction.

Next, a cake with rendering of the Village on it was served with tea,

followed by a stroll through the garden to see the iris in bloom:

ZCY GOES TO WORK

2008-06-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

The walls may be rough, and the steel may be exposed, but Zhichunyuan has been put to work!

From the College's arboretum gazebo, Judy Koenig orients a tour group to the Garden.

On to inside ZCY, where one can gain an understanding of the completed courtyard's size if not feel.

However, that "feel" can still be sensed over at Songmeiting. Although the plantings around it are now minimal, the design and materials of the gazebo give a glimpse of what the completed gates and walkways of Zhichunyuan will be.

CLOUD HOUSE CREEPS

2008-06-08T16:46:00.001-07:00

Construction of Cloud House in Oregon DID take a giant step forward with the issuance of the Building Permit.

Now if I could JUST figure out what all the pieces of paper and red line notations all mean... I DO know that "2190" is the street number and they require that the big orange card be posted so the inspectors can find the place.

A second step was lining up an excavator to clear the site and cut in the access road. He hopes to start that by the end of June. Will see....

SEATTLE CHINESE GARDEN RECEPTION ROOM

2008-06-08T16:37:00.000-07:00

While construction of Zhichunyuan pauses, promotion of the Garden continues.

The Reception room was open during South Seattle CC's annual Tea and Tour. The room has numerous Chinese items as well as information about the Garden design and construction.

A pair of doors anticipate the opening of the Garden.

And hard hats wait for visitors on HHT's: Hard Hat Tours, an opportunity to visit Knowing Spring Courtyard while under construction.

404 MBATH WORKS

2008-06-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

It's not totally finished, but at least it is functioning!

Zhufeng is practicing towel flamenco as I look down the hallway from the bedroom to the bath. The biggest missing piece is a sliding door which will go between the two floor rugs.

Looking at the left side of the vanity, with three medicine cabinets above, and four storage cabinets above them!

The right side, with jon and towel warming rack to right.

And peering in the shower...

ZCY WAITS

2008-05-30T17:12:00.001-07:00

(Remember, many blog readers will enlarge a photo by simply clicking on it.)

All was quiet Friday.

Indeed the gate was locked, the boom-box off, nobody there. How nice and quiet! Just me and the birds.

Often a sub-contractor's contract will call for the site to be left "broom clean"...

and it sure is! Immaculate broom clean.

The Encircling Corridor with walls, sidewalks, base-stones, columns and beams await.

A sweeping panorama from looking north to the Main gate, past the gate to the Encircling Corridor, to the south Entry Gate, shows how tidy it is.

One lonely base stone, and one column without one (just beyond the concrete wall) hints there may have been a slight miscalculation, or waits for the stone masons to work their magic and make it fit.

The pond appears to be holding water.

The retention pond, with timber bamboo beyond, waits to get water.

Chairs wait for workmen and spectators alike.

Ladders wait to be used again.

A forklift waits to unload...

...the increasing number of storage containers, as we all wait to see what treasures they contain.

Meanwhile, over at Song Mei Ting, spring moves into summer:

ZCY TAKES A BREATHER

2008-05-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

Things are rather quiet at the site. Indeed, when I arrived, there was no one in sight. Just the melodious tunes of country-western songs blasting for the boom-box...

The typical view from the SE shows almost all the steel pieces that were on the ground are now in the air. A large concrete cube on the left is an electical vault, which will be part of the underground electical wiring. In the far right the large bamboos which were down and the lower retention pond have been planted on the north side of the upper retention pond.

Looking at the east side of the east wall, the steel columns and beams give a good sense to the eventual form of this facade.

Whoa, the photo-stitch did not have enough to work with to make this panorama shot look good. But we can see the pond on the right, and the Main Gate on the left. The horizontal beams connect the columns seen last week.

Looking through a leak window at the pond and main gate, the column stones sit on their seats awaiting the installation of their bases. And the pond appears to be holding water!

And just outside the Courtyard, to the south, crates and crates (and even a few MORE crates of stones) are patiently awaiting the arrival of the Chinese crew.

Robert did return before I left, and he told me there has been a minor set back in the flow of materials from China. A bug of some sort was found in the crating inside a container of roof tiles, so the whole shipment of six containers was rejected and sent back home. Not wishing to lose the time it would take for them to be re-crated and re-set, another shipment of tiles was immediately dispatched. So, somewhere out there in the wide Pacific, two containers will pass in the night, helping to keep the construction schedule on schedule.

ZCY STEEL ARISIN'

2008-05-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

With the plinth stones liberated from the docks, structural steel erection has been able to commence.

Looking from the NE at the East and North Walls, the steel columns and beams are very evident.

Travis, of CHG Building Systems, Inc.,welds a bracket to a steel plate earlier embedded in a concrete wall, to which a beam will be welded.

In the NE corner columns and beams are welded together to form the frame for a shelter from which the pond will be seen.

Another look from the NE. The pond structure is on the left, and, on the right, are the steel columns for the Main Gate.

Here they are again, this time thru a leak window on the east side. The plinth stones have been temporarily set on brackets, looking like beads on a stick.

Jack loads one of these "beads" from their arrival pallet, onto a jig on the lift which Frank expertly guides....

through the steel columns of the Main Gate.

With Jack giving hand signals, Frank threads the needle, lowering the plinth stone thru the column.

Released from the lift jig, Jack makes a final alignment adjustment to the stone.

Meanwhile, Robert spreads out in his larger construction office trailer. Indeed, it has three offices, room for all the players on, or soon to be on, site.

ZCY STONES AND WATER

2008-05-11T14:38:00.000-07:00

Not too much difference since last time, but wait...

what is that, covered with plastic in the foreground?

The stone column bases have escaped Customs Inspection down on the docks! Now erection of the steel framing can start.

But waiting on the Stones has not meant noting has been happening. Looking SW from the NE corner, a blue piece of equipment (pump and filters?) can be seen on the left. Water lines lead from there, and from the right, into a shallow "pond" where storm water will be detained.

A closer look at that blue water handling device.

On the other side of the wall, the pond has taken shape and is getting the penultimate coating. Various pipes stick up marking where water will either come in or go out.

A city inspector, standing in the retention pond, checks to make sure the drain lines are going down hill. Although the retention pond is temporary, it is where the future Lotus Pond will be located, so, with a squint or two, we will be able to get a sense of what that part of the garden will eventually look like.

Downhill towards the "wetlands", Kevin from CK Excavators is putting together an overflow drain. When the retention pond fills to capacity, excess water will drain into this perforated black pipe to seep into the ground.

Meanwhile, in other areas of the site...

Forms are being removed from the last concrete walls, those forming the basement for the toilet area.

A large trailer expands office space in anticipation of the Chinese work-crews arrival.

To the left of the entry gate, just out of view in this photo, a large tent has been erected, to provide protected work space, and in another area, the crew's temporary residential area is being laid out.

And, of course, there is never ending clean-up chores:

Wood, which is not re-usable for concrete forms, is being picked up by a re-cycling company.

404 MBATH LURCHES FORWARD

2008-04-28T22:49:00.000-07:00

Someone must have said that tiling is the most difficult part of the job. Especially when one is hoping to use up left-over tiles (green) from a previous job along with new tiles (red), only to learn, when the new ones arrive, they are not the same size.

What to do?

Off to the tile store and get yet ANOTHER tile (yellow). Which more or less matches the red ones in size and character. And put the green ones back in storage (maybe they can be used in some future project. Or sold on Craigs list...).

We got a price quote from a very good tile person to install our shower's crazy scheme. We compared that with the cost for marriage counseling, which may be required after doing it ourselves. The counseling would be cheaper.

Zhufeng cleans off excess thin-set from a completed section of the back wall.

Although bought over a year's or so ago, the Ikea high storage, the medicine, and the vanity cabinets all fit together pretty well, in spite of their non-verbal instructions.

Next is for the counter-top people to come and make a template, go away, return two weeks later and install it.

ZCY: ONE PHASE ENDING, OTHERS ABOUT TO START

2008-04-28T21:52:00.000-07:00

There are always junctions in the construction process.

One part phases out with a flurry of clean up and sweeping;

the next part(s) gets staged and laid out.

Here the ever industrious Jack makes his way

through the future Southern Courtyard.

Re-bar, plywood, braces, scaffolding, etc. are being moved away.

The sidewalks of the Encircling Corridor's west side

are poured and swept clean.

The leak windows give a hint of what a

stroll down this corridor looking into ZCY will look like.

The metal plates in the walls and sidewalk

have been cleaned and marked, ready for the steel framing.

Jack shows what a multi-function tool a hammer really is:

here, a back scratcher.

From the NE looking at the East Wall's east elevation,

the wall with leak window on the bridge

over the pond is in place.

(Jack sure gets around.)

Here the same wall and leak window from the Courtyard.

We can hope that our finished leak window grill

will be more refined than K-J's...

When a wall gets poured up against an existing wall,

it is tough to get clean joints. Peter chips away excess concrete,

and has no need to go to Gold's Gym later that day.

Looking northerly from the SE corner of the courtyard,

the initial drain and supply lines for the pond are on the right.

To the left, the last walls at the Main Gate

are still wrapped in their plywood forms.

Meanwhile, "out back", on the west side of the courtyard,

Stein moves ahead laying out the walls for the restrooms.

Yeah! REAL toilets!!

Seen through squinting eyes, and a tree at SMT garden,

one can sense what the completed courtyard will be like.

And at least one of the denizens of the area has already moved in. A Killdeer plover has scratched a shallow in the gravel amid left-over re-bar.

When she isn't busy luring people away from the nest

with her feigned broken wing routine, she gets some sit-time on them. But I fear nesting in the middle of a construction site is not conducive to successful incubation.

ZCY TIDYING UP THE MAIN WALLS

2008-04-11T22:24:00.000-07:00

The various tasks of tiding up continue.

Seen from the SE, the East Wall's East side is the most complex of all. This is because various pieces, which will connect it to Gathering Together Hall, are getting started: the ends and the gate in the middle all reach out to the right. In the future they will continue to form the courtyard to the west of GTH.

Same wall from the NE shows the preparations for the surrounding walkway continue on the left, and the bridge over the water element on the right. Look at Frank, working in two places at the same time!

Here in close-up, we can see the men standing on a bridge, actually on the form-work for a concrete bridge, which will span the water element flowing from the courtyard to this side. They are setting the form for the last piece of the east wall, which, along with a couple other small wall elements, will be shot-creted. The small rectangles, embedded in the walls...sometimes light colored, sometimes dark, are the steel plates to which the steel cores of the roofs will be welded.

Meanwhile, back-filling, and, here preparing for small concrete slab at the south gate, as well as for the large slab in the courtyard itself, continue all around the site.

Forms and re-bar are being set where ever sidewalks and ramps will be poured. Here pieces of fiber-board are being attached to form expansion joint between walk and wall. In the summer concrete can expand enough to crack adjacent walls or walks if such joints are not placed between them.

What's missing? No container! Still tied up in port, clearing USDA (Agriculture) inspection (bugs in the wooden crates?) and customs. Someday soon we hope it will be released.

404 MBATH GETS A FLOOR

2008-04-06T19:08:00.000-07:00

Meanwhile, back home, progress is slow.

But, progress there has been.

The glass blocks are all grouted and caulked.

The ceramic tile pavers have been cemented to the floor.

Still need to be grouted.

When they are, they will show why one should not drink beer while laying pavers.

Here are the first lines between my feet. Ain't they nice and neat?

And here are the last lines: things have gotten out of hand!!

But nothing a nice oriental rug won't cover up.

ZHICHUNYUAN BARED

2008-04-04T21:17:00.000-07:00

What a splendid day to visit! Dark clouds, spitting rain, streaking and staining the exposed walls....like ruins in Ankor rising from the jungle!

But ruins not! The forms are gone, the NEW walls stand firm and tall. We all know this view from the gazebo. Can you recall looking out and trying to imagine where the first courtyard would be and how big it would be?

Our good old standard shot:

Looking north from the SE corner.

A new panorama:

Looking west at the East Wall from the future site of the Gathering Together Hall.

Looking south thru the Main Gate.

Forms from various low walls are being removed, and large drain pipes are being added. The rain waters will drain north, under the Main Gate to a retention pond in the Future Welcoming Courtyard. I suppose in the future, they will drain into the Pond and down to the Lake.

With a couple kicks, and a forceful pry on the crowbar,

another section is jammed into position.

Meanwhile, another major piece of the pie is getting underway.

Matt of TurnStone is working the smart end of the survey equipment. That is KJ site supervisor Robert on the other end....

TurnStone will turn this area (the NE corner of the site) into a water feature which will flow from inside to outside of the courtyard.

A concrete cutter has just bored a hole between outside and inside.

In the SE corner, the best part of this phase of construction has begun: backfilling.

Grading, shoveling, raking, tamping...covering the foundations, the drain pipes, the electrical conduits...creating a smooth, level surface. After weeks of climbing up and down into holes and ditches, all are ready for the completion of backfilling.

Meanwhile, another country is heard from:

The first of some 40 containers arrived today on the Cosco Antwerp, the bow of which we can see from our apartment. So, maybe that one there...on the right, two over, three up???

MBATH GETS A SHOWER

2008-03-24T11:56:00.000-07:00

With the room's walls and ceiling more or less done, the first item to go back in was the shower.

Multi-tasking Jason sets drain in the new shower pan while dealing with other jobs via cell phone. (Excuse the photo format, but this web-site is not the most user friendly [get what you don't pay for...] and I cannot get these two verticals to go vertical...).

New hot red piping, for cold as well as hot water, connects supply to the shower's valve and shower head above.

Shower pan in place, Zhufeng goops sealant around the fasteners and seams in the tile backer boards.

After a long day of caulking and lifting and adjusting and the occassional, "Yikes, that ain't right! Take apart and redo!!" the glass block walls are up and holding.

The goops are pretty stinky, so, as a fan blows in fresh (and cold) air all night, we three are in the living room, snuggled up close to our tools and toilet components for the nonce.

ZCY SHOOTING WALLS 3

2008-03-22T20:48:00.001-07:00

Seemed very fitting for a visit to Knowing Spring Courtyard on the Spring Equinox, and the sun was out too boot.

The shot-crete boys must have worked by moon light: they finished in three days, and today, the carpentry crew commenced with removing the wooden forms. Note the leak window covers are removed, and the general outline of the southern wall has been revealed.

What took weeks to assemble, will come apart much more quickly. But at a pace which will allow adequate strengthening of the concrete before all support is taken away. Here Jack removes a cover from one of the doorways.

Hmmm, Frank, would OSHA approve of this maneuver?

ZHICHUNYUAN: SHOOTING WALLS PART 2

2008-03-18T17:41:00.001-07:00

This is where the concrete starts its journey to the walls. The Glacier truck is feeding the green pump which injects the concrete into the hose which came off the reels on the left.

One hose for concrete, the other for compressed air.

Once everything is running smoothly, it can be a bit boring.

Compressed air is used to clean off any debris on the re-bar just before the concrete is placed.

The pressurized concrete is shot emphatically into the re-bar and against the back wooden form.

In order to be assured the shot-crete process is done properly, the City contracts an inspection and testing entity. Here the on-site inspector closely monitors the placement of the concrete. He will also take a sample of it back to the lab in order to test the mix for required strength.

A long wooden screed knocks the concrete into a smooth, vertical face. Strings running across the face guide the screeder. Excess concrete drops to the footer below.

Using a short wooden trowel, the finish face is carefully gone over, pushing any stones in, filling any voids with cement, and pulling out a tight, smooth surface.

Since a tall wall must be done in different sections (called "lifts" in the trade), excess concrete ("overshot") is cleaned off and the top of the lift is trimmed to a 45 degree angle, providing a base for the next lift when it comes along. The excess of course drops down to the footer below.

Which is where the low man on the totem pole, literally and figuratively, toils with a shovel, throwing the overshot into a container to be disposed of.

ZHICHUNYUAN: SHOOTING WALLS PART 1

2008-03-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

The site from the porch of the trailer...all festooned with scaffolding planks and protection, waiting for the concrete to be shot at the walls. The first concrete truck is on the right, backed up to the pumper.

404 MBATH NEW WALLS

2008-03-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

As for the bathroom remodel .....

New sheet rock ceiling and walls are up, taped, mudded, and,

here sealer/primer is applied.

We visited a Corian countertop company, and came away with a large sample of "Mardi Gras", which we are favoring over shades of gray.

As more and more pieces to the pie arrive, the living room is filling up, as they await their turns at being installed.

BIG REBAR

2008-03-12T17:00:00.001-07:00

As the forms fill out, the scaffolding spreads out, the reinforcing bars space out, the scale of this courtyard and the complexity of its construction becomes more and more evident.

Here is my standard shot from the SE corner. There are piles of reinforcing bars on the right waiting to be cut, bent, and installed.

This is a new view: it is looking south from the north end of the site: the north elevation of the courtyard's north wall. The opening on the right is where Main Gate will be erected.

Two carpenters form stemwalls upon which the gate's walls will sit.

A detail of the gray plastic "feet" which are used to hold the rebar in the correct location when the shot-creet hits it. To the right is a "control joint" in the wall. Large areas of concrete and steel will move with temperature changes, and, of course, earthquakes, so, joints are intentionally formed hoping any cracking will be confined to them, not jagging across the face of the wall.

Much of the structure coming from China will be fastened to previously erected steel framing. These dark plates are inserted in the concrete to provide a place where that framing can be welded to the wall.

Meanwhile, around Songmeiting and in the holding area, there are signs of spring: the tag said "prunis mume".

2008-03-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Charlie Brown was my design instructor in St. Louis in the 1970's. On a 1992 visit to him, now in Oregon, he took me to breakfast at the Otis Cafe, and on to a house site he and his wife, Sue Donaldson, had recently acquired.

One can see why: it faces due south, with a view

of a river coming in from the east, of the coast

receeding southerly, and of the sea to the southwest.

Some vegetation management will help improve

seeing all of this.He set about designing a

week-end house, a coastal cottage.

Eventually Zhufeng and I came to reside in the Northwest and Charlie asked me if I would like to assist him in getting the documents ready for a building permit. "Sure", I said, thinking it would not take too long. Well, after getting a Geohazard Report written, approved, and confirmed, getting typical structural drawings done, getting the Homeowner's Association Design Review approval; the water department approval, the fire department approval, the Forest Service approval (it resides in a Scenic Research Study area; and the County Sanitarian's approval...some five years have gone by.

But on Friday last, I appeared at the County offices, drawings, documents, and letters in tow, and here Kara started the process by checking to see if all the required pieces of paper were with me, and then stamping them "Received". She was followed by a Zoning Planner, who reviewed on the spot the Zoning and GeoHaz aspects. Three hours later, dazed and wondering if I was back at the border seeking admission into Syria (that took 5 hours), I stumbled out into the rain, Permit Number and receipt for Permit Fee in hand.

Now it is on to figuring out how to get Cloud House up into the air.

AS FOR THE HOME-FRONT BATH REMODEL

2008-03-03T15:41:00.001-08:00

After I removed enough of the walls for him to work, Mike the Sparktrician, set boxes in new locations and pulled multi-colored wires through connecting conduits.

Once he was done, Zhufeng and I put up new drywall.

A jig-saw makes cutting out holes much easier than a key-hole saw.

The niche is not for a medicine cabinet (they will be mounted on the wall to the left); it's for decorative items: flowers, incense, maybe a candle or two!

XHY KNOWING SPRING COURTYARD GOES 3D!

2008-03-03T13:53:00.000-08:00

West Wall Exterior

Last week we saw a pile of forms, braces and "Enviro-blocks". In one day the panels were all lifted into position, the braces were attached to the blocks, and the courtyard sprang into three dimensions.

Overall from SE Corner

The south wall climbs to an impressive height over the block-out for the entry.

The walls become a bit more complicated on the east, where the entry to the Gathering Together Hall is located, and the Waterside Pavilion at the far NE corner. The entry block-out can be seen below and to the left of the carpenter.

Blocking Out Leak Window

Holes are being blocked out where windows or other voids are wanted in the walls.

Window Block-outs.

These windows, on the east end of the north wall, are blocked-out and covered. The next step, after filling the slots between panels, will be to erect re-bar for the walls. The wall bars will be wired to those, with a long safety cap, protruding from the foundation.

A plumb-bob string, and a "speed-square" are used to check to make sure the wall is vertical, and the windows are in the correct location.

XHY SITE VISIT 22 FEB 2008

2008-02-22T16:16:00.000-08:00

Things were quiet this Friday afternoon.

Most of the crew was gone, the sun was getting low, and the major task of building the wall-forms and placing them around the site is almost finished. They look like hunks of large train track ready to be placed around a Christmas tree.

Here are the main actors in the next task.

The re-bar sticking up from the footer is capped with a protective alum. bar (do not want anyone falling and getting stabbed by all those spikes!) Behind them large concrete "enviro-blocks" have been set. And behind them is a pile of panels. It is hard to see, but steel poles have been attached to the panels. When a panel is lifted into a vertical position, on the footer, near the re-bar, those poles will be set 45 degrees to the ground, on to the top of the "enviro-blocks". Those with good eyes may see a glint of shiny steel on top of the blocks. Those are bolts which will be set into the blocks to hold the poles. The poles can be tweaked to plumb and align the panels just to where they need to be.

Then the laborious task of erecting the re-bar for the walls begins. Robert (the site super) hopes all will be ready to start the 4-day concrete "shoot" on 17 March. Place that on your calendar. It should be amazing to see.

HOMEFRONT

2008-02-20T10:02:00.001-08:00

It has been in planning for a while, but after Zhufeng's 3-day week-end, our bathroom remodel is underway.

This is what it looked like before

And this is what it looks like now.

The first of Ikea base cabinets was assembled in order to tackle the hardest part of the project...choosing finishes.

In this case tile pavers for the floor.

You can tell from the samples we are going from pillar to post: pure black to greenish orange.

Any favorites?

XHY SITE VISIT 14 FEB 08

2008-02-15T10:34:00.000-08:00

As you can see the wood forms are stripped, and the concrete is happily drying in the sun. If you look close you can see the rebar sticking up have cute little red caps.

The formwork for the walls is being made on the ground. Indeed, the first forms are being used as large work-tables for the next ones. The plywood is cut to size, and the steel brace beams are being laid out and attached to the plywood. It will take quite a number of panels to form the walls!

So now I am a blogger too...

2007-03-18T11:09:00.000-07:00

But will I ever blog???