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??

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.

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!