Shelter

Once the flooring system was complete, the walls were quickly raised.  I say quickly because that's how these framers work.  I have only built a few wood structures in my life and I know basically how walls are built.  But, to do it in an efficient and timely manner is another thing.  I spent a little time watching the crew work and it is amazing how well they work together.  The verbal and non-verbal communication, unique to each framing crew I am sure, is still effective at getting the walls laid out correctly and raised in the best and safest manner.

Rear kitchen wall

Front walls

Walls are typically laid out and constructed flat on the floor and then tilted up into place and then temporarily braced until they can be permanently straightened and fastened in place.  Because this house is basically a square box, there are some long exterior walls and these are built in place and then raised.

Well, after all the framing lumber is put together and covered with plywood sheathing, it is extremely heavy.  So heavy, in fact, that when it comes time to raise them, mechanical help is needed.  On a couple of the longest walls, they used wall jacks to lift them in place.  It is a process that requires coordination among the crew as the wall is jacked up and then nailed in place.  It is not one for the faint of heart, I might add, as one would not want to be under a wall should it accidentally fall in the process of raising.

View from living room toward kitchen

After all the walls were raised they had to be trued.  This is also a well-orchestrated process that has to be done or your house is going filled with walls that all out of whack.  This house will have none of those, I can assure you.  After walls are trued, there remains a maze of braces and cross braces that will stay in place until the second floor is in place and the roof rafters are installed, which comes later.

Maze of bracing after walls are trued

Rear view looking towards kitchen

Walls nearing completion

First floor walls complete

The excitement of building a house grows as walls are built because the definition are spaces are established.  The feeling of protection that walls provide is certainly real and as these walls are built that feeling becomes real.  Now, if we can only get a roof on this place and some protection from the rains that are surely going to fall.

Working on the Backbone

Once the foundation was completed, it was time for wood to arrive.  Once the house is completed, very little of the foundation portion will even be showing with the wooden structure rising into the sky.  I consider the floor joist system the backbone of the house because all of the entire structure load will be transferred down through these onto the foundation.  The foundation cannot really do its' job properly if the backbone of the house does not rest properly on it.

Prior to the laying of the first joists, there was discussion and disagreement that floor trusses could even be used.  One company even declined to design trusses because they were afraid of the house design and whether the design spans could be accommodated by appropriate truss sizes.  We were able to find another company that used Boise Cascade floor I joists in combination with open trusses and Versa Lam beams to span the required distances.  By using the open truss design we will be able to easily run wiring, plumbing and HVAC components through the flooring system instead of hanging down underneath it.  This will make a much cleaner and serviceable basement area while meeting load carrying requirements and maximum beam deflection amounts.

The process of designing the flooring system highlighted the importance of using a qualified, experienced builder in concert with a building materials salesman who has experience with similar situations and confidence that a safe and workable solution can be devised.  Our builder, Ben Beatty, has worked for many years with Webb Building Supplies and trusts their expertise in cases just like this.

Foundation Complete

With the last pass of the power screeder over the vast expanse of concrete in the basement, the foundation is essentially complete.

Foundation complete

Basement slab

After a few modifications and additions the base from which our home will rise sits ready to be saddled with wood to become the framework for floors, walls and roof.  We intend for this to be the last house we build, at least for ourselves, but it sure would be nice to apply some lessons learned.  The main lesson, as is usually the case, is there will be surprises along the way.  What you budget will usually not be realistic and the only hope is that you minimize the overruns.  The main, unplanned, expenditure was the addition of a couple of retaining walls.

Retaining wall at right, rear corner of house

Retaining wall at right, front corner of house

Because of the lay of the land and the amount of slope on the lot, we had to build walls to control the movement of water around the house.  The most significant wall is at the front, left corner of the house in the area of the carport.  Our intentions for the carport were that it be on the same level as the house so there will be no steps to navigate as we exit our cars and go into the house.  This should be more appreciated as the years go by.  Because the carport is on the same level as the first floor of the house and because the lot slopes drastically on that side, we are going to have to build up the area in front of the carport.  This is going to require a wall be built to hold up the earthen buildup.

Retaining wall at carport entrance

Next week, hopefully we will begin the framing.  I say, "hopefully" because we have yet to get the floor trusses ordered.  We had a minor complication with this portion of the project but that is a story for another post.  For now, I will leave you with this verse to highlight the completion of our foundation.  It comes from the book of Luke, chapter 6, verses 47-49.   

47 I will show you what everyone is like who comes to me and hears my words and obeys. 48 That person is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the floods came, the water tried to wash the house away, but it could not shake it, because the house was built well. 49 But the one who hears my words and does not obey is like a man who built his house on the ground without a foundation. When the floods came, the house quickly fell and was completely destroyed.”