Starting on the ceilings.

Today we ripped a many more sheets of plywood on the table saw and began attaching it to the ceiling as more backing for the lath and plaster to follow. I learned long ago that any work done on a scaffold generally takes two or three times as long as working with one's feet firmly planted on the ground. It is certainly etrue as we strap the ceilings now as well. Each piece of lumber and everything else must be brought up the scaffold and then screwed in place. Progress is steady if not fast and the vaulted and curved ceilings are starting to look pretty good. This view is from the dining room looking towards the kitchen.

In another ten days or so the ceilings will be ready for the concrete sculpting. That will change everything in a hurry. I can hardly wait!

-grampa dan

This is the place

We have a small plaque in our entry that reads...

"There is no place anywhere near this place that is like this place - so this must be the place."  The saying sure fits our place without a doubt.

Today, things were busy - and that was without doing much actual work. Hailey's drafting class came for a tour of the house, eager to see the many features we had designed into it. It was my pleasure to give twenty-four students and two teachers a tour of the shop and house. While the theme work certainly caught their interest they also were pleased to see the many green features we had built into the project. The house is a great teaching tool, because it offers a first hand look at many of the modern technologies they have studied in class.

We did manage to do some work on the house today. The trim pieces continue to recieve the glazes. The address marker was the first to be completed. It will go up tomorrow letting folks know that this is indeed the place (in case they didn't already know).  :)

Upstairs we started in on the ceiling strapping. The whole ceiling in this area will be strapped with strips of half inch thick plywood, following the curves of the ceiling trusses. In the left side of the picture the sprayed foam still needs triming before we can strap that area. The area to the left in the picture will house the end of a built-in king size bed with adjustable shelving built in on either side.

Below the lightly textured plasterwork we will be installing vertical panelling with a heavy baseboard. An engineered cork/vinyl floor of commercial grade will ensure durability and ease of maintenance. It will be of a dark woodgrain and slightly textured pattern. We are in the process of selecting the colors we will use for each area as well as the theme for each room we do.

-grampa dan

A quiet house this will be.

As we begin work on the inside with the strapping of the ceilings in preparation for the plasterwork. But before we can do the parts that curve into the upper walls we have to do a little more insulating. There is plenty of spray foam to keep the moisture and cold at bay on the outside. The insulation we do from here on is is on the inside walls and ceilings to keep the noise inside the individual rooms. We've always insulated each room from every other room to make out houses quiet. This house will be no different. In fact this house will be better for there is now insulation made just for that purpose. I picked up the first load today.

The two Matthews ( little Matt welds a few hours each week after his regular job) continue work on the fence. They are making good progress on the fence down the side of the house.