Doors, Skylights and a New Bike!!

As promised, the doors and windows have been installed, as well as two skylights. I am impressed at how well each installation is planned. With the "pre-work" accomplished, the skylights, windows and doors just seem to slip into place. Here are Steve and Felix placing one of the two skylights. Skylight for the covered patio. We are so pleased with our main entrance which is a double sliding glass door spanning 12 feet. In the picture below, note the reflection of our current living quarters....Lewis, our RV! Next week on the job site will be the roofing completed. Stay tuned!

Roof, Doors and Windows

The roof is nearly completed, meaning that the infrastructure of beams, rafters, and joists is in place covered by sheathing and underlayment. (That's shop talk for plywood and tar paper, respectively.) I love this California life style...in Santa Cruz, if it rains, then work on the house stops. When the sun shines again, and all is warm and dry, then it is full speed ahead. Now that the house is covered and enclosed, the crew will begin putting in the doors and windows. Our main entrance is a double glass sliding door spanning 12 feet. Below is a picture of it being unloaded. Windows too! Stay tuned for more excitement with door and window installation!!

Big Cedar Beam

Today's big project  is the placement of a large cedar beam that will support the outer side of the roof over the covered patio. Our contractor, Joel has rented a Superlift machine to raise this super heavy beam into place. With the help of Felix and Steve, the process goes smoothly!

Success!!

Roofs and Beams

 This Monday morning started out with an early  delivery of lumber including roof beams for the garage and house.

Several of the big beams for the house roof weigh up to 400 pounds apiece.

The lower  photos show Felix and Steve placing the beams for the garage roof and then attaching the plywood.

The side bar shows a schematic of the garage interior showing car/bike parking area, bathroom and laundry/mancave. (note hot tub beside garage...yes!)

Unloading the heavy and long roof beams.
 
The garage roof beams being placed.         

Framed!

Now that the garage and house are framed in, we have a much better sense of our interior space.  With just 800 square feet of living space, ever little inch counts!  Of course, after living in our RV for the past three years, 800 square feet will feel palatial! 

The large opening is the front entrance which will have sliding glass doors. The smaller opening to the right of the entrance is another sliding door into the bedroom.
All the framing has been done by a crew of three men...Joel, our awesome contractor and his two crew guys, Felix and Steve.

Joel, on the ladder, and Steve.

Felix on the saw

First Wall Up!

An eventful week culminated in the raising of the first wall!  So gratifying to see this progress!

Here is a video of  this benchmark in our home, sweet home construction (although the wall is actually for the garage).

Foundation Day

Today is the perfect day for pouring the foundation for our new home.  Sunny, warm and dry! Setting the foundation is quite a benchmark in our building process!  The number of workmen on the site is up to 15 with one woman working the cement truck.  The big orange cement truck is spinning and spewing out yards of concrete.  Each truck carries about 9 yards of material.  Since our foundation requires  30 yards, we shall see nearly four truckloads on the site today.  Noisy, crowded, smelly (stinky exhaust of the operating cement truck)!

Men at Work













Woman at Work