Curves in the Road

As with any big project, there are always going to be some curve balls thrown at you to test your ability to cope with adversity. So far, so good . . . until Sunday!


We arrived at the farm Sunday evening around 5:00 expecting to have a nice dinner at the cabin and a glass of wine at the new house. Yet, as we come down the driveway we discover our powerline down and the top of the pole missing! Apparently a lightning strike had taken out the power to the site, and with workers scheduled to show up the next morning, we are faced with a serious problem.



Mark immediately put a call in to Laclede Electric hoping that they could come out the next morning to repair the line. Fortunately Mark used the phrase, "power line down" and a truck was on site within 45 minutes. Seeing the low hanging wire and damage to the transformer and power pole, a crew was called out and a new pole was planted to carry the power to the house. Our evening was spent sitting at the house and watching the repair process. The power was restored and the workers were ready to go Monday morning. Whew!!!


This week was spent watching the basement walls go up and large beams placed by a lift to support the weight of the timbers. While Cowboy drove the lift (not sure what his real name is!) Corey and Dan carefully placed each beam in PERFECT position Once the beams were placed, the joist hangers were attached and more support beams were put in place so the subfloor could be nailed down.



With the supports in place and the floor on, the next job will be to pour the floor on the screened porch. Because we didn't really follow the original plans and instead chose to use the space below as storage, a new plan was drawn up to support the timbers on the porch. Rob will return on Monday or Tuesday to pour the floor, and hopefully this will not turn into another "curve" in our road!





As a side note I'd like to wish my Dad a Happy 94th birthday. Can't wait to get you down to the new place Dad!

Pinch me!

A few years ago there was a commercial on TV with this man lying on a beach next to a beautiful woman. With a drink in one hand and the sun beating down on him, he said, "Pinch me!" because he thought the scene was a dream. Unfortunately for him, when she pinched him he zoomed out of the fantasy world and into reality - a small office cubicle with his desk stacked in work. It was a dream. This week framing started on the basement of the house, and as I stood on the top of the foundation wall I realized it's not a dream!

Monday afternoon Becker Millworks from Freeburg, MO delivered the lumber, and the rough in carpenters (Corey and Dan) began the tedious job of lining out the walls and posts. Listening to them calling out measurements down to 1/16th of an inch, and leveling every board and beam, made me realize the importance of paying attention in math class. These guys made sure that every square inch of this house was straight and level. They are good at what they do, and for that we are both grateful. Large support beams were also delivered, and Mark planned on helping the men lift the beams in place. Unfortunately the beam weighed approximately 1,000 lbs., so machinery will be required for this job.

Although we left Thursday afternoon with work in progress, we look forward to returning Monday to see the progress they've made and to actually stand in my new living room. Pinch me!

Waiting for the frame

Here we go again! Clydesdale Timberframes has posted new pictures of our project on their website! Everytime they add pictures, we gather around the computer to see the progress. Looking at these beautiful white oak timbers it's easy to understand why we've chosen to build a timberframe . . .

After the timbers arrive from the mill in Ohio, they are cut and fitted by the framers in Hutchinson, Ks. Not only are they putting our frame together, but they are creating the rails and stairs as well. If you look closely you can see the walnut spindles on the oak frame. (Just click on the photo for a close up view.) Referred to as a bent, this piece will be the opening to our loft on the west side of the house.

The stairs are made from solid white oak, and are shown here without with the rails and spindles. During the planning process we thought we would have the framers create the outside deck, stairs, and spindles as well, but once we realized we were retired teachers and not movie stars or professional athletes, we came to our senses and decided to turn that part of the project over to our contractor. I'm sure we'll be pleased with the outcome.

The timber raising is scheduled for September 8-9. Once the frame has been lifted and set in place by a 50-ton crane, the walls will go on and the frame will be treated with an oil to give it a natural sheen. Can't wait!!!