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!!!

Leaving it to the Pros

As I write this next entry, I can't help but mention the people we have had the opportunity to meet along the way. Although the pouring of the foundation is exciting when you're starting any building project, the folks that make it happen are the real heros of the process. In more populated areas of the country you would probably expect the workers sent out by a company to be their hired employees. Yet in these smaller communities, the owners of the company are the ones excavating the land and pouring the walls. All of these people take pride in their business and make sure their part of the job is done right.



The footings were poured and the forms went up the week prior to the foundation pour. Because we are building with timbers, there is a lot of concrete in the footings and foundation. At least we know that the house is well supported!



On Monday, July 26th, we met with our contractor, Ron and our foundation guy, Rob. After looking at the forms, we began to question the space below the screened in porch. Although the plan called for the space to be backfilled with gravel, it looked like a perfect place to park mowers and store garden tools. After much thought and a phone call to the home designer, we changed the plan and added a new doorway in the foundation.




With the foundation complete, we're ready for drain tiles, plumbing, and soon a floor. The timber raising has been scheduled for September 8-9 and the SIPS, windows, and roof will follow. Hopefully we will be looking at a house (unfinished, but dry!) by middle to late September.

Foundations of Friendship

Sometimes I can't help but question if we're doing the right thing in building this place. I mean SERIOUSLY! We're young, retired from teaching, and have the resources to live comfortably without a lot of stress. So why would we want to take on the work, expense, and responsibility of building this place? After this weekend it all became a little clearer.

Excavation began in full on Wednesday, July 14th. Mark left our Grain Valley home at 5:30AM so he would be there when "Archie" and his backhoe arrived. Unfortunately Archie had some issues getting there (flat tire on the trailer, delays by the department of transportation, etc.), but managed to get his equipment to the job site that afternoon. Ground was broken and the fun began!!

I arrived with John and Andrea Allen and their daughters, Sydney and Natalie, on Thursday evening. It was our annual river trip with the Allen's and it wasn't going to be cancelled because of construction. Although we were busy with contractors and suppliers Friday morning, we managed to put floor plans and cell phones away to spend some quality time on the river.

Spending a day on the river can put everything into perspective, especially when you have friends sharing the time with you. There is so much to do, yet nothing you HAVE to do! It's then that you realize all the work, sweat, and expense put into this project has a purpose. You're not building a house, you're building a life you can share with family and friends.

So now it's on to the foundation. The cement trucks will arrive on Monday morning and our home will have legs to stand on!

Anybody wanna build a fence???

Okay, so you're probably asking yourself, "Why in the world would you want to keep these cuties out of your front yard?" Answer: Cattle are the dirtiest, smelliest, creatures on earth and make lousy pets!! So goes the saga of running fence across the pasture, through the woods, and up a driveway in blistering heat!

Truthfully I had NO idea how difficult running a barb wire fence could be, and it probably wouldn't be so tough if it weren't for the extreme heat and the rocky, cement-like soil you find on an Ozark farm. To date Mark has cut 16 cedar posts and dug 9 - 3 ft. holes for fence supports. He has also pounded over 75 metal posts into the rocky soil and sweat so much the river level has risen! I have been hit on the head with a post hole driver, pounded on my middle toe with a tamper, and broke 3 nails.

Fortunately, there is a light at end of the tunnel (or should I say fence row?). Soon our smelly, fly-ridden friends will be confined to their own area and we can enjoy life without cow pies. Today excavation begins for the foundation and soon we'll be raising timbers. Praying for cooler weather and the building process to be stress-free!!

The dream begins . . .

The purpose of this blog is to keep a record for us and share with family and friends the highs and lows of our journey as we build our dream home - a timber frame in Richland, Mo.

We've dreamed, planned, and discussed this idea for years. We purchased the property about 6 years ago (65 acres on the Gasconade River) and recently added 10 more acres for a total of 75. We knew the house we put on it would have to be special - the setting is amazing! We began our journey by visiting timber frame homes and researching other green aspects of home building. In February 2010 we visited Clydesdale frames in Hutchinson, KS and decided to contract with John Van Bruggen to design and create our home. We haven't looked back since . . .

There is a lot involved in building this type of home. Finding a timber framer and a designer you believe in is first, and then locating a builder who can finish a timber frame is next. Ron Moreland, a general contractor out of St. James was recommended to us by Thermacore, our SIP (Structural Insulated Panel) provider. We met with Ron in St. James, visited another timber frame he had finished, and later invited him to our building site to see where this home would be placed. We were both convinced that Ron was the man we wanted to work with on this project, so we contracted him to finish what Clydesdale had created.

As of today, July 1, 2010, we have drilled a well, brought in power, and are waiting to have the excavation done and the foundation poured. The timbers are scheduled to be raised in August.

More to come . . .