Now We're Cookin'

Just a quick post to document this past week.  Even though it was a short week, our two man framing crew accomplished a good amount of progress.  The I-Joists and the subfloor were installed on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Thursday was wall layout day and Friday we got a few walls and wall sections stood up.  It feels like the build is really happening now.

First day of the week, Tuesday, Nate & Chet start by hanging the LVLs that will frame the crawlspace access.  It will be a 32"x54" floor hatch access in the pantry.

We finished the day with all the I-Joist hung and most of the blocking installed.  It started to rain around 3:30 PM and we stopped for the day.  Steve got in on setting the last half dozen or so I-Joists, so it really was we.

Wednesday brought a surprise.  While Nate & Chet finished the joist blocking and started laying the subfloor, Gari took Steve to the Endodontist in Idaho Falls for an emergency Apicoectomy.  Owie!

The next morning we woke up to a completed subfloor.  Our friend Frankie from next door came over to say hi.

Thursday just Nate came by and we worked with him to layout the walls.  He did this by temporarily fastening all the exterior wall bottom plates in place.  Then we transferred stud, wall and window location measurements to the bottom plate, and snapped chalk lines on the floor for the interior wall locations.  Friday Chet returned, and the shot below is the first two walls that were stood up.  The four of us couldn't raise the 12 ft wall, which is the common wall between the house and garage.  Steve saw a couple of farm hands across the street, so he walked over and asked if they could assist.  Kent and Lloyd were happy to oblige and Jim came over from the Hansen Ranch, with all that manpower we easily raised the 12 ft wall.  Below is the evidence.

At the end of Friday we have 3 and one half walls erected.  We anticipate completing and erecting most walls by the end of next week.  At that point we will be ready to set the roof trusses.  Hopefully the weather will cooperate for the most part next week.  Fingers crossed.