Framing 3 - Interior Second Floor Walls

WE HAVE STEPS!!!  Things are coming along, but I do have to express some concerns.  When we looked at a few models, we saw some things in master bathrooms that we really liked.  One of them was a small enclosure with a door for the toilet.  I thought it kept things more sleek and refined, so it is something I asked for.  To my dismay, I think it's going to make our bathroom look much smaller.  The dimensions aren't as big as a model we saw from Ryan homes and adding walls for the toilet might be a mistake.  I'm sure we'll be fine and love it and everything, but I can definitely see us getting rid of the walls in the bathroom and open everything up, maybe even into the walk-in closet in there.

DAY 35

The other small complaint is that we basically have no front foyer.  I think I'm going to be annoyed with that in the future...

Random walls upstairs (laundry room left, second walk in closet in master bedroom middle)

The area on the right is where the tub for the master bath will go.  It doesn't look very big...

Looking out on top of the sun room.

Miss Becky in our kick ass sun room.

Framing 2 - First Floor Done, Second Started

Pittsburgh weather is literally the dumbest thing in the universe.


Everything is running smoothly, but I was hoping we would be a few days ahead of where we are at now.  Either way, the house is very real and looking great.  We haven't noticed any problems with the framing, but there are some things in the blueprints that they still need to do, such as putting metal brackets on certain beams.

The only thing we are a little bummed about is the powder room behind our kitchen.  It could have been reduced in size about a foot each way to make more room for a small coat/shoe nook.  It's a minor complaint and something we can change in the future, but it's a small pet peeve.

DAY 25

They put up two more walls and made a few more.  It rained all day, so they couldn't get much done.

DAY 29

Garage

Garage man door

 Looking from the kitchen into the main room

Basement and hallway

Where the french doors into the geek room will go

Looking from the sun room into the kitchen

A view from the back

Day 31

Yesterday, despite the awful weather, they made some progress and then worked a ton today.  The outside of the second floor is done and everything on the first floor looks great.

Inside the garage.  Four large 1'3/4" x 18' boards with a metal post for support

Trusses in the sun room

Main room enclosed.  It could use some more light, but we have some sick decorating plans

Front porch covered.

Looking huuuuuge

Side of the house.  Garage man door and side master bath window

Framing Day 1

Oooooooooh boy.  This is really the day I've been waiting for.  They brought the lumber a few days ago and were going to start framing yesterday, but our temporary power wasn't hooked up and the framers didn't bring a generator, despite being told to bring one by Jace.  We are still waiting on the electric company to hook us up, but the framers should have been ready to go.  They even asked us if they could run an extension cord to a neighbors house... yeah, right.

Everything looks great right now and they should have the entire first floor and possibly more done tomorrow.  Things are starting to take shape and we are really happy.  The sun room is my favorite part and I think it will be the focal point of the house.


DAY 22

The brought the lumber across two days.

DAY 24

Much of the first floor is done

The sun room!

Completed wall ready to be put up.

Sliding door opening.

Front of the house where the porch will sit.

Back view of the house.

Windowsssssssss.

Back Fill

Simple stuff.  They did some of the back fill and rough-graded a bit.  They have some more work to do, as do we, in making sure the land is sloped properly and all of the excess dirt is spread out evenly. 

Jace said the lumber would be delivered Monday and they would start framing early in the week.  Even now, with the basement filled in, the house is starting to feel whole and real.  I'm sure once it is framed, it'll be even more insane and that much closer to being a reality.  Becky and I can't wait!

DAY 18

Building up towards the front porch

Under the porch.  I'm assuming they have more to fill.

Under the garage

From the sun room towards the back wall.

Basement.

Way back in the back yard.

Coming out of the basement double doors.

Weather Proofing

Yesterday, two guys came and put up the black sealant and foam board (I could be using the wrong terms, but that's what I'm calling them, so deal with it.)

They also put up support brackets in preparation for the back fill.


Everything looks good and they should be bringing in the stone for back-filling and rough grading the land and then it's really game time.

DAY 15

Under the garage.

The back of the house and the way it'll be graded.  We don't plan on keeping such a sharp slope for the hill.

Under the porch.

Basement Block Work Completed

Hi everyone.

Thursday and yesterday, the crew finished up the basement block work.  Everything looks wonderful and crisp.  Hopefully the water-proofing can begin Monday and we can just keep trucking along.  I tried to get photos of little things that might help future home builders.

DAY 10

Looking from the front.  The block on the front side of the porch still needs to be completed.

Blocks jutting out in the garage that the floor will sit on.

Inside under the porch.

A view from the uphill side.

On the up hill side, there is still some settled water from a few days ago.  This may be an issue of concern in the future.

Back side wall.

Entrance to the outside double doors for the basement.

Two shots of how they fill the block, specifically in a corner.

Inside the basement.

 Looking from the garage to the sunroom.  Notice the lip the garage floor will sit on and the center bridge under the sunroom.

DAY 11

 Piping coming out of the front of the house.

One of two small windows in the basement.

French drains around the entire house.

Cement filled block.

Inside the basement.  Another pipe that goes to the outside of the house.

 

Looking into the underside of the porch.

The end of the last day of the block.  Great work.

 Slowly, but surely.