Shane Lothrop, our Engineer of Record for the above-ground structure, was the catalyst for holding this integrated project planning meeting at the job site.  He flew in fron Southern California this morning.

Our Integrated Team Reviews the Project

Since Shane Lothrop, of Innovative Structural Engineering, was flying in from Southern California today, we brought our full team together on site so we could identify, raise, discuss and resolve any issues prior before the roof structure is in place.

Shane Lothrop, who is our Engineer of Record for the SIPs, needed to visually verify that the connections were constructed as designed.  Importantly, Shane wanted to confirm that each of the other design professionals involved in this project were satisfied with the design so he could approve the completion of the roof structure.

Shane Lothrop, with Innovative Structural Engineering, arrives at the job site with a full set of structural plans.

Prior to our integreted project planning meeting, Shane reviewed the progress to date and confirmed all the connections were being constructed as designed. He reviewed both the bottom and top of the Hardy Frames.

Shane Lothrop (left) and Dave Edwards (right) reviewed the SIPs on site together.

Shane Lothrop (left) and Ken Martin (right) confirmed the design for the displacement air ventilation relative to the building structure.

Left to right - Perry, Shane, Dave and Francisco all review the plans to ensure the structure is built as designed.

Left to right - Steve Duquette, Randy Potter, Jon Trevor and Darrel Kelly.

John Rider (left), Darrel Kelly (center) and Perry Haviland (right).

Darrel Kelly (left) is the Green Rater assigned by Davis Energy Group to our project. Darrel took the opportunity to interview each of the design professionals that were on site today. Here, Darrel discusses the progress with Shane Lothrop, Perry Haviland, Dave Edwards and John Rider.

Shane Lothrop walked around the roof to ensure the strapping connections were all in place as designed.

Shane Lothrop (holding the structural plans) and Perry Haviland (on the ladder) reviewing the lower flat roof.

Screws through the SIPs in the roof above the Hardy Frames in Kate's Bedroom.

Registration

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Assembling the SIP Roof

Our entire roof is made of 12-1/4 inch SIPs from Insulspan. Today, Bryan watched the team from Earth Bound Homes assemble the roof over the Garage.

We used a crane to place the panels for the west side of the house on the structural framing last week. This roof area was completed and the team moved the SIPs up and onto the Garage by hand. Today, they started assembling the SIP roof over the Garage.

As with framing, you can ’see’ significant progress when assembling a structure with SIPs. It was satisfying to (finally!) start seeing dramatic progress as the roof was assembled.

Hosting Vistors

We were pleased to host Wido Menhardt’s visit today. His flight to India was delayed by several days so he was able to come to the job site today.  Now, Wido claims to be on ‘India time’.

Also, Dave Cullinane dropped by to review our progress. Dave, who lives just around the corner from us, has attended several of our open house events (e.g., our ‘Open Hole (vs. Open House) event on January 31, 2009).

Celebratikng Nik’s 11th Birthday

11 years old. How did that happen?

We updated the ‘About‘ section of our blog for Nik’s age. Time is marching by!

Today, Jo-Anne didn’t have to remind Bryan to focus on the house and get it completed.

Dave Edwards (foreground) reviewing progress on the Garage roof.

SIPs staged for the Garage roof.

Cutting a SIP to reflect some design tweaks. The team from Earth Bound Homes made some minor changes (enhancements) easily and quickly with our SIPs.

Assembling the third row of SIPs on the East side of the Garage roof.

Wido Menhardt arrives at our job site! Note the casual attiire, complete with sandals.

After receiving the shop drawings for the hollow core concrete panels from John Minton, Bryan marked the locations where we can drill through the hollow core to anchor a wooden post that will support a ridge beam. One of the posts is in the Foyer, which is above the Wine Dining (with a dropped ceiling).

No sooner did Dave Cullinane arrive at our job site than he started receiving calls. (Dave's attire is somewhat more formal than Wido's attire.)

Dave walked the property and approved of our progress to date. He wanted to know when the 'Come SIP with Us' event will be held.

Singing Happy Birthday to Nikolas, who turned 11 today.

Nik likes his new clock (can you solve the equations that tell the time?).

‘

And we flew the Canadian flag at the job site to celebrate the win in overtime!

Note, this is the same flag that Bryan was waving at the Gold medal game for the Women’s Ice Hockey in Vancouver on Thursday, February 25, 2010.

We watched the Canadian men win the Gold medal for ice hockey today and celebrated by ...

Flying the Canadian flag at our job site! Note, this is the same flag that Bryan was waving at the Gold medal game for the Women

Leaving Bainbridge Island

Bob printed detailed instructions so Bryan could make his way to the ferry terminal on Bainbridge Island and then from the Seattle ferry terminal to Sea-Tac Airport (SEA). Although Bryan appreciated the directions, it was extremely easy to follow the traffic going to the ferry terminal for the 7:05 am departure to Seattle Terminal (where else would traffic be going at that time on a Saturday morning?).  You can see the current status of the Bainbridge Island Terminal through the Ferry Cam.

On the way to the ferry terminal, Bryan saw the new location of the house that was floated from the original site on Bainbridge Island.  The DIY Network is airing the house move (float) several times during the month of March 2010 - see their web site for dates and times).

After getting on the ferry, Bryan grabbed another coffee so he could enjoy the crossing to Seattle and the views of the Wise houses on Bainbridge Island and of Mt. Rainier (Bryan climbed to the top of Mt Rainier with Alan Arnette as part of the Rainier 9 on July 12, 2004).  It is always difficult for the passenger sitting beside Bryan whenever he is on a flight into or out of SEA as they have to listen to the full story of his climb.  OK, in full disclosure, Bryan did say that one of the passengers on the ferry had to listen to the story that morning.

The trip to SEA was uneventful and Bryan’s flight into SJC was early at the gate.

Bob, the ultimate host, makes Bryan a latte at 6:15 am.

The original house being floated to its new location on Bainbridge Island. Note Seattle in the background.

Bryan stopped and took this picture of the original house at its new location on Bainbridge Island. Way cool.

View from the ferry of the Wise houses on Bainbridge Island (with the lights on).

Early morning view of Mt Rainier (yes, Bryan stood on the very top of Mt. Rainier on July 12, 2004).

Arriving at the ferry terminal in Seattle. Next stop - SEA.

Seeing the Olympic Women’s Snowboarding

Although it was pleasant when Paul Marcaccio and Bryan left Vancouver, it was pouring rain at their arrival at Cypress Mountain.  After watching the final four snowboarders, they decided to leave the event. 

Weather 1, Spectators 0.

Touring Insulspan’s Manufacturing Facility

After returning from Cypress Mountain, Bryan left the Westin Bayshore and drove south in the rental car.  On the way, Dave Stevenson offered him a tour of Insulspan’s manufacturing facility in Delta, BC.  The facility is adjacent to Highway 91, so it was directly on the way to the Canada-U.S. border.

Dave took Bryan through the plant and showed him how they manufacture their SIPs (structural insulated panels).  All of the manufacturing waste is recycled, which is one of the reasons why SIPs are considered ‘green’ (vs the tremendous amount of construction waste that is generated through typical on-site construction activities.

Bryan even saw the exact location where our SIPs were stored after being manufactured in October.  Bill Edwards of Insulspan took photos of our SIPs on Thursday, November 5, 2009.  Our SIPs were loaded on three trucks at the manufacturing facility on Friday, November 27, 2009 and arrived at our job site on Wednesday, December 2, 2009.

We’re looking forward to hosting our second Collaborative Informational Session where Dave Stevenson can be at our project site and show others in the Bay Area how to build with SIPs.

Touring Two Homes on Bainbridge Island

Although Bryan went to Vancouver to see the 2010 Olympics on this trip, the primary focus was to see two homes on Bainbridge Island.  How these two homes were built is an interesting story.

First, the owners of the property, the Wise family, lived in the existing house while they built their guest house.  They moved into the guest house when it was completed so they could construct the main house.  This is where it gets interesting.

Rather that demolish (bad) or deconstruct (better), they chose to move the house to another location on Bainbridge Island (best).  That sounds reasonable, right?  Except they moved the house with a boat (amazing!).

The Do It Yourself Network filmed a full segment over the month that it took to move the house to its new location on Bainbridge Island.  The segment is currently being aired several times in March 2010.  You can see it under ‘Massive Moves - Floating House‘ on the Do It Yourself Network (episode DMSM-103).

Bob and Lisa Wise took Bryan on a full tour of both homes and then everyone enjoyed a fabulous dinner.

The tour of these two homes was inspiring!

View of Vancouver, including Lion's Gate Bridge and the downtown waterfront. The weather was looking ok.

Once at Cypress Mountain, we had to go through security screening. It was easy, fast and efficient.

Watching the semi-finals of the Ladies Snowboarding at the 2010 Olympics at Cypress Mountain.

On the way down, we saw the site of the aerials.

Arriving at the Insulspan manufacturing facility in Delta, Canada.

Dave Stevenson in his office, scheduling his presentation for the second Collaborative Informational Session at our project site.

Manufacting a SIP starts with huge sheets of OSB (Oriented Strand Board).

All waste in the plant is recycled and reused. A completed SIP is on the left and the white foam cuttings are being collected.

Warehousing of completed SIPs, manufactured to the specific requirements for each job.

The SIPs for our project were stored at this location (by the yellow posts) after they were manufactured in October. The green objects are styrofoam blanks, which get 'sandwiched' between the two sheets of OSB.

Bryan, Lisa and Bob, about to start the tour (cheers!). Photo by Alison Wise.

The finish detail was exceptional. You can see the vertical grain Douglas Fir cabinets and detailed reveals.

Central vacuum sweeping location in foyer. Several friends, including the Wise family, thoroughly endorse sweeping vents that are connected to the central vacuum system.

Another sweeping location under the island in the kitchen. Note the dual dishwashers.

Quick Trip to Vancouver

Using his miles on Alaska Airlines, Bryan caught an early morning flight (i.e., 6:30 am) from San Jose to Seattle and then rented a car and drove to Vancouver.  Bryan met Paul Marcaccio at the Westin Bayshore Hotel, where they were guests of Paul Henderson, who was a long-term member of the International Olympic Committee.

Part of this break includes visiting Bob Wise’s newly constructed home on Bainbridge Island.  Bryan’s primary mission is to review the finishes on Bainbridge Island and generate ideas for our finishes.  We need to finalize our finishes so this trip is, somewhat, justified.  Ok, the trip is, at best, only rationalized.

Just after passing by the Peace Arch, Bryan crossed the border in Canada. There was only one car in front of him - he zipped through.

The roads were empty as Bryan crossed the bridge into downtown Vancouver.

The Bayshore Westin Hotel was the 'Olympic Family Hotel' for the 2010 Olympics, and it was under heavy security.

The International Olympic Committee rented the Bayshore Westin Hotel for the duration of the 2010 Olympics.

The view of the harbour from the suite in the Westin Bayshore included the five Olympic rings.

After lunch at Carderos, Bryan saw the Olympic flame. The glass block in front of him, which is what we will have in one of the two bridges across the Atrium, is where we took a similar photo on July 1, 2010 when we were on our 50-75-80 Celebration cruise to Alaska.

The Olympic flame.

Paul and Bryan enjoyed a drink before the Women's final hockey game (for the Gold medal). An RCMP officer was kind and took their photo.

With less than 13 seconds to go, the Canadian Women have won the Gold medal!

Dogpile celebration!

The Canadian receive their Gold medals.

The Canadian, American and Finnish flags are presented by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and are raised in the stadium.

And, of course, there are fireworks as the Canadians have their photos taken.

After the hockey game, Bryan and Paul walked back to the hotel and enjoyed seeing the Olympic flame.

We had four tasks for the crane, and we completed them all.  Our crane operator today was Jose Melendez, and he continued to show why we like working with West Coast Cranes:  He was safe, knowledgable, expeditious and fun to work with.

Tasks for the Crane

We scheduled the morning to complete the following:

1. Unload and place the wooden beams that we ordered and received from Craftmark, Inc.
2. Remove the temporary steel beams that were used to support the existing East and West walls, and load them on a truck.
3. Unload and place our remaining FSC-certified lumber for our SIP roof.
4. Stage the first 13 SIP roof panels on the west side of the house.

We had a tight schedule and everyone worked together to make it happen.  The sun was shining, and we had fun.  Yes, we got it done!

Evaluating Our Beams

The four beams that arrived yesterday from Northern Idaho were going to be placed by the crane this morning.  Thus, the first task was to review and evaluate each beam, and decide on which face would be exposed (bottom and each side).  Then, we marked the beams with blue tape so we could orient them correctly when placing them with the crane.

Two of the beams will be adjacent to each other.  One of the beams is an 8×12 that is 38 ft long and the other is a true 4.00 inch x 14.00 inch beam that is 26 ft long.  The other two beams are going in the Garage and were required to be graded as ‘Select Structural’ since we don’t want these beams to twist or warp.

All the beams were pretty.

The 4.00 x 14.00 and the 8×12 beams are spectacular.

Placing Our Four Wooden Beams

Our crane arrived and the operator, Jose, set it up as close as possible to the garage, so he could have the longest reach possible. While he was getting set up, we had the truck driver back into Via Sereno so he was ready for the crane to pick up the beams.

Once the crane was ready, we removed the two beams for the Garage at the same time from the truck and placed those over the garage, being careful to be clear of the temporary steel beam. 

Jerry Ditto happened to be driving by on Winchester Boulevard and saw the crane, so he stopped to observe our progress.  Jerry has been involved with our project since inception and has been supportive and helpful throughout.  Since he was on site, we had Jerry take some photos.

After placing the two beams for the Garage, we then picked up the 8×12, oriented it correctly, and placed it between the feature concrete wall in the Dining Room and the feature concrete wall in the Garage. We will have to so some work with this beam so it is staged, ready for cutting and being placed easily over the Simpson Strong Tie GLBs.

The last beam, the 4.00 x 14.00 inch beam, was placed on top of the SIPs that we are storing in the Living Room.

The first task was completed and the truck left Via Sereno.

Removing the First Temporary Steel Beam

Since the SIPs will extend over the existing West wall, we have to remove the temporary steel beam that had been supporting the West wall. This steel beam was a double I beam, weighing 90 lbs per ft and it is 60 ft long. We had to rig this carefully so the crane could pick it up and move it very carefully to the street, where it would be resting until the truck arrived.

Given the weight and length of the beam, removing it took some time as we were extra safe and avoided the trees.

The truck arrived to take the temporary steel beams away and, while it was backing into Via Sereno and getting set up, we took the opportunity to position the first of our SIPs on the structural framing.

Unloading Our FSC-Certified Lumber from Channel Lumber

Our FSC-certified lumber arrived on a trailer so we switched gears and unloaded the lumber. Placing the lumber in the house was not easy since the longest beams and 2×12s were 26 ft long and they had to be lowered, then turned 90 degrees, then lowered into position. We took our time and had the lumber staged temporarily in the Master Suite.

Loading the Two Temporary Steel Beams on the Truck

As soon as the truck was in place on Via Sereno, we moved the first steel beam from the street to the truck. Then, we repositioned the truck while rigging the second temporary steel beam. The second steel beam came out through the front of the house and then we moved it 90 degrees and placed it on the truck.
That was the last we will see of the temporary steel beams. (Yay!)

Staging Our First SIPs on the Roof

With the first three tasks completed, we focused on staging our SIPs on the roof.  This was a milestone occasion as we had a roof back in place!

Staging the SIPs required us to ensure that the panels were placed in the correct sequence (e.g., RA1, RA2, RA3, etc.) and ensure the panels were oriented correctly.  Taking the time to stage the SIPs correctly will reduce subsequent handling and ensure the assembly progresses expeditiously.

Since we were staging SIPs on the roof, we were creating more space on the project site.  This allowed us to move some of the SIPs around to make our site more accessible.

Family Inspection

Just as Bryan was preparing to leave, Jo-Anne arrived.  She walked the property, inspecting the beams and approving of the progress today. 

Then, Nik and Kate arrived.  They were most excited to see the SIPs in place.  It was much easier for Kate to understand her bedroom, now that it had a roof (temporarily in place).

Everyone was pleased with our progress

Completing the Week

Bryan is going to take a couple days ‘off’ so he can see the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, Canada and visit a house on Bainbridge Island, within sight of Seattle, Washington.  The house on Bainbridge Island is just being completed now and should inspire us regarding finishing materials and completing our project!

Francisco and Bryan reviewed each beam and collaborated on which faces should be exposed. These decisions had to be made prior to using the crane to unload the beams and position them in the house.

All of the beams look great!

Our truck driver backs into Via Sereno with our four wooden beams.

The crane moves the Garage door header and the center drop beam in the Garage from the truck to the house.

Bryan rigs the 8x12 beam (photo by Jerry Ditto).

Our 40 ft 8x12 flys through the air to the back of the house, where it will span from the Garage to the feature concrete wall in the Dining Room.

Jerry Ditto happened to be driving by our site and saw the crane working, so he stopped to see our progress.

The four wooden beams are off the truck. The 4.00x14.00 beam is on the left, then the 8x12 is in the center, and the two 6x10 beams are over the Garage, on the right.

The first temporary steel beam is removed, and is being moved to the street.

The size of this 60 ft. steel beam is apparent when in context to the lot and vehicles street.

Our order of FSC-certified lumber arrives on a trailer from Channel Lumber.

The trailer with our FSC-certified lumber order.

The crane moves the FSC-certified beams from the trailer into the Master Suite.

Pete Janovich guides the first temporary steel beam as it is loaded onto the trailer.

The second steel beam is loaded onto the trailer.

The first structural insulated panels (SIPs) are staged on the roof.

The team from Earth Bound Homes put the Garage beams in place, only hours after the beams were delivered to the job site.

Carlos covers our SIPs with a tarp so they are protected from the forecasted rain storms.

We covered all of the SIPs on our site.

The Garage header, which supports the drop beam in the center of the garage looks good.

To prepare for the forecasted rains, we covered everything with tarps.

Jo-Anne inspects our progress, noting that the 8x12 beam is now protected from the forecasted rains.

Jo-Anne in the Master Suite, with our FSC-certified 2x12s that will be used to assemble the roof SIPs.

Kate and Nik, standing in Kate's Bathroom (where her tub will be).

Moving the SIPs

When our SIPs arrived on December 2, 2009, we placed the SIPs around our project site so we could proceed most expeditiously.  Now, with the framing almost complete, we needed to move the SIPs that were stored in the Master Suite.

Until today, the Master Suite was full of SIPs.  Moving the SIPs to the middle of the Living Room allowed us to see the Master Suite for the first time.  Also, the team from Earth Bound Homes put the 6×10 beams into the Foyer and Master Suite so the SIP wall at the front of the house was plumb.

Our Beams Arrive from Idaho

We are using reclaimed Douglas Fir beams throughout the house in most locations where beams are exposed, and we have six engineered beams.  There are four exposed beams that we sourced from ‘dead standing’ trees.  All other beams and wood in the house is FSC-certified.  

The four key exposed beams are:

1. 40 ft long 8×12, which will extend from the Garage through the Cabinet Wall, to the Dining Room and cantilever out 5 ft over the back of the house
2. 26 ft long 4×14, which will be non-structural and cover the Paralam beam supporting the mid-level SIP over the sliding glass door at the back of the Living Room
3. 18 ft long 6×10 header over the Garage door, which is Select Structural
4. 25 ft long 6×10 drop beam that is over the header in the Garage, which is also Select Structural

The four beams noted above were bought through Craftmark, Inc., which is located in McMinnville, OR.  Craftmark sourced the beams from Specialty Beams, located in Noxon, ID.  

 We’re ready for the crane tomorrow.

The Living Room has space available, so we can move the SIPs from the Master Suite (under the silver tarps) through to the Living Room.

Dave Edwards' team from Earth Bound Homes worked with Bryan and moved the SIPs across the bridges into the Living Room, so we could work on the Master Suite. The SIPs are under the silver tarps.

With the SIPs moved, we can 'see' the Master Suite for the first time. It looks great!

The first of two exposed 6x10 beams in place, which separates the Master Study from the Master Bedroom in the Master Suite.

Our four beams arrived on a truck, direct from Noxon, Montana. The longest beam is 40 ft long. Way cool.

We opened the packaging to see the end of the beam. It looked good as it was FOHC (Free of Heart Center). This beam was cut from a 'standing dead' Douglas Fir tree in Northern Idaho and milled by Specialty Beams in Noxon, Idaho.

The Master Suite was covered with tarps for the evening. We are sistering two 6x10 beams together in the Master Suite, as shown in this photo. There are two windows, in identical locations as in the original house.

We sought reclaimed Douglas Fir timbers so the beams would be extremely durable when exposed to the elements.  The 6×10 header and center beam in the Garage are very important structurally, as we don’t want these to bend or twist, so we chose Select Structural as a grade (not #1).  

The garage headers used in Eichlers had a nasty habit of twisting, which caused ponding of water on the flat roof, which increased the weight, which increased the ponding, etc.  Death spiral.  Our garage header was twisted and we had a pump on the roof that needed constant attention during the rainy season.  We will not make this mistake with our remodel.

Increasing the Insulation in the Exterior Walls With 2×6 Studs

Today, the full six-person team from Earth Bound Homes increased the wall size of the existing East and West walls from 2×4 to 2×6 construction by sistering new 2×6 studs to each 2×4 stud.  The increased width (from x4 to x6, or two inches) will allow us to place more closed cell insulation in those wall cavities.  In addition, the 2×6 walls will support the upgraded 6×10 beams, which are cantilevered at the North and South ends of the exterior walls.

The existing 4x beams remaining in the center parts of those walls will have two inches of rigid foam insulation where the void is, reducing the thermal bridging. 

Cutting 6×10 Beams

Working with 6x beams requires a large saw.  Earth Bound Homes brought a Makita 5402NA 16-5/16″ circular saw to the job site today.  This bad boy saws through 6×10s easily.  It commands respect. 

Building Another Shear Wall

The shear wall by the glass bridge (Bridge Hall) that has three art niches was covered with FSC-certified plywood today.  The plywood adds an immense amount of rigidity to the framing, which will help to support the load when we stage the SIPs on Wednesday with the crane.

Explaining Canada

Our good friend, Wido Menhardt, sent us the following link to a video (just over six minutes long) on YouTube explaining Canada to Americans.  Our son, Nik, watched this during the opening ceremonies to the Winter Olympics, currently under way in Vancouver, Canada.

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYoTJItSPt0

Cutting the reclaimed 6x10 beam to size with a huge circular saw (Makita 5402NA).

View showing the reclaimed 6x10 beam at the front of the house and the original 4x beam next to it.

The new shear wall with the art niches in it.