Once again, I have to apologize for my lack of updates. What’s it been… 3 months? It’s embarrassing how much time I’ve let slip by. I’ve received a number of emails inquiring if we’ve run out of money or if I’ve given up on blogging—Thankfully, I can say it’s neither. Work has become entirely consuming, my wife is now pregnant(!) and in my spare time, I find myself working at the house instead of working on the blog. What can I say, It’s been over a year now and at this point, I’d like this project to be complete. Thankfully, we’re getting close.

Admittedly, the project has taken much longer than anticipated and we have hit a few bumps along the road. As shocking as it sounds though, we’re actually on budget. The biggest challenge has been maintaining momentum with the trades. One delay, and everything slides. Once that happens, it becomes increasingly difficult to realign everyone’s schedule. That, and we had a number of trades just… disappear. Unfinished work and only partially paid. Poof, not to be heard from again. I don’t know if this is common or not, but I’m shocked how difficult it’s been to get these people to finish what they’ve started.

Thankfully, the interior is close to completion and I must admit, everything has come together quite nicely. It’s entirely satisfying to see the images in your mind finally come to life. I particularly like how everything looks at night (although this is a horrible photo). And I was surprised how difficult it was to find light fixtures that we actually liked (and could afford). Regardless, with everything but smallest of finishing touches left to do, the end is in sight. The exterior on the other hand… Well, we still have a ways to go there.

We admittedly dragged our feet making some decisions on the cladding materials and colours. For some reason it wasn’t really a priority and when we did focus, we couldn’t make up our minds. After months of indecision, we decided on a wood siding with a semi-transparent finish, however just before placing the order, I discovered that the finish didn’t come with a warranty… and we’d need to reapply the stain every few years. Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen. So we went back to the drawing board and lost another few months disappeared while we sourced new materials, selected new colours, and negotiated material & installation costs.

Once we decided to start over, we had to reevaluate everything. We looked at various product samples and various colours options. However we needed to be mindful of the brick that had already been installed, ‘cause that wasn’t about to change. In the end, we decided on a wood siding for the majority of the house, with a solid stain instead of the semi-transparent (which means it comes with a healthy warranty). We’ll be using HardiePanel for the soffits and fascias, and HardiePanel for entire south wall. Everything has been ordered and if the weather cooperates, installation will begin next week. Fingers crossed.

Once the cladding is finished, we’ll get started on the landscaping… although I doubt we’ll have enough time to do much before winter. Regardless, we intend to move in only a few weeks from now. They’ll be working on the exterior and everything won’t be 100% complete on the interior, but I think it’s been long enough, no?

If you haven’t seen them already, I upload a slew of photos on my Flickr page. Hopefully that’ll tide you over until I get around to writing the next post. Hopefully it won’t take me another 3 months.

Our ICF foundation has 2 5/8” of foam on the exterior, which created a minor aesthetic challenge for us. To ensure everything was flush once we added the cladding, we needed to strap the exterior walls out to compensate. The ideal solution would have been a continuous layer of rigid foam (for complete thermal break), however our contractor was concerned about the weight of the siding and insisted on a different approach. Instead, we’ve installed strapping at 16” on center, with rigid foam in between. We’ll then be adding a layer of plywood and wrapping everything in Tyvek. This should provide more than enough stability to affix the siding correctly.

Speaking of which, we really need to finalize our approach here. We’ve been leaning towards fir siding that’s stained with Sansin, but we’ve also been considering a pre-painted solution, such as Gemthane, Maibec, or Cape Cod. Aesthetically, we want to ensure the grain pattern/texture is still visible and we’re planning on a darker colour (probably dark brown). I’m favouring the stain because I love the style it’ll deliver, but I’m fearful of how well it will weather. Sansin promises a 25 year warranty if the stain in applied according to their directions, but still… I’m not 100% sold on it. Regardless, I think a wood siding will compliment the modern design by giving it a warmer, more traditional feel.

Beyond the wood siding, we’re planing on natural cedar soffits They’ll run along the bottom of the various overhangs, and I think they’ll really pop against the darker siding. Similarly, we’ve selected a “sandy” coloured brick for the front, which has a bit of brown and a bit of orange it. All in all, I think everything will tie together nicely.

At least that’s the plan.

I suppose I could have come up with a slightly less cliched headline, but whatever… our stairs were installed yesterday and I’m pretty excited.

We went with white oak for the treads, which will eventually be stained a dark brown (at least that’s the game plan at the moment). My wife and I had contemplated walnut as we both love the woodgrain and colour, but the cost difference was far too great to really justify it. Walnut is also a softer hardwood (how’s that for an oxymoron?), which we weren’t particularly fond of either.

The railing was originally going to be metal and glass, but we feared the result would be too “cold” and unfriendly… so we went with wood and glass instead. The plan was to have zero spindles, but we couldn’t get a single piece of glass long enough. So we’ll have at least one spindle that’ll be used solely to hide the seam between glass panels. The glass itself will be inset into a grove that runs along the top of the stringer and the bottom of the railing… which should allow us to avoid any glass-mounting hardware. Nice and clean.

All in all, I’m quite happy with them so far – although it’s actually a little difficult to fully appreciate them as they’re currently protected with plastic and temporary wood treads. I suppose the only thing I wish we had done differently was open risers. That would have allowed for a nice clear line-of-sight through the middle of the house. The wife disagreed though, and I couldn’t exactly argue against the safety of our future children (which is really why we went and did all of this, right?) You can’t win them all I guess.

What’s the saying… happy wife, happy life? Wait, that’s a cliche too.

We’ve obviously shied away from a traditionally pitched roof, however one common misconception about the house is that the roof is flat. While it definitely appears that way from the ground, it actually slopes away from the structure at around 2 degrees. It doesn’t seem like much, but it’s enough to keep the water moving and prevent it from pooling.

The slope is actually quite pronounced when you’re looking at the lower roof from inside the house (mainly because it simply slopes from one side to another). However, the upper roof is a different story altogether. The roof has 2 peaks (on both sids of the clerestory) with each sloping away in 3 different directions. I’m not 100% sure how the framers figure out the various angles (and it’s actually hurting my brain just thinking about it), but I went up on the roof this afternoon and was amazed how well it was assembled. We’ve had quite a lot of rain over the last few days, but other than a little frost (and the snow that was falling from the sky) it was essentially bone dry up there. Of course the plywood sheathing isn’t exactly watertight and I assume a lot of water simply washed through the cracks, but there definitely wasn’t any pooling up there. I’d say that’s a good sign, no?

We had originally considered a product called PosiSlope, which is described as a “factory pre-designed tapered roof insulation and drainage system”. It’s essentially a large foam puzzle that gets assembled on the roof, with pieces custom made based on your drawings. Compared to strapping out the roof and sloping by hand, it’s assembled and installed in a fraction of the time, plus it has an inherent R-value… which is an obvious plus. Of course, it’s also happened to exceed our budget by just a few dollars. Sigh.

The next step is waterproofing the roof, although I don’t know the exact approach we’re going to take yet. I assume it’ll be a torch-down solution of some kind, but I could be wrong. We’re also planning on covering the entire clerestory (top and sides) with Ice & Water Shield to ensure it’s completely watertight. Well, as watertight as it can be… I suppose nothing is 100%. Regardless, I’m becoming somewhat paranoid about the clerestory leaking and I want to do everything I can to ensure it stays nice and dry.

We’re expecting to finish the framing this week, so I figured this might be an appropriate time to reflect on what we encountered along the way. Aside from a few tweaks, I’d say the framing has turned out quite well. However, that’s not to say we haven’t encountered a few unexpected complexities… most of which stemmed from the specifics outlined in the structural drawings.

I’m obviously in no position to question what our structural engineer has outlined, but each of the trades has expressed the opinion that our home is over-engineered. I don’t know if it really matters at this point (and I certainly can’t argue with the craftsmanship), but there’s obviously a fine line between quality-construction and over-construction.

For instance, our floors are built with TJI joists, which are engineered I-beams made of wood. We have a lot of them and each is supported by a joist hanger. I don’t believe this actually all that uncommon (and I would have requested them regardless), but I’m told our approach was far more involved (so as to eliminate bulkheads). This meant that each joist had to be cut, glued, nailed into a hanger… ultimately resulting in more work for the framers.

Similarly, we apparently “have enough LVLs to build three homes” (as one of the trades told me). LVLs are dense beams engineered from laminated veneer lumber, and we’ve got them all over the house. We also had to reinforce the structure with shear walls, which meant we needed to sheath the exterior walls with thicker plywood, and affix the walls to the floor with a series of substantial bolts.

Beyond the TJIs, LVLs and shear walls, we also have plenty of steel beams and columns… All of which have added up to a pretty substantial structure. Too much structure? It seemed that way, so I inquired why the house was designed as it is. I got a pretty detailed explanation, but there were 3 primary reasons:

1. Windows. In retrospect it seems painfully obvious, but the size and number of windows demanded that we increase the structure to compensate for the reduction of studs. Apparently glass isn’t as strong as wood. Who knew.
2. Aesthetics. We wanted large open spaces and crisp clean lines. To accomplish this, we obviously had to reduce the number of load-bearing walls and bulkheads throughout the house. Similarly, we decided we wanted to cantilever the 2 overhangs instead of supporting them with beams.

1. The clerestory. The large two-story opening displaced everything in the middle of the house, which meant we needed to compensate by beefing up the structure around it.

   I can’t say I expected to build the house this way when we began, but I understand how we got here. I mean, I obviously wanted to build the best home we can, but I also don’t want to overspend on it.

   So have we gone overboard with the structure? I certainly hope not.

   You can take a closer look at the structure in the photo gallery

   ]]> http://360winnett.com/2008/11/10/structured-analysis/feed/ 15 http://360winnett.com/2008/08/04/construction-drawings/ http://360winnett.com/2008/08/04/construction-drawings/#comments Mon, 04 Aug 2008 18:58:01 +0000 jeremybell http://www.360winnett.com/?p=215 Continue reading →]]>

   Our construction drawings were submitted to the city a few weeks ago, so we’re in a bit of a holding pattern while we wait for our building permits. This process usually takes around 10 business days, so we’re expecting we’ll receive them this week.

   These latest set of drawings are quite comprehensive and illustrate in great detail how we’re planning on building the home. In particular, the cross sections really put things into perspective and give you a decent idea of how the house will look when things are completed (such as the 23’-9” ceiling height when you enter the house.)

   For the most part everything is the same as it was, however we have made a number of refinements since I posted the previous drawings. For instance:

   • The length of the clearstory has been reduced significantly to stop it from encroaching into the living room. It now sits flush with the front bedroom, while the en-suite continues to extend about 4’ past it.
   • We’ve reintroduced a step down into the living room. This means the ceiling height in the room below will be about a foot shorter, but Altius was insistent that we eliminate the bulkhead that would have resulted from the en-suite bathroom above. I think that’s a fair tradeoff, no?
   • Each bedroom now has an updated window arrangement. The master has a larger set to better fill the space, while the others now have windows on adjacent walls for improved cross-ventilation.
   • Because of grading restrictions we needed to decrease the pitch of our driveway, which unfortunately has caused a few adverse side effects:
     • The garage now sits slightly lower, which means it will have a generous 10’ 4” ceiling while the rooms below now stand at a paltry 6’ 11”. I can’t say I’m particularly happy about the lower ceilings, but our options are limited at this point. We’re planning on using INSUL-DECK for the slab floor in the garage (which isn’t illustrated in the latest drawings at the moment). Hopefully that’ll allow us to reclaim a few inches.
     • We also needed to add an additional step into the house at the front door and in the garage door. Again, not exactly ideal but not the end of the world.
   • It looks like we’re going to need a small retaining wall along the north side of our driveway. I assumed it would just be a small block wall, but Altius has illustrated it as a wall + planter instead. Much better, if I do say so myself.

     At the moment, the drawings illustrate the use of ICFs for the foundation only, with stick framing and spray foam for the floors above. We really wanted to use ICFs to the roof, but it appears as if it’ll fall outside our budget. Sigh.

     As usual, the updated drawings can be found in the documents section for your viewing pleasure.

     ]]> http://360winnett.com/2008/08/04/construction-drawings/feed/ 10 http://360winnett.com/2008/07/15/icf-to-the-roof/ http://360winnett.com/2008/07/15/icf-to-the-roof/#comments Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:24:07 +0000 jeremybell http://www.360winnett.com/?p=139 Continue reading →]]>

     I’ve already discussed the benefits of using ICFs for our foundation, but we’re now considering using them to construct the entire building envelope. We had originally expected it to be cost probative, but after getting a few quotes it appears to be comparable to traditional stick framing with spray foam insulation, which makes it far more palatable than we anticipated.

     As with the foundation, the main benefits are the same: Fire Resistance, Sound Resistance, Durability, Energy Efficiency, etc.

     I’m not anticipating we’ll see the benefits of their fire resistance, but it’s comforting to know it won’t exactly burn down in a matter of minutes. I’m also not expecting the home will see many wind storms or earthquakes, but I know it’ll hold its own in the face of mother nature.

     Sound dampening is another great byproduct, which really shouldn’t come as a surprise once you think about it. The foam and concrete acts as a sound barrier, which dampens sound vibrations and renders the interior eerily quiet. I can’t say this is something I’d necessarily seek out, but it’s also something I won’t complain about it.

     I suppose the most valuable benefit of using ICFs are the inherent energy efficiencies that they provide. The foam alone accounts for an R-22, but if you take into account the thermal mass of the concrete, you end up somewhere around R-40+ (or so they say). Similarly, the continuous application of foam and concrete ensures there will be minimal air leakage, which furthers the structure’s energy efficiency.

     From a construction standpoint, we’ll also see a number of additional benefits such labour savings and speed of deployment. But of course, we’ll also see a few drawbacks.

     Our design calls for 2 cantilevered overhangs, however the concrete adds a considerable amount of additional weight which hasn’t been taken into account. As a result, we’ll have to reevaluate our structural needs and will probably substitute steel for of the engineered wood beams we’ve accounted for.

     Another issue we’re facing is a slight reduction in usable space. If you look at the 1st floor drawings, you’ll see we’re already pretty tight between the kitchen, stairs and garage. It may not seem like much, but the ICFs will consume an additional 4 inches on both sides of the house and we’re a little concerned about loosing those 8 valuable inches. Altius has some ideas, but I think we’ll ultimately need to be a little creative to make it work.

     We haven’t made any decisions yet, but we have a meeting this week with our contractor, architect and ICF installer to discuss the realities of this approach.

     ]]> http://360winnett.com/2008/07/15/icf-to-the-roof/feed/ 12 http://360winnett.com/2008/07/04/lines-of-communication/ http://360winnett.com/2008/07/04/lines-of-communication/#comments Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:02:27 +0000 jeremybell http://www.360winnett.com/?p=129 Continue reading →]]>
     When compared to the construction itself, I suppose this may seem somewhat trivial, but I believe communication and collaboration are critical factors that shouldn’t be overlooked. Especially in the design stages of the project.

     Working with a constrained timeline has required that we communicate openly make decisions as quickly as possible. To maintain forward momentum, we insisted that we have a weekly meeting with our architects, which happen every Thursday at 8am. We use these meetings to review the latest drawings, or discuss building materials, or review supplier quotes. It’s basically just a check-in for the week, but it ensures the team has everything they need to keep moving. The last thing I want to be is a bottleneck.

     However these meetings are only part of the solution. To better coordinate everyone, we’re also using 2 pieces of networked software that the entire team has access to:

     Basecamp
     I was quite familiar with Basecamp previously, but I hadn’t had the luxury of actually using it in any meaningful way prior to this project. By design, it’s incredibly basic and acts as a simple way to share and collaborate on documents. Its beauty comes in its simplicity—The entire team can view and send messages and comments, plus it acts as a centralized repository for all files. Floor plans, inspirational photos, construction drawings—they’re all there for the team to see and comment on. We also use it for tracking project “to-do’s”, which has been incredibly helpful for Jess and I.

     Google Docs
     Another invaluable tool has been Google Docs. We’ve been using the spreadsheets to track supplier quotes, and the calendar to coordinate our schedules. Because it’s networked, you’re able to share and edit the same documents in real-time, which eliminates a lot confusion as everyone is literally working off the same page. The interface will be immediately comfortable if you’re at all familiar with Excel. Plus, there are also a host of other features (such as version control) that make it even more useful.

     Even though they’re both available for free, I’d say they’ve also been invaluable.

     Photo via Flickr user kornze

     ]]> http://360winnett.com/2008/07/04/lines-of-communication/feed/ 1 http://360winnett.com/2008/06/23/under-the-garage/ http://360winnett.com/2008/06/23/under-the-garage/#comments Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:07:10 +0000 jeremybell http://www.360winnett.com/?p=110 Continue reading →]]>

     I don’t believe this is particularly common, but we’re planning on building two extra rooms in our basement by excavating the space under our garage. In a typical garage, the floor is simply a concrete slab that sits on top of soil, however we’re going to approach things a bit differently.

     Because our foundation will be built with ICFs, we’re planning on utilizing a “deck” system that will integrate a structural concrete slab directly into the foundation itself. This means we’ll be able to pour concrete for the foundation walls and the garage floor at the same time. When everything cures we’ll have a structurally sound garage floor capable of supporting the weight of a car, plus a completely insulated 10×20 space below it.

     The decking system is pretty straightforward to install—Once the ICF blocks have been assembled, the foam deck panels are placed across the span that makes up the garage floor. These panels are then supported from below with temporary shoring and reinforced with rebar.

     Obviously this approach is going to cost a little more, what with the additional concrete and rebar and foam panels and labour, but we’ll be gaining an additional 200 sqft of space that would have otherwise been inaccessible. If you take a look at our floor plans, you’ll see that we’ll have a very generous “study” and additional storage down there… which I’ll say is a decent use of that space, no?

     For those itchin’ for the nitty gritty of how a system like this is installed, I also dug up a PDF aptly named Pouring A Structural Slab that explains it all.

     ]]> http://360winnett.com/2008/06/23/under-the-garage/feed/ 3 http://360winnett.com/2008/06/22/day-by-day/ http://360winnett.com/2008/06/22/day-by-day/#comments Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:56:37 +0000 jeremybell http://www.360winnett.com/?p=108 Continue reading →]]>

     After spending the better part of 2 hours trying to craft this into a witty and/or clever post, I’ve come to realize there isn’t a particularly glitzy way to spin this, so I’m just going to cut right to the chase.

     I’ve added a calendar to the site!

     Ahhh, that’s better. I still plan on discussing each of the major milestones we’ll face throughout this project, but I thought I’d go the extra mile and plot them on a calendar as well. I won’t be documenting every tiny detail (such as our weekly architect meetings), but I figured a calendar might help put the project into perspective a little better.

     It’s a little sparse at the moment, but we’re using Google Apps to track the construction schedule and budget, so the calendar will reflect actual data and will be updated in real-time. To give a complete picture, I’ve also gone back and added each of the pervious milestones as well.

     I also spent a little time this weekend rebuilding the documents section of the site, and I’ve added the ability for you to comment on the various documents should you feel inclined.

     The calendar can be viewed here.

     There, I’m done. That took far longer than it should have.

     ]]> http://360winnett.com/2008/06/22/day-by-day/feed/ 0