Entering the Third Dimension
With the floor framing and plywood subfloor completed previously, our addition was ready for the latest inspection! After that, there was nowhere to go but up. We now have walls!
As the addition has gone up, I have continued to be amazed at the robust new framing that is set on top of that impressive concrete foundation. It’s clear where we should all be in case of an earthquake (or a tornado, etc.). They don’t build them like they used to, you say? In the case of our house: THANK GOODNESS, I say! This makes me so glad that we are replacing the shingles and putting up plywood sheathing before the new shingles are applied. The solid plywood replaces a series of horizontal battens that acted as nailing strips for the shingles. The rigidity and insulative properties of the old walls will be greatly improved with this additional layer—without changing the thickness of the walls.
The other thing that’s happening is the reconstruction and reshaping of the rear roofline. The roof was gabled in the front, with another rear-facing gable toward the garage over the rear bedroom, and a hipped profile over most of the rear roof. There was some grumbling in the house that this smooshed-hipped roof was not very attractive. Well, it’s gone now! Most of the volume will have a rear-facing gable over it that’s a continuation of the front roof. Then the addition will have a small “telescoping” gable projecting from that, which will echo the arrangement of the main roof and front porch on the front of the house. Here they are framing out that rear gable. As it’s built out, it will continue up to where you see the plywood sheathing in the photo below. The gable roof at left will be removed and subsumed into the new, larger gable that will span the whole back of the house.
All of this took place three weeks ago. We were out of town for a week and came back dazzled by all this progress. And for the past two and a half (which will soon turn into three with no resolution) weeks? A slow motion discussion between contractor, engineer and architect about spacing, dimensions, texture, etc., of roof framing lumber. And there you have it—the cold water in the face that your project is no different than anyone else’s and will indeed take significantly longer it was supposed to take.
But I swear, I am going to bite the next person who cheerfully says to me, “Twice as long and twice as expensive!” So I’d better get ready for lots of biting, considering how many people I hear that from.