Framing Nears Completion

Before: August 1

Here are before and after shots from roughly the same place.  On August 1, we had an empty field.  Two months later a very tight shell exists with the deck completed on the south side.

Inside, all of the interior partitions are in place and the basement is insulated, sealed and ready for concrete.  Two sets of stairs have been built offsite and delivered, and are patiently waiting for their permanent home.

After: September 26

Looking ahead,  Kevin and his crew will build the porch on the front and the roof that will cover it.  Once the basement floor is poured, walls will be framed around the perimeter to accommodate more insulation.  Then they will move on to another, less deserving job site while a slew of sub-contractors descend upon the place.  They will return later to do the finish work, install the cabinets and vanities, hang all the interior doors, and do all the little things that I never seem to get to on my projects.

I'm not really certain about the order of the subs, but I know that plumbing, electrical, air handling, central vac, wiring for audio and video, insulation and sheetrock will all be installed in the coming weeks.

All ready for my date with the concrete truck.

I've talked a lot about the insulation in the basement, to the point where some readers might assume I'm absolutely obsessed (everyone's entitled to their own opinion!!).  To me this represents what a high efficiency home is all about.  The attention to detail is absolutely mind-boggling.  As you may recall, when the foundation was first completed, two concrete pads where poured in the middle of the basement to support the posts for the carrying beam and the concrete floor.  Four inches of rigid foam insulation was then added inside the footings and around the pads.  Foil covered rigid foam was glued to the basement walls, then ten mil plastic was laid out over the floor and taped to the insulation on the walls.  Finally, four inches of foam was added on top of the exposed footings to eliminate any thermal bridging between the basement floor and the footings.

Once the floor is poured, walls will be added around the perimeter, filled with dense packed cellulose and covered with sheetrock.  All this for an unfinished basement!!

Basement detail

Here's one more drawing of the insulation details below grade.  This will eventually be our little exercise room along with a place for my soon to be acquired pool table.

Until next time ...