LIttle House in the Big Woods - Frame Up

It's a different world this side of COVID-19. Of course, we all know this in our own peculiar way. For me, this side of the Covid virus looks to be more costly in time and dollars. The lumber package to build the house had increase 2.75-fold from the original bid in February, 2020 (when we got the bid bid and were ready to start building) to May, 2021 when we got back on our feet and re-submitted the plans to build the house after a state-wide ban on construction and industry. It would have saved a bunch of money if we were allowed to build last year.

Nobody saw a global pandemic resulting in an American housing shortage and a building supply crunch in labor and materials. What a strange twist. With a shortage of construction workers, we were forced to delay the delivery of the lumber package, no sense in having it sit for a prolonged period on the job site with no one available to use the material to build my house.

Framing Crew of six arrive on November 2.

Phil, our general contractor, had a few possibilities for getting someone to start framing only the basement. Phil was stuck finding a crew to frame the whole house. We had enough 2x4's and 2x6's delivered for framing the basement - once we had contracted with someone. I waited. Phil made numerous calls. Finally, Ivan responded and sent a crew out on November 2nd to begin framing the house. It was an exciting day for me.

 

Crew readies for work.

 

Rising from my bunk to unlocked the gate at 5:15 AM, anticipating the framing crew's arrival. They showed up before 6 AM with six men, one of which spoke English. Phil went over the plans with the translator and Antonio, the foreman. Antonio needed to say very little to the rest of his crew as they knew what to do and got to work with their battery-powered circular saws and pneumatic nail guns.

 

 

Measure twice, cut once. Immediately off to a bad start. The architect charged good money to come to the site from Seattle and take measurements before he drew the plans. He then drew up the plans showing 8 foot tall basement walls. The crew looked at the blue prints showing 8' walls, measured them at 7' 4" - 8 inches too short. The problem is that standard doors will not fit in the basement as drawn. We had to use many additional linear feet of 2x6s stacked on the top of the foundation to build it up to the specified 8 foot height before framing could begin.

Cement foundation built up by 2x6s to add the needed 8" so standard doors will fit in the basement. View looking NNW from what will be the dining room. Root cellar, 12' by 13' on the left to be under the kitchen.

In the beginning... there was a void, an empty 1391 square foot basement slab; a void surround by three concrete walls.

On the First Day, the void was filled with 2x4's lining the walls. The underside of the new creation was formed, and I saw that it was good.

Basement west wall is up, looking through French door opening.

View WNW overlooking large third bedroom in basement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North view from dining room corner.

South view. Finished framing the basement. Large support beam is laid, waiting for floor trusses to be delivered to span the basement and support upper stories.