House Day 21 - The Roof Trusses Arrived

At about 2 PM - the trusses made it to the site. This load holds the 52 foot long main trusses that make up the large span over the living room. These trusses are shown in red on the drawing below.

Each truss is made up of 3 pieces. The trusses will be supported at 4 spots - the front and back columns - and the front and back walls. There is a large open great room in the house with a 10 foot high ceiling and 40 foot wide open spans. Trusses will support that ceiling on 16 inch centers. Tomorrow the crew plans to install every one of them.

Two trucks arrived with our roof trusses today. The trusses were made at Big Bend Trusses in Havana about 10 miles up the road.

When the roof is complete is will be 64 feet by 64 feet. The footprint of the house including the two large porches is 60 x 60. In a perfect world the trusses would have been one big piece - but that piece would have been 15 feet tall and 64 feet long. They could not deliver such a large load without special permits. So we chose to make each truss in 3 pieces.

These trusses go over the front porch. They are shown in green on the drawing above.

These trusses are called the top hats. They are in yellow on the drawing.

The porch beams may look familiar. That is because they were the forms we used to pour the foundation. I pressure washed them and we recycled them.

These headers over the pocket doors are also concrete form lumber.

Gary Wayne and Josh Wells worked hard getting the support beams ready for the trusses.

We bought the Trusses at Big Ben Trusses in Havana Florida.

This truck brought the smaller trusses. 

Joe Shiver was cutting and passing boards up to the framers to prep for the trusses.

Job well done - all the trusses delivered and not one damaged. 

Tomorrow - Wednesday - gives new meaning to the term Hump Day. We will be installing the large roof hump on our house. 

Today my Builder - Gary Shiver - and I reviewed the financial ledger to date. We are below the budget in both costs and time. Gary said the house will be roughly 20% done on Friday. Our costs are under budget also. Gary did not ask for a payment today - because we still have a positive $4000 on the ledger - but I made a payment anyway. In the end I may make a general breakdown of the costs - but at this time it was requested I not share cost figures. I can just say we are very pleased with the progress and the quality of the work. After measuring all of the vital dimensions - I cannot find a one not perfect. It is a good feeling. 

Day 22 - tomorrow - is going to be a very busy day. I will be exhausted from holding my camera. :-)

House Day 20 - Shoring Up For The Roof Trusses

Today and tomorrow will be spent getting ready for the arrival and placement of the roof trusses. The roof trusses will be supported at 4 points - the front and back house walls - and the front and back porch  beam. 

Today the crew was shoring up the walls to hold the trusses. the braces will hold everything square until the plywood walls are installed. 

All the trusses will be installed on Wednesday. We will then get our first glimpse of the final shape of the house.

The first 7 days were spent tearing down the brick house - cutting down trees - and grading the lot. the last 13 days were spent building the foundation and framing out the walls. We are delighted with the progress for 20 days of work. 

The braces will keep everything square until the exterior walls are sheeted.

Setting the beams for the front porch.

The building code requires ringed nails. When driven the red plastic melts to make a super bond.

Positive placement nails are used on all the steel reinforcements - another code requirement.

PPN nails are expensive - but they do a super job. 

All the metal straps are fastened with PPN nails. The is a Florida hurricane code requirement.

This is an end view of the 60 x 10  x 10 front porch. I tease Lulu that we could park our camper on the porch.

The support braces will be replaced by fiberglass square columns.

The trusses arrive tomorrow. The crane will put them in place - Wednesday. The trusses are 64 feet long and 15 feet tall. They are too big to fit on the truck in one piece. The way it is explained to me - they will be delivered in 3 pieces. The RED pieces will be mounted on 3 points. The GREEN pieces will be mounted on 2 points. The YELLOW pieces called hats will be mounted on 2 points. They will all be tied together with steel straps and PPN Nails.

House Project Tour on Sunday Afternoon

After 19 days into the project - here is a progress report.

The first 7 days were spent tearing down the old brick house - removing trees - and grading the property.

The next big event is installing the roof trusses on Wednesday.

The first floor is 10 feet high. The roof trusses will ad another 15 feet to the height at the ridge of the roof. Total height 25 feet.

Including the porches - the dimensions will be 60 feet by 60 feet by 25 feet.

Day 19 - Framing Done

Gary and crew put in a full day and completed all the interior and exterior wall framing.

The roof trusses arrive Tuesday. The crane will be here Wednesday to put the trusses in place. Then it will look like a house.

Day 18 - It Was Really Hot - Sun All Day - Worked a Full 8 Hours on the Interior Walls

Gary Wayne and Josh Wells check each 10 foot stud to see if they are straight. If a bow even a little - they are marked so that all stud bend the same way. The outside walls are made with 2x6 studs and the inside walls are made of 2x4 studs.

Today - the crew of Gary - Gary - Joe - and Josh were building the interior walls. Rooms started to take shape and Lulu and I were very happy. The rooms are all going to be spacious. Each bedroom has 4 windows - and the 10 feet ceiling ads to the openness. 

I could not believe how hot it was - and all I did was watch and clean up. I had my jungle hat on but went through two three shirts - it was so humid. Gary and crew were here by 7 AM - and left at 3:30. No one left the site. 

Brothers Joe and Gary can complete each other's sentences. I never had a brother but if I did I would like it just like these guys.

Josh Wells is high upon a ladder laying out and 8 foot interior door in a 10 foot wall. 

In this picture Gary is sawing right in the middle of the living room Behind him is the front door.

Here is Lulu's kitchen. You can see the 4 x 8 island. 

From the northwest corner of the lot - here is the completed perimeter. 8 windows across the back and 1 door.

This is the front southeast corner guest room. It has two windows facing Seminole Drive and east. It has two windows facing south. What a great spot for a desk.

Day 17 - 90% of the Outside Walls Are Up

Click Photos to Enlarge

This Panorama picture show the north wall - east - wall - and south wall. The house is just a big rectangle. Directly across form you is the front door. On each side of the front door are 4 large windows. To the left is the north wall with 4 windows. To the right is the south wall with 4 windows. The walls are 10 feet high. 

This is a view of the front porch. It will be 10 feet x 60 feet. The house roof will extend out over the front and back porches. On each porch - front and back - there will be one door and 8 windows. 

It was a very hot day - but Gary Shiver - Gary Wayne Shiver - Joe Shiver - and Josh Wells. Just kpet framing those wall. The walls are heavy - made of 2 x 6 boards - lots of nails - lots of bolts - lots of hurricane straps.

Day 16 - Up Goes The First Wall

Come on to the Raising - up goes the first wall. 

This morning - the lumber to frame our house arrived. It was mostly spruce 2x6 and 2x4 boards. There was enough treated yellow pine to make the perimeter plate which is bolted directly to the foundation.

The concrete footer boards were recycled to make the massive headers above each window.

They laid out the floor plan using red marker lines. You can get get the feel of how big the rooms will be. Gary says all the wall frames will be up by next Wednesday. Then the roof trusses will arrive then. We are hoping to have the house closed in after 3 weeks.

The ground was still muddy from the massive rain storms we have been having. This little loader had "3 wheel drive" and easily delivered the 3 massive packages.

The south wall is bolted in place. It will have four 3 x6 windows - two in each guest bedroom. The is made completely of 2x6 lumber. The ceiling will be 10 feet high. The 6 foot windows will have 2 feet above and below them. They will be covered with plantation shutters. The house will have 28 windows in all - all of them 3 feet by 6 feet.

Brother Joe and Josh were building the walls along with Gary and Gary Jr.