The Rebuild

Once the final demolition debris was peeled back and hurled into a waiting dumpster below the rebuilding began.  New 2 x 6 walls along the sides replaced the old 2 x 4 knee walls and scissor truces were installed in order to increase the ceiling heights.  Glulam beams were installed in the floor to help carry the new load down to first floor walls.  The south end wall remains a 2 x 4 wall but the north end got a 6 inch wall added in later.

Here's a shot of the new construction hidden under a myriad of blue tarps.  Our contractors were neurotic about keeping things covered and for that we are grateful because we did end up getting some rain when the roof was completely off.

OSB (Oriented Strand Board) going on above. Note the old brown color roof.  In the next picture the OSB is wrapped with Tyvek and the new roof is on so we should be good for a long while to come.  In fact the old roof had a few patches that I suspect were caused by falling limbs from the big pines we removed a few years ago.

A shot from the back.  Because of a snafu with our window order our contractor decided to order replacement windows rather than new construction windows.  In this way he could frame everything and even start putting on shakes while waiting on the windows.  In the end it worked out brilliantly. 

Another tip I would pass along to anyone doing this is be aware of the details.  Again, our contractor was right there with us when we insisted on having similar details on the addition that were already featured on the house.  For example,the white brackets at the gable ends of the roof really help make the exterior.  Below, you can see modern versions installed.

Shakes going up on the addition while I remove the front exterior shakes.  The plan is to re-frame the front window and replace that ugly slider window with two double hung windows. 

New framing for front windows.  Not only will they make that space bigger while still providing light but it will also make it quieter and more snug in all seasons.  Cooler in summer and warmer in winter.  

 The upper exterior now has shakes on and is awaiting paint. 

Meanwhile, inside framing work continued.  despite being an ugly ass front window it did provide a great means for bringing in the sheetrock.  There was a huge amount of weight sitting over our head for a while.  The upper picture is looking toward the front of the house where my office is located.  I'm standing in what will be the office landing space for Elizabeth.  You can see the new 6 inch thick walls as well as the roughed in electrical including recessed can lights.  These worked out great with the spray foam that ultimately was applied later.  The lower picture is looking toward the rear of the house into what will be our shared walk-in closet, which is huge.

  

Front shakes on and awaiting paint.  I was stoked the day the ladders came down. In any case I'm going to stop here and pick up with painting in the next post.