Framing and Construction

Framing the house

The framers and first lumber delivery arrived on July 13... only 2 days behind schedule after a month or so... not bad! Things really started to move after that. After a few days the basement and gym were framed out, with the energy moving up a level to the main floor.

The final posts and concrete forms for the decks and patios were built and within a week, this is what things looked like:

Now 2 weeks into the framing (July 23) and things are really starting to take shape. The remaining posts and concrete walls poured, walls going up and sheathing started to go on.

In the basement, we have cut and taken up the concrete floor and put in new concrete slab to support the central posts and beams (which will now be flush beams on hangers as shown - so no more dropped beams allowing us to maximize the space with full height ceilings). From here the framing team will work their way up, replacing the stairs and re-framing the main floor and ultimately bedroom floor.

View through the dining room and living room windows early in the morning... love this photo... especially with the morning sun flooding in the kitchen window space! (thanks Andrew!).

Apparently the big laminated beams for the vaulted ceilings arrive in a couple days... then we'll really see what it will look like!

Well... they arrived and were up same day... spectacular!!! Once this room is finished the energy moves to the remainder of the house.

View from the other side of the room! Feels like a church not a house!

Framing of the roof half complete a day later.

Gotta love that 20' ceiling! Bit of a risk, but looks phenomenal now that it's actually built. Great feeling to see the vision come to life!

  

View down (what will be) the upstairs hallway through the windows of the 'great room'.

Looking across the kitchen and liiving room to stairs up to bedrooms. Really taking shape now.

Roof on, fascia boards going on. Lots of activity happening internally now with framing well underway!

Check out the flush steel beam across the family room. Really opens up the main floor and the room. Seemed like overkill, but love the fact that it provides great stability to the core of the new house, especially the upper floor.

August 17 - one month after framing began. Main floor and bedrooms framed out, basement strapped and framed with a few walls left to complete. Windows framed out. Remaining siding and windows removed.

Work is now commencing on last stage of framing... main entrance and master bedroom above. Nice looking posts going in for front door, and the beams have arrived for this side of the house... stay tuned... it'll be grand!!

Master bedroom really starting to take shape. Into final few days of framing.

Master framing underway.

Framing essentially complete now. Few more interior walls in basement to complete once floors poured - but roof sheathing almost done.

View from the south-east corner looking into dining room and kitchen.

View from north-east, looking into kitchen, office and family room.

Kitchen windows complete. The plan is to have them at counter height, acting as a backsplash between counter and upper cabinets.

Looking through the main floor (through office to the family room) from the kitchen.

Master bedroom completed!

Fantastic views from master bedroom. English Bay, UBC and Vancouver Island in the distance.

Hip vault ceiling. Very cool and will allow us to really lift the bedroom ceiling to about 13 feet, maximizing all the available space.

 Front of house preparing for decks, entrance and steps to be poured.

 Garage framed and slab poured.

 Roof shingles going on.

 Media room through to garage.

 Living room/dining room/kitchen out through 16' front patio doors

 Master bedroom.

Upstairs interior bathroom and bedrooms.

 Rear decks with torch-on deck covering/waterproofing ready for 3" of concrete to be poured.

 View from master bedroom window.

 View from master bedroom from where bed will be.

Hip vault in bedroom ceiling, as well as new reframed roof trusses and attic.

 New plumbing (white is hot and cold, while red piping is for exterior hose taps). All internal waste pipes are cast iron... bit more money, but worth it for silence in the system!

 Rear of house ready for deck pour and rainscreen installation on side walls.

Front of house.