Building the Master Suite
For the first time, we could ’see’ our Master Suite. It looks great!
Moving the SIPs
When our SIPs arrived on December 2, 2009, we placed the SIPs around our project site so we could proceed most expeditiously. Now, with the framing almost complete, we needed to move the SIPs that were stored in the Master Suite.
Until today, the Master Suite was full of SIPs. Moving the SIPs to the middle of the Living Room allowed us to see the Master Suite for the first time. Also, the team from Earth Bound Homes put the 6×10 beams into the Foyer and Master Suite so the SIP wall at the front of the house was plumb.
Our Beams Arrive from Idaho
We are using reclaimed Douglas Fir beams throughout the house in most locations where beams are exposed, and we have six engineered beams. There are four exposed beams that we sourced from ‘dead standing’ trees. All other beams and wood in the house is FSC-certified.
The four key exposed beams are:
- 40 ft long 8×12, which will extend from the Garage through the Cabinet Wall, to the Dining Room and cantilever out 5 ft over the back of the house
- 26 ft long 4×14, which will be non-structural and cover the Paralam beam supporting the mid-level SIP over the sliding glass door at the back of the Living Room
- 18 ft long 6×10 header over the Garage door, which is Select Structural
- 25 ft long 6×10 drop beam that is over the header in the Garage, which is also Select Structural
The four beams noted above were bought through Craftmark, Inc., which is located in McMinnville, OR. Craftmark sourced the beams from Specialty Beams, located in Noxon, ID.
We’re ready for the crane tomorrow.
The Living Room has space available, so we can move the SIPs from the Master Suite (under the silver tarps) through to the Living Room.
Dave Edwards' team from Earth Bound Homes worked with Bryan and moved the SIPs across the bridges into the Living Room, so we could work on the Master Suite. The SIPs are under the silver tarps.
With the SIPs moved, we can 'see' the Master Suite for the first time. It looks great!
The first of two exposed 6x10 beams in place, which separates the Master Study from the Master Bedroom in the Master Suite.
Our four beams arrived on a truck, direct from Noxon, Montana. The longest beam is 40 ft long. Way cool.
We opened the packaging to see the end of the beam. It looked good as it was FOHC (Free of Heart Center). This beam was cut from a 'standing dead' Douglas Fir tree in Northern Idaho and milled by Specialty Beams in Noxon, Idaho.
The Master Suite was covered with tarps for the evening. We are sistering two 6x10 beams together in the Master Suite, as shown in this photo. There are two windows, in identical locations as in the original house.
