Just after cleaning up the garage, the two-person delivery team from Murray Windows & Doors came by and delivered 25 windows, bringing our total to 26 windows.  There are 72 windows in our total order so we have received over one-third of the windows (the glass is half full).  Alternatively, one could say that we haven’t taken delivery of almost two-thirds of the windows (the glass is half empty).

After unloading the windows and staging them neatly in the garage, Bryan worked with the team from Earth Bound Homes completing the ‘cool roof’ over the gables.  He drove to Union City and picked up a Vent-A-Hood roof jack for our range hood in the kitchen.

Our range hood will have an 8-inch duct so we need to have a VP541-HP roof jack, which is designed for gable roofs with more than a 4:12 roof pitch.

After picking up the roof jack, Bryan returned to the job site and worked with Carlos on placing the roof jack into position.

Clean, tidy and fully swept garage, waiting for 25 boxes of windows from Murray Windows & Doors.

Backing up the truck - here come the windows!

Each window box was carried in and stacked against the wall by hand.

The boxes of windows are stacked neatly in the clean garage. These are all of the clerestory windows that go in the gable ends (large boxes) and the clerestory windows that go around the atrium.

Valley on the North side of the East gable. Also, there is an intermediate 1x1 furring strip that must be completed.

View of the completed North side of the South gable. The FSC plywood deck is completed and ready for roofing felt and shakes.

South side of the North gable. Note where the radiant barrier needs to be covered with plywood.

VP541-HP roof jack from Vent-A-Hood on the East side of the East gable.

Our friend and neighbor, John McLaren, came to the job site today to review our progress. John lives on Daves Avenue and is very supportive of our project. It is great to be able to park in our driveway again!

‘That’s it Bryan.  If you bring any more beams then we won’t make the Thursday deadline.’  Steve Jackel was smiling, but firm.

‘No problem, Steve.  There aren’t any beams left.’  Bryan was smiling, too.

Delivering Another Two Beams to Watsonville

After coordinating the 2-inch rigid insulation for the exposed slab this morning, Bryan delivered the two 22 ft 6×14 reclaimed Douglas Fir beams to Jackel Enterprises in Watsonville.  Tim was there and unloaded the beams in minutes.  Then, Bryan set to work.

Bryan went through each beam, looking for reinforcing steel (rebar) and nails.  In less than 45 minutes, he removed five pieces of #5 rebar (5/8-inch in diameter) from the two beams a number of nails, and a strap tie.  Steve’s team will use metal detectors to verify no more metal fragments are in the two beams, then the beams can be milled.

Tim had done some initial milling of the 12-1/4 tall by 5-inch wide beam that will be in the Foyer and Master Study.  It looked magnificent.

Tim unloaded the two reclaimed beams with the forklift so Bryan could de-nail them and remove all the metal.

Within 45 minutes, Bryan had removed five pieces of rebar and a number of nails from the two beams.

Steve Jackel enjoys the sunshine while writing up the milling tags for these beams.

Tim started milling the 12-1/4 inch beam that will be visible in the Foyer and Master Study.

The end of the beam looks magnificent.

This beam will be milled to 12-1/4 inches tall. This face will be visible in the Foyer and Master Study.

Driving to Bonny Doon

After removing all the metal, Bryan drove north through Santa Cruz to Bonny Doon.  As he was driving along Highway #1, Bryan reflected on the same day (February 15) in 1998.  On that day, just north of Davenport on Highway #1, Jo-Anne married Ian Fowler and Merril Schmitt.  We’d love to complete our renovation/construction project and host their visit in February 2011.

Out of the Woods

To get to Dave Mechant’s mill site, one has to stop, open the gate, drive through, close the gate and get to the mill location.  When the sun is shining, as it was today, it is a pleasant break in the day.

Dave and his team were milling some spectacular wood flooring.  They had an order for 1,200 sq ft of vertical grain flooring, with no knots.  Absolutely beautiful wood.

Stop. Open the gate. Drive through. Close the gate. Drive to the mill location.

The Out of the Woods milling operation. It was a great day to be milling wood in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Take a look at the vertical grain with no knots. This is very, very nice wood. Dave had an order for 1,200 sq ft that he was filling. (You can click on this photo and expand it to full size in your browser.)

Completed bundles of flooring, measured and wrapped very carefully. Dave finds that having eight layers of wood in each bundle is the best, yielding approximately 28 sq ft per bundle.

Measuring Our Beams

Dave will be milling our beams tomorrow so Bryan had to complete the specifications for Dave.  A few minutes with the measuring tape and reviewing the beams.  No problem.  Just have to e-mail Dave the measurements tonight.

Back through the gate, and back to our project site.

Finalizing the milling requirements for these four beams.

John McLaren Visits Our Project Site

John stopped by for a quick visit.  He hadn’t been to the site for several months and we’d made visible progress since then  John and Bryan walked through the framed rooms on the ground floor and lower level. 

He was wearing sandals and shorts, hardly appropriate for an active construction site.  But he was careful.

John McLaren reviews our progress the the Master Bathroom. Note the smile, open toe sandals and shorts (February in California).

John leaves the 'empty' Wine Dining - sorry John.