Framing update

Things are humming along pretty well with the framing. They've been putting up ceiling boards on the second floor, so it looks like actual, closed-in rooms up there now. I think the only change that's coming is that the lowest of three windows on the stairwell needs to be moved or resized, since a few inches of staircase intersect it right now.

We're having a design meeting with James in a week or so to see what he's been cooking up for some interior ideas. Here's an approximate exchange from our last meeting:

"So, do you have any ideas on exterior paint colors, James?" I asked.

"Yes," replied James.

I love the mystery! Is it that he can't reveal the colors until he thinks we're emotionally prepared for it? Is there a method of presentation that transcends simply blurting out "Sea Foam!"?

Framing fisheye pano

I just got a wonderful gift from my loving parents (who are avid fans of the house addition). A fisheye lens! Now I can do proper spherical panoramas.

Click and drag the image in all directions to take a look.

Hollywood Hills gate

hh_gate
Originally uploaded by japunto.

This gate is on a house next door to my friend's place in the Hollywood Hills. I love it. I love the numbers. Love.

Wood drop two

The framers are starting to run out of wood, so a second wood drop has arrived.

I talked with the plumber this morning. He recommends that we use two small flash water heaters. This way neither one is positioned too far from a faucet. He wants to do an exterior mount on the "hidden" side of the house. Our architect, James, refers to this as "scabbing" things onto the outside, and would prefer to have them mounted in the attic or under the stairs. I side with James for aesthetic reasons, but the plumber alleges that there will be considerable money saved by going with the barnacular approach. Not sure which way we'll go in the end.

Verdugo mountains (not San Gabriel)

This is the view from the second floor. Click and drag the image to spin around.
If this doesn't work for you, grab the QuickTime software for your browser here.

Floor two

phc_030
Originally uploaded by japunto.

There's sort of a floor up on floor two now. James (the architect) and I went up there and looked around; we have a cool view of the San Gabriel mountains, and surprisingly little view of our neighbors' yards. The rooftops and trees do a nice job of it.

In our meeting with James and J.D. yesterday we talked about the following:
Windows and doors. They've gotten a quote on Fleetwood clear anodized aluminum ones that are very stylish and have high quality hardware. We think that's going to be most important on the sliding doors and pocket doors. They're going to look into Milgard for the windows (they also offer modern looking aluminum ones) to see if that'll drop the price.

Wood flooring. They've got a good supplier who deals in reclaimed wood. I envision a guy traveling the country, buying old barns, and then sending the wood back here to L.A. The wood is old growth and ecologically friendly at the same time.

Fence. We're going to redo the fence in front to match the one I designed for the side. It is a kind of modernist take on the picket fence. I'll post some renders soon.

Staircase skeleton

phc_stairs01
Originally uploaded by japunto.

I never knew this was how stairs are made. The framer did loads of measuring and cutting to create these spiney-looking guys.

Overhang

This is the overhang of the master bedroom.

I looked at the schedule and the rough framing was slated for thirty days. It's only been ten days so far. Will it really take another twenty to finish that? I don't think so, but it's important to remember that I have no idea what I'm talking about.

Welded post

That is the post what bears the weight.

Framing panorama

Here is a 360 degree cylindrical panorama of the framing. Click and drag the image to spin around. If this doesn't work for you, grab the QuickTime software for your browser here.

Framing is great

Boy, framing really makes it seem real. We can actually walk around inside future rooms. Yay, framing!

One downside to framing is that it's a manly, violent artform that can lead to a baseball-sized hole being punched through the wall over your toddler's bed.

Wood drop

We just got this wood dropped off this morning. They'll start laying out the framing today. The big beams are made from some sort of compressed wood; this is the state-of-the art in beam technology. Much stronger than ordinary wood beams, and they smell like the future.

Concrete grooves

In this cruddy, low-contrast photo I took, you can imagine you see little grooves they cut into the concrete. These delineate the different rooms of the addition.
In reply to a question posted in the comments, the mistake with the slab cost about a week of time. No real worries, since they are still about two weeks ahead of schedule.