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08 March 2010

Exposed Cedar Beams...

A couple of days ago the special order cedar and 2x6 pine tounge and groove material came in for the front porch.  Today they got to the big moment to put all this up.  I had been led to believe that this was all going to be a cake walk and they had it all figured out...   Well, in the end, we all stood there with tape measures and pencils and tried to figure this thing out... Turns out, that the beams were fine, but the spacing didn't quite work out over the front stone area, and thus would look uneven from the outside.  Now, I tried to convince them that sometimes things like this add visual interest...when your eye catches these things it causes you to look harder, and you end up seeing more details.  No go... 

So, after about 30 minutes, the decision was made that they would put a regular framed roof over this area, but hide the entire assembly with the cedar and pine...  What you see here is the result, or at least the beginning.  5 evenly spaced 4x6 cedar under the bigger 4x12 cedar ridge beam.  The outside of this area will get soffits and then the cedar will appear to extend out from the wall under the soffits, but in fact they will just be decorative. 

There are several advantages to this approach... They will use less cedar, less 2x6, and we stand no chance of nails penetrating from the roof down through the cedar.  There will also be a place to hide wires for lights.  Also, the roofer added concern that he needed a "rake" on the front to attach the tiles to so they wouldn't try to "roll" off the front.  So, in the end, I think everyone is happy. 

And, it's georgous!!


From this next picture you can see they have now put osb all the way up the gable.  The soffits will be on in the morning, I'm sure.

The shape of this looks much better now and not so goofy, but remember this whole assembly will be covered in real stone, so it will look a lot more substantial.  (and the window will appear to shrink, which it should)

Top view... Yes, I climbed up on the roof.  It's actually quite pleasant to walk around up there, only a 5/12 pitch makes you feel pretty safe.  But, even though it's just a single story, it would be best to have nobody fall off...


Looking about 45 degrees left from the last picture, sighting over the higher portions of the roofline.  There are a lot of ridges and valleys.  I like it this way, breaks things up.  The weather today was just on the verge of misting all day.  Not cold, but certainly not dry.  Tonight we missed a HUGE band of thunderstorms which cut just north on the radar...  Last thing we need here is more rain.


Here, the cupola over the Master Bath is started.  Looks cute so far...


Ah, but at the end of the day, I don't like it as much.  Starting to look like they are going to oversize the soffit on this cupola too much.  I will meet them early AM tomorrow and have them shrink the overhang down a bit on this. 

It kills me to interfere in what they are doing, but these little things can bug you to death, and it's very easy to correct it now.


Tomorrow is a big day... 

First, have to have the cupola meeting, which means out there early...  Then, have to assemble the pocket door frames (5 of them), then haul a load of trash to the dump, then off to storage to get the window wrap and some more tools, then back to sample wrap a window for the guys to follow. 

The window wrap, or flashing, is more complicated than normal, because I am trying to tend to the recessed ledge at all 4 corners, and keep that area from leaking in addition to the window opening itself.  So, we are using a fairly expensive product that allows you to "flex" it around the corners.  Probably overkill, but I am trying to be prudent.

OH, then work all night tomorrow night, after I pick up some fireplace parts on my way into the city... 

Windows are coming Thursday about the time I get back.  Exterior doors too perhaps.  I will want to fall into a pile at some point that day...

Have a great day...

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