Rockin' Chair Porches

Progress this week has been on the covered porches. The porch posts, rack, and rafters were put into place. The good news is porch decking is next...the bad news is it's supposed to rain again tomorrow and the next day!

Chimney Work

We've had a couple of dry days, so James and the Gang were able to work on framing up the chimney. The first photos show the before/after. The guys are busy on the scaffolding trying to make the top windows next to the fireplace just the right size, and they did a fantastic job! We love the final look. James made the windows into large triangles before dividing them to make a smaller triangular and a trapezoid window. Although they have started the roof decking, it has been much too windy the past two days to get up on the roof to finish it.

Live Valley Rafters and Overhangs

James and the Gang put up the four live valley rafters and the overhang on the sides. You can see in the photo how the rafters come together in the center. Each gable will have a two foot overhang to help protect the wood from the weather and direct sunlight. Lifting such weight while being about 24-30 feet in the air is quite a trick and takes tremendous skill and strength! Kudos to the crew!

Movin' On Up!

Wow! James and the Gang are really moving on up! Today, March 25, they started putting up the rafters. Scott and I sat in awe for about an hour today just watching them work. You can see the center section will house live valley rafters (will post those tomorrow...weather permitting!)

This photo is a view looking into one of the second floor bedrooms from the center loft. You can see a place for two windows in the gable end and the location for the dormer window is on the right.

Scott captured this photo from the road.

A side view provides a better look. The kitchen will be located on this end of the house on the first floor. The progress is amazing!

Second Floor Scenes

The view from the second floor is incredible! Scott is standing on the second floor over the master bedroom. A front view of the house shows the bay window areas which will be in the kitchen and master bath. There is also a view of the great room. The posts supporting the loft look fantastic! The last photo is a shot taken from the great room into the kitchen area. The framed in area on the right shows the guest bath and pantry off the kitchen. It's hard to go home when we are there! Tonight the sky was beautiful and the peep frogs were louder than we've ever heard them.

Porches Under Construction

The porches are now under construction. Photos show eight foot porches nearly all the way around.

Eight Courses High

James and the Gang worked hard to complete eight courses by Saturday, March 14. This is about 8ft 6in in height. They are ready for the second floor on all sides but the front. In this area (by the fireplace) the logs will be about 16ft high. Looking out of the future windows, we noticed how picturesque the views were...almost like framed paintings.