The room is completely sheathed in, including the roof.  It’s a bit difficult to see at this angle, but the top of the shed roof is slightly higher than the bottom of the second floor windows.  To accommodate these windows, the roof design includes window wells.

Inside, the window wells are affecting ceiling joist placement.  The 2×8 ceiling joists are too wide to fit under the well’s framing.  A 2×6 joist would probably fit better, but 2×8’s are specified on the Plans.  The crew will just have to notch the affected joists individually and make it work.

Elsewhere, concrete is mixed and poured to cap our retaining wall.  As you may recall, the foundation wall for our crawlspace was moved in several feet to avoid disturbing the original stone foundation.  The “moat” of dirt was covered with heavy plastic, then concrete, to act as a vapor barrier.

On day 6 of framing, the addition is sheathed and the fascia board is in place.

Gary and Mike work together to secure a fly rafter on the edge of the roof.  Fly rafters with exposed tongue-and-groove sheathing reflect design elements of the original building (see example, above).

While the fly-rafters are set in place, Dave is priming the sheathing material.  The 1×6 boards are primed prior to installation to ensure an even coat on all sides of the wood, including the tongue and the groove.  This practice helps preserve the integrity of the wood and prevents premature rot.

Wall sheathing is going up today.

Once the exterior sheathing is on, this corner post will be completely boxed in.  In anticipation of this, Gary packed the corner cavity with insulation.  It’s a small detail that is often overlooked, but indicative of a caring, quality job.  When corners are left uninsulated, they become a thermal weakness in the building shell and contribute to uncomfortable living spaces.

On day three of framing week, exterior walls are put in place.

It’s a team effort as bracing is nailed in place.  Bracing is required at this stage to keep the walls square and plumb.  Framing a project such as this is significantly more time consuming than new construction because of the challenges presented by the existing structure, but these guys are moving right along.

The recessed box where Mike is standing will be a stove hearth.  The two large framed openings will house matching sets of french doors.  A partial framing inspection is planned for tomorrow for the beam in the middle of the room.  Typically, this would not be needed, but the beam is about to be obscured by ceiling joists.

Janice,

Have a wonderful Birthday.  We left your present in the backyard on Friday.  Hope you like framing lumber.  Enjoy your trip, and we’ll keep you posted on the progress.

(on a side note…)  Foundation is poured and inspected.  Framing lumber is on site, and the crew is scheduled to start framing on Monday.

After losing a few days waiting for building permits, excavation got underway yesterday.  Footing inspection is scheduled for later this morning.  Once the inspection is complete, concrete footings can be poured.

The rear wall of the existing structure is opened up to allow machine access.  Because the second floor bears on this outer wall, a structural beam was set prior to compromising the foundation.

Inside, a new foundation is dug a few feet inside from the old one.  The original foundation was not able to support the new crawlspace.  By moving our foundation wall in, the original work will be “locked” in place with the remaining dirt.

A close-up of the existing sill plate and foundation wall.  Significant deterioration prevented us from using this wall as a structural element for the addition.