The cool mornings are beginning to produce fog on the valley floor, as seen in this photo. Note the sunshine beginning to hit the butte to the west. These cool, windless mornings provide ideal working conditions for setting the trusses and attaching the sheathing.
By the time the sun began to warm the butte, George and DJ were already hard at work erecting the main roof trusses. You may note that the tops of the trusses are flat. This was done because the trusses, when laid flat on the delivery truck, were too wide to meet highway dept. width restrictions. The truss company included a little triangular piece for each truss which will be attached to the flat area when the OSB sheathing is nailed in place.
This photo shows not only the main trusses all in place, but also the three 6"x6" columns that will support the redwood deck which will run the length of the back of the house. Additional trusses with less slope will be installed to support the roof over the deck.
The view from the kitchen area looking into the living room is quite different, now that the trusses are in place. It almost feels like an enclosed space, but not quite. The fireplace will be centered on the far wall. Our office will occupy the room behind the fireplace.
While George and DJ work on the roof, Susan and I are busy in the shop painting the exterior doors and frames in anticipation of installing them in the next week or so.
The roof sheathing and tarpaper is all in place. Tomorrow Susan and I will tow our trailer to Vale, OR to pick up the steel roof panels from Tiffany Steel. The roof should be completely installed within the next week. The steep pitch of the roof (10/12)will make it a tricky installation.
Yesterday Susan and I hauled all the windows up the hill from the shop to the house. After applying sealant tape to the openings, the windows are being installed. George and DJ will finish installing them tomorrow while Susan and I are in Vale picking up the roof steel.
On Thursday we had the fireplace installed in the living room. We are having fun envisioning the fire crackling on a cold snowy day while we sit in our cozy new home enjoying the view.
The joists for the rear deck are now in place and temporarily covered with sheets of OSB. After all the other construction work is completed, I'll install redwood decking in place of the OSB sheets. A redwood railing will complete the deck.
Early one morning I drove north on Timber Flat Road and took this shot of the house looking back to the south. It does a good job of capturing the serenity of the area at daybreak. Be sure to click on the picture for a larger view.
