Replies

1. 
   stevent1 | May 09, 2007 06:34am | #1

   Hiker,

   Unique looking work. On the elevations are those designed expansion joints?

   The subway tile looks good.

    

   Chuck S

   live, work, build, ...better with wood
1. 
   Hiker | May 09, 2007 12:08pm | #2

   In lieu of traditional horizontal and vertical expansion joints, the owner wanted to develop an abstract concept of tree branches on the facade.  So we bent CVG cedar strips to mimic a branch or veins in a leaf.

2. 
   Gabe | May 09, 2007 12:39pm | #3

   Godawful waste of material and time. The designer/architect should be fired/loose his or her licence.

   The quality of the work is loss in the overall look of the house. The stairs should be dismantled and redone properly to not have variations in the treads.

   Sorry but not my cup of tea.

   Gabe

1. 
   Hiker | May 09, 2007 12:46pm | #4

   I was concerned about the treads as well, but they walk very comfortably. 

   I appreciate your thoughts, definitely not a traditional home by any means.

   Edited 5/9/2007 5:48 am by Hiker

1. 
   alwaysoverbudget | May 09, 2007 04:38pm | #5

    your last post is 4 am,your done with it you can go to sleep now!!! the amount of work  to carry pull that all off is amazing, i'm not crazy about some of the lvl being exposed,but thats what makes the world tick .did the guy have stock louisana pacific  to want all those lvl's? great job,now go back to sleep. larryhand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.

1. 
   Hiker | May 10, 2007 01:23am | #9

   The owner like the idea of seeing the structure of the house.  The PSL provided the strength and appearance appropriate for the project.  Appropriately sized timbers were huge bucks, relative to the big bucks spent on  the PSL

   Early to bed, early to rise or get up when our 3 month old daughter won't go back to sleep.

   Bruce

1. 
   alwaysoverbudget | May 10, 2007 06:33am | #15

   3 month old in the house,that explains the4 am post.before long you will get a full nights sleep....

   mine just graduated from hs today,wasn't that long ago i would of gave  a 1000 dollars for 8 straight hours of sleep. larryhand me the chainsaw, i need to trim the casing just a hair.

3. 
   Hudson Valley Carpenter | May 09, 2007 06:16pm | #6

   You've got my vote for the most patient and willing carpenter I've come across, in a loooooong time.  Nice job on the stucco design, very cool feature.   Looks like excellent work on the peculiar stair design, though like most here, I wish you'd been given a say in the materials.  What really gets my vote for patience is that front porch roof.  Looks like a real bear. 

    

1. 
   Hiker | May 10, 2007 12:02am | #7

   Thanks,

   The whole project was quite challenging.  The house had only two square corners, all the rest were in increments of 15 degrees.  The owner wanted a tree theme.  The PSLs provided both structural aspects of construction and satisified the owner's desire to have "tree" components exposed. 

   The roof was challenging.  THe underside is exposed and we layers 1x6 cedar to accentuate the curves.  On top of that we laminated 5 layers of 1/4 plywood to make the roof both rigid and thick enough to accomodate the nails for the shingles.

   The stucco is a traditional 3 coat with the texture added on during the third coat-I guess 3.5 coats is a good description.  The challenge there was to make sure we did not develop patterns horizontally or vertically when doing the "bark"

   The client pushed me out my rectilinear world and frankly made me a better carpenter, mind you not without some resistance on my behalf.

   Bruce

1. 
   Hudson Valley Carpenter | May 10, 2007 02:45am | #11

   One question, if you don't mind.  How'd the front lawn get to be that shade of green?  That, and the porch roof, give the place an eery look.  

   Like, "What did you do with grandpa's headstone"?  

   "Oh, after the dog dug him up for the third time, he decided to leave and took it with him".

1. 
   Hiker | May 10, 2007 06:21am | #13

   The front lawn is wood fiber mesh erosion control mat.  It comes in green and natural. 

   The picture does not do the front porch justice.  It is really not that eerie feeling when you see it in person.  The cedar, ipe and brick are much brighter.  The picture was taken on a very cloudy day.

4. 
   RW | May 10, 2007 01:21am | #8

   I dont know if the whole package is my "cup of tea" either, but there are parts I like, and I certainly can appreciate the time and effort that went in to making things fit. Frankly, I'd have liked to have been the trimmer on that. Unique and eclectic makes jobs more entertaining.

   Real trucks dont have sparkplugs

1. 
   Hiker | May 10, 2007 01:26am | #10

   My lumber man found a barnful of old CVG cedar with paper thin growth rings-absolutely beautiful.  We do all interior and exterior trim and built the doors and cabinets out of the cedar.  Some of the most beautiful wood I have ever worked with.

    

5. 
   zak | May 10, 2007 06:17am | #12

   I like it. Great work there. How long did this project take?

   zak

   "When we build, let us think that we build forever.  Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin

   "so it goes"

    

1. 
   Hiker | May 10, 2007 06:23am | #14

   One year from breaking ground to handing over the keys.  Lost about a month to weather and a month to knee surgeries and babies being born.

6. 
   diamond_dodes | May 10, 2007 06:45am | #16

   I think it's great. As said. maybe not everybodies cup of tea but definitely a real fun job to do.