Week 18: Moving in begins

With the addition of the man doors on the side of the building and our temporary front door (all lockable and secure) we were able to start moving our machinery and equipment from storage into the new space. You will notice the large moving van parked at the overhead door, which we used to transport everything to the new building.

Here are images of all the bits and pieces of machinery, office files, and inventory as they await placement and installation.

Week 17: Siding gets started

This week saw the siding installation begin. It was a bit of a challenge for the construction crew, seeing as we wanted them to install the corrugations running horizontally on the walls of the building (rather than the standard vertical), but in the end they did a fabulous job.

Week 16: Its all in the details (Part 2)

More snow fell this week, but thankfully work on the inside could continue quite happily, particularly with the delivery of the overhead side door. It is painted in the same “Regent Grey” to match the exterior siding that should be getting installed next week.

We also received delivery of the interior overhead door, which will divide the main workshop from the assembly and finishing areas.

The workers continued with the insulation and the application of the interior metal siding. Here are a few views of the siding as is got applied. It is amazing how much the white colour brightens up the space, even without any lighting installed.

You will also notice how the drywall has been applied to the office walls and the dividing wall between the shop and the office. It is so exciting now that the walls are almost complete as it means that all the major elements of the building will be finished, and we will be able to progress to the small details.

And now we climb up to the office on our new staircase.

Here are images of the office as the drywall is getting installed on the walls and ceiling. You will notice how the pot lights are left dangling until the taping and painting has been completed. It is so nice and bright (and toasty warm!) up here, I cannot wait to move back in!

Week 15: That's a wrap!

Just as predicted, Old Man Winter decided to finally make an appearance and it looks as though he is here to stay. So, it was perfect timing that the workers got the final windows in place and the building wrapped in preparation for the final application of the siding. 

Here are a few images of the process of wrapping. Our building now looks all nice and snug, and with the red taping we can imagine that it is a very large Christmas present just for us!

In two of the photos above, you will see the van from our trusted electrician, Wayne’s Electric. They are taking care of all the lighting and wiring for the building, as well as getting the machinery hooked up and ready to go. This week, Doug installed the main electrical panel in the workshop utility room and a step-down transformer for the machinery.

You can also see the boiler on the wall for the in-floor heating system (the grey box on the right wall). It is amazing to me that such a small unit can heat this whole building. And here is a detail of the various pressure valves that control the 3 heating zones (main workshop, finishing/packing area, office).

Week 14: The interior continues

This week saw more of the interior details get put in place, and a few more additions to the outside too, such as the bollards for the edges of our loading door.

The main transformation this week came from the application of the interior steel on the ceiling. Here you can see the piles of steel and trim pieces for the final finishing.

And here are the workers applying the steel and a view of the completed ceiling.

They were also able to get the insulation into the walls.

This will be a very welcome difference between the new and old workshop, which was a little bit on the chilly side during our long winters.

We also made progress in the office space with the installation of the pot lights. Here you can see them being put into position.

You will also notice that most of our windows have been installed, another important step towards fully closing us in before winter sets in. The weather forecasts say that things are going to start getting more seasonal (read: snow!) next week, so these final additions to the outside have come none to soon.

Week 13: It’s all in the details

Now that the main structure is up, the work begins on the details. While I am aware that there is not the same soul-stirring delight that I felt when the walls were raised, I still sense an internal bubbling excitement as every new piece of trim gets added, bringing us one step closer to moving in and getting back to “normal” (if there really ever is such a thing?).

This week saw the beginning of the exterior wrapping, and the addition of the soffit and fascia. As with furniture, it is these final details that really give a sense of wholeness to the structure.

Interior walls were also continued. Here is a view from what will be our spray booth/finishing area, looking outward to the rest of the shop.

It was also exciting to see that our windows were delivered, ready for their installation next week.

Week 12: Raising the roof

In just 12 weeks we have walls and a roof. I never knew how fast these things could happen, but these guys are busy as bees. We have also been extremely fortunate with the unseasonably warm and beautiful weather, which is all the more amazing seeing as by this time last year we had already had a few winter storms and about 1 1/2 feet of snow on the ground. 

The first step this week was to get the roof trusses up and to close in the areas under the peak with plywood. It took about 2 days for all the trusses to be added.

Once the trusses were up, the roof became a hive of activity with many workers adding strapping to accept the steel cladding. I loved the fact that now that we have walls, the workers actually need to use the “doors” to enter the building.

The steel roofing arrived in sheets that needed to be drilled in preparation for affixing to the strapping. Once the metal was drilled, it got screwed down to the wood quite quickly.

It is amazing how much the roof transforms the structure. It can now be recognized as a building, rather than just a shell. Entering the space creates a completely different emotion in me. The roof gives substance to the entire process to date and is a major step towards completion.

Here you can see how the whole internal area has been defined with the addition of the roof. I can now visualize how the final space will look with the walls clad, lighting hanging, and machinery in place.

So we put up a roof and then cut a hole in it? It’s all for a good cause - this is the exit point for our new spray booth ventilation stack.

And here is our complete, beautiful roof! Hooray!