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!

Week 11: Show me some skin

After last week’s snow, we were a little concerned about what the weather had in store for us, but thankfully, the whole week was sunny and beautiful - perfect for more construction progress. The next project on the agenda was to skin the framing with plywood, which really helped to give the building’s skeleton a feeling of three-dimensionality.

In addition to the plywood on the walls, you can see how the floor joists for the office level have been installed. Plywood is then laid over top in preparation for installation of the concrete flooring.

Here is a view from our front vestibule, looking up at what will become our staircase to the office level.

Here is another view from the vestibule, looking toward the entrance to the workshop and beyond. I find it so enjoyable to see these spaces taking shape.

This image is taken inside the workshop from the northwest corner, just outside the utility room. You can see how almost all the walls have been completed.

And here is a view from outside the southwest corner at the end of the week. Next week – roof!

Week 10: We’re framed!

Even though we got our first few teasing snowfalls this week (I suppose it is inevitable being in the snow belt), the framing started going up. We thought the foundation and floor were exciting, but this really makes us smile!

In just a couple of days, one side and the back were up. I love seeing the openings for the windows, as they make the abstract planes of these stick-frame walls more tangible. 

The new overhead door took shape with the positioning of the reinforcing i-beam across the top of the opening.

At the front of the building you can see our new concrete front stoop and the beginnings of the structure for our second floor office. The area sectioned off with the i-beams will be a new workshop area that has been created under the office level, a more efficient use of space.

While pouring the front door pad, they also poured a concrete slab for our new dust collector. Even though our old blue workhorse (seen in the background) survived the tornado hostilities, we will be adding a larger system to deal with the increased volume of our new machines. I will add some details of our recent additions soon.

At the end of the week we had walls! All the walls, aside from the second floor of the office (awaiting the floor joists) were up and ready for the next step.