I can't keep up!

I promised to post a picture every so often to show the progress of the framing crew from Gerard Branson, Jr. Construction.  Well, I can't keep up with them.  They're out in 100 degree weather and I can't keep up with posting pictures fast enough from my air conditioned office.  The work is high quality and surprisingly fast.  I would say they're working like a dog, but from what we see in our household, a dog's "work" amounts to 30 seconds of barking at the mail deliverer from the back of the couch in an air conditioned room!  So I've decided to post a series of pictures every few days.  Here's the first batch:

Installation of the band board prior to putting up the first floor walls.

First floor walls being placed.

Completed first floor walls.

Installation of band board for second floor walls.

Laying down of the second floor (really the subfloor).

All of the work seen in the pictures above took place in only FIVE working days.  Today is the 6th working day and they should have most of the second floor walls up.  Tomorrow will then have them putting up the interior walls on the second floor (the first floor interior is already done though not obvious from the pictures).  More pictures to come.

You will notice that again our house is very literally green.  The walls are still an oriented strand board (OSB) like the floors, but they are also coated with a water resistant barrier.  The black lines on the green boards are tape that seal the seams between boards giving us enhanced wind protection.  This product is part of the energy efficiency barrier we're trying to create around the house and is recommended by the EnergyStar program.  Other ideas yet to come include thicker walls, spray foam insulation and blown-in cellulose insulation.  You won't see the Tyvek house wrap that normally goes around new homes because this product eliminates the need for it.  If you want to know more, check out this website:  Zip System wall panels  They have a pretty good, though slightly cheesy video.

The other interesting thing that happened today was that a reporter came to interview us about the project.  She's from an internet-based local news site.  So even our interview will be environmentally friendly since it won't be printed!  Janette's news site is called Your Local Messenger and their website is: Your Local Messenger

Onward and upward,

Mark, Mark & Isabel