November 20: Drywall Goes Up and Snow Comes Down

The hammer beam structure stands out against the new drywall.

The southwest corner.

View from the loft.

And lots of progress on the lower level.

A storm brought wet snow and crunchy ice.

The balcony is interesting in all types of weather.

It's not easy to hang and fit drywall in and around the posts, purlins and knee braces, but the work is getting done and it's rewarding to see the timbers stand out. Lots of progress in the main space and in the lower level. And then it snowed! Fortunately, we should have heat in the house in a few days.

November 10: Drywall Delivery

The boom lifts sheets up and over to the balcony.

Three hundred sheets of drywall arrived from Bellingham and were hoisted into the house through the balcony door. If each sheet weighs about 60 lbs., that's nine tons of drywall!

November 5: Railings Enhance Exterior Spaces

The railings lead up to the deck on the south side and surround the loft balcony.

Erik's railing design complements the timbers and siding.

View from the deck looking south.
The railing caps are chamfered to shed water.

The balcony looks inviting.

The view from the balcony across the valley...

And down valley toward the Olympics.

There is much progress to report. With the design and installation of the porch and balcony guard rails, and application of penetrating oil finish to the lookouts, the exterior is 100 percent complete on three sides - north, south and east.

Erik and Doug constructed the railings with steel mesh framed with cedar. The design complements the cedar siding and decking while providing a fetching spot for Beau to watch the valley wildlife. The balcony looks particularly inviting!

Fog, a Flicker and a Full Year

The flicker was a well-behaved visitor
and didn't peck the timbers or break any windows.

A thick fog envelops the house and a flicker pays a visit—Erik says birds often fly in through the open front door. Fortunately, the woodpecker didn't run into any windows (that could be trouble) and he got out of the house safely.

As we put this post together, we realized it's been a full year since the Eye On Orcas blog was started on October 28, 2009. So much has happened, and so much more to come! Imagine—a year from now, we'll be settled into the house and the blog will be following the progress of barn construction...

Heat Tubes and New Views

Looking into the stair tower from the kitchen.

View from the landing into the living space.

And the view from the loft. These radiant heat tubes will be toasty warm.

Looking down on the cedar deck from a perch on the balcony.

The solar cable conduit leads to where the solar panels will be –
Erik graded and seeded around the concrete piers.

A glance inside at the kitchen area and loft above.

And a closeup of the loft framing.

The past couple of months have revolved around rough electrical and plumbing work. The electrical inspection is complete, and most of the plumbing has been approved as well – just a few minor issues to take care of and the plumbing and framing inspections will be behind us.

In addition, the solar rough-in/inspection is done; concrete footers were poured to support the panel array and the conduits are ready.

The stair tower is taking shape, and the deck looks inviting!

August 24: Treating the Timbers

The oil finish penetrates and protects the wood from weather and mildew.

Joists were treated as well.

It's almost ready for decking!

To preserve the exposed timbers supporting the deck, we're using a penetrating oil finish which nourishes and protects the wood.Beautiful!

August 1: Finishing Up Siding and Roofing

On the north side, cedar siding is complete;
the stair tower will be covered with corrugated steel designed
to acquire a rusty finish - so it looks like it has always been there.

Cedar siding is finished on the south side.

This soffit shows the interesting detail work, making excellent use
of small pieces of wood that otherwise would be discarded.

Roofing is complete all the way to the ridge, on the stair tower, and down the east side.

A view of the lookout from the balcony.

Things are finishing up on the exterior...the cedar siding is nearly complete and the metal roof is done. The soffits display some nice finishing touches, a detail that provides a beautiful effect while employing small pieces of wood that otherwise would be discarded. Next on the schedule: side the stair tower with corrugated steel.

July 15: Haying

A red-tailed hawk sits atop the bale.

Over the past few months, the hay in the field grew tall, until it was harvested in mid-July. The bales will be used to feed cattle at Driftwood Ranch, just across McNallie Lane.

June 25: Lookout, Siding and Roofing

Cedar siding is complete on the south side, with lookout at the top of the gable end.

More than half of the metal roof is in place.
Skylights and remaining roof panels are to be installed this week.

The lookout. Way up there.

We'll have a great view down the valley!

Finished siding wraps around to the porch on the west side.

From siding to roofing, there's lots of progress to share. The cedar board-on-batt siding and window trim is finished on the south side, and on most of the east side. More than half of the roof panels have been installed. It was no easy task securing the lookout rafter at the peak of the south gable end...high off the ground, Erik's harness was cinched up tight as he used a hammer drill to send 12" screws through the lookout, the siding, the SIP panel and into the king post.

June 8: Evening Drama

The porch and front entrance.

From the field.

One inspired evening, Erik lit up the structure. This was at 9:30 p.m. Orcas time, with light still in the sky. He says he may have surprised the neighbors by lighting everything up that late. An amazing sight.

May 19: Lots of Glass

We love windows and there sure are lots of them! Except for the door openings, the structure is now closed in.

May 16: Kaj's Images Detail SIP Installation

The roof SIP, held in place by the crane, is snugged up against the other panel.

As the last roof panel on the west side is installed,
Doug peeks through the skylight opening to admire the progress.

Kaj Enderlein shares his photos taken in March as they installed structural insulated panels (SIPs) on the roof. Panels were prepped on the ground: lines were snapped, screws were started, and lifting plates were mounted. Then, the straps and lines were adjusted so the crane lifted each panel at the precise angle of the roof.