tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13280378467830736332024-03-05T02:09:05.285-05:00p o e s i s : THE MODULAR HOUSE BLOGRobert Bristowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04289680319469224801noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328037846783073633.post-87744175024462601912012-02-13T21:27:00.000-05:002012-02-13T21:27:18.637-05:00Wood<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuLMwizj05lEKjNyTqw97Dbm9OJtDWubIKafuDarWLuwzeWr8PhzrOqQmOyDr-4ERcs4YUgL7ihvkXZC4GRTfrzKKfgSlevao-5iPBpjEpK1lqcsrtnJfQY7EADlSRImtmr9ta6g4etU/s1600/Mom+and+girls+102.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_i52C2F_gy2BtufsgwPd3IUyMN0mTJT1tTYt8XDpu6j7dEYygM8VIMNKk_TulOFQ14hGS_ZGRMkRpklzm9hm6Fz_g-jQPW9brFqJKL1ojKxAPmbn606nIScDOPtf4yKxCkWBMJ4glKI/s1600/4DSC_0134.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL_i52C2F_gy2BtufsgwPd3IUyMN0mTJT1tTYt8XDpu6j7dEYygM8VIMNKk_TulOFQ14hGS_ZGRMkRpklzm9hm6Fz_g-jQPW9brFqJKL1ojKxAPmbn606nIScDOPtf4yKxCkWBMJ4glKI/s320/4DSC_0134.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654542747730319202" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcUi5OAq0siMvDg3_JSfSyFHUnNKAzH9wsnCYhRJss4jRD1EvRhxcojIKykeBguNUl3-1Z6MwxhjLDIdarO_2EHpX2Wxtsn5BZLtf1Ih3KDLP7g9wJg13IqeqIt0q5Ejm79KLkr2Dv00/s1600/DSC_0030_02.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigZVfwVjHXFw-B8KCyXe6-iynYiebc5SRIOXvIm_sj-mNDDsqOfhXAlfZtYdAOfs9RcpJOATXmcMi1N1jWlSbNMEwSPp5GvIdj6d6nqUlb8pe3VTwG26azxNsgrNhFTeXNLmnTC9gX0lE/s1600/DSC_0029_02.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7cVtvD6oMK7z2pEk_4V2VekBitJcnQlg_90nTfkgrjpFw2ZdrO37m5xDDkzkDozlN5PuAlVArwt5wpUB0YqtJW4t2R3iiOhnHvj7so7udbtaabXdkbn9Sg2sOxFNuSbQCPWbF5EGG8-c/s1600/DSC_0010_01.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><br /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo63mKxbn4KWkik0WRuvyned_voto9n0lJKDZZDYZZ2OlqDq6idcnTjmDmfiY6zkNBjq2fufXXIy2hXsBtQ2rUCTCa-Gy4W4U77dMYEq6LKtU92cC6UqseNq1lRWg8VIZPweSunEFZrc/s1600/DSC_0045_02.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJo63mKxbn4KWkik0WRuvyned_voto9n0lJKDZZDYZZ2OlqDq6idcnTjmDmfiY6zkNBjq2fufXXIy2hXsBtQ2rUCTCa-Gy4W4U77dMYEq6LKtU92cC6UqseNq1lRWg8VIZPweSunEFZrc/s320/DSC_0045_02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654539831509154290" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We wanted really nice floors, wood ones that feel great under (sock) foot. It's nice if they wear well, and even better if they can remind us of time, and weather. That is, if they change in response to time or weather. So wood is perfect. It ages and builds patina, it records incidents, like dropped pots and spilled wine, and it shrinks and swells with the seasons. </div><br /><div>But really nice wood floors are expensive. So we looked around for a good while before making our decision.</div><br /><div>Upstairs, we went with Southern Yellow Pine. This is inexpensive, yet much harder and more durable than Eastern White Pine. After it was laid, it looked a bit like Sweden, but we had another aim. We had it painted, 3 coats of incredibly durable and glossy white enamel. In our sock feet it feels so slick and smooth, and it vacuums up so easily. We love it. And it makes our house bright even on gray days, and this makes the long winter pass a bit easier.</div><br /><div>Downstairs, we went with unfinished white oak, a rustic grade I bought from my usual lumber supplier for a very reasonable, cheap even, price. Having some serious milling equipment in my barn, I trimmed all of the boards to width, so I could minimize waste and get some wide boards out of the pile. I had planned to fill the knot holes and sand and oil the whole thing, but it looked so nice as it lay, a really nice Heather color, that we decided to try to live with it unoiled or finished. I presanded all the boards prior to laying, so they feel great underfoot. So far, anytime something has spilled on it, we wipe it up promptly. Oily things leave a mark, and when enough of these things have accumulated, we run over it lightly with a palm sander and it is good as new. By the sink, dishwasher and stove, we have the most messes, so we just bought a 10' runner from the Swedish store in Great Barrington and laid it out in that zone. So far, so good. Worst case scenario? We throw in the towel and oil it all anyway.....</div><br /><div>A final note: I got good pricing from a local guy to install the floor, but having the tools, equipment, and free time in the evenings meant I could save a nice chunk of change if I laid it myself. So I did, and I've questioned this wisdom ever since. I enjoyed it ok, and it gave me a sense of accomplishment, but it did delay the project significantly, as for example, plumbing fixtures can't go in until the flooring is down, etc. Given our schedule, it worked out, but if you are in a rush, leave this one to the pros.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuLMwizj05lEKjNyTqw97Dbm9OJtDWubIKafuDarWLuwzeWr8PhzrOqQmOyDr-4ERcs4YUgL7ihvkXZC4GRTfrzKKfgSlevao-5iPBpjEpK1lqcsrtnJfQY7EADlSRImtmr9ta6g4etU/s1600/Mom+and+girls+102.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuLMwizj05lEKjNyTqw97Dbm9OJtDWubIKafuDarWLuwzeWr8PhzrOqQmOyDr-4ERcs4YUgL7ihvkXZC4GRTfrzKKfgSlevao-5iPBpjEpK1lqcsrtnJfQY7EADlSRImtmr9ta6g4etU/s320/Mom+and+girls+102.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5654542735527382690" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Robert Bristowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04289680319469224801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328037846783073633.post-67302837127228113202011-03-23T17:38:00.012-04:002011-03-23T18:28:03.925-04:00Stone<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587398259319016002" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe9pHaO7Oe0w6GFYTLdBbkWUj0mQWNRp428cYPWFTWduhf0Y1y9MwSomGQ588ET6KBBskKKxpVmbaT_jqE1D9cwYxMQ5VDbVtZCkgjtTVqiOmcGCo1hsR48j80JMnZxg3lFy_cUKnvFEc/s320/DSC_0104.JPG" /><br />I love the weight, the heft, the permanence, the indifference, and the irreversible finality of stone. Stone is. It was, and will be. Long past my exit. So it is good to place it. Once.<br /><br />We found a quarry in our region that supplies lovely, huge granite curbstone to municipalities. It dawned on me that if they make it to run miles, it must be affordable. Bingo. It is. But you need someone to lay it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587403638698019506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSIxH9qqQ4hkRXX9F6GY1MNdRh0qOTfQ7SJfFB1hjfJitjNVUGpRZ8uKtCgLeq3VQZfSMgA4-UMxP7iILoqQqVGefHbA7eE07c-jA0hFEqwoPzwQ_ZxBT0HEBvSJsSn0YX6Wud7Li4pBM/s320/siding+and+steel+028.jpg" />Lengths up to 12' are available, in 4" x 12" dimensions. Rather than have our house telegraph its modularity, by showing a concrete foundation, we designed into the foundation a stone shelf on which to lay these huge slabs of stone. Thus, our house has an apparent stone foundation. It sits on stone, which gives it a sense of eternity.<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587403643527742898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbyGLr-65RsN-n3JaVrMilvhH6FfeY0WpgYvsS0eeP10l6YmKDn0oQMTLU70ksv5d_6ybrMhRCGC0IcX7PmdX7w5Oc7XMEwhT1VY0as6NXObfNvfFieQsAtsA00gI1nowIhU7lwaDsU1U/s320/siding+and+steel+006.jpg" /><br />After discussions with the mason, I backed down to 6' lengths, as 3 men can wrestle this into place. The job, in the bitterest cold, still went quickly and affordably: they had my foundation wrapped in 3 days. I had bought extra to use around the carport, but subsequent design changes meant I had a good deal of extra stone. In fact, I had enough to build one hell of a fireplace. </p><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587398892286979010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-oTs_TZwqaSoRCd3Lf7DZnZ7dkfvXMz5UvYrWqHgEu6q5aP_UUbxEudq467KvDwzONYigVaAsV_Lk3rEfpchlEUk6zMvGBzUhwP18tp1t038_32b6fwtXKG_BnSC0kdNPbU5vMHPViI/s320/DSC_0050_01.JPG" /><br />I counted up the stones, I drew very carefully where each stone and joint would fall, and compared it with published data on chimney draughting as well as with the mason's experience. I want that fireplace to suck like hell. Being large, this might prove difficult, but we arrived at a course of action, and he went to work for a few weeks. Part of this course of action included a tiny kitchen fireplace too, as well as wood storage within the stone work.<br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587399346478781522" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-AE_qD9piZmN1_nlprHg2oUcirPpQP9cxh62HSVrLG_eupszOtfJ46JFh1Ul8mBNlFVIwPHHTsF9J7H9RtGp4izunjgTGsRhYe9YluHIFcRABJbyicWZdul-ZrvJ6MJYk87oerVj7_k/s320/DSC_0054_01.JPG" /><br />End of story: we hosted a dozen friends for a Thanksgiving meal in the yet unoccupied house. We had a ceremonial lighting - some people standing around with drinks in their hand - and I lit the paper under the first fire. Whooooooosh. As people who survive tornadoes often say, "You shoulda heard it - that thing sounded like a freight train."<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587399645730108706" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ud_OFU5ms6ugG7e_gfUW6hRe2MiMt-YQZeBN-K0VX3bh60QWtvK8NdG-rs9O7eaJ9Jm3YDb4NHGbqavbtVgIi9RSjM7X3T5Ghig-zl0fVtEDSnq0WOsH1XWptEcD_DfhRC9n5ScvKb8/s320/DSC_0009_01.jpg" /><br />I burn a lot of time and firewood here now.....Robert Bristowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04289680319469224801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328037846783073633.post-7675371777190150692011-03-23T17:05:00.012-04:002011-03-23T17:35:48.497-04:00Glass<div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587388744262122146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk9W2oyqZqtu5RsaaB3evrTJTGTsu8Fvzp6xggT-Egv01FjgbXIdffsZnNUFOJtiGPYOpfKbYarOo0SimMUgCqIU0-_xELOfcegB6AVvRqjHax5DZ1qQg_AmFKJpaH0_kagRKd6bzM6ik/s320/DSC_0033_01.JPG" /><br /><div><div>Smart people don't put a lot of glass at the Northern end of a house, reason being, glass is not a great insulator. In Europe, they have triple glazing, which is like a triple decker sandwich of glass and gas. This actually performs quite well. Here, we have to settle for double glazing. And, having the views we have to the north, northeast and northwest, we went for a glass end of the house. We found a local guy who could provide the large sheets we need at a surprisingly affordable price, so we placed our order and waited. It turns out, the largest pane we needed, a sheet 11'-4"W x 8' H, was the largest sheet the factory (we suspect Corning Glass) had ever done. Still hard for me to believe. So, the factory won't warrant the glass. The glass is tempered, so they are not saying it may break: they just aren't sure the glass won't delaminate, which leaves that foggy look one often sees in big sheets. It was a risk we were willing to take. (Update - 6 months in and some huge winds and sleepless nights, but no prob so far....) Three weeks after the order, a ragtag band of very brave locals showed up and wrestled the four sheets into place inside of 2 hours.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587389435451655218" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbF9_5OqctyFrQdeMjsL4AGSyihCzlPKj9yLhmDCk1bXfINaEqpqV36sN1R1EAWL-zm-36J3aEeohF-psrZJONLWNFFRGYyICM0JCc7kEB3fOVeYqhcA5W2Ng7UoASl-j7Czzth0zQBU/s320/DSC_0040.JPG" /></div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587389068432407282" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDfCHxObgRngGsoiZWYbCJU4NFJ9DhWBz4L22ODIkXl6YcgpJ8zyy-x6ivFZATOdOmbi1DrMDnc38I9zb_-LcEATnn3iidyZS2YfvJMo6nAM1iPX0YwFx0-Zpl79B0ZK_92BQRCcBxkg/s320/DSC_0035_01.JPG" />Suddenly the house grew quiet, and the sun bore in. The space warmed up from the heat gain, and I've never looked back. Just out......</div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587390075268297746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURgG6vcHvMJ4pBQyelROwgD-6yipwEDTbK4RBVNDMzq_Equayv1tvgguchrbY7VMAeKn6O7QwCR7F_GNrjQq_fU6iNjIT82OTf3QuSRa1S7wrFvts6MwcDkJxAMRE7ownq6CMVhfxCWA/s320/DSC_0067_01.JPG" /></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div>Robert Bristowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04289680319469224801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328037846783073633.post-11260617919913058372010-06-03T21:13:00.027-04:002011-03-23T17:04:21.249-04:00The Carport<div><div><br /> </div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587321083887877810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80Iy7LmloZt1__iplPOPenEvxTZcPmYZi65uxy6i4jA9Zv0JunUQ2vkKUENk8DCAicyuOa8ptZ6Y54QtDz9rx6djGAhdqatv__x9DvLxG4opnFlkTLj2aqMpBhueYB5HDmVdcVAMvRJU/s320/DSC_0082.JPG" /><br /><div>Whenever I get to build, I have a need to really engage in the act of building. There needs to be something "built" about the project, something that seems "made," something that teaches me a new technique, something that offers a new medium to work with. In the Charlottesville house, it was the structural system: the house is essentially 5 pairs of brick piers spanned by huge paired wooden beams. In this house, it went beyond the setting of the modular boxes: it became the carport and the bookend. </div><div> </div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587318194067115378" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiObCzNVMPKal-_rP9wmXou9Pgc89kBeiFfD8ASqYm_zhJE5ghUy3u4lSMCBYHSxwaMKV6sGZNSoLIXA_qav3ZqG0W8m2bp08yb9RRw2PNwjvzwxBmjhFcf-N5-TVAYbH7Y_8FCafXgcvk/s320/DSC_0088_01.JPG" /><br /><div>We had a price from Bob Segalla to add a carport to the roadside end of the house. While we had drawn it into our pricing package, it was not part of the modular construction. I think he looked at it quickly and assumed it would be a straightforward garage structure, and he put a number on it. After the the house boxes were set, we re-imagined the carport relative to the new building. We lowered it's ridgeline to bring the height of the house down closer to grade. We still left it pretty tall, monumental in fact, so I could hit tennis balls and shoot basketballs within its cavernous space. </div><br /><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587318400887081442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJPoSRVnQijTjzbxQ7JG_9-gbWWSzKxadaXJ2bfN0IzACEpZWW09kAN_kwIt1RyUDHiP8y1M30A3BxSV2VKO7gOj1ms0J22mCp4hoOgh7wadiONQTAngG7gSSsXQzeQxHbTUplSotp0k/s320/DSC_0048.JPG" /><br /><div>As for materials, we thought about everything, but nothing seemed to work. When Pilar made the decision to drop the ridgeline, something clicked, and it seemed obvious that we should make the supporting posts become steel columns, and the spanning beam should also be a deep steel beam. Painted black. </div><div> </div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587368625930360786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTRqpk2TH2WCCS7Z9YTPpQv7NVMVDSpPRN0H9uUnHGKRbbAqgBE55CeYsXenwQAPYaTBBTRlrZOgCGAZ9M7GUhKPRjnn-H8vlvmeTfhNHCcQ4clGBwaY89c96Kq0fLHgvnNQaNQJ5JlsM/s320/IMG_5247.JPG" /></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587323990261920770" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiasy2x2yYbOEjHljTrlvNjr0lG1n1cqqGqEeQoGnDYlboSbzGOvxrsB1OjVyXpJ3vJZzIJsLMG5Y_O52BHvgMCO79FVdSyHYsV3ybtW8K__I_peFaNizlYmEwjdSiDCAxIA4E9YECsj2Y/s320/DSC_0099.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587324244474929602" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT28tYtP6TvMOV8R20vztyZVFfxH6SHP6OEEggBiyUToCJ2Ldq4O8ZKKlBA3jiYPCmRIoziheWHEgnPBQPYTTuyypVJXCv_G-4x5RsQZp11uJxLCCRp2tkdBBZZXO1kTag4je-RINKGGw/s320/DSC_0113.JPG" /></div><div> </div><div>So here's another thing I love about Bob Segalla: when we shifted from wood construction to steel, he found it was cheaper, so he did the unthinkable: he gave us money back. That's right. Maybe I've been hanging with a lower class of guy, but that just doesn't seem to ever happen, in building or life. There's still one guy out there......</div><div> </div></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587324595303594050" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_NcZTY7Coom0rioXTlwjUx-pT4Vg4R-qkcD-4xpAwsZB4yYFKxXXA1xtdf9J3uPAu-xBszs3wW5jA77Kv7j4XEhgKZBI3v5Gw3BwGaCsmDrvvSEusscugnfLRYOkMzjzCK5UPC-fHvA/s320/DSC_0116.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587318863404824018" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin90dIzLC-HhhjfrvywbfJS_2q97I6-aeHO5cA7uzngszacD1ypED3v36Lw-IOdtUwSP9_q3tXI9-hq-XWZkeseiy_YXqoCu4jz1wyPprZKHuT1QvtEBfLnXVkvbICY0XBqYSSvzpskR4/s320/DSC_0028.JPG" /> <div> </div><div>To end the house, I had fallen in love with the idea of a stone end. I remember on a boat trip to Shelter Island seeing the ruins of a magnificent barn: all that was left were the stone gable ends, perfect stone blades amid the overgrown vines. I remembered Kahn's dictum to "build good ruins." We looked into stone, got it priced, but inevitably, I seemed drawn to making a white white surface that shot down into the green grass of the field. I wanted it smooth, white, maintenance free. Stucco. </div><div> </div></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587320427044274434" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBEsetdeuKEZ4TDbDhydXt7SkfuBLKWQMBxIynPWB8UzwHAAF1SHmKerH7xwgxPcLhP9lbaF2xbaEMu52UuK6FhbP5Q4QuFqIPZAKARQ4vYt9vmAvo6_PXBbcoBkEwBgEAUyKHBuzJ_-Y/s320/DSC_0053.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587320084759800738" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHswH9j1NFqGrYGOILSBt0iMEoF6c-9NMhD0fxe6rolDm5iS42HxkJW7OevLitScOOcpbFwb0dWCwk6f3Kc_xESJCsOjyA6_h9zRi9tCqB5zd-ST7aXMtJKL1ybmn79wRg6hf-Wg8iMlw/s320/DSC_0029.JPG" /></div><div>I considered putting a gigantic opening in this end, a giant glassless opening. Lots of people thought this should happen, but I didn't want a carport that totally failed: I didn't want to have to scrape snow off the truck every single time. And I really really liked the idea of a monolithic blade of white in the grass. So, it became just that. Now, every time I see it, especially up close, it makes me think I'm somewhere warm and sunny.</div><div><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587320869457516978" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPfDFForeUFqgSb5ZXVkUBHsiObct_ZTgqppz3oDVGdMbf9kUoWM08FA3pYo7v1NbNnkkTfGyRx6xiZcaoCoKPEZCZXV0AUvHv-3EnAgNKBh4f-PV9-balbk3PLPLQU6ssHBFp_6upNo/s320/DSC_0077.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5587319161733647570" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg-DXxRJN21fSpifwc0AXbQ5bncLT8tkSfhf5ba1OAcNB0XJUpWi9zM_-_lLkrZfaM9eLsmXKc9NcoaKw1JlMYS0c9BpC6WM8SbmVJXCDP3PSEcL4i4ybBoBMvgvku25Z7Vy6wDFMd4gk/s320/DSC_0025_01.JPG" /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Robert Bristowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04289680319469224801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328037846783073633.post-31399353237009204512010-04-26T21:05:00.004-04:002010-04-26T21:27:28.039-04:00Roofs and Neighbors<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpFY_yrU1TzBlggemXiENkMy4EXTgdnc5ko-EwbCrTpHEjwjpcd-2uJX1f8GxmPkidkrAdn9JYebpqzLh77g1vqG9CEM7bwf749gAqGsqwWMQ_-pFQHaBqhlZai6Lep4VaIRxvAfIu1Q/s1600/DSC_0097.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464619257253239058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpFY_yrU1TzBlggemXiENkMy4EXTgdnc5ko-EwbCrTpHEjwjpcd-2uJX1f8GxmPkidkrAdn9JYebpqzLh77g1vqG9CEM7bwf749gAqGsqwWMQ_-pFQHaBqhlZai6Lep4VaIRxvAfIu1Q/s320/DSC_0097.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>We have a neighbor down the hill whom we like very much, and one day he called to say that the new roof we put on our old barn (at left above) reflects the sun pretty severely into his eyes at certain times of the day. Ugh..... We love the standing seam roof: not only does it match the silos, not only does it remind me of the farmhouses of my youth, not only is it durable, relatively permanent and green (for its heat reflectivity), and not only is it beautiful, it has an authenticity that defies the transient nature of the everyday. It is real. </div><div>And to our neighbor's disappointment, we had already ordered the roofing material: it was sitting in the roofer's garage awaiting the trimming of the building, and some decent weather. Finally, the clouds drifted away and the roofers got to it, making quick work of the main roof, holding off of the carport roof until the bookending of that structure is complete.</div><div>I do think the neighbor will be ok with this roof, as it is parallel to his view of it, so the sun won't glance off of it at the proper angle. I don't know about the other neighbors though....<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxs1ooLnPQkxIPVd8E13yzAysno8dkPXMij5uqhlInAwhz8uvm5694qrzJx-F5oLh9vrhWZcTd4gyH0ZwJIw5jg8QYuT4X7ipLXWzPbKKjAHpzY02lB9sHYRwYeVv0EEFKgmmsM2Rh5g/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464619252225872690" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikxs1ooLnPQkxIPVd8E13yzAysno8dkPXMij5uqhlInAwhz8uvm5694qrzJx-F5oLh9vrhWZcTd4gyH0ZwJIw5jg8QYuT4X7ipLXWzPbKKjAHpzY02lB9sHYRwYeVv0EEFKgmmsM2Rh5g/s320/DSC_0031.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiP3WMscRPkTY9bHbQEbif6sWJCzRtWetqyPdnGy9ZmhopXsLy5TQJue4prshlq3guoCFZ171lO4vF74oJbdJI-AUkymoj6HUB8cJnkGBzkaV5G1SGN-UhevE4jCwvIEMYxmphUamLCI0/s1600/DSC_0022.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464619241721268082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiP3WMscRPkTY9bHbQEbif6sWJCzRtWetqyPdnGy9ZmhopXsLy5TQJue4prshlq3guoCFZ171lO4vF74oJbdJI-AUkymoj6HUB8cJnkGBzkaV5G1SGN-UhevE4jCwvIEMYxmphUamLCI0/s320/DSC_0022.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVxVzqyDQ5TY1f6eZiwaZO7TF3uWra1oGgUc53o0hF1sQ18Iq7haEtIBtYmcbWAp_3i9PSqI0sNWkefe7C0TN0OPq_CoaJCle1HwAGpWrBvZlqVdPVFvYs8vvMPGU2yakaS1k1a8Jt_w/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464619236757711810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVxVzqyDQ5TY1f6eZiwaZO7TF3uWra1oGgUc53o0hF1sQ18Iq7haEtIBtYmcbWAp_3i9PSqI0sNWkefe7C0TN0OPq_CoaJCle1HwAGpWrBvZlqVdPVFvYs8vvMPGU2yakaS1k1a8Jt_w/s320/DSC_0010.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVF-gPf4ch2mWcDXXxKRXmcCQwvSbdapbQ7ybDmJCy79dihLM2xfSJuiPSLWu7yMsS8nFjEemDaxMGd-GAqr36tD4GBj0nhfx5IyGOA4S1s84XEwhHO69WHVgbQoCC2GHBnnrjjrhl8Bk/s1600/DSC_0034.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464619231342237954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVF-gPf4ch2mWcDXXxKRXmcCQwvSbdapbQ7ybDmJCy79dihLM2xfSJuiPSLWu7yMsS8nFjEemDaxMGd-GAqr36tD4GBj0nhfx5IyGOA4S1s84XEwhHO69WHVgbQoCC2GHBnnrjjrhl8Bk/s320/DSC_0034.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div>Robert Bristowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04289680319469224801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328037846783073633.post-23289411405548686982010-04-26T20:47:00.004-04:002010-06-03T21:12:45.050-04:00Lawn Ornaments<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464615623001590210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaS3t6eCtD_-oQ-zWYQ_YNeba5YAbzx31BZ7m7CBwIMCAbv6kqtuuLlaLVCovA6b6HekW6pJ79EfQqsg3CEwQejzBMAEWPzOLX7PksVTdqLrMS-hwnIBFAouLGcv0zdn6GwLiBiQ4Gnss/s320/DSC_0101.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464615634480314658" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5uh4LHumWBrtVcUy4t_Vm5dDvGU8IU69jRqByeVl5i0rUl3qVuyHuSus5kglUUaLhRhrc8YbRxCePV1dUllw6P4MXIB3poTCJSxT9GgC7t-ltBsHKc3mk6CHKb5BZcPHQDQwfJSc8Z8/s320/DSC_0107.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70yWWFAHoxKwUQUXK1odrz9zZuROq5KakxZd2WVcqiTdy7l_1aZsFy3syBhBzzXanWs1dqzWp_UVT5OhCCEWitU7FH-h0fMuTmhhu17HsVanjODxOAIZMcmk8KwNRRkwHX0RTZxK3KJs/s1600/DSC_0108.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464615641790853058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70yWWFAHoxKwUQUXK1odrz9zZuROq5KakxZd2WVcqiTdy7l_1aZsFy3syBhBzzXanWs1dqzWp_UVT5OhCCEWitU7FH-h0fMuTmhhu17HsVanjODxOAIZMcmk8KwNRRkwHX0RTZxK3KJs/s320/DSC_0108.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464615648762637554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw3TjnC-8LA2UjNXGhCVbE3LKV4yc9uUrGF9Dlg4bUMFkaWgw7RmpSxlAGRsTZwFuJZTwpO33FwpYU1Qr31UcQuNYpBcXSjpuZwcTjQ7zOhbufCIdBKT5peB5fjovE_zyStI06vXNDRsc/s320/DSC_0109.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464616451499316226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vn8mYt_Nnhjg0zXCLqYNJBSwMnk7fg6cDYPAG035yS_HHcg88kY1XuAMaDFq3MgTbkl-vCCV4bOx9YYYKIJSXXwIQMprZhZSANhMQe_gbkpXjhJPR1yb57-Af3eDqMNzMsZg2R3hx-k/s320/stonehenge.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Robert Bristowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04289680319469224801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328037846783073633.post-1582385307591175742010-04-15T19:09:00.016-04:002010-04-26T21:05:47.568-04:00Protecting the HouseIn that the modules were delivered in January, and the inside is fully drywalled and primed, there was a bit of stress every time it rained this winter. The house is wrapped in building wrap, and the roof has ice and water shield over it's entire surface, but we have enormous winds over our hilltop, and some of the wraps blew off. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Segalla</span> has gamely re-covered it, not once not twice, but three times and finally resorted to attaching battens over the whole house to pin it down.<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div></div><div>The first order of business was to get some windows in the holes. We ordered a month in advance 16 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">out-swing</span> French casement windows. We found some that don't have a vertical bar in the middle, so when they open, they truly open with no dividers. Ours are big, and they sit 27" from the floor, so the view is unobstructed when one is sitting or standing. They showed up a week after the house, and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Segalla's</span> men quickly and expertly dropped them in place.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462025384872923410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXrGyHgsTCriC9YN_sakdCEtaVqQFhxO4UMSVejXROWezfR2VrJsISOJJmx2gCjteO_kr3waVaTErbLLkrUlyOwJmVWGWS8sWwtdIkG4_HwSfalAxtp9DV0EFGpjRFcCvXBB8Lhk4qc8/s320/siding+and+steel+041.jpg" border="0" />Thank goodness, for then it rained and blew and rained and blew....... and finally, the clouds broke, the fog lifted, and the sun came up. </div><div><br /></div><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460506827493437634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvaGZo3vNOmgXQZ7tJmpKJcVwr0f_rtivORP7KkgZ6_dlyZLA9TtD5Pk59t4CFtylGOvDb2Tcyxil5gWFxA2tRagfOF7Ua6zUXCb_ieuW2Rbb5kYVNQ6Prp1JCDDgm3kprqR3v4_ExCNg/s320/DSC_0103.JPG" border="0" />Time to side the building!!!! </div><div><br /></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5460508450648402978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHkFtFc7slyXBsowXhfzQ2CIbNbPHYuz_PMTP4OlzYiVpyBa8CXXupEZItUzWipcUhRDtxQBQmk94duBT3fCC1A8JxhA_glHdEB6odTnw8m5Y6DeeyiLJKZIBeppobsMaSSXXoukOWhs/s320/DSC_0019.JPG" border="0" /> I've said I like things like a thoroughbred - high and tight - and the siding is an important part of that. I want it smooth, almost seamless, but with a little relief. And, given the high winds we have, it must be dead-eye tight. After some tossing and turning, and getting as many varying viewpoints as there are people in the world, I decided to go with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">shiplap</span> siding, hung atypically in horizontal fashion, with the smooth side out. This way, painting would be a snap, and looking down the house, you even pick up some reflectivity. </div><div></div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462025377932349618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 213px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtv0WQ-7hrJDUOsqlDMTYtnPjGcyC0s_k0lYhzYI5KfFkCG6Xf2-eyWL6oY6sAwTfnT9QJiOLFdyoYYD2NDqvbYutNT9AgGFErSrBFD05gDAoSIfJx1dLybsLu6PnHE6lctY_s63vcohM/s320/DSC_0324.JPG" border="0" />I also decided to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">furr</span> out the siding 1/4" from the sheathing, so that if water did penetrate the gaps, it would just run down the back of the siding and out, as opposed to just sitting there soaking the house and forming mold. I ordered the siding and had the supplier <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">pre</span>-prime it on both sides so the wood would remain stable and avoid cupping.</div><div></div><div></div><div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462028282971161682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiCqwwnpf-WoBtDhMdFO5m5cu8GT5tqTcT7K7LKvvAyvVNYACoW7ixjgfdXXOVTck2WOaAJKRKm6BCjq03YRu0kxxq7Ln7vcwBonWy5eC1hoSwp-On-EnzHOFfNuth8Q8OJXM7iLSKB1k/s320/IMG_5203.JPG" border="0" /> <div></div><div>I needed some help with this - the work is substantial, and a bit dangerous, given the heights. I interviewed about 8 crews for this, and it made me a bit crazy. Guys out there still think $45/hour is their due, even if they aren't working and nothing is in sight. One guy about pushed me to the edge and I wanted to start throwing blows. He walked slow, talked slow, and gave me attitude about all the work I needed to do before he came. He stood there stupidly, and said he'd like $50/hr. I asked if he had a crew. "No, I work alone." Well, I'm thinking, he really thinks I'm going to pay him to cut a board, drag it up one end of a ladder and tack it up, then climb down same ladder and go up another ladder and tack in the other end, then go down and relocate the ladder at least 3 more times for this board. And for 1000 more boards. At $50/hr.! I really wanted to clock him, but I just turned away as he started whining about working cheaper for cash....</div><br /><div>Finally, I found a can-do guy with a "no prob" attitude, who was willing to work cheaper because he recognized the economy and needed the work. I hired him, he rounded up his buddies, and he started promptly. Sometimes the work seems to go a little slowly, but he has proven to be exacting and careful and the result has been superb in every way. </div><div></div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462028286967297842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0SUAjieHxKHO7mun6wTBgNkB-yw33aj_9JddXfsK-TY5lW6oh3urWzCeP_aeDI-Eploy_-1lVI58F7VjdGt4K8rMHiOM9Hx71Xb9XWJglPcJI80k7BUvcnh7_HYGzoAX3axomTfhg0d8/s320/DSC_0028.JPG" border="0" /></div><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462028296995973666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjup6QjDFiNLvV9fbrB14_gvCXg-JoAmDesjTQ3e5cBUzAHA3OVCchPkzcE8INOlNnEGGMAQpXHzMcnK37ZBoRw9PoDhh9JYEGvEab2UnNONhoseuGd6IoHirfcIIAGquOU64RViOp7dzY/s320/DSC_0102.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462028315397651330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi_8xg2DmWZM_nCkSsIX0UYVC6gQaQqSEzh8XXF5QLJHaKuNXMwWcr_vtYh-iKLEmxIz9_tqiQsuvdWkppSsXUHHz1pek8526qlPSg2tuM17R8mNFVJm_AhwGQS2-G13_NX4bpk8gSwXA/s320/DSC_0320.JPG" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462025372914290898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizN0ZdGSfgPH8WZJe6IQ0PdgmGlANaXRvv-uO_RIb1pCuq4pqKORo_1eln8o2P0a20nj0K4-WBeoHsTnVyUJO-DBuwphFZ90eKHfBFdx24UCrZABA8bJMAy_bo044OPvju74N2s0xJEk/s320/DSC_0322.JPG" border="0" /></div></div><div></div><div>And <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">looky</span> there.... a little bit of roof has shown up!<br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Robert Bristowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04289680319469224801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328037846783073633.post-87491121821382582062010-03-31T21:21:00.008-04:002010-03-31T22:17:26.122-04:00<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0M2cmkLlYFtjAi_wpkoDugMzbxAfWOiYMr8OECdoW2szxan_Na8B2C9XLl3ndFZEQ6X_wleHYaBXP1FlYo1LDTkflk45e9gSnOQDy1dATL8d90L6k36mJ0X2_EC-H-PVmayGpzVOwLFk/s1600/IMG_5049.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454984867760973330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0M2cmkLlYFtjAi_wpkoDugMzbxAfWOiYMr8OECdoW2szxan_Na8B2C9XLl3ndFZEQ6X_wleHYaBXP1FlYo1LDTkflk45e9gSnOQDy1dATL8d90L6k36mJ0X2_EC-H-PVmayGpzVOwLFk/s320/IMG_5049.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrtHFGLmUg56fYL0ongmCXEo51OTxLh8or39CclfIN2jLCc5Z9dtZiVujxldPQSUOHza7OB7BLhvml1nDnUusxoneiIAqGKGS0uM8OQsK2ckOaQgfhQJuaj8e_0WNKNP33fvtc_WMItzg/s1600/IMG_4765.jpg"></a>January 15th, 2010 - 7:30 a.m. - Four big packages arrive...<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454974429062746210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheSrGhkV6HnecoQ-rMseJtl2Ee8X8mcAUqbtil8K3CgDzKfTz0ww-9_5aWoEBSA0FSRggPAMeLo2_sBxPHWso1PN4-Uoo9wehGnxPnbN9clMx9xaR5AxeXdksLrdIBkNJidj8t3PLXyWk/s320/1st+Box.jpg" border="0" />and are hoisted into place.</div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454974438469475314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihd3jeEN975iyqSg3cwlaz2cGUsvmomnxkGe1d7qChZrHChWX2Ixcq5uaa7FwfFQ814vF9dR19n89dRcYwdEEs0VBmTqbvIwkaPbf9fCdtbg-6qNhkbtpt4ierGQ9C9pOXXkOp4HSfEko/s320/2nd+Box+air.jpg" border="0" />The kids stayed home from school....</div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454974473892540210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJP6uspA5-n7rnFgx8XD8Zy_1ORgXLkGofdw_IschgBROB84BLVU3pPISFe0gk4PrRLgeiFsJVRHxXRSl4VJ1wW3ROdNSrMOhI0LoDi-eymBaVo7cvx_PLYqkIPKuu1I8GMxJwcp1XLs/s320/3rd+Box+air.jpg" border="0" />The stairs were dropped into place.....</div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454976695320007330" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQfmUjXC7-5VCqjzKt60bVmW8w9M1wCppdQKpZRH79_PpCtLNl7UCk_LVwLDhCmf_YbrFZyPHiS_g5hauVgiQc2UYmGkp0RGjUbpC8l48sz1TkOCvcNRCwG_zAUpqu2MMVYh1rQZ40uZ8/s320/stair+loaded.jpg" border="0" /></div><div>and the last box headed for home.....</div><div> </div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBC6Dp5xHtH22_k4SWcbRLYzxy1tHEPIWdLeykeRIbffayGhfHU2U7xhSakMxaf8i487f7aCd42QRZECkMYIFvXLpIikrnwcwwXet2rd-4flhjdI5R0ZOb6NTMhWTH5iPfv4lZXyFNdYc/s1600/4th+box+air.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454974481003381970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBC6Dp5xHtH22_k4SWcbRLYzxy1tHEPIWdLeykeRIbffayGhfHU2U7xhSakMxaf8i487f7aCd42QRZECkMYIFvXLpIikrnwcwwXet2rd-4flhjdI5R0ZOb6NTMhWTH5iPfv4lZXyFNdYc/s320/4th+box+air.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454975622677513186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizHAxhslo4PshpIIzdtstOAvKZa6uy0AEhpFYnGmJYNDpNGoACf4ZTu2B830HTB6i9c_WeMFfyKP7LGzXrnhQ2bIIzMYNdd3cyfDFrvEThqARXBnoMZdUyogJjHX1djvHbGFg07m_u2tE/s320/4th+box+set.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454976649001022082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixP7cESJSmYHdgMHqt1p3lHOJBmEcVB-0WipAT8z3XQBj8kTowI-q2AnNlqqK8PcMAoOHxaM2kEL6A5qzeq00njwEIM9FGa5Ea9vPPbLhaVMtbGItCDSTtHZTHjsP3_6txgc5mel3opiI/s320/4th+box+crack.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454975616863253602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxiZvQCu_WQHMH7QS77zEUo63x0A-Kt-D3dNjJyGVazS9BoehHFctmFKyG9-KKKA3-1dSl5AnOjt8Ky2Ya2VRFjnrNmCeJV_pvlTUUgFdnXze1DXNI68lNQwQ1mc4VayP2sYLGsAZLas/s320/4th+box+home.jpg" border="0" /> The roof was folded up into place....</div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454976675610946706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM12PPwwTg7ZVOqcn80CV1QRhhUCdZjMKncJyv30toOLbWL_cFyo9x0SmP_WE4op4wbnIigRk6ZNaRrUOr5bW5pIM_sMxxoUO9Lj9WEV6jyt1WcPVzELhOxpobfDiHJOBzdfhuYClWqik/s320/folding+up+roof.jpg" border="0" /> The gable ends were fit right in...</div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454976685471085634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmAWiIBCftxxlJEXf-W4YKNQQ5WFJdBmmMhP8ev9rmnKxGRyJNXXMTjfXkdywy-KARBwyMYAiYXPJutlMYoJBevxk-gH44DUmyfG3z2MzAZ9cxa-390jTbBBdbfo_MFUHk81XCnp6QF8/s320/piecing+in+the+gable.jpg" border="0" />and bang zoom we're done: 5:30 p.m.</div><div> </div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454975633486209250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj634KpoMEceATnWGb1BpA4JKVTPVxgKsfZhcZb_FmHDEH1byc_LadNCJ8VqhKxGSoNQbNuFT3uF7B-GTv1R2fAsVsA6ad8DtF5q8DKmZv7mWq37ILdQVPq8SYQEC0feO6O55SdTDalACc/s320/done.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Robert Bristowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04289680319469224801noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328037846783073633.post-69319074333426943782010-03-25T22:25:00.008-04:002010-03-25T23:00:52.923-04:00Concrete MattersOne of the favorite sounds from my youth is the beep beep beep of a concrete truck as it backs up to the site to drop its load. The unbridled stress, the scrambling excitement, the harrowing permanence of it - it is pure joy to me.<br /><br />My concrete guy is the coolest hand in the land. Nothing was a big deal. Everything was no problem. And when we set the house on it a month later, it was dead-eye dickie accurate.<br /><br />The process is simple enough:<br /><br />You dig out the hole...<br /><br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452768300996131170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhArlOUfULF5ZuT0ng4o6veGoCluIL3FK6gxij-0xYiKV6EIbkeDQR6BIspCty-zQL-Ns4X7XUKgHAfg111jdqSU86mKhrbySG0dNgYSnfNOTsfqLFaagb3eof4Q6MkFGUKKPz5GDUf7pM/s320/IMG_4820.jpg" border="0" /><br />pour in, spread and compact the gravel...<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452768307806216962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtA154Rq9-YzrJo3ASM5-IlIXScXDkY42MUFIwjin3CaxJVzNOKbJULdHZJCycMO8w2s4EWgECoCmHd97TDAw3SAhsgpazUyS80DWJxVoGy0jbfmM0PBxsVxlii7q1w8RgYnMRdki8utI/s320/IMG_4885.jpg" border="0" /><br />set up the formwork...<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452768312719548642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmEIc844jZ7goxQMnF-S3G0L5ywlP5b4mKYYR1kKBUx7wz_gPpuICJ3GxQ5-WPp4LYf2_tFDaDNjVD2MLkv8wUrkOIXdbO8-H7RPYVFs0mjC89Sdxqxoc4035SZD925njWsEEFf9Bq1A/s320/IMG_4896.jpg" border="0" /><br />call in the truck...<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452768320680520674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-GxghgD5soak5vjdGC8J1wjZUWoc72o90L2tm4Pzk5rMrKjf7BHAq3rU9by_UxDPIJfNnTJXJKL-3FT5APgXgGNm1Q1tsdA_3HILbVwMZMzN7vY_hh2uiGIoYAgc1qRA4gyivh6vvKM0/s320/IMG_4900.jpg" border="0" />and pour....<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452768313523405426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Vi1DLosObAaiz_YyWYEcPdY_vUq5riiYfIVAn5q3k7ktpFqWs9HgwHeCVXiKLRj_vwvZHP8k0fGxTIh0ID107sDTE91_cVY5M3hMjKZwyaBYokM2W1IH_ZIpxzO4_sIzYP44Y-_QeZQ/s320/IMG_4913.jpg" border="0" /> A few days later, you set up the wall forms....<br /><br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452769407850313042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnBYOfK6SDgBsCni4lNxzzZ2R90RNZ0gRKyKJLOS4aSMUUu6d2YXMlifmjvunyiy0s2nTA_TD8QsAtHMPYMCHrFmroDOjDQnhhNnkm2rdIqHqLex-4_PtZpN6tVSik0z1kZEC92z5ZFg/s320/IMG_4936.jpg" border="0" />and pour them too. </p><br /><br /><div></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452769410647998402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgojlejSLwp_KjftJZW37-m9ZIbhyphenhyphenopicnxjY0b0eNZzcj5Ds5hSNCm4w8hGNhtzamF-4mHDmymkEyfoqdcdu57LXUxEIFwRgyE3ZOup4omXH8hKUERHWz9ChaVUnAfW3IohDf7YI0kpEI/s320/IMG_4965.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><br /><br /><p>This was my Ando moment. I'm reminded that buildings are so beautiful in their rawest stage, that the more they look like buildings, and actually function, some of their poetry vanishes.</p><p></p>Robert Bristowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04289680319469224801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328037846783073633.post-72190382981249578862010-03-24T19:04:00.013-04:002010-03-31T22:36:57.759-04:00At the Corner of Lime Rock and Greystone<div>As we drew and questioned and met with Bob Segalla, we started to nail down basic things, like the house dimension and placement, so we could begin the excavation and foundation work in advance of the house set. Our house was scheduled to be delivered January 15th, so we had to get going on the earthwork before mother nature stopped us cold. Phone calls were placed, bids were gathered, and one guy was 20% cheaper than the others. Suspicious as I was, I hired him. Best decision I've made. It turns out, he had the proper equipment for the job.<br /><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>So on a fine fall day, I heard a rumbling, and peered out my window: the yellow beasts began to arrive. </div><br /><div><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452750755633727314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRVMrIc4NI3_iXnPbXpeVlpRFi5MjJLsNEanT-x6x6RlOhRp_Ef5pp2CKyoPbaifwW5fnEiQJVjQlN1a5kZhkaCbBv23huCQLtECCXAGRNErLfs6OOm2HqkzHg8lsrIu34Mat7_qLpmA/s320/IMG_4765.jpg" border="0" />Immediately, they jumped on to the septic system, which, due to ledge and perking considerations, had to be sited about 1000' away in a field. The other bidders had planned to build a road down to the septic site. My earth mover had a huge off-road dump truck that could just ride through the field and get the job done. This amounted to enormous savings. As the job wore on, I realized he and his guys were like musicians with their equipment - such a feathery touch with those big hunks of steel. Pure athletes.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452760010365415762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6BPXnGj3iY6SGeiXVE9abz9_mj24Wxi89vpSuRZBWIAxVPs_IO7VpCymG5Zz60aXU0mpE51B9A91AjsmPIShyphenhyphen9eOrC1dqOTGzQrP3yINxIFevnzsMzv7lW8dtF26vDoBesEdI__nSfU/s320/IMG_4789.jpg" border="0" />On another fine fall day, a soft-spoken man with an easy smile showed up with a truckload of dynamite. He brought a giant drilling machine, and methodically bore a grid of holes in the earth, set his charges, had the machine operator drop a blasting mat, and we all stood behind the pick-up truck and waited for the boom. You felt it more than you heard it, and I never got used to it as I concentrated on my furniture work in the adjacent workshop. It started to stress me out, yet I knew nothing was wrong and I found I had to just tell myself to chill out. Once there was a really big blast that seemed out of the ordinary, and the next day I found a big white rock about 50 yards away, confirming my suspicion. That said, we blasted safely within 3 feet of my 1956 barn and I've found no cracks or other signs of damage there.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452750754011543506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqfLXJawxI1-EW6QZSh8wfsUrYK1obJBHpMbT3JvA362QKupnnxz5JRtf6ybYhurCNhWI93e8CNKiUfKztg_mMdlEkCD5eah5Oyfoe7X3_qDS3yjJa2F9L-SPPfb7LuT51sl_fFRxaDyk/s320/IMG_4771.jpg" border="0" /> The rock, which was plentiful, was beautiful. Some was very white, a type of limestone. which explains my address: 126 Lime Rock Road. Some was a gray color, very hard, and I was told it was called Stockbridge Marble. And now I know that the name of the development lane that runs beside our property was only partly atmospheric: I live at the corner of Lime Rock and Greystone.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452750765045780994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQNCDaH6idDNFaLjndFdmEo0mf8qmmFeEKQa_h4r1FY4QwlzN5fyLM-CPMxKXropblBK4KXpWZ8ZRHxeYamsEyAWL0P1BpyT-kSNLe4b2S9lyWO-VgzVINJ_xzrwZuW_etRzhi6dq6wp0/s320/IMG_4783.jpg" border="0" /> Lastly, some of the stone was too beautiful to bury....<br /><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5452750773153906146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOCziEzP2QJQZwd1sZ5ugGxF_5ZT16aKDHEURPVNcLtzVN9P_IsfU6NWAcML7U8Mh9Gr7CHtet27kIfRmrNcjHbkC86UQ95Ton0jfUb68xCqCeQEOC7p6bnVB72gd15aFcolwSyZJAz8/s320/IMG_4786.jpg" border="0" />so I had the backhoe operator load up the 8 best ones, and now we have our own private Stonehenge.<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454992260939511122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2oWW9TVe13z6iBgoUt5bJeFvdGOEpUqhpWBGlLKyQoMAEiV0-xauzqdlJsmrjNasrQpvaLgdqE7wTYQhrsQqw-C4Q0gcpMVK621Pk2TkQtrDmz_bgkos2D8Hu6sP8PlWkEFTbR8Ckd9g/s320/siding+and+steel+019.jpg" border="0" /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Robert Bristowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04289680319469224801noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328037846783073633.post-17246065031215810332010-03-12T19:17:00.004-05:002010-03-16T22:36:31.272-04:00Attacking the Modular Look<div>As we drew plans and sections and elevations of our proposed modular house, we'd step back from them and think, "Looks good: no one will think it's a modular." But a gnawing fear ground away at my stomach: lines on the paper can mislead if not lie. As I looked at a very expensive local modular house, which I did not realize was a modular house until the owner told me so, well then it really jumped out at me that you can spot certain details that tip the hand a bit. We were shocked when we submitted our drawings to the factory, and they were redrawn by them, and when they returned to us, our house looked like a modular house. We had to get busy and get on top of the details.<br /><div><br /><br /><div>People typically want 3 things when building: they want it cheap, quick and good. Peter Forbes, a superb architect I used to work for, used to tell clients, "Pick two." But we would go for all three. The modular process offers some real advantages to consider. First, know that 120 workers will build your house in 5 days. They will be indoors, as will the building materials, so things that oughtn't get wet don't. Most components are cut with computer settings, so, for example, all the studs in our walls were cut precisely to 9', as we wanted. This was particularly evident when we found that all the rafter tails lined up with unusual precision as we installed the fascia and gutters. The house will be scheduled, and it will arrive at it's appointed hour or there will be penalties: this tends to ensure the prep work for it is completed on schedule as well. The house will arrive at various stages of completion. For some, it is virtually complete: floors are in, walls are plastered and painted, doors are hung, roofing and siding are buttoned up, plumbing fixtures are set, the kitchen awaits your dishes. For us, it would arrive a shell: in our attempt to "attack the modular," we pulled all that stuff out and decided to source and install our own.</div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449425602209546674" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmJ6ht6Dfb04K2g3ifUVd22FniFRJRBzLyvkX1MQYYhYYxtMuyzirDEeqXFhYaElW8FVCAEpfztQ5CLUUIHAu3Jq-FdRcJKc_d_kt4UUAJlRbb-OKHEkLOkH4vV3bj4AbjMsALOOP4wQ/s320/shot+from+Greystone.jpg" border="0" />Modular factories offer standard floor-plans. At their base, these are really assemblages of big boxes, proportioned not unlike shoe boxes, sized to fit on the backs of tractor trailers. In that we wanted essentially a loft-like space, and we had site restrictions, we decided to go with four shoe boxes, sized 12' x 60' x 9' tall. This size hauls easily on the road without the necessity for expensive police escorts and middle of the night dashes. They can go to 16' wide, but that's when the money starts to flow for hauling. We planned to set 2 boxes side by side, then put the 2 others on top of them. Given the snows we get here in the Northwest corner of Connecticut, we went with a pitched roof in spite of our flat-roof modern sensibilities. This roof would ride flat on the 2 upper boxes, and would hinge up in place. An advantage to this roof system is that it can easily accommodate a cathedral ceiling upstairs, so we did so in the master bedroom and bath. </div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>The real trick for our downstairs design would be to figure a way to eliminate the structure the modules need to run down their center line. We didn't want a bunch of columns breaking up the space, nor a beam hanging down the center of the room like a spine. We settled on hiding a flitch plate, or, very thin beam, in the ceiling between the boxes. We placed a mammoth fireplace 24' in from the gable end wall, and in that we'd hide some columns to catch the hidden beam. Problem solved. I squint my eyes, and now I'm in a Soho loft.</div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>As I mentioned, we stripped everything off to attack the modular. No vinyl or cedar siding - we were to do horizontal shiplap for a smooth look like the really old houses. No asphalt roof - we want a standing seam metal roof to match the silos and our old barn that we saved. It also reminds me of the Tidewater Virginia farms of my youth. No doors - we will make them. Same thing for the kitchen. No factory windows please - we want a black metal multi-lite outswing casement. Not only does this let us throw open the windows like some Parisian washer woman, it lets us put the screens on the inside of the house. This is huge. Screens over windows rob houses of their life: they put a gray pall over the exterior. And they get dirty. We'll do our own floors please - no honey colored oak strips for us. And while we will lay out every light and switch and outlet in advance, we will provide the lights themselves. And the plumbing fixtures - just give us the pipes to plug into. And we want some glass - some big glass - no little 6' wide sliding unit. Real flat glass to bring the outdoors in. We don't want the standard overhangs of our roof eaves - we want them high and tight. And we want to set the house on stone, not concrete, so we'll run a line of granite curbstone around the base to give the house some soul. And, and.....</div><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div>And so we roll up our sleeves, break out our pencils, pick up the phone, and start calling our people who can help us pull this thing together.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div></div></div>Robert Bristowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04289680319469224801noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1328037846783073633.post-71099665938952098482010-03-08T22:10:00.005-05:002010-03-16T22:44:54.815-04:00Getting Started, for 4 years<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKgoNWogsuZC0s3WrFc_-kDaNNz7GsGOtrPGSSCunaOX1RaBEvKWRJHHyz4ZGQCkNGNX_VECWK0beOJE78UsIi801kWZBHTGl4JQtf2QpzHCHt-8NGqCaKKdn1Xyg5wjAHHLE8ijqJHY/s1600-h/Barn+shot+pre-con.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449427265915840162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKgoNWogsuZC0s3WrFc_-kDaNNz7GsGOtrPGSSCunaOX1RaBEvKWRJHHyz4ZGQCkNGNX_VECWK0beOJE78UsIi801kWZBHTGl4JQtf2QpzHCHt-8NGqCaKKdn1Xyg5wjAHHLE8ijqJHY/s320/Barn+shot+pre-con.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;">I am a dis-ordered soul, which may explain why the things I make are highly ordered in their making and aspect. So it is with some discomfort that I start this blog on the building of our house 3 months into it, which means I have some back-tracking to do to fill in the blanks. You see, the house is there, in place, but the fun stuff is yet to come.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;">Pilar Proffitt is my wife, the mother of my three children, my business partner, my co-designer, my editor, my wiser soul, and a great pair of eyes. We have spent the four years since we first saw our place designing numerous houses that we could build on the property, and finally, we picked one. I find I can design a million things, all of some degree of merit, but nothing really happens till you pick one. Then you make it good.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;">So, of all the ones we drew, and re-drew, we settle on the one we thought would meet our needs, give us something interesting to think about, and that we possibly might be able to afford. This last point had more sway than we would have preferred: if you have 3 small people you have produced, and you need some privacy, you need a bit of square footage. We didn't want huge, but children and all the plastic they come with need space. We didn't want to exceed 3,000 square feet, because, at the local rate of $250-$350 per square foot, we couldn't afford it, and something about going bigger seemed dirty. We looked into renovating our barn into a house, and adding on to the end of it, but Pilar didn't want to live right next to the workshop (OK by me) and there was something about the flies that still think the cows are coming back for a good milking. </span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#333333;"></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:Verdana;color:#333333;"></span><div><span style="font-size:0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"></div></span></span></span></span><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449424807135493170" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmJpn9ZcdgYxJMXlWbCTSoxJBpeaCyHR6AOdnlB5p9do3q8MbazKZO2l2Tz-sINz-l8HoA3M1bS_Y06hMfhj5v9LRrBSL8BZcbpV4MY3Cz954k1d-00xE2c0nSaC5zsL8lt4i0PSYNYc/s320/IMG_4595.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-size:0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="font-size:0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;">At the end of the barn there is a glorious open and relatively flat piece of land. The view to the northeast is of a meandering country road that vanishes into the hills in the distance. Farther on, there are a sprinkling of Massachusetts mountains. There is a McMansion or two in the foreground: one looks a bit like Churchill Downs; the other, a wedding cake. But we look over and beyond them with our rose colored glasses, and breathe in what we signed up and paid for.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;">After talking to at least a dozen of the local builders, from real firms, to guys with magnet signs on their pick-up trucks, we decided we really couldn't afford anything. At all. So we had a crazy idea. Why don't we build a </span></span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;">modular</span></span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"> home? I'll be frank: I have never, ever, in my life, seen a modular home that I admired. There always seems to be </span></span></span><em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;">something </span></span></span></em><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;">not quite right. Even the new modern ones I see published in the glossy's seem to be either too small, too expensive, or too aspirational: I know of a local couple who went with one, and while very cool, it ended up at over $400 per square foot, according to the builder. But how about this: what if we went to a local modular company, worked with what they can do in their typical set-ups, tweek it to fit our needs, and spend the savings on eradicating everything about its appearance that speaks of modular. We did a drive-by design, and got it priced: holy cow it came in at $117 per square foot and off to the races went we.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><br />We only looked at one modular builder: the guy we kept hearing about, met, and grew quickly to respect was Bob Segalla of Segalla Homes. He is the local builder that works with Westchester Modular, a house factory that serves a fairly large portion of the Northeast region. As best as we could determine, not only was Westchester's construction of the best quality around, the Segalla's have a reputation of being straight-up honest and direct. As we got into it with Bob, we found things were remarkably simple: if you wanted the cedar siding option, it cost X. If you didn't, the deduction was the SAME X! No yanking around. So at the bottom of the list of all the things we wanted, and all the things we didn't, was a total, and that, quite literally, was the number we took to the bank. It took a large portion of the risk, the discomfort, the uncertainty right out of the building equation. (I say large portion, not all, because of the things I pulled out of his contract, such as the earth-moving, which is the most fraught with uncertainty and risk of all. - more on this later.)<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size:0;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;">Now the work really started: we learned to work within the limitations of the system Westchester offered, then we drew, and tweeked, and drew some more till we had a plan that worked for us. We wanted 4 bedrooms so Sammy could move out of our closet, a TV area separate from the living area, a basement for the kids and all their stuff, a workable mudroom for mud mud mud and gear, a drive-in garage to limit that mud mud mud, a bedroom and bath that gave a sense of escape, if not an actual escape, and downstairs, we just wanted a big open loft space, with a big damn fireplace. We designed a masonry bookend for the house to turn our back to the road, and glassed the opposite end which aimed toward the mountains. We drew a covered connection to the existing barn, so I can make a clean escape to and return from the workshop when something needs to happen.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#333333;"><br />The next job was to address the finishes, those things you see and touch that tell you the house is modular. This is for the next entry.</span></span></span>Robert Bristowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04289680319469224801noreply@blogger.com2