Starting to Have a Roof

June 29, 2010

In spite of having been rained out a couple of days, Luis is making sure that the roof is going up on this project. The support beams are in place and secured with cement, and they are now installing the laurel boards.

This is what it looks like from the inside















In addition, they are working to put the finish coats of cement on the walls.

According to Luis, they are still on schedule in spite of the rain..

A Few Pieces of Wood Going Into Place

June 21, 2010

Luis is starting to put the beams up for the roof above the second story.

Now, remembering back we tore down the original structure that was on the property and tried to salvage what we could. In the process that Luis uses, the beams are sanded down, stained and then protected. This is an example, and I think it could be one of the old beams from the salvage. - Look's pretty good I would say.

This is a stack of Laurel that will be used for the ceilings in the house. They are stacked this way to let them dry out. Then they will also be sanded and stained.

While they are working on the beams, other guys are working to put the coats of cement on the block walls. There will be several coats of cement applied before the finishing coat is applied.











Once the roof is on, then they will lay the floor for the lower level. Stay with us to see the finished product...

Getting Ready for The Crown for The Second Story

June 7, 2010

The men seem to make more and more progress every day.

As you can see, the block for the second floor is about done. They are now putting up the forms for the arches on the second floor balcony. Check out the other pictures below.

June 10, 2010

A couple of days later, all the re-rod for the crown is in place. Then, they will frame it in and make the pour for the concrete crown. This should be done by the middle of next week.

This shot gives you a better glimpse of how the re-rod is set in place.

After the crown is set they will begin installing the Almond beams for the roof structure. This type of wood is very hard and insect resistant. - Stay tuned..

Great Progress on the Second Story

Friday - June 4, 2010

It has only been a few days and the walls are not too far away from completion. Here, you can see that they only have a few more layers to go. The forms you see are where they will pour solid concrete for the structural support.

To the left, is Luis checking to make sure things are level. Also, you can see the pillars have been poured for the roof over the upper deck.

Now, this is a big thing - This is the electrician preparing to install the main electrical box for the house. When it is installed, they will begin running all the wiring for both units.

The pictures below give an idea of how the casita sits on the lot from a curb view and how the arch of the pillars look.

From the way it looks at this point - we are not too many weeks away from starting the roof phase of the project..

Starting the Second Story

These guys are not messing around. The floor and crown was laid late last week, and now they are starting to lay the block for the second story.

Here is Luis working on the materials the men need to do the work

  .

Above, is the finished crown from the interior view of the living room. At this point, all the structure has been tied in together and secure,

As the followers of this site can see, they are going strong now, and I am very happy with the progress

 

The Second Floor Pour

May 28, 2010

There is a low pressure system on the Pacific Coast, and it has been raining here almost constantly. In fact, one town on the coast got 11" of rain in one day. This has slowed things down a bit, but as of today - the second floor has been poured. Now, they are getting ready to lay the blocks for the second floor. Take a look at this:

This is the main ramp to the second floor - originally, it was designed for Evil Knievel to run his high powered motorcycle up the ramp and over the building onto the hill above. However, Luis decided the best use for this ramp was to get the concrete in wheelbarrows up to the second floor. And, that is exactly what they did yesterday.

The floor and crown is now poured, and we are ready to start on laying the block for the second floor.

Here you see the framing for the crown, which will be removed during the next couple of days. Now that the second story floor is in, the men can work down below every day during the rainy season.








Below, you see the men preparing the re-rod to lay the blocks for the second level.

It is starting to look real good. By mid July, Keith needs to get down here to pick out the tile and many other things.

Almost Ready for Second Floor

May 21, 2010

Luis is really making some progress. I was shocked at how much he accomplished in only a few days. Another thing I noticed was that the quality of what he is doing is better than what I have seen in other homes.

Above, you see the forms enclosing the re-rod and the end of the metal beams. When the concrete is poured next week, everything will be secure and all the walls joined together for total support of the structure.

The way Luis is doing the metal beams is pretty impressive. Although they are made out of corrosion resistant material, he had them painted with anti-corrosive paint to insure durability. The man working on top of the beams is welding the seams to ensure no movement and a more sound resistant floor. The corrugated metal above the beams is the base for the concrete floors.

Because Luis has been working the men Saturday's, the pouring of concrete should take place Monday or Tuesday of next week. You are going to be amazed at how they do this.

Stay tuned...