Eastern Bloc

The SIPs are up and Tyvekked on the southern and western sides of the barn and are going up on the eastern side. You can really start to visualize what the barn is going to look like finished. It's going to look great.

The SIPs go up. You can see the arm of the Pettibone hard at work

Pettibone Junction

The view is going to be spectacular

2x4s Galore

The interior wall framing continues while the exterior walls (SIPs) go up. It looks as though the rain is done for the week, so hopefully the mud will subside enough for wheelchair access.

You can see the SIP progress along the left wall as well as interior framing in the center

The wall between the sitting room/bathroom and stairs/great room is installed

The ladder may stop a bit short, but it adds great character

A House Begins to Take Shape

A fully SIPed wall, from the outside

A fully SIPed wall, from the inside




The entryway takes shape

The pantry and front closet are fully framed

The pantry, with fridge and freezer cubbies

The kitchen



A new tar pit is discovered

Pantry Raid

The SIPs continue to go up and they have begun to frame the pantry/refrigerator/front closet area. Thursday will be a day off and the SIP guys will get another day to work before the weekend.

Mike hard at work framing out the pantry.

Gable end of south side gets SIPed up. You can see the future round window location.

Another look at southern wall.

The SIPs Have Landed!

Well, the SIPs have arrived and are going up, although the weather is fighting us tooth and nail. We had 4 inches of snow this weekend and it is expected to be wet and rainy all through Thanksgiving and the upcoming weekend. We will all breathe a sigh of relief once the SIPs are all on and the envelope is closed. Then we can dry out.

The drywall-edged foam panels are glued in place with more foam, eliminating future drafts

Future site of the kitchen as well as double french doors (with transom window) to the deck



More kitchen and the future home of the pantry and front closet



The front door, which will be 40" wide with two 12" sidelights and a transom overhead



Collar ties will hold the roof together while a chase just below it will provide a central location for upstairs ductwork and electricity

Two Weeks: Abridged

The last two weeks have not been full of spectacular changes, but that doesn't make what has been done any less important. Bill & Co have been spending the time stabilizing the foundation and timber frame while we have been running the gauntlet of bureaucracy. On the plus side, we now have our zoning permit and the septic system worked out and we were able to observe a township meeting. Democracy in motion is quite long-winded. The SIPs are scheduled to arrive tomorrow (Wednesday) and the spectacular changes will begin again. Here are the latest developments in captions.

Rotten wood is replaced with concrete block and gaps are concreted closed

The sealer goes on to the timbers and brings out their innate redness

A cross of timbers adds stability where one set of barn doors once was

A view down the gullet of the beast

A total of nine rotten timbers were replaced by the excess timbers salvaged from the barn