first delivery
After another couple of days of rain the skies have cleared and we're getting started on the framing. This is the first delivery of framing materials. Those long things are the 32-foot-long floor joists - manufactured "I-joists", wooden I-beams with 2x3 top and bottom rails and an OSB (plywood) web. The I-joists will span the entire 32-foot width of the house, but will be supported by a beam in the center.
All these bundles are banded, loaded at the lumber yard by forklift. To unload on-site they simply tilt the bed of the truck and drive off, leaving the stuff to drop to the ground. One bundle of I-joists actually rolled off the side; the other got hung up and the driver had a tough time dislodging it. Makes one sort of cringe to see all that expensive wood manhandled so brutally, but apparently no real harm is done (most of the time). One I-joist did break - snapped right in two; the driver said "we owe you one - no problem, we have them in stock".
Below is the rest of the load sliding off. This comprises the lumber for the center beam (supporting the middle of the I-joists), the sill (the layer of wood between the concrete foundation and the I-joists), and the end caps (the wood pieces capping the ends of the I-joists). After all this is installed comes the plywood decking, which is supposed to be delivered tomorrow. Then come the walls, roof trusses, and roof. Stay tuned ...
Posted: Thu - April 15, 2004 at 08:31 PM