9th in 2014 New Vienna House Series Building a new house gives you a chance to do some pretty unique things to really make it a custom home. If the roof is on and windows are in, then the electrician has probably started the process of getting the electrical plan set up per the drawings. There are building codes that require GFCI outlets and Continue Reading
Looking like a New House
8th in 2014 New Vienna House Series Now that the roof has been put on, our house is really starting to feel like a home (okay, a carpenter's home). I have seen this house in the drawing for a while but it is always interesting to see the walls get laid out and rooms really start to take shape. Room dimensions are especially important in the Continue Reading
The Roof Truss System
7th in 2014 New Vienna House Series Waving his hand to the crane operator, the engine roared and the roof truss rose into the air... Like most of modern day construction, the roof truss sections are actually built off site to specific design specs. Building them offsite in a controlled environment allows the engineer to ensure they are built Continue Reading
Long Live the 2″ x 6″
6th in 2014 Vienna House Project Series If you haven't seen the extra photos yet then I recommend you check them out (link below) because the framers have been working fast and using a lot of wood. Yes, it's the exterior walls get the 2" x 6" lumber which adds more strength... as well as room for insulation, wiring and. sometimes waste Continue Reading
Framing the first floor in Vienna
Fifth in the 2014 Vienna House Project Series Most people can't believe how quickly a new house gets built, but often what they are seeing is work performed by the framers. These carpenters measure wood and build walls exactly as it is written on the architect's drawings. If you like to work from an exact plan, then you might want to Continue Reading
The Steel I-Beam Arrives
Fourth in the 2014 Vienna House Project Series It is exciting when the steel arrives at a new house. This is typical construction here in Vienna VA real estate construction to have a series of I-beams (some may say a W-beam) carry the load of the joists in the house. The steel fits into designed pockets in the concrete foundation and are Continue Reading
The Concrete Foundation of a Custom Home
Third in the 2014 Vienna House Project Series Building the concrete foundation walls of any custom home starts with a crew setting up the metal forms that hold the concrete as it dries. The metal forms rest on top of the original concrete footers that also had the steel rebar rods. The concrete is pumped into the molds and the workers Continue Reading
Let’s Dig this Hole
Second in the 2014 Vienna House Project Series House construction starts really fast, so it is always an adventure for me when I turn down the street to see how the new house project is coming along. With the 1950's house removed and the building site staked out, it is time to call in the loader and excavator to dig a basement. Typical Continue Reading
