The Letter of the Day is "F"

Frost on the Framing this morning! Today was very cold all day - honestly I cannot imagine working outside all day in temps like this- but Scott and John did it. And they Finished the First Floor!

If there was a sound of the day, it would be a loud BOOM. This was the sound that rang out periodically as the guys aligned the edge of each 4' x 8' sheet of 3/4" plywood (read: HEAVY!) against the previous sheet and let it fall into place.

Yesterday they had finished installing the floor joists and girders and steel columns in the crawlspace. We'll look more at how that all fits together in another post. The crawlspace is covered over now, with the only way inside through the opening in the back of the foundation. There will be a floor hatch, but they've decided to frame that later.

Sill plates are next, and marking out the interior wall locations. If the plates around the perimeter look "skinny" to you, it's because the exterior walls of this house are going to be framed with 2x4s instead of the more typical 2x6s. The framers commented on how infrequently they build exterior 2x4 walls. I made this decision while detailing the wall section to energy star standards. (using "CI" or continuous insulation) With the continuous exterior rigid foam insulation these walls will have, we don't need so much cavity insulation between studs, so using less wood makes sense. Continuous insulation performs better for many reasons than cavity insulation alone. With it's air sealing and insulation details, this will be a snug house. Next year, when the cold fall winds blow like today, my in-laws will be warm and toasty inside.