Weeks 11-12: Beams and Ceiling

Oh.  Here is the photo showing the beam hanger hardware I decided to use to hang all the beams.  As I mentioned in the previous post they ended up being extremely time-consuming and difficult to work with, but the end result makes using them  worth it.  

Here, the ship-lap sheathing from the old house is brought back out to be cleaned and re-purposed as the ceiling boards for the new house.  Love not throwing stuff away.  Can't afford not to.

Working on the gable end of the house

Here you can see the old sheathing re-used as a ceiling.  

The steel beam is a dominant feature in the house and is seen here from the entry area with the pitched roof arcing up and over the beam  -----  to dramatic effect.  I'm really pleased with the way this turned out.  Structurally speaking, I could have used something else.  A Glue-Lam or Para-Lam, for instance (an engineered beam, laminated in some fashion.  Google it if you're interested), but this just wouldn't have been right.  I kinda feel like a casting director;  I got the right guy for the role:  STEEL!  W12 X 45 ( Wide Flange beam, 12 inches tall, 45lbs. per ft.) Wasn't it the architect Louis Kahn who talks about the role certain materials want to play and how it is the role of the architect to cast them appropriately?

Add caption