Measure Twice, Cut Once

Sunroom construction phase 2: framing, windows and the roof!
June 2 - June 23, 2009.
(There are notes for the pictures, just move the cursor over "notes".)

"Every nail driven should be as another rivet in the machine of the universe." ~ Thoureau

Phase 2 kicked in around the first of June with the framing crew. I was very impressed with one older guy who could take that circular saw and simply cut angles and wedges out of the wood without marking them and then it all came together perfectly. The cupola was built on the ground and then put into place, everything had to fit just right to get it to come out. I love the geometry on the inside... amazing how they can take the plans and simply put it together.

But, phase 2 was not without problems. The original plans called for four windows on each side of the sunroom and the Anderson window guy came and sat there and measured before ordering; yet when they arrived, the windows were too wide and seemed shorter than in the plans. We needed six more inches to get four on a side so I made the executive decision to go with just three on the side. It ended up making the room much more sturdy to have the extra framing between the windows... a good thing with the Nor'easters we get around here. The slightly shorter windows turned out for the best as well. We have gorgeous woodworking that would have been cut down and we were able to fit a split system heating/air unit in the room as well.

They did some of the outside trim, put in the cupola windows and the room windows and started on the roof.... the copper roof. The roofers were artists and the roof laid and crimped and finished off by hand, took almost a week. The heat made it harder, they could only work in the morning... by noon the temperature of the copper was too hard to handle. When first put in place, the copper is bright and shiny like a new penny, almost blinding when the sun hits just right. One day I went to the store and as I was driving back I was struck by a very, very bright light from the corner of our house. My first thought was that I had left one of the outside spotlights on... but then, I remembered, we DON'T HAVE any outside spotlights on that corner of the house. It was the roof. For several weeks we had gawkers drive slowly down the street into the dead end cul-de-sac and back again... just looking!

Saturday.. I always looked forward to Saturday... no workmen... sleeping in. Then one Saturday at l7AM... BANG! BANG! BANG!.... What!? The roofers.. trying to get finished. When the roof is finished no one should walk up there ... but wait... those cupola windows still have the protective plastic on the outside.... who is going to take care of that? It slipped the installer's minds. Thank goodness the roofers worked that Saturday... they graciously took the plastic off and even cleaned the windows. You have to love those roofers... even at 7AM.

Phase 2 done.... carry on.

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