Raise High the Roof Beam

Yesterday we met the electrician (we call him Ed) to decide the lighting for the upper floor. Ed's a bundle of energy and definitely knows what he's doing. Before going there, we plotted out all the lighting throughout the house, and showed up with a detailed plan. What we hadn't thought of is that the design of the ceiling/roof system precludes the recessed lighting we had planned throughout the office and master suite. Despite that major change we're definitely happy with the resulting plan, particularly as the fixtures can still be unobtrusive. We also figured out some things to change in the upstairs bathrooms, so the toilet and shower in the master bath have switched places yet again (it's not like anything has been framed, so it doesn't matter).

While we were there, the team was putting the windows in and working on the roof. Getting the roof on was key, since the house needs to get buttoned up before the snow (or rain), and the upper lighting needed to be done to make progress on the roof. As soon as we finished with him, Ed drilled through the wood ceiling and ran the wires across the roof-in-progress and down into the exterior walls. I think the building team then laid down the insulation and some other layer(s) - maybe the ice and water shield? Today we were back and there were wires hanging from the upper ceiling; the roof had been trimmed to an even edge and a tarp nailed down to hold us until spring; and work was moving along for a roof over the garage.

Seeing the house with windows in really helps to define the space. The big folding door hasn't arrived yet (there's some question whether Empyrean has ordered it yet), and the sliding doors to access the decks aren't installed yet, but otherwise, you really get a sense of the finished feel.

We also had our first owner-driven change. The way the light comes in from the upstairs walkway is beautiful, and we want that light to spill into the office. Under the plans, the all that light would be bounced off a wall and down into the living room. So, our plan is to eliminate that wall and turn that hallway into the same kind of cable-rail walkway as the path along the windows. The light will spill into the office and downstairs, but in a different way. This means ordering the cable rail system for ~16 feet, and ordering a mahogany "wrap" to put around the posts that will now be exposed rather than inside a wall. We'll also need to see whether Empyrean tries to talk us out of this change and whether they come up with a compelling reason to have the wall.

The picture is Steve (builder - standing in the office) and me (standing in the walkway) seeing how things will work if we take the wall out. It also gives a good view out the walkway to the property and woods beyond. Ed is there, but obscured.

Here are some photos from the last few days, including the guys - they have such good manners that they're eating their lunch in the kitchen. The garage has a bunch of windows, too - it will be bright even when there's a roof on it.