Second Floor Prep part 3: Getting close?

The weather is all over the thermometer these days and today was the coldest yet.  We had a meeting with our interior designer at the house so she could take a look around.  We discussed some design ideas, but they were mostly put out there to get our minds working on the future.  Our second meeting was with Geoff and Great Oaks for the landscaping.  He brought out his pool design/installer subcontractor so we could talk about the logistics of an ICF pool, which he has never built before.  Money will soon be pouring out of our pockets for all the preliminary landscaping structures that need to be implemented to support the driveway.  We also got a chance to drop of the revised landscaping plans to the HOA.

Not a ton of work has been done since the weekend before.  The week was a little wet, so it probably slowed progress down.  More prep to the second floor was finished, but there still looks like some work needs to be completed before the pour.  We’re in the third week of November now, so time is really getting short.  A mid-December button up seems less likely.  

The LiteDeck for the stairwell going up has been cut to shape but forms still need to be added for the concrete pour.  Remember, the steel beam next to the stairwell will be cut out after the pour so this will be open all the way up.  Should be a pretty dramatic look.  We discussed stairway railing and baluster design with Margaret, but I think we’re still undecided on what we’re going to go with.   

Another shot of the stairwell.  This wall will go all the way up to the ceiling and we’re also trying to figure out if we’re going to have some kind of paneling or wainscoting traveling up the stairs.  If we did, it might need to continue on the second floor rotunda walls as well.  It’s a more traditional look, but if implemented cleanly, could look a little modern as well.

Some of the “halo” is up on the exterior wall.  As with the first floor, a single course of exterior wall ICF is added to act as a form for the floor pour.  This allows the floor to tie directly in to the wall rebar spikes, which continue up into the second floor walls.  Again, this floor will be a monolithic pour, starting with the beam pockets, which contain helix steel fiber.  When it’s still wet, but setting, the floor will be poured without the helix fiber.  I hope I can get a pour date, and maybe take some time to watch the process.  Not enough movies of the build.

Detail of what the “halo” looks like next to the LiteDeck flooring.  You can see the channel that will be filled with the pour, which actually fills some of the top of the first floor walls.  The curved rebar pieces you see there are part of the ICF header above every door and window opening.  From this angle, I think one more course of exterior wall ICF is required since the slab will be about 3” above the LiteDeck.

Here’s what the second floor looks like right now.  You can see the interior wall of the elevator shaft, which looks like it’s built up to the correct height for the pour.  Considering another course of exterior ICF needs to be installed, and the turret still needs to be completed, looks like there’s a good amount of prep required before the pour.  I’m guessing (hoping) they’ll attempt a pour next week.  

Parting shot of the rotunda from the front door.  Looks like a post-apocalyptic war or something (playing too much Fallout 4).  I think all the temporary supports are up so at least everything is prepped from below.

As I’ve mentioned before, the windows have been sitting in the warehouse since Spring but we should be able to take delivery soon.  Normally the  bank pays out loan disbursements after installation, but they said they would be able to approve a draw on the windows if they get a clear receipt of delivery.  With the delay in the second floor, I’m not sure we should take delivery before Christmas.  I guess it depends on how much shutdown will happen around the holidays.

We’re rolling forward on getting landscaping approval from the city.  They required a right-of-way permit, which I called in to get extended until next May.  It’s required for improvements to the driveway since we’re connecting with county roads.  We’ll need to have all the silt fence and orange barrier fence installed before the city will grant approval.  We’ve decided to install the 600’ of orange fence ourselves since we’ll want the freedom and flexibility to remove and reinstall it as we progress through the landscaping phases over the next few years.  When we get the pool design approved, we can start excavation and use that as fill dirt for the front yard.  A few retaining walls are required so the timing of all these steps is delicate and all costs are out of pocket since they’re not rolled into the mortgage.