Framing Begins

It has been awhile since the last post, because it has been awhile since there was much to see.  Most of the action was behind the scenes, like ordering stuff.  As the materials for framing arrived, so did 50 degree temperatures and some early February rain to create a muddy mess.

Materials are arriving on the lot - first steel beams and posts, then foam, and finally lumber.  Real progress cannot be far away.

At the end of the first day of framing, the steel beams and posts are in place and the first floor joist are being positioned.

Positioning the first floor joists - A few of the steel beams in the basement are visible here.  The foam is stored under the blue tarps in the background.  Due to the mud, I couldn't get very close without sinking in.  Surprisingly, one of the few places that wasn't too muddy was a dirt pile, so I took this picture from the top of the dirt pile.

At the end of the second day, the first floor platform was completed.  Slightly colder temperatures were actually welcome because it froze some of the mud.

The first floor platform

This is where the stairway to the basement will be.  On the second day, the mud had dried (or frozen) enough to get a little closer, but only in a few places.

This view of a corner shows the way the platform is set back from the edge of the poured wall to allow space for the rigid foam.  The brick ledge extends out farther than the rest of the basement wall.