Archive for the ‘Timber Frame’ Category

This morning we are working from the top to the bottom and pretty much everywhere in between.  In the big picture below the first of the upper roof panels is being set into place while the concrete truck pours the basement slab.

Meanwhile, on the lower part of the roof we are running the electrical wires and wires for the security and alarm systems.  We don’t want any exposed wiremold or electrical conduit so all ceiling mounted fixtures are being wired from the outside. This requires careful planning and skilled hands. To the left Sam Joslin, of Century Electric, confers with Dave Vinick, of Home Electronics.  To the right Len Capizanno locates the overhead fixtures.

And, while all this is going on up above, Ca-Gin Concrete pours the basement slab.  The blue foam blocks mark the location of the footings for the steel columns that will support the floor and roof structure.  Once the floor hardens the foam will be removed. And after the columns are set the diamond shapes will be patched and the concrete will secure the base of the columns.

For a quick history of the project scroll down to go back through Older Entries.

The new store is located at 4625 Old Post Road (right next to the existing store).

We are beginning to install the Climate-Block panels.  These panels will serve as the curtain wall for the timber frame portion of the building and the entire structure for the beer cooler and wine storage room. Made of engineered lumber and expanded polystyrene (EPS) the wall panels have a true R-value of 30, with no thermal bridging.

Both the timber frame and the Climate-Block panels are cut on a computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine and delivered to our site ready to install.  This requires careful planning and thoughtful engineering and results in a tighter, more energy efficient building.

Special thanks to our structural engineer, Ernie George who has worked closely with Oyster Works, South County Post and Beam, and Delta H to integrate the different building systems and help us bring our design to life.

For a quick history of the project scroll down to go back through Older Entries.

The new store is located at 4625 Old Post Road (right next to the existing store).

Take a look!   Five days of beautiful weather and teamwork and the timber frame is up. Brother and sister owners, Jon Maldon and Jane Gross, watch as Todd Bissell, of South County Post and Beam, gets ready to lift the last beam.

We love the simple elegance of the timber frame and part of us wishes that we could leave the frame exposed.   But…Monday morning the Climate-Block panels arrive and we begin to close in the building.

If you drive by and notice parts of the foundation with no framing, don’t think that we ran out of lumber.   The areas without a timber frame are the wine storage room and beer cooler and they will be built entirely of Climate-Block panels.

The frame stands in the afternoon light.

For a quick history of the project scroll down to go back through Older Entries.

The new store is located at 4625 Old Post Road (right next to the existing store).

After months of planning and preparation we are raising the timber frame for the Charlestown Package Store.   South County Post and Beam cut the frame and is raising the structure.  The mortise and tenon frame is made from Douglas Fir and is held together by oak splines and pegs.   The structure is about 1/3 complete and we are scheduled to finish the timber frame by the end of the week.

With a timber frame building and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) walls we have to be thoughtful about how and where we are going to run the wires and mount the fixtures.  Our design includes dramatic lighting, fire and security alarms, audio and visual systems, a cash register and inventory system, wiring for the geothermal heating and cooling system, and the usual array of outlets and switches.

We called everyone together – Tom, Tom, Ed, Traves, Ryan from Delta H; Meggin from Bay State Audio; Evelyn from Evelyn Audet Lighting; Sam and Lenny from Century Electric – to discuss the challenges and develop a plan.

We decided to build two horizontal chases into all of the wall panels and run all of the wires for overhead and ceiling mounted alarms through the roof.   This will require close coordination as Delta H will leave off the roof sheathing until Century Electric and the alarm company run their wires on top of the foam insulation.