Going Vertical and Getting Married!

Let the Countdown Begin...

In construction, going vertical is one of the most exciting and wonderful experiences of the building process. Last Wednesday, our new home started going up!  Check out Bruce standing on the foundation with the garage going up behind him.  He is a happy man.



This moment was nervously anticipated as Bruce and I have an important date coming up. We have decided to get married in our emerging home this December 28th!  There is no house in place, no walls, no windows, no doors...as yet.  We must be CRAZY!!!! However, East Beach is very meaningful to us and our new home symbolizes starting our new life together. Our children, grand kids, siblings, and a handful of close friends will be on hand to celebrate with us (all wearing very warm coats).

Our builder, Jim Schneider of Schneider Custom Builders, is working hard to balance building the house right with our marriage date.  Construction of the foundation took longer than expected when Blue Mud had to be mitigated by digging deep and removing loads of poor soils, re-filling with gravel, building rebar waffle cages, and pouring a concrete foundation.  A quality home begins with a strong foundation and it took some time to get it right.  This house will stand for centuries.

Jim thinks we can pull off the wedding in the house, although it won't be very far along by December 28. Sunkiss Tanning and Hair Salon has offered us the use of two outdoor heaters for the ceremony and our minister, our dear friend Al Butzer, says the traditional wedding ceremony will be fairly quick.  Our former neighbor and good friend, Lee Rosenberg of East Beach Photography, will be our guest and the photographer who will have to make magic in this crazy wedding venue.  He is GOOD.  He can do this.  :-) 

So, the countdown begins.  The foundation is almost complete.  We're waiting on a bit more steel to come in, a requirement of the structural engineering review.  Our new home will have many windows, vaulted ceilings in three rooms (living room, master bedroom, and billiards room), and large dormers that flank both sides of the living room vault.  This is a lot of glass.  The Chesapeake Bay location of the East Beach neighborhood can pick up strong winds during occasional Nor'easters. These factors can take a toll on a house, so making certain the foundation and structural engineering are correct is important.


Note the flood vents in the foundation.  One of the wonderful things about East Beach is that it's not located in a flood zone, but it's always good to be prepared for anything that may come in the future.

Jim also is installing ZIP sheathing, a good choice for this coastal location.  ZIP is a structural roof and wall system with a built-in energy-efficient barrier that keeps moisture out and reduces air leakage, while still allowing panels to properly dry. This photo shows the ZIP system installation on the garage.

Rain is in the forecast for the next few days...pray for sunny skies!