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 Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Progress continues
Posted by dirttodone

Progress is continuing and getting closer to completion. The rooms are starting to be easily distinguishable beceause of features like the fireplaces and bars.


The kitchen snack bar is on the left and will be covered with about a ton of granite. Golden Eagle Log Homes' engineers ask a lot of questions when drawing the home so things like heavy granite countertops, in floor heat, heavy snow or wind loads are all engineered correctly. This ensures no surprise extra costs later. On the right side is the dining room. The large windows are facing the small lake.



This photo is of the kitchen snack bar. It will be covered with split log. The countertop will be granite. The drywall behind will be done in a textured faux finish.

The exterior of the home is being stained with Sikkens new two-coat system. the color is teak. The caulking is Sascho wood tone.



The split log is almost done on the exterior. Baileys harbor stone will covered exposed areas of the foundation. The decks need to be built yet.



Ronny Mayne created this custom mantel from the Golden Eagle blueprint and a photo from the family showing their boat towing one of the kids on a wakeboard.



This is the lower level fireplace. It is gas. The wall to the right will have stone half way up with 10" tall peeled split log above. The stack of tongue-and-groove boards on the floor came from Golden Eagle Log Homes all prefinished. Its a very popular option, says Tim Helgren, sales manager.  He said they also offer prefinished windows, flooring and doors. All are prefinished in a dust-free stain shop.



This is the great room fireplace. It is an energy-efficient wood burning unit. The hearth is quite high so by code the mantel needed to be fireproof. The owners decided to cover it with more Baileys harbor stone. Notice the stone is put on in a "curved banana" or fan shape for a little extra interest.

Construction
4/30/2008 12:10:59 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Friday, April 18, 2008
End in sight
Posted by dirttodone

The end of the construction process is now in sight for the family. Below are the latest pictures...



Here is a photo of the fireplace stone for the chimney being installed. The stone looks real but is manufactured.



It is beginning to look like a Golden Eagle Log Home. Notice the loft window trim detail. The Coffen contracting team has a lot of experience building split log and full log homes.



After some heavy snow & ice storms this last winter, the family has decided to go with a backup generator in case the power is off for any long periods.

In the event of a utility power outage, the transfer switch--working in tandem with the generator--automatically starts the generator to restore power to the home within 10 seconds.



On taller log homes, like this one, it takes a lot of scaffolding to reach the high spots.



Now that the insulation is done, the drywallers are working on the inside. The Coffen Construction crew takes advantage of some nice weather and is applying the 10" peeled split logs.

Construction
4/18/2008 9:50:51 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [1]
 Thursday, March 13, 2008
Insulation and Spancrete
Posted by dirttodone

Below are the latest construction photos.



This is a photo of what Spancrete looks like. Once the sections are put into place, they are tag welded together. Then a waterproof membrane is put over the panels, followed by 4" thick concrete poured over the top. In this project, before the concrete was poured, pex tubing was run so the garage could have in-floor heat.



The Icynene foam insulation was chosen by the homeowners. They liked the fact that it creates a continuous barrier and helps buildings achieve U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEEDâ„¢) credits. Golden Eagle Log Homes supplies R-38 fiberglass ceiling insulation and R-19 fiberglass wall insulation as a standard in their complete package.



The dormer loft elliptical casement window adds a touch of class. This photo shows how tightly the Icynene seals up the home.



This photo shows the basement bedroom. The ceiling height is 9 feet. The sill box is very well insulated with spray foam. The window is large enough for egress (an emergency fire escape.)

This photo shows the basement prow wall. The big dark object is the hot tub spa set on edge. It needed to be put in the home's basement before the home was done or else it wouldn't have fit.



The unevenness of the foam will be shaved smooth once it's dry. The family is hoping the extra investment (about $15,000) will pay for itself with energy savings.



This photo shows what is under the Icynene foam on the vaulted ceiling. The pink and grey foam baffels are venting the roof. They are continuous from Golden Eagle Log Home's standard maintenance-free aluminum soffit up to the ridge vent.



The garage walls are insulated with Icynene and the ceiling will have R-38 fiberglass batt insulation.



This is a view of the ceiling. The black spot is where the ceiling fan will be attached. Golden Eagle Log Homes designs a small flat area in the peak of the ceiling for a number of reasons.
1. For extra roof strength.
2. Energy efficiency using fiberglass batt
3. A stable and straight surface for mounting the ceiling fans and future trimming out.



Here is a nice view of the rooms under the garage. Notice the Spancrete ceiling. For an extra $15,000 to $30,000, depending on the size of the garage, you can increase the square footage of the home very economically.

Construction
3/13/2008 3:03:06 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Friday, February 29, 2008
Progress Continues
Posted by dirttodone

Progress on the family's lakehouse is continuing. Below are some of the latest pictures.



This is a photo of the loft bathroom. The round top window is in the bedroom area. The bathroom vanity will be on the wall straight ahead.



All cleaned up and ready for the insulation to come in.



Great room fireplace framed in. After insulation is complete the ProLine Baileys Harbor Stone will be applied. Note the two openings on the left of the fireplace unit. The one on the bottom is for firewood storage; the top arched opening will be for a decorative lighted display shelf.
Note:  The hearth is tall enough for sitting comfortably and warming yourself.



This is the prowside windows being installed. The walkout basement below will have two patio doors.



It might not look like a tub shower module but under the protective cardboard it is. Before the home is insulated, all the rough wiring, rough plumbing and rough framing must be done.

Construction
2/29/2008 12:52:37 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Monday, February 11, 2008
More Shapely
Posted by dirttodone

The family's lakehouse is continuing the take shape.

Shingles and house wrap are being applied. The fireplace chase is framed and will be covered with Baileys Harbor Stone, another standard item in the Golden Eagle Log Home's complete package system.



30-year warranty shingles are standard in the Golden Eagle Log Homes package. The family chose green.




You can't tell from the photo below, but once all of the house wrap is cut away, it will expose a high window wall facing the small lake.


The photo below is of the garage overhang. It is 8' deep to keep snow away from the garage doors and to add a classy touch. The gable roof diverts rain water where its less prone to freeze, though everything in Wisconsin if frozen now.



The dormer on this side is in the loft bedroom. The builder is readying the opening where the first floor master bedroom patio door will be. There will be a wood deck out there soon too.


This dormer allows ample light for the loft bathroom. Notice how tall the home is. The views will be incredible, but the taller the home  the more scaffolding is needed to build it.



It is very important for the homeowners and electrician to have a meeting before the electrician provides a bid. A standard electrical bid won't take into consideration where you want special outlets for christmas lights, extra floor outlets, maybe an outlet on the fireplace mantel, workbench in the garage. Etc. Other considerations are internet locations, lighting and ceiling fans. The family put a lot of consideration into their outlet and electrical needs including lighting for a future path to the dock and exterior lights to watch it snow and watch the wildlife.



Another popular electrical item is in home security systems and complete home sound systems. The family has decided to have home webcams on the outside so the homeowners can watch the home from any computer hooked up to the Internet.

Construction
2/11/2008 3:12:26 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Taking Shape
Posted by dirttodone

Here are the latest pictures of the construction. The entire structure is now taking shape.


The family was reassured by Golden Eagle that they design all of their homes to meet or beat local codes for wind and snow loads. This is especially important because of the recent weather in Wisconsin.



The house has 2"x12" rafters. The garage has regular roof trusses.






Note the large LVL main ridge beam. It is supported in four places, the front/back walls and two log posts in the loft. The front and back posts are built into the wall.



The worker's ladder is leaning on the loft floor. The loft floor is 24" thick and clear spans 28' wide. Wiring, plumbing, lightin and speakers can all be hidden in it.



Roof rafters with overhangs. Remember this house is a Golden Eagle log home with 10" split log, meaning its half log siding will be put on later.



This will be the loft bathroom.



This is the view of the house from the lake. The black silt fence along the lake is new code to keep sand from eroding into the lake.



This is the view standing in the middle of the loft facing the loft bedroom and bath. The hole in the floor is where the log stairway will be.



This is the loft view of the big lake.

Construction
1/30/2008 10:56:36 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Thursday, January 10, 2008
Construction Continues
Posted by dirttodone

Construction the family's Lakehouse continued over the holidays. Below are pictures of the main level construction.



In  the photo above, the loft floor trusses are about to be placed.  These floor trusses are 24" tall and designed to clear a span of 28'.



What you see here is the garage end of the home. Two of the three men are standing on the garage floor. Under the 3 stall garage is another 3 stalls of space.


Look closely at the two vertical log posts holding up the LVL header. This is where the log stairway to the loft is going to be, and carpeted stairway to the basement level.


Loft floor trusses installed.


Here we have the joist hangers put on by the builder on the LVL ridge beam before the crane lifts into place. This ridge beam is engineered by Golden Eagle Log Homes to handle the heavy snow loads that this roof will encounter.


Here we have the crane beginning to put the roof up. The two large openings in front here are the garage door openings.

Construction
1/10/2008 2:54:52 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Wednesday, December 19, 2007
First Shipment
Posted by dirttodone

The first shipment from Golden Eagle arrived as scheduled a week ago. Since then the contractors have been working on framing in the basement. You can see their progress in the images below.






Framing
12/19/2007 1:26:10 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Saturday, December 08, 2007
Excavation Underway
Posted by dirttodone

Thankfully the contractors are experienced. They had the forethought to cover the building site with hay and then a very large tarp. This prevented the ground from freezing. Had they not taken these extra steps some recent snow storms in the area could have halted the ground breaking until spring. Their advanced planning however allowed for excavation to begin in late November. Below are pictures of their progress.

 

Trees are cut down. The circular driveway is in.
 
The framework you see is for the footings, which is where the heavy bearing areas are. The dug out area toward the big lake is where the walkout area of the basement will be. Notice how much extra space is needed around the actual home site for work area and piling dirt.
 
Here is a photo showing the concrete footings. The steel rods poking upright are to tie the concrete walls to the footings. The form in the ground at the far left is where the lower garage door will be. Wherever there is exposed basement (walkout), a frost wall is needed. There will be three garage stalls at this level and three more above this.
 
Concrete forms are being filled for foundation walls. The forms were stripped off a few days after this photo was taken. The small lake is in the background.
 
Another view of the basement, poured-wall foundation. The opening in top middle area is where the prow basement walkout wall will be. The prow walkout wall will be built with 2"x6" construction.
 
This photo is a great example of what is needed for additional frost walls where the walkout basement walls will be. Anywhere you have a walkout basement in colder climates, you need to have a frost wall under the basement wall to keep the foundation from heaving.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Excavation
12/8/2007 11:19:30 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Monday, November 19, 2007
Contract Signed
Posted by dirttodone

The family signed a contact with Coffen Construction two weeks ago. The big news is that Coffen Construction is scheduled to break ground on the foundation next week. The constructon calendar is also starting to take shape. The family put their first deposit down on the logs and scheduled delivery for December 10. If everything goes according to plan, the log raising should be the week of the 10th.


Breaking Ground
11/19/2007 11:59:49 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Friday, November 02, 2007
Green it is
Posted by dirttodone

The family has been poring over the Golden Eagle selection booklet nearly every day. After changing their minds numerous times, they have decided to go with green for the exterior options, including the garage door, roof, windows and soffit/facia.

All of their options are pictured below.


Roofing:

The family chose Chateau Green







Garage Doors:

The family chose green


Soffit/Facia:

The family chose Hartford Green


Windows:

The family chose Alpine Green

Design Decisions
11/2/2007 5:22:23 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [0]
 Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Selection Booklet and decisions
Posted by dirttodone

Golden Eagle provided the family with a selection booklet. The booklet contains images of the options for the interior and exterior options the family has in designing their lakehouse. A few decisions were easy for the family to make.

For the walkout, foundation and fireplace, the family chose the Bailey's Harbor field stone option, though the Teelin Bay (also pictured) was a close second.

The family also chose the silver options for the hearthstone. (The Terra option is also pictured below.)


The family was also quick to decide they liked the hand-carved posts by Mayne Workshop Carvings offered by Golden Eagle. They decided to put one raccoon in the loft, one raccoon on the first floor, and a bear in the basement by the bar.




The family also decided they want to work with Mayne Workshop to design a custom mantel.

Golden Eagle's Selection Booklet contains 74 pages of options and the family has only made decisions through page 10. As they make more decisions, they will be posted. Stay tuned.

Design Decisions
10/16/2007 5:27:46 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)  #  Comments [1]