Stucco preparation

With stucco planned to begin this week (the scratch coat or a sand/cement mixture) the building paper and wire is installed to provide the underlayment between the building sheeting and the stucco.  It is also important to install the roof trims (soffit and fascia) at this time so that the stucco mixture can be installed up to the trims. Putting the trims on after the stucco is possible, but not desirable as unsightly gapping can be observed.

paper and wire is installed and ready for the scratch coat

Soffit and fascia trims are installed where necessary.  Since we plan to use a membrane deck we also have accommodated that so the membrane can be installed later when it will be subject to far lower risk of damage by falling debris or the weight of scaffolding

Garage slab

With the extremely hot summer conditions it has become less than ideal conditions to pour our garage slabs.  This is at least a favourable contrast to when we were trying to pour our basement slabs and conditions were too cold and moisture from snow or rain was a potential problem.  We wetted the compacted fill beneath the slab so at least the gravel wouldn't remove too much water from the concrete and causing it to dry far to quickly.  Here are some pictures of our all Russian crew pouring the slabs.

Garage pad pour is underway

levelling the pad

The pad is poured and as it sets up will be textured to ensure it is not too slippery.  When it has cured enough to support weight we will have the slab 'saw cut' as a means to control shrinkage cracking

Garage wiring

With the electricians arriving to wire not just the lights and switches inside each garage but also new sub panels and meter bases for the permanent service to each house, we are now at the point where we can begin to move away from the temporary power pole and into proper connections inside the houses. This is soon to become critical as the finisher will need a better power supply to run his table saw and compressor.  Here are some photos from the days progress

the garage is wired with boxes that will contain the plugs to power the garage.  It is now ready for insulation and drywall

With the meter bases inspected and the green sticker on the empty box, we can now have enmax arrive and connect the overhead power supply to the new meter.  From here it is all underground service into the house mechanical room

New construction truck

With about 350,000 km on the work van we decided to send it to an early retirement and lease a new work truck for the company.  We were sad to see the trusty van go as it provided 23 years of reliable service with few repairs needed over that lengthy period.

Here is the family saying goodbye to our van (23 years combined duty in the morin and kollee residences)

the kids seem to like the huge truck interior

Already put to work hauling some leftover material back to the lumber yard for refund

Garage progress

Building the garage has been similar to building a second smaller house in the back yard. To recap, we have surveyed, excavated, poured a footing and cribbed a wall, backfilled, run services and conduit, framed, roofed, and now fire proofed and prepped for the slab.  Here are a few pictures of the progress

With framing complete leftover insulation from the house is safely installed in the roof cavity.  

fire resistant drywall is hung between the garage bays to provide a fire rate assembly 

gravel is wetted and compacted to prepare for the slab

A heavier duty jumping jack style compactor is used with greater effectiveness.  

Gas install complete

With underground lines connected to the gas main, we just had to wait a few days for Atco to return and install the actual gas meters. With an account set up at a retailer, a site id, line install and permits/application forms all filled out the process, once you complete each step at the right time and in the right order, is fairly straightforward.

With gas installed but no plumber or electrician to be found, we managed to turn the gas on, get it flowing to the furnace only, and connect power to the furnace.  This is needed because even in the extremely hot and dry weather we have been enjoying, the basements are just not quite warm enough to dry our taping compound

With the meter in place and connected to our plumbers pipe that distributes gas throughout the house, we are ready to generate some heat for our drywall compound

With temporary power, permanent gas and a drain line and thermostat rigged up we are able to fire the furnace and get it running. These are extremely quiet and efficient dual stage burner variable speed fan furnaces and work extremely well

Taping is well underway

With hot summer temperatures into the 30's (celcius) or high 80's (Fahrenheit) it is an excellent time to vent the moisture out of the drywall compound and get the tapes to dry quickly.  Our taper (Anthony) is doing a very efficient job so far, he will be taping both houses which provides him plenty of work and opportunity to move from side to side as the many stages of taping are complete.  Once we get through sanding, priming and touchups, we can begin the real finishing aspects of the job.  At this point we are attempting to schedule the remaining jobs through to completion, ordering additional materials and continuing with the exterior and garage construction.

Initial tapes are installed on the walls and ceiling on day 1 of taping

the inside and outside corners are applied using metal edged drywall bead.  This takes longer to dry.  The next step is to skim the walls to blend the joints together

Ready for taping to begin

With the drywall complete on the first two levels, the taper can begin to fill in the joist and prepare the walls for paint.  The basement is likely too cool for the tape to dry properly so we may have to rely on fans and air circulation to get the moisture out.  The natural gas meter delivery is still a week or two away so the furnace will not be available. Here are some pictures of the main floor with the board all hung.

Drywall progress

Our drywall contractor is called the 'White Tornado' and they have many long time boarders that also worked on our last project.  It is dusty work and makes a large mess but by the end of the boarding the house is swept out and the drywall scrap is taken to the recycler.  They started at the top and are working their way down to the main floor.  Boarding inside the skylight area is a particularly sweaty job during the middle of the summer heat. 

The ceiling board is what provides a real sense of what the pot light layout is going to look like.  

Garage framing

With lumber and trusses on site, our framers have returned following the completion of another house   framing job elsewhere.  Framing of the garage is about a three day project.  With electrical already booked, and man-doors and car-doors in the process of being ordered, we will attempt to get the garage stucco done at the same time as the house.  The garages here will get insulated and drywalled as well.  We are also planning to do a side mount garage opener on one of the garages.  This should free up some much needed space on the ceiling to store off season gear and other bulky but not temperature sensitive items.

spray foam installation

With many difficult and awkward areas to insulate we rely on spray foam to seal up the joist ends and under the floor of the cantilevers.  Here the crew is spraying the main floor joist ends.

The spray foam is applied to areas that cannot be easily insulated using conventional materials and labour.  

Water and sewer connection

The requirement to install water and sewer pipes in a new duplex on a 50 year old street of smaller bungalows poses numerous challenges.  Only city indemnified contractors can tackle the install that takes place under the city street.  The city has to authorize closing the road for the day or two it takes to dig the street up and inspect the new connection.   Expect a bill in excess of $25000 for a new connection in Calgary.  There are few indemnified builders so expect a price increase every year, and areas of the city with poor soil stability are particularly costly.  Winter hookups will add another significant fee to the excavation portion of the job.

this shows the depth of the city services.  3 meters is preferred as it helps prevent freezing of the pipes

Temporary shoring is put up to ensure safety of the workers below.  In this shot you can see the two sanitary lines are connected to the city main, and the water lines extend back toward the water main.

the red valves with the steep pipes on the end are the means of turning on or off water at the street between the border of the city property and private property

Atco gas install

In order to avoid having to use a directional drill to connect the gas line from the alley to the houses (at an additional cost of $70 per meter) we had left a two inch plastic conduit in a trench and back filled it while we were digging in the garage foundation.  An early gas connection will allow us to hook up the furnace and this is a bonus as even in summer the basement can be too cool to properly dry the drywall compound.  With the gas standpipe in place, the actual meter can be connected and the plumber can fire up the furnace and any other gas appliance in the house.

This is the natural gas standpipe and the penetration through the wall left previously by the  plumber

                                

Drywall delivery

Now that the house is passed the structural, plumbing and electrical inspections, drywall can begin.  Due to the house having three levels and the overall enormous weight of the material, the drywall delivery company uses a built in crane to load all the wall board one lift at a time through a door or window.  From there the board is wheeled into each room in predetermined quantities.

drywall is on its way to the upper level

Rear grading

Since our wheeled skid steer can't get the job of backfilling the garage done because the gravel ramp is too unsafe and unstable, we had to come up with a better option. Fortunately our contractor, Harold, had a tracked machine at his other job site.  With the smaller and lighter machine delivered to site, we were able to get the garage backfilled and ready for framing.

With the machinery gone, garage framing can begin.  Yard is prepped for landscaping as well.

Garage foundation and backfill

With the garage pad set much lower than the backyard grade, we had to pour a four foot concrete wall at the back of the garage, and stepped down walls along the side and middle. This allows us to have two different heights of the garage pad to account for alley slope, and it retains the earth in the backyard so it can be flatter than it otherwise would be.  Backfilling and grading of the rear lot now becomes a problem as machine access is very limited.  We will have to resort to plan B the next day to complete the grading

garage walls are stripped and now form an exceptionally strong base for the walls to be framed. Note that the walls themselves are flat but the pad will be poured to slope toward the alley

Excess dirt is left in the yard to allow for backfill of the trench surrounding the walls

With space behind the wall, adding a weeping tile in a fabric sock is possible to ensure water that accumulates behind the garage can escape

with a gravel ramp built, the wheeled skid steer can't safely make it over the wall

garage footing and excavation

With the sloping rear lot, we must excavate the garage pad much lower than grade in order to have a gentle apron on the garage to provide smooth access to cars, yet ensure the garage is well above the often wet and snow filled alley.

Generally in Calgary construction the garage is a four or possibly six inch thick slab poured basically right on the ground and it is subject to frost heaving and penetration by rain.  Sometimes the edge is thickened to improve the structure, and rebar is added.  In our case we have put in a new footing, similar to what would support a house, and an eight inch concrete perimeter wall.  This should make for a far more robust garage structure.

garage excavation is underway 

Footing is prepped to pour.  We had earlier surveyed the garage and selected the actual height of the slab based on the height of the alley

Garage footing is poured 

Utility conduit installation part 2

With the gas conduit safely buried the next task was to get the conduit in for electricity.  The electrical main is also in the alley, but like most inner city locations is above ground.  The general practice here is to run the electricity connection through the roof of the rear garage panel, and then underground to the house to the sub-panel.  At this point, the garage is not even started so we just stub the pipe up into the approximate location where we want the garage meter.

The electrical conduit is ready for burial at the house.  We select a location next to the mechanical room so it will be very easy for the electricians to install the power

Utility conduit installation part 1

A challenging aspect on any inner city build is reconnection of the three key services that are needed to make the building function, natural gas, electricity and water/sewer.

Atco is the installation company in Alberta that controls natural gas connection. Generally the gas main is located in the alley so the gas meter must be connected to the lane via an underground pipe, generally 40 inches buried.  The problem with laned properties is the detached rear garage.  Once the rear garage is built, there is no room left to trench in the gas line.  A builder has two options, directional drill the gas line in at a cost of 70$ per metre, or put in a conduit that allows the gas line to be pulled through.

Since we had to excavate our garage anyway, we decided to go with the cost saving option and lay the conduit ourselves, thus allowing Atco a much easier install job.  The photo shows the trench dug with the conduit for gas and electrical at the bottom.  We used two 1.25 inch pipes for power and data connections, and a 2 inch line for the gas.

With no room for our tracked digging machine, we have to resort to hand digging the last few feet of trench.  Not an easy job in the mud!

Stair install part 3

With both sets of stairs delivered to site, installation was able to take place over a short period thanks to a few very experienced framers.  The left unit features a conventional integral landing stair and the right unit features the parallam beam open tread stair.  Both will look extremely good once we get to the finishing stage.

Use of the hoist is necessary to raise the heavy sections

Ready to install safety railings

Parallam stair lower section landings installed

Looking at the structure from below

Stair are ready for finishing