Timberology

At the end of the eastern section of the boardwalk, oceanfront Myrtle Beach, is a new Mexican restaurant is under construction. Bandito’s floor plan includes a 31′-0″ tall rotundra roof open to below a spacious dining area. The 10 1/4″ thick Superior Wall system provides a solid fortress designed to resist corrosive salt air’s constant bombardment. The precast insulative concrete panels are known for their durability and strength. Highrise condominum housing typical of beach construction have to meet extreme conditions and require special considerations in product types and usage. If you were to leave your window open for fresh air, within the year your TV would need to be replaced. Window and door warranties are specially written to assure the glass is regularily cleaned to be honored for replacement. The purpose of my visit was to confirm bearing conditions for the roof truss system designed to carry the spanish tile roof. Interpretation of architectual and structural drawings combining wall and steel bearings at different elevations is required to confirm the roof system I am selling will perform as it is expected to.

Returned to the jobsite of the previous post to illustrate the capabilites of modern designed attic frame trusses. Once these 60′-0″ trusses were craned into position, secured in place with the exterior sheathing, interior framing can begin. The 1 1/2″ floor of the attic frames is complimented 3 1/2″ floor trusses at the top of the stairs and between the 4 ply dormer girders. Using conventional 2×10′s restricts mechanicals (ducts, wires, and plumbing). This roof and floor combination adds continuity by allowing these various trades to access and pass through web members. You can see from the front elevation picture all this is concealed in this “story and 1/2″ condition. Transporting trusses of this size with extremely large finished rooms in them require shipping braces. This framing crew has installed this system by correctly sheathing the roof with permanent bracing as they set the trusses. The shipping braces, simply attached with 2×3 connector plates, should remain intact until the roof is completely braced. The real value is the deflection reduction using a 24″ deep floor over a 2×10. This room finishes at 28′-8″ wide and 9′ -2 1/4″ tall. All this space utilizing only 4 (and sometimes 3) bearing conditions along the 60′-0″ span. This is unheard of in conventional framing and adds value to open floor plans.

Demanding situations require professional solutions. These trusses were 61′-10″ long spaning across the entire house and garage. There is a 28′-8″ wide room that is 9′-2 1/4″ tall. A complete room is concealed in this mammoth roof system. The real trick is being able to deliver a set of this size angled corner to corner and keep them off the street and sidewalk long enough for the crane to position itself to set them. The driver on this particular load did such an excellent job rolling these trusses off without incident. No easy feat considering uneven surfaces and the mechanics of wood rolling off dunnage, eventually dropping about three feet off the back. Aided by packaging as one unit through banding, the groaning sound of wood on metal was horrendous, but yielded no observable broken webs or chords. The large attic trusses required temporary bracing due to the room size. They are to remain in place until the plywood sheathing is installed bracing then together permanantly.

As I raced towards the office on Hwy 57 south, just after crossing the North Carolina borderline into South Carolina I spotted the road kill just ahead. I was not the only one to notice it. Above the truck coming in from the east appeared a large wing spanned creature I assumed was a buzzard moving in to claim lunch. What a nuisance the road traffic must be for preditory birds I thought, as I occupied the same spot in the road as the destination of this one’s next meal. As he readjusted his position to the haven of a upper tree branch, I was able to discern this wonderfully agile aviator was not the buzzard I had anticipated. It was a brightly colored bald eagle that had caught my attention and I pulled to the nonexistent shoulder of the road to get a better view of the bird I had by now passed. As cars continued to whiz by, I moved to the opposite side of the road with my camera in hand. Clearly the eagle was not impressed with my attempt to make him famous. He tolerated the shot I snapped here but quickly elevated himself to a higher perch on a utility pole. This brief encounter serves a reminder of the wonder of nature that surrounds us as well as the circle of life mutually experienced. The automobile hit the animal thus providing a meal for our hungry friend just as it allowed me to witness the splendor of his beauty.

Cabinet construction abounds in the shop as we process a large kitchen / bath / and bedroom order. The maple cabinets shown here are of European style, which combine clean lines with simple details. The look created by the European style cabinetry is a mixture of contemporary yet not straying too far from a classic appeal. This spacious design maximizes useable area emphasizing accessiblity, which provides functionality to aestheically pleasing character. When coupled with stainless steel and aluminum, the European emphasis becomes even more desirable. The installation of these cabinets await finishing of the home’s painting and flooring covering.

The Ocean Blvd. house is now has a completely sheathed exterior continuing the “dry in” process. Horizontal bracing between the pilings prompted the title as it presented the age old adage. The treated 4×4′s membering into the round piling required a notch squared to receive it. This will used to form knee bracing at 45 degree to the pile, fitting perfectly in the created notch about 4′-0″ down from the top of the pile. They are dictated by the engineer of record but generally are installed perpendicular to the shoreline as not to be overcome by wave surges or floating debris. The 1st floor deck package is onsite and ready for installation first of next week. The next packages on subsequently higher levels will require a “boom truck” delivery.

Western red cedar timbers are loaded on the trailer as their ends have been precision cut. The two different size widths are through bolted with the 4×8′s sitting on top of the 4×12′s running perpendicular to them into 6×6 posts. This forms what I thought was termed a trellis but I discovered is actually a pergola. The trellis is more of a vertical plant climbing structure while the pergola is a free standing arbor which can allow plants to grow from it’s sides and roof. There are numerous custom designs which are extremely architecturally pleasing, increasing the value of the home as well as the general enjoyment of the outdoor space. Much of the rough sawn red cedar comes into the US from Canada. There are beautiful and intricate kits that can be purchased for those who enjoy the challenge of erecting them. Fortunately for us, much can be said for the custom formation and installation of pergolas, leaving the details to professional woodworkers.

Finished products are beginning to roll off the CNC machine Dunn Metalworks recently purchased. Eric Dunn’s ability to convert a idea into reality never ceases to amaze. Shown here is a nail polish holder he constructed for a local beauty salon. The action photo is an aluminum railing project he is providing for Grande Dunes, which is one of Myrtle Beach’s more exclusive neighborhoods based off of typical Florida style homes, sporting spanish tile roofs and expansive floor plans. The railing Eric is producing is 36″ in height which will sit on a 24″ concrete wall. Usually these types of railings projects are for pool enclosures but this one is simply for property separation. Eric is undaunted by the task at hand but for me at least, it seems to be very labor intensive. I told him to “carry on” after snapping the photos. Being the polite person he is, he thanked me for my permission. Probably glad to see me go…

Friday afternoon finds the Ocean Blvd. jobsite with the roof truss hip system erected, braced, and sheathing. The OSB wall sheathing which did not come on the wall panels per customer request will be applied starting on Monday. Interesting new products, such as Windstorm from Norbord offer solutions for the resistance of shear and uplift in high wind regions. Shear refers to the sideways pressure from the winds forces while uplift is forces pushing upward. Using standard 4′-0″ x 8′-0″ sheets, the wall panels are blocked for nailing sideways whereas the Windstorm panel creates a vertical continuous load path from plateline to plateline. Less bracing, hardware installation, and blocking is a labor savings to the user of the product while meeting all hurricane codes. Certainly the Windstorm product is ideal for the type of construction illustrated here.

March 11th heralded the first Swanky Blues and Art Festival at 2001 Night Club in Myrtle Beach. Tourist destination spots are not notorious for cultural significant functions traditionally, but the show was Myrtle Beach’s step in the right direction. Live music by “Sharks” w/ Kid Drew was nothing short of phenomenal as the Kid made a volume of sound seem tightly wound. Young artist’s displayed their work, better yet, most were present to mingle with the crowd stopping to observe. As mentioned on the advertisement, it was truly a “creative fusion” of auditory and visual bliss. “Polished casual” describes it best though. Either way, culture was found in Myrtle Beach outside of a petri dish.