Huasna

The next chapter for Phil and Anne is their recently permitted house in the Huansa Valley.  Permits were acquired and now within two weeks the foundation is in.  It was a long process to gain approval for their home as the San Luis Obispo County plan check process is seemingly endless.  However, the plans were approved and now its full speed ahead to build a new home, one that they hope will entertain the next generation of the growing family. 

His hammer is so fast it's just a blur.

The septic tank

One of the few spots on the ranch that you can get cell service.

Ormonde excavating bringing out the big ugly to grade the pad for the slab on grade home.

It's a simple plan, but it will be cozy and functional.

Chad's dog Skip, simply one of the best jobsite dogs you will find.

Skip and Nattie just hanging out.

Hanson supplied the concrete for this particular job.

Hanson's breast cancer awareness truck with the crew about screed the last bit of concrete on the slab.

After a few hours this is what's left, a slab that is level all around within 3/16 of an inch.

Cutting the slab the day after it was pored to provide relief joints as the concrete expands and cures. 

Rancho Construction: Pruett Residence

This house is in Arroyo Grande, Ca in a new development called Cherry Creek.  It's one of the few new developments in the area and is shaping up to be a charming group of new homes.  PCW built a house for Rancho Construction two years ago in the same development and now is building another for one of the creators of the development.  The fun thing about working on this house is that it rests behind a house that the Whitakers used to live in.  Chad, Coby and their older brother used to play in what it once was, a walnut orchard and the walnut trees pictured once had forts in them built by the three boys.

PCW was contracted to do the concrete, framing, roof, siding and the flat work for the house.  It is a raised foundation which the owners wanted for the fact that it provides a softer floor and offers a bit more flood protection, as the area has flooded historically.

The residence boasts porches on nearly a third of the house that will be covered and offer additional outdoor living space.

Phil with his supervisor keeping a close eye on what he is doing.  Phil usually lays out his crew with door and window openings and then turns them loose to frame the walls and roof.

The garage was stick framed by Chad and David while Coby and Phil prepared "packages."  Packages refer to doors and windows, their headers and cripples, which are framed first when one wants to imploy the western framing technique.  Western framing means that the walls are framed on the ground then stood and tacked together.  After all the walls are stood the crew goes back through and plums each wall and corner and then lines them, making sure they are straight and braced before the roof system is set.

Packages being laid out in front of the crew.

Western framing.

Of course music is nice to have while working and Chad is especially adamant about what station is played.

The Winter Months

During the winter is seems that construction tends to slow down in San Luis Obispo County, partly due to weather, partly due to the holidays, and partly due to the timing of other jobs starting later in the year.  For us we usually find some time to take a vacation or work on projects of our own as well as fill in work with jobs that are small enough to complete within a few days to weeks.  In short this is what we have been up to.

Late last year the patriarch and matriarch of the Whitaker family sold their home in Arroyo Grande and were able to purchase a piece of property in the Huasna Valley, a place that they have many friends and have been visiting for nearly thirty years.  In celebration they decided to have the Whitaker family Thanksgiving gathering at their new property.  However there was next to nothing to provide shade or shelter for the gang.  So the idea was born to build a trellis from old form boards and other left over materials from other jobs.  It was a blast building with no plans other than it needed to be done within a few days, and this is what was created...

Left over TJI were used to build columns and 2x12, 2x10, and 2x6 were used to build the rafters and other details.

Chad's outlooker design.

Sometimes work can be fun, Coby swears there was a fly on Chad's head.

The trellis turned out pretty good and only took about a day or two.

Our friend John Gutierrez need a roof system to be put on the shop he was building himself so we took a few weeks to install the trusses and sheet it for him so he could finish the project.  Of course we like to use Louis' Crane when we lift things because he is simply the best and we have done work with him for many years.

Chad knows how to run the ridge blocks like a champ, he is pretty much fearless.

Phil has earned his place working on the ground,  walking plate is a young mans job.

We placed the last truss as the sun set, the short days of winter make you appreciate the long, lingering days of summer.

No shave November is a common act of defiance and as the month ends wild facial hair becomes sculpted masterpieces.

This is how to cut rafter-tails.

We were fortunate enough to return to the Van Buerden residence to install HAT channels for Soenke Construction.  These were meant to hang the ceiling material from to form the illusion that the ceiling was floating. 

Vacation!! Coby with his girlfriend Melanie visited the Eastern Sierra in December.  Note that the beard continued past November.

Another day of R and R.  Coby was invited to join his girlfriend's father at Tejon Ranch to "hunt" pheasant.  It was a blast!

The PC Whitaker Construction christmas parade float in the village of Arroyo Grande, Chad's father-in-law provided the vintager tractor and trailer.  He drove it from San Luis Obispo to Arroyo Grande, nearly twenty miles.

One Example of SIP Panel Installation

Pictures can only do so much...

Tools of the Trade

Hammers, saws, and levels are probably a few of the things that come to mind when thinking of the tools that are used in construction.  However there are many more that are used daily that all serve a different purpose, and a times are used in creative facets.  For example a sawzall is primarily used to cut straight through materials, but it can also be used to act as a large jig saw in a pinch.  The point is that it's important to have the right tool for the right job.  This is the primary reason there are so many different types of tools because every tool has a purpose.

When Phil gets to talking about the old days when he started building homes, he usually remarks that the only power tools he needed were a skill saw and a sawzall.  As is the norm in life, things tend to become more complex, the same is true for building.  If you took a look at most contractors tool box you would find, in addition to the previously mentioned tools, an impact driver, drills, clamps, volumes of sockets and adapters, compressors, nail guns, palm nailers, miles of extension cords, air hoses, grinders, big nasty burly beam saws, and the list goes on.  It may seem a bit extreme, but all these and more are required if one wants to finish a project on time and within budget.  This is why there aren't too many people still using hand saws and hand drills.  The building industry is constantly evolving and striving for production and efficiency.  This is due to the change in building codes, engineering, and architecture.

For the general public who might be curious about the tools of the trade enjoy browsing the library of tools that we use nearly everyday to bring concepts and dreams to fruition.

Coby with his trusty framing square and pencil in his mouth.

Known as a circular saw we only use Skilsaw brand circular saws.  This is the second generation Skilsaw known as the Mag 77.  It's a few pounds lighter than the original which equates to less fatigue throughout the day.  However the original model is pretty much bullet proof, capable of withstanding falls off roofs and being dropped on concrete.  There are scratches to prove this.

The Milwaukee Sawzall, they come in a few different sizes but all are worth their weight in gold.  It's always a good day when one doesn't need to break one out, but when you need one it's nice to know that you have one ready to get the job done!

Stihl demo saw.  Cuts though just about anything that isn't wood, concrete and steel are its bread and butter.  It's a two stroke engine that runs on mixed gas that will buck and scream so you better hold on.

Stihl blower, Stihl makes some of the best gas powered tools as many people can agree with.  The ease of start and power they provide is just comforting to the operator.  The blower has pretty much replaced the broom and dustpan, but one can never fully retire those.

There have been many air compressors to come and go throughout the years, this one is just barely a year old.  This model is neat because it is compartmental.  The top half is the compressor itself and the bottom is a large air tank.  The neat thing is that the compressor has a small air tank of its own and can operated independently.  This is nice for large jobs because you can set up the compressor next to a power source and run a hose to the bottom air tank next to were you need it.  Works great for jobs big and small.

On the left is 150 feet of air hose and on the right is 100 feet of power.  Some people don't like the blue "garden hose" but I would argue that it holds more air and therefore puts less stress on the compressor extending its life and providing the user more air pressure.

Occidental full grain leather tool bags with an extra goodie bag in the middle.  Occidental makes by far the best and longest lasting tool bags.  These belong to Coby and were given as a bonus for running a job while Phil was on vacation.

Some of the important items found within most carpenters tool bags.  Sharp chisel, torpedo level, 30 foot tape measure, knife, nail set, pencil, speed square, cat's paw, and a framing hammer.  Now if you look inside a contractors truck you will find multiples of each, some broken, some old, and some that only get used on special occasion.  The Whitakers like to name their hammers, this one is Ole Stubby.  I know Chad has had a few and I believe his current one is named Champ.