Carpentry nearly finished

Yesterday I inspected the house, and Kunihara-san explained to me the work he has done in the two weeks of my absence.

The main room looks essentially the same as before, however the wall in the middle is now filled with cellulose. And the flooring is covered with boards for protection.



The kitchen is now complete, and we only need to finish the walls and add the centre kitchen, furniture and fridge.



The bedrooms are also complete, with only the window frames waiting to be filled with double glazing. Please note that we only use 4 star boards, that are from sustainable forestry production.



This shows the corridor behind the kitchen, were toilet and bathroom are located. Kunihara-san, closed off the end of the corridor, so that we can add a wash basin.



And finally the exit to the Kura (store-house) was permanently sealed, to comply with building regulations. From now on we must access it from outside.

Flooring preparation

After the weak beams and post have been replaced, Kunihara-san put up some speed and is now working towards the flooring preparation.

First let's look at the repair work of last time from a bit closer. The view is much better after the scaffolding is removed, and you can see the four beautiful wood pieces fitting together neatly.



This photo shows an extension joint - two wood pieces have been put together without any kind of nail or other metal piece.



This shows how the concrete bases work: at the time they were poured, it was ensured that they are level, and now it is much easier to place the framework for the flooring on top.



This shows again the main room with all bases, and framework complete.



Here a floor insulation panel is cut to size and ready to be inserted into the framework.



Kunihara Junior, follows up by taping the seams of the panels, so that the floor becomes airtight, a precondition for heating and cooling efficiency.

Termite's Dinner

Kunihara-san made a shocking discovery - most of the beams we well chewed through by termites, and retained hardly any tensile strength. He was truly worried about the roof coming down.

Kunihara-san, pointing out termite damage.


Buggers!


Not exactly sound...


There are plenty of left overs, but they didn't ask for a doggy bag.

Carpenter magic

Kunihara-san did an excellent Job last week. When I visited there yesterday, I found all the dodgy wooden beams and posts replaced with shiny new ones. He also poured concrete to create many small bases all over the ground. They are leveled so that he can place new supporting beams for the flooring, without touching the potentially moist ground. At that time, he also already finished the concrete floor in the kitchen.

After replacing the beams and posts, only simple scaffolding remains.



The entire structure was secured with temporary bracing, to ensure the house won't crush our heads:


The replaced beams and posts in their full glory. On the left near the window a vertical post, carrying all the weight. Also two horizontal beams running along the window front. Also of course the main beam going from left to right through the room. Finally, beams resting on the new concrete bases on the ground, had to be put in place.


The window view. Please note the new beam on the top, already has all the grooves needed for Shoji sliding doors.


Centre of the room.


Kitchen floor is already cured. The things sticking out are outlets for hot & cold water, waste water, gas and electricity. This may be the last view of the kitchen as it was. Next window in the back will removed and closed up, and the doors to the left replaced by a wall.

Floorboards cleared

The mission this weekend was to clean up the place to allow Kunihara-san (Carpenter) and his fellows to work freely. When I arrived, I found that they had already started, by removing all floorboards and old pieces of wood, that supported them.

The Main room really looks nice and large now. The fire places are clearly visible too.



This shows the future bedrooms in the north:

Contractor Selected

We finally have selected the contractor to perform the more difficult jobs in our house!

We met Kurihara-san the Carpenter of Arisaka village, together with his son. Kurihara-san was introduced to me by the friend mentioned in my previous post. He has essentially repaired most of the houses in the neighbourhood, and by the looks of them has done a good job. He is also an active member of the community, and helps to prepare the floats for the famous shinto festival that is held here every January around the 14th (I missed it this year because I was waiting for my son to be born).

Together we went through the house this weekend, and checked the works that need to be done based on Tomo's drawings. One of the major tasks will be the replacement of one structural post and about three beams that hold up the roof. They have been affected by past ant infestation and therefore neither look good, nor are they very strong. Kurihara-san, already measured me up (176cm) so that he can place the new centre beam a few cm higher, and therefore allow me to cross the room without bowing my head (or hitting it).

I think it will be quite spectacular, as the roof must be supported by temporary beams, and jacked up to allow the replacement. I hope to be able to film or photograph this work. He will also insulate and add (pair glass) windows to the northern bedrooms, and prepare them for plastering, then continue by insulating the kitchen and prepare the extended concrete Doma.

To create a nice natural feeling, we have opted for big wooden flooring, that he will install to replace tatami mats.

On our side, there are still many things to do. We have decided to fill the wall separating bedrooms and main living space by ourself, using mud wall mixture. So we need to fill out the frames that Kurihara-san will install. Because this will be a labour intensive job, I think we will need a few volunteers to help us out.

We also have opted to do all finishes - that means plastering walls, and staining the flooring and other wooden parts. Again, volunteers should apply to me - they will be needed!

Even though we are awaiting the final schedule from Kurihara-san, soon, we are aiming at completing the House by May this year.

Lazy New Year?

Happy New Year! Maybe you worry about the break in reporting on this blog - don't worry! We are still here!

Fact is however, that Winter is a lousy time to do any kind of construction work. Cement cracks, and so does mortar. There are only a few jobs that can be done during this season.

We do not rest however, instead we do less glamorous jobs: Sending drawings to contractors, checking out legal details, getting quotes and meeting other companies and peoples that are interested in co-operating with us. We are now at a crucial stage in deciding contractors, and finalising our plans, and hope that the heavy work can finally start in March.

Unfortunately, interior works must wait until we have replaced a bunch of beams and posts. This job can of course only be done by an expert carpenter, and definitely requires some time: The entire house must be stabilised with temporary poles first, and is than jacked up to allow replacement of individual beams. Following that we can envisage doing flooring, insulation and internal walls. When it gets warmer in Ueda again, work on the roof will start. And of course, we need to care for permits, license and other matters before opening up.

With all this work, we would like to utilise only ecological materials as much as possible, and try to source the building expertise and carpentry from the local community. Inaka Home will only succeed if the community is involved.

Another reason for the temporary lull in blog posts is that my family has been boosted by one fresh arrival. A little baby boy was born, wo can enjoy natural life in our house soon!