Here we are, at that last and most essential push. In all our blog posts, we have tried to communicate some of the major milestones that we have taken throughout the project. We have celebrated the resolution of single details that took months to work through, or simply described the various layers of structure, waterproofing, or insulation that we applied to the house. Much of this work, when everything is said and done, will be covered or buried. There was a lot of thought, effort, and care that went into those forgotten moments, so these last layers of finish need to convey that sentiment.
We have been working this past month on the interior finish of the house, the exterior cladding for the porches, and the flooring.
The interior of the house has been finished with white-washed cedar ship lap boards. Whitewashing the boards meant that the boards were done the moment we put them on that wall and ceiling. It was an effort to reduce the amount of messy or wet work that would have to take place around the cores. It was incredibly rewarding to put the boards on the wall and know it was complete. The whitewashing also preserved the cedar’s natural beauty. This is a wooden house with a warm heart of mass timber in its center, clad on the exterior in a thin skin of corrugated metal. The interior finish should be understood as being wood without clashing or overpowering the Douglas Fir of the Cores.
The porches are clad in cypress tongue-and-groove boards with a clear coat wood finish. It is here that you can read the transition from the thin metal skin of the facades to the warm wood aesthetic of the house. Any internal space is finished with wood, the porches being no exception. The porches are trimmed with 2×8 cypress boards left over from the Bathhouse project.
The flooring is LVT (Luxury Vinyl Tile) from Interface. We chose a neutral birch wood tone with a pattern that would dissolve over the floor area. It is a backdrop to complement the natural wood on the walls, ceiling, and cores. Thank you to Adam Whitley for coming out to teach us how to install the product!
As we have applied the finishes, we have been following behind with the trim, cabinets, HVAC, lights, switches, and outlets. We have the order in for the countertops as well.
We have been working very hard to finish up the house, but we have also made time for more fun things. Recently, we got to have an amazing lighting demonstration at the CLT Core House, courtesy of Thomas Paterson. We also got to do a wonderful drawing and watercolor workshop with Dan Wheeler and Frank Harmon. Lastly, we put on a show at Rural Studio’s Halloween events; dressing up as OSHA inspectors and having the winning pumpkin of pumpkin carve!
Things are coming together. The next time you read our blog should be the last. Exciting times at the CLT Core House!