Here’s more on the interior framing; if you look close, you will see stamped on the 2×4’s, the FSC Label. FSC is the Forest Stewardship Council, which is the foremost certifier of sustainably managed forests. Check out their website to learn more. (Did you know that Northfield has the North American headquarters for SmartWood, an FSC certifying company?)

This is the stage at which our clients often wonder if the rooms will be big enough. The new floor felt huge before the interior wall framing; in contrast the rooms now seem small. No worries; the windows will expand them visually once they’re installed. As professionals, we know what will fit and how they’ll feel.

Here is the four-season porch and part of the new mud room. We opted for open web floor joists to aid in the routing of the new ductwork. Our hope is to save the barn siding on the existing wall; so far so good. The white door was our back entry door; it will remain so we can get our washer and dryer out of the basement when necessary. The new mud room will connect directly to the kitchen through a door at the existing window (hidden behind plywood and the ladder.) A double door will like the mudroom to the porch, providing a view through the new window to the north.

And, for an update on the exterior: The soffit framing is ready to receive the soffits. The pieces are being fabricated in the shop and will be installed quickly when they are ready. These must precede the windows, since the soffit abuts a continuous frieze board which, in turn, abuts the tops of the windows.

Yesterday ductwork began arriving on site with the new airhandler and boiler. Installation should start next week, in tandem with the soffit and windows!