passionate about helping you design your home … and getting all the permitting done!
I love the look and added dimension of open ceilings with timber trusses. They aren’t typically used for structure in California due to strict earthquake structure requirements, but they look great and we can still use them.
Here you see a set of heavy timber trusses – Douglas Fir in this case – being installed in a ICF or insulated concrete form house.
Building a home in remote areas ups the ante for challenges and cost. This house located at 2700 feet above sea level on the south range of the mountains of the Ojai Valley has amazing views of the Topa Topa mountains to the North and the mighty Pacific on the South.
Just getting people to the job is a challenge – Google, smart phones and even maps don’t accurately show the property. With the 100’s of trade contractors, inspectors, delivery drivers, etc. getting people to the job is a chore itself.
We had to install our own street sign – which was later mysteriously removed !
Roadways, grading, drainage, utilities have to travel up a 1700 foot long driveway. Rules and regulations also get more challenging from the building department, the fire department and all of the other agencies that get involved in the permitting.
But you just can’t beat it! Views of the Channel Islands of Santa Barbara.
Bottom Line: Get er Done!
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Feel Free to copy, share, or re post this article. Kindly make sure to include this information: Written by Otis Bradley, a Custom Home Builder, in Southern California. Please see OtisBradley.com for more information on Custom Home Building!
With the roof, stucco and driveway complete, only the finish landscape is missing!
Stucco Brown Coat
Roof tile detail
Window detail – custom tile sill with deep set aluminum clad window
Plaster walls
Porch roof – exposed framing
Groin vault in entry – note Techsheild radiant plywood
and planter cut outs in wall.
Roof framing over Rastra block
Rastra Block topped out and framing commences!
Window rough
Rastra block installation
South side – front entry on the left
Garage slab ready
Raising level of courtyard
With the floor system in – we move up another 4 blocks and prepare to cut out windows and doors. After these blocks are
grouted – only one more lift to the roof.
Walls above the floor framing
Rastra Technician with the “Rastra Lift o Matic 5000”
Front entry
Floor joists and plumbing goes in.
Attaching the floor ledger and getting ready for wood.
Looking from garage towards living room – Rastra walls
Looking from bedrooms – Rastra walls
Looking from living room towards garage – Rastra walls
Rastra block arrives – a concrete/post consumer waste styrofoam block
that will provide 12″ thick highly insulated, fireproof, rot proof walls!
Setting the footings
Filling it back up!
Re compaction of the new soil for a solid base.
Importing fill
Excavators, 10 wheelers, water trucks, loaders, bob tails !
Digging out all the rocks!
Dueling excavators
Big rocks !
This is the property before grading!
