The build gets interesting when thousands of pounds of structural steel arrive
Posted 08.21.2009 at 10:40 am
5 Comments
With the first-floor walls poured, it's time to erect the structure for the rest of the house before my panels show up. Does this look a little overbuilt? Well, there's a very good reason why folks don't build flat-roofed houses in the Great White North: It's called snow, and it's heavy. It makes little sense to design a house that would allow snow to sit on the roof, stressing the structure, instead of just sliding off.
View photo gallery
Quick Cuts: This is why you build the shop before the house. John B. Carnett
Here's a look at what happens when the steel shows up, and isn't exactly what I was expecting ...
Hole In One: Drilling with a plasma cutter is ugly, but it's quick. John B. Carnett
John B. Carnett, PopSci's staff photographer, is using the latest green technology to build his dream home. Follow along as the project progresses on his Green Dream blog: popsci.com/green-dream
Want to read more articles like this, plus tips and tricks, home hacks, DIY projects, and more? Subscribe to Popular Science today, for less than $1 per issue!
5 Comments
To comment, please Login.
Popular Tags
Regular Features
|
|
|
|
|
|
June 2013: American Energy Independence
Five amazing, clean technologies that will set us free, in this month's energy-focused issue. Also: how to build a better bomb detector, the robotic toys that are raising your children, a human catapult, the world's smallest arcade, and much more.
Popular on Popsci
Most Commented
Most Emailed
Online Content Director: Suzanne LaBarre | Email
Senior Editor: Paul Adams | Email
Associate Editor: Dan Nosowitz | Email
Assistant Editor: Colin Lecher | Email
Assistant Editor: Rose Pastore | Email
Contributing Writers:
Kelsey D. Atherton | Email
Francie Diep | Email
Shaunacy Ferro | Email
Today on PopSci.com
Copyright © 2012 Popular Science
A Bonnier Corporation Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Keep the pictures coming. I can't wait to see the prefab panels.
This article is not useful and doesn't give enough info to properly inform or evaluate - sheer gimickry. Popular Science, you can do better than this!
Excellent progress! I'm really impressed. I wonder if there are any other options that are as strong as steel, but not as heavy.
Love, Peace & Soul
This is going to look really cool.
Who was your engineer? Love to know. Due to the fact that I'm in Lake Tahoe and have a far greater snow load, and sysmic issues and we use gluelambs, not steel. A little overbuilding don't ya think? Especially when our average homes are 3,000 sqft, and 2 stories. Flat roofs, not an issue. We like tar shingle to keep the snow on the roof for insulation. It's a green thing. Did you find one of those new age engineers, who suddenly found out that being green can make them alot of money? So many of them out there.