Three Stories Up, Two Steps Back

Nerves are tightly stretched as the budget expands. Finding a conventional mortgage for an unconventional house is very difficult. One of the most expensive elements is a steel deck made of 16 tons of steel. The unusual deck brings more challenges to the project. The only bright spot on the horizon currently is the framing.

Brandon Brown gives us a tour of the interior of the newly completed initial framing of the house. Outside there are more problems with the sonitube deck supports. The columns aren't lining up and work has stopped on the deck until the problem is resolved.

Everyone is pleased with the framing (on schedule, on budget) for once. Now, the trades take over inside the site. Innovation is part of the process for this unusual home site. Outside, more problems with those pesky rain drains that were buried without being inspected.

Even with work stopped outside the house, design decisions continue. Brandon works on the design of a custom fireplace, which sounds easy and inexpensive to him, but very difficult and expensive to everyone else.