By the time our neighbors came home from work, they were stunned — a whole house had appeared where there’d only been a concrete slab that morning. Day one of our modular home build was nothing short of magical.
The First Day of House Assembly
Today was the first day of our house assembly. The crane arrived bright and early at 7:20 a.m., and the first truckload of wall panels was scheduled to arrive at 8:00. The whole assembly was planned so that by 5:00 p.m., the first floor and ceiling structure would be completed. Since rain was expected around 6:00 p.m., it was crucial to get the temporary cover on in time, otherwise the house could be damaged by moisture. Every minute counted.
A Late Start
There were six workers waiting at the site, but the truck just didn’t show up. It finally arrived 75 minutes late, the load so crookedly stacked that it looked like it might tip over at any second.
Fortunately, things went smoothly after that, and the first truckload was set in place before lunch. The crew started by installing four large wall panels, which formed the entire outer walls of the first floor. The modular home started taking shape. After that came the interior walls, followed by the heavy metal beam and post that run through the middle of the house to carry the upper floor.
Lifting, Aligning, and Building Up
Once the second truck arrived, it brought the floor panels for the second level, which rest on the exterior walls and that central beam. None of the interior walls have a load-bearing function.
At one point, the first floor looked like this: open skies above what would soon become our living room.
The crane operator was truly skilled, lifting even the balcony sections through tight spaces without hitting any power lines.
Seeing Our Home Take Shape
By the end of the day, the house already had its full first floor up, and the shape of our future home was really beginning to show. Before wrapping up for the evening, the team also installed a temporary staircase so that tomorrow, everyone can move comfortably between the floors.
Finishing Touches Before the Roof
That evening, after all the hired workers had gone home, Mr. Right and a very kind, helpful friend stayed behind to assemble the scaffolding. It will be needed for tomorrow’s roof installation and all the other tasks that are so much easier (and safer) to do from a stable platform.
Looking Ahead
Tomorrow promises to be another exciting day! Read about it here.
