The next question was what would go between the beams.
We decided against tongue-and-groove because we've had that in Hawaii for years & wanted a change. We saw the smooth white between-beam ceilings in the Heath Club, liked them, & asked for the same.
Our builder told us how he liked to build such ceilings so that they will not develop cracks caused by expansion & contraction, showed us an example in progress at a Cafayate winery, & we agreed that he should use this technique for our house.
First they raise the beams:
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| bedroom & hall beams |
Then they layer 2 types of mesh over the the beams. One is a very wide metal mesh. The other is a much finer mesh, not sure whether the material is metal or something else:
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| 2 layers of mesh laid on top of the beams |
Over the two layers of mesh, they pour a mixture of concrete & small styrofoam balls. It's the styrofoam expanding & contracting that prevents the ceiling from cracking when the temperature changes:
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| looking down at concrete-with-styrofoam over mesh over beams |
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| looking up at concrete-with-styrofoam over mesh over beams |
Stay tuned to see how they finish the ceiling interior.
