knee brace crazy!

Knee braces are most commonly seen in western timber framing.  They add rigidity to a structure by preventing "racking".  Racking is the lateral movement that occurs when a rectangle is not braced diagonally.  These knee braces are not seen much in Japanese joinery, as it is argued that too much rigidity can cause more damage in the case of any seismic activity.  Therefore Japanese homes are built to let a little "give" when the ground starts to shake.  In this particular scenario that we have encountered the option for a little "give" will more likely result in the house collapsing during renovation.  These knee braces have been added to the most crucial parts of the frame only and provide strength as well as peace of mind.  Anyways keep on checking in with us to see what the next stage is!!

Still repairing rotten posts and knocking out walls!

So here we are still demolishing and dealing with 75 years of decay of some of the posts in the house.  Things are a little more civilized around here now that we have power and a good friend of ours temporarily hooked up our living areas with  light switches and power outlets.  Its amazing what electricity does for moral:)  So here are a few pics of the last week of work and another video to come!

Suzi undoing the old bamboo work

Tao`s joinery

Our electrician Ken making our living spaces more civilized

We are adding "knee braces" for additional support

Hyogo demolition #2 Check out our first full week of work!

Our friends from Soushien came to lend a hand!

EcoJima Hyogo house dismantle part 1

A friend in Japan building an "Earthing room"

What is Earthing?

We will incorporate this concept in with our building project.