A natural humidity controller 味が出る家

The sun has been working on the exterior wall (Japanese cedar) which started changing its colour to beautiful amber.

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We had five electricians do their amazing work today. Normally, electric cables run through the pillars and in the walls so eventually they would not be seen on the surface of the interior. With Itakura Method, however, the walls do not have that “inside bit” for the cables to be hidden as they are a solid piece of wood (if you do not recall, refer to Part 4) So, the electricians got to work out the alternative places like underneath the flooring or on the beams. When it comes to the very end of cables like light switches power sockets, they would have to be on the surface to some extent which would later be covered with wiring covers made of cedar.

Phewwww aren’t you amazed at how many cables a house would require? I am! This looks crazy. I’m also amazed at electricians who actually knows (or should know?) which goes where and what is for what.

Meantime, we carpenters placed Agarihinoki (please see the picture below, it is where we take off our shoes to go inside the house) and Shikii to finally place the final flooring. Guess what kind of wood we are using?

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Yes! Of course it’s Japanese cedar! Although it has a disadvantage being vulnerable as it is relatively soft, I believe cedar has countless advantages to make it up easily. I would like to tell you, first and foremost, that IT FEELS GOOD. This organic natural material DO smell good,

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feel good on your skin and definitely look good. You wouldn’t get that “sticky feel” when you walk on it barefoot. This can be applied to all the organic natural timber.

Cedar also has humidity conditioning function. When it is too humid, the wood in your house would absorb the moisture and when it is too dry, it would release the moisture to even out. Japanese people have been using cedar because of the reason and its beauty since ancient times for various things such as firewood, boats, plates and bowls, furniture, arts, houses etc. Not only the wooden craft but also leather goods or copper roofing has a beautiful effect which can only be obtained by ageing over time.

The next step is to place the door frames for the sliding doors.

Until then!

外壁の杉板が太陽に焼かれ、飴色へ変わってきました。

電気屋さんが5人がかりで配線工事を行っています。通常、電気の配線は壁の中、柱と柱のあいだを通し、壁の石膏ボードをはると見えなくなるのですが、「板倉工法」は建て方の時点で仕上がりの壁ができてしまうので（真壁）壁の中に配線ができません。なので、床の下や梁の上などいたるところに工夫し配線します。スイッチやコンセントの線は露出で定位置まで配線し最後に杉の木でつくったモール（配線カバー）で隠します。

それにしても配線が多い！この線はどこそこ…この線はここの..あの線はあそこの…なんつって電気屋さんはどの線がどこに使う線なのか、全て頭に入っているから凄いです！（多分）

アタマコンガラガッチャウ

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大工部隊は玄関の上がり框（ヒノキ）、敷居などを取り付け仕上げの床を張っていきます！

仕上げの床は？

そうです！

みなさんご存知の≪杉の板≫です！杉は柔らかく、キズがつきやすいという欠点がありますが、僕から言わすとそんなの欠点じゃありません。仮に欠点だとしてもその欠点を遥かに上回る利点がこの≪杉の板≫にはいくつもあります。

杉の板に限らず、無垢の木全般に言えることですが、良いところはやはり、木本来の質感。匂いや、さわり心地、見た目など、風合いという面で魅力があり、化学物質を含まない自然素材ですのでなんつったって気持ちがいいです。夏だって、床の上に寝転がってもベタベタしませんよ！（これ本当）

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調湿作用があり湿気の多い時には、水分を吸収し、乾燥している時には水分を放出することにより部屋の中の湿度を調節し快適な空間にしてくれます。よって我が国では古来から建物の構造材、化粧材、家具、器、船、薪など様々なものに使われてきました。使い込むうちに『味がでる』『風合いがでる』というイメージ。木に限らず革製品や銅板葺の屋根などにも同じことが言えますね。（最近では新しいものをわざわざキズつけ汚して古びた雰囲気を出す、エイジング加工なんてのもあるくらいです）