Extending the Eaves: The Buyeon Go Up

Day eleven. The roof’s lower structure — the part that gives a hanok its floating, upswept eave line — began today.

Buyeon installation begins. Our carpenter, Mr. Ha, started on the buyeon: the short second tier of square rafters that ride over the round primary rafters and push the eaves outward and upward. The supporting framework went up first — the pyeonggodae (the long batten the buyeon bear on), then trial placement of the chomaegi and imaegi, the strips that clamp each buyeon from below and above.

This is the skeleton that draws the roof’s final silhouette, so precision here is everything — and precision against 70-year-old rafters, no two of which sit at the same height, means endless shimming and checking. The two end buyeon go in first, the pyeonggodae is leveled between them, and only then do the middle pieces fill in. Watching a master set that line is watching the house get its posture back.

Plastering the eave line. We finished plastering the full eave band on the street-facing exterior — one bag of Ardex X18 cement plus half a bag of finishing compound. Where raw brick had been showing, there’s now a clean continuous line. The house looks cared for from the street for the first time.

On the courtyard side, the eave cavities got the full sequence we’d planned: clear the debris → foam board backing → X18 cement → urethane fill → finish coat.

Raising the ceiling — by demolition. Above the main beam (daedeulbo) sat a clay infill wall — the daegong wall — boxing in the ceiling over the corridor and kitchen. Structurally unnecessary there, visually suffocating. We knocked it through, and the perceived ceiling height jumped. Of everything done this week, this is the change you feel in your chest when you walk in.

The plumber also came by to talk toilet and shower positions — noted, but parked until the interior plan is final.