Doors and More Door Drama

When our family was visiting this Christmas, my brother and father in law (PR and RR, respectively) helped me to install windows, and we were on the cusp of putting doors in, as well, but the rough openings I made turned out to be too big. I guess I got a little too enthusiastic with the concept that it's better to make them too big than too small, so of course, I made them too big. Now I have to close the gaps, which will entail framing and sheathing, which is a bummer, but nothing I can't put off and in the hopes that it will fix itself. Hey, it's the holidays, a time for miracles.

For all it's worth, we now have all of our doors, and that's a bonus. The kitchen and shop doors were simple stock doors from Home Depot, so they were on the reasonably cheap end. As I've mentioned, if they have them in stock in their store, you save at least $100. The problem is, you have to be willing to live with an orange door that only a cat can fit through. Nah, just kidding. The doors are fine, and we found a couple of fiberglass ones that were the right size (36 inches wide) and reasonably decorative. So we went with it.

For the front, however, we wanted something a little nicer, and for the upstairs bedroom, as well, in order to access the beautiful balcony we hope to build so that we can sit and drink lattes and watch the deer walk by.

Just wanted to give a plug to Home Depot for their recent shift to outstanding customer service. I'm finding it a pleasurable experience to get help, and my recent need to have door delivered was a good example of this. I hope I'm not repeating myself, but I was hesitant to have the doors delivered because of the obvious cost and because I was hoping to do it myself. There was no way the French Door was going to fit into the back of my Mentor's Explorer, and I was convinced that the smaller doors wouldn't fit, either. I was wrong on the latter.

The guys who helped me, I think Al and Frank, were so helpful and friendly, I couldn't believe it. It was two days before Christmas, to boot. They heaved those doors onto the cart by themselves, an impressive feat that I'm guessing comes with experience. Either way, an excellent customer service experience. It turns out that two of the doors fit into the back of the Explorer, though I had to keep the back window open. The special order doors were too big, they had more framing on them, so that was out of the question, and I had to arrange for delivery, but more on that later.

Frank helped me take the doors to the car, helped me load them, which was logistically like jumping through hoops, and then, without even my mentioning it, he noticed that I had a flat tire and said he'd be right back. He returned with a pressurized air canister and filled the tire. I couldn't believe it. I had tears welling up in my eyes and I kept repeating to myself, "Man, I love this place." A good experience, overall.

It doesn't end there, however. I got a call later on about arranging delivery, and she said if I was lucky, he would help me move them into the barn, but no guarantees. It was up to their discretion, their only obligation was to get the doors to the house. No more. I figured I could always cover them up and have a friend come over and help me move them inside.

On the big day of their arrival, I got a call about 6:00 AM (it's a good thing I'm an early riser) from the delivery guy, and he said he'd be over by 7:00. It was kind of cool, he had a flat bed truck with a forklift, of all things, on the back. He parked on the road and drove the forklift down our driveway, doors and all. It could have been a timing thing, it usually is, but he was a really cool guy, and offered to unload and move the doors into the barn. They come attached to an A-frame to protect them during transport, and I the standard procedure is to leave everything and then come back for the A-frame. So, it saved him a trip to get the job done then and there.

He not only helped me move the French doors, which must weigh hundreds of pounds, but he hauled the other doors all by himself. I sat there like a dork watching him, but in truth, I wasn't prepared to lift one of those things. They have lots of glass on them.

Either way, it turned out to be yet another good Home Depot experience. I love that place. Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Windows In and Window Revelations

Okay, so I've been out of touch for the past ten days. My apologies, but with the weather turning tropical and then arctic cold, it's been challenging to get out there and get my hands dirty, but there is still much to do. I've also been trying to focus on matters in our own house, which for the record never seem to end. And, of course, with the holidays in full swing and R's family visiting, there hasn't been much time to do much of anything but hang out and EAT! Not that it's a bad thing, mind you.

On a bright note, my brother in-law, PR, is not only a go-getter, but an experienced and accomplished one, to boot. Since he had a few hours (days?) of free time, he decided to help me put the windows in the barn. Help me is putting it lightly since he ended up doing most of the work. He knew exactly what to do, from caulking to leveling to fastening, it was pretty cool. My father in-law, RR, was there to help, and within a few hours, we'd managed to get the front four windows in. Amazing.

PR was so motivated, that we were on the verge of putting the rear windows in when he declared that the old windows, the same ones that were a source of aggravation and indecision, were not worth saving and to replace them. We'd wrestled with these windows, and after a lot of thought, we'd decided that we didn't want them to go to waste. They do seem like old windows, though, and PR said that he wasn't even sure if they were properly sealed, and they didn't have flanges to keep out the weather. I couldn't even tell you what brand they were, or for that matter, how old. Whatever be the case, RR was there and after much discussion, the decision was made: get new windows! More money, of course, but what else is new in the world of home improvement?

For all it's worth, those windows are pretty big, and since we're talking about the back of the house, we probably don't need to replace all of them with windows the same size, and could probably downgrade a bit without too many bad consequences, but we'll see. Also, the still might work on the shop, since that's a real-man's space, and a little draftiness shouldn't be an issue.

It's funny, because PR was disappointed with the windows, and even more so that the old ones weren't going to work, so much so that he wondered if we could get replacements at Home Depot right then and there. Unfortunately, they don't stock windows that big, because if they did, I would have jumped on that one (you save a bundle that way). So we'll have to order them.

I am greatly indebted to PR and RR for all their help. I think if PR were here for a month, he'd have that thing done and ready to live in. I exaggerate not. The doors were another story for another time.

Now that we have some of the windows in, I can look forward to PR's next visit to put in the rest... just kidding.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Continuing Attic Drama and Roof Rakes

Speaking of complacency, I plugged the gaping hole in the attic, and then stopped cold in my tracks. I've still got cover up that space between the frame and chimney, though I've also been told I should find the source of heat and stop that. Will it ever end? I do have an idea of where it might be coming from, and it's easy enough to address, though once again, I have to find out what the best (allowable?) approach is. It's one of those situations where caulking is your best friend.

In the meantime, I am poised and ready to put that skirt around the chimney. I've got the flashing and the caulk, and it should be pretty straightforward. One thing that ends up discouraging me is spending long periods of time in that cold, dark attic, where I have to negotiate my way around the joists and avoid breathing all that dust and fiberglass. Plus, it's cold, which is a good thing. It'd be nice to have some music, I'll work on that one.

I also got an extension on our roof rake, and I think it will do the job. I went to the Woodstock Home and Hardware and got an extension, and experienced firsthand the difference in customer service from two different people. I don't know if it's a gender thing, but the guys seemed intent on selling me something as quickly as possible and then being done with me, while the women were more conscientious and concerned. The extension piece I bought was a different brand than the one I currently have, but the design and shape are basically the same. I assumed it would be fine, and the guy behind the counter kept saying, "It'll be fine, don't worry," while the woman kept expressing concern. She said that the piece was specific for that brand and it might not fit. I just assumed they were all built the same. That makes sense, right?

Well, sure enough, when I got home, the pieces were slightly off. The holes that lock the pieces together are smaller, and of course they didn't lock in properlly. My first thought was, "Bummer, I should have listened to my mother," or some facsimile, thereof. I was ready to take the piece back and face their scorn when it suddenly dawned on me that I could always just drill the hole and make it bigger. Wow, a solution to my problems.

Sure enough, I enlarged the hole with the proper drill bit, and "voila!" I was back in business. I was going to call my Mentor but he would have just said, "Duh!" Either way, the extension makes a big difference in getting more snow off our roof. I've found it I get within a few feet of the apex, the icing problem is not nearly as bad, and I can sleep better at night.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Clogged Sinks

I've hit a bit of a wall of complacency and haven't done as much as I'd like on the barn, but I know I'll get back to it soon enough. The thing isn't going away any time soon. In fact, our doors just arrived and the windows are here, just crying to be installed. Of course, since this is new territory for me, and I've been told you really need to do it right, I've opted to put it off until they magically insert themselves into the rough openings. You never know, it could happen.

Also, I'm suddenly no longer at a loss for contracting help. Now that Winter has set in, the cold weather usually spells a slowdown for building projects, and the hands of experience start to come out of the woodworks filled with explanations of why they never returned my desperate pleas for assistance and now have plenty of time to help me. Whatever be the case, I think I'll be able to find someone to help me put those windows in, though I think my Mentor's friend B gets credit because he's one of the only ones who not only returned my calls, but actually showed up on our front door, albeit a week later than I'd hoped. If you can believe this one, I actually told him I didn't need him because I'd already finished framing the rough openings. How's that for cocky? That sort of thing always comes back to haunt me.

And it's not as if I'm at a loss for things to do around the house. There are assorted shelves to be built and attic issues that give me loads of anxiety because I keep putting them off... sort of. For all it's worth, some things have been done, and I have a plan.

Speaking of around the house, we had some sink issues that were the last thing I really wanted to deal with. Plumbing is not fun stuff, those guys really earn their pay. Somehow both of our sinks were slow to drain, and as hard as I tried to put it off, it came to head and could no longer be ignored. There's something about a clogged sink after four people have brushed their teeth that can no longer be ignored.

In a previous life, I would have opted for the quick and easy city-boy approach: pour Drano down the drain. Now that we have a septic system and can't and have to aware of what we put down there, I went in search of a better solution. I thought bleach would do the trick, but of course, it would fry our septic flora, plus stink up the bathroom with toxic fumes. It's not used in chemical weapons for nothing.

I went to Woodstock Home and Hardware looking for organic, eco-friendly Drano, and as you might have guessed, it simply doesn't exist. The guy at the store gave me the hard line and said there isn't an easy way around it. You have to go down in there and pull out the blockage, usually a hair ball. How does hair get down the sink?

So I did it. It wasn't pretty, and I didn't have anybody lining up to watch me extract the offending material, and offending it was. The upstairs sink wasn't so bad because I'd actually replaced the plunger when we first moved in. The downstairs sink, on the other hand, had years of buildup, and had never been cleaned. The black death mold was so thick that I had to run my fingers down the plunger, which has an "X" shape, to remove the stuff. Even though I was wearing gloves, it was still brutal, they don't make gloves thick enough, but it did the trick. I've vowed to somehow stay on top of this problem, which unfortunately means I'll give it some thought in the first few days and then forget about it until the problem crops up again, but some thought is better than none, right?

Now the sinks are draining well, everyone is happy, and life goes on... at least until the next big project. Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Vaughan Willis for the pic.

Christmas Wrap

This is nothing short of a miracle, but we've managed completely sheath the barn and get most of the house wrap on, so the structure is reasonable condition for the weather. Still so much to do, however. We've got the windows and I think the doors have arrived, but since one of them is a big French door, it won't fit in our Mazda coupe, and I'm thinking we'll have to pay for delivery on this one. It's just too darn big.


My friend GS came over and we put the Tyvek up, and it was a bit of a chore. That stuff is so big and unruly, but with two people, essentially amount to rolling the stuff over the surface and stapling it as you go. I still struggle a bit with those staplers that you slam against the surface, they seem to tear the material, but live and learn.

The hard part was wrapping the second story gable. What a challenge, and it must have been quite a site to behold. We approached it with the idea that fewer large pieces was the best way to go, so we tried to install one huge piece on the second story. In retrospect, this was a mistake, and after talking to some pros, they said to use smaller pieces and overlap. While I understand that fewer pieces is better, a man's got to know his limitations. I think I can do the front gable, but in sections. Like everyone keeps telling me, just think like a raindrop.

Once the windows and doors are in, which should be before 2012, the house will be sealed. Of course, there are issues with the fascia and soffits, but those are better left for another year.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Attic Project and Good Procrastination Vibes

We have attic issues, and they are ones that cannot be ignored, as much as I'd like to. Again, it's one of those situations where I scratch my head and wonder how the previous owners dealt with it, but somehow they managed, for 25 years! There are major gaps in the sheetrock up in the attic, so much so that a lot of heat escapes into the airspace despite the double layer of insulation. Let's face it, fiberglass is fairly porous, so it can only hold in so much heat.

We noticed a problem, or rather it was pointed out early on by an experienced eye, from the beginning. From what I've been told, you want your attic to be as cold as the outside so that snow will stay on and not melt. The problem with melting is that it inevitably freezes again and forms ice dams. A sure sign of this are icicles, which are cool to look at, but spell trouble. The ice creeps back under the shingles and when it melts, it leaks onto your ceiling, and as we all know, water is the enemy to your house.

We knew we had to do something, and the solution had multiple stages to it. First off, increase air flow in the attic. This involves a number of things that I can never remember and have trouble even pronouncing, including soffits, eaves, ridge vents, and proper vent. The second stage is to stop the hot air from leaking into the attic. And the third is to get a standing seam roof. I was kind of hoping that getting a new roof would simply alleviate the need to deal with the first and second, but was told that they still need to be addressed. Nothing is invincible when it comes to water.

So I started in on the attic. I found a big hole in the sheetrock that let in a lot of hot air. There is also the issue of the frame around the chimney, which had about a one inch gap and again, lets in hot air. And finally, there are gaps in the framing and joists (redundant?) that let in warm air. All of these situations can be easily dealt with if you're Bob Vila, which I am not. Thus, the situation is never simple.

I must have asked about twenty people what to do, and go the same general response, with varying degrees of technical difficulty. Basically, I needed to seal up those gaps. This I wrestled with, since I wasn't sure what material to use. The holes are big, so simple foam won't work. I thought of rigid foam, and even drew up a sketch which I forwarded to several people before my Mentor finally emailed me and said, "If I was there right now, I'd slap you upside your head. You're way overthinking this one. Just cover the darn hole." This sentiment was seconded by our community energy expert. At least I came away from it with a pretty firm idea of what to do.

The issues that makes this so difficult for me are the fire codes. Once the word fire enters the picture, I can't take anything lightly. Even though the chimney is cold, I still feel a little uncomfortable putting flammable stuff next to it. Call me crazy, you wouldn't be the first, but I lean towards overkill. It drives my Mentor crazy.

In the end, I cut some pieces of wood and covered the holes, then caulked the edges to seal the air flow. Of course I used fire resistant caulking, which is ridiculous when you consider that the frame and wood that I sealed are flammable. Oh well, at least I feel better about it.

The next stage will be to make a skirt to seal up the chimney frame, and after consulting with 99 different contractors, I have an idea of what to do. I just need to do it. I will also seal up gaps that leak hot air and put yet another layer of fiberglass down. That should help.

The situation also calls for the diligent raking and shoveling of the snow off the roof, which is not a problem when you have reliable help nearby.

One last note, we are thinking of going with the standing seam roof, but found out that we are in the system and locked into a good price. Best of all, we can postpone the installation until Spring, which we'd like to do, and clean off the snow/ice/moss and get any trim work done (yeah, right) before they put the new roof on. Don't ask me why, but this latest development just made us happy. Procrastination is a beautiful thing, and we might very well apply it to other things, like digging the septic and ordering shiplap, but don't tell my Mentor. Then again, he's in Maine, and he can't slap me.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Barn Steps and Our House

Today we're hoping to finally get the house wrap onto the barn, but I fell short on some of the things I was trying to finish like getting I&W shield along the bottom perimeter. I think I may have made a mistake on the I&W shield on the windows and doors, but I think I can fix those after the fact. Also, I ran out of time and couldn't get to the doors. Darn.

To compound matters, it started to snow, and I couldn't get that stuff to stick, which seems like not a good thing. I ended up stapling it to the sheathing, which will create a barrier but not an ideal seal. What are you going to do?

I also need to take care of some important issues on our own house, namely the insulation. I have to spend some time in the attic sealing up cracks that are warming up the roof and causing ice dams. What a pain. It's a little nasty up there, and I have to watch my step so I don't put my foot through the sheetrock, or better yet, fall completely through.

My plan this week is to seal up the perimeter of the chimney with rigid foam and expanding foam, then cover it with fiberglass. Then I need to seal up the chimney frame, which is giving off a lot of heat, as well. The beauty of this is I can do it at any time since it's theoretically indoors. Also want to put into place some proper vent, though after looking it over, it might not be necessary. We'll see.

For now, let's get to that barn. Thanks for reading.

Barn on the Brain

That's barn, not Bard.

I've been a bit obsessed about this barn, for many reason, some reasonable and other not. Whatever be the case, I've found that it takes a lot of time for one person to accomplish what a team (which could mean just two people) of experienced people could probably do in a day. My biggest constraints working against me are time, lack of experience (in a big way), incompetency, and disorganization. Talk about huge, if not insurmountable, obstacles. Whatever be the case, if you have the time and the wherewithal, you can pretty much accomplish anything. Thanksgiving break was nice because with R home to watch the kids and feed them, I could dedicate my entire day to the barn. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, however. Also caught some huge breaks with the weather, it hasn't snowed/rain so much to stop the flow of progress, and I'm thankful for that.

Case in point, this barn. It has taken me all Fall and into Winter to sheath this things, but it's finally done.. almost. That last little piece is going to kill me, literally. I've managed to get almost 97.3% of that building covered with sheathing, and it's been a challenge on all fronts. First off, just knowing where to get the stuff, then how to handle and cut it. The pieces are huge and heavy, and worst of all, they have to line up with one another, within reason, of course.

Now having never done it before, I didn't know where to begin, so I did what I always do, much to my Mentor's chagrin. I sat around hoping someone else would do it or it would simply go away. No such luck. So with assistance and guidance from my mentor, I jumped in and took it on myself. It wasn't easy, the learning curve was really steep, I hurt myself repeatedly and pulled more splinters out of my hands than I can even count, but it moved along, and there were times when I even enjoyed it.

Framing is fun, you don't need precision, but the sheathing can be a chore, especially when it involves climbing a ladder to new heights in order to fasten a piece. Not only is it precarious holding that piece on a wobbly ladder, but then you have to nail the thing in while holding on for dear life. Believe me, for a real man in training, you're better off not having someone there to see what a wimp you are. It's kind of embarrassing.

Either way, the last few pieces of sheathing on the upper gable were by far the hardest part. It's hard enough to lift a piece of sheathing up to the wall when you're on the ground, but standing on a ladder increases the difficulty by several orders of magnitude. This is not a linear relationship. I had to cheat a little and cut the big piece in half because I couldn't carry the entire piece up the ladder. Oh well, you do the best you can.

I managed to get the top pieces on by standing on the second floor, reaching out the window/door with the piece of sheathing, then sliding it along the top of the piece under it. I then reached out the opening with my hammer and swinging it back towards myself to drive in the nail, almost as if I were pounding it into my face. There were times when I was blindly hitting the nail, along with my fingers holding it, but it worked, and it only took about 75 blows to drive in one nail.

The moment of elation was when I peered out and saw that not only was the piece secured, but it was lined up. Amazing. The apex of the gable was the hardest part because there is nothing directly below it, so I can't slide it in over the section underneath. I have to hold it up and hope it's line up when I nail it in. Best of all, I have to stand on a ladder while leaning out the window/door with my foot on the window frame. Talk about precarious.


The back gable will be even more of a challenge because it has a door for an opening, so there is no window frame to put my foot on. I have to rely completely on the ladder to keep me steady. I am not looking forward to this, but we are so close, I can taste it. Just gotta keep pushing forward because my friend is coming over on Saturday to help me put up the Tyvek, and then we'll be fairly good for the winter.

So I have four things I have to do this week.
I need to get that last piece on the back gable.
I need to finish nailing in all the pieces - I just secured them so they wouldn't fall
I need to put on ice and water shield...

I think that's it. Then I can put on the Tyvek, and we're good to go. Then again, I'm not sure if I need to remove the gable windows before putting on Tyvek. Better look into that one.

Gotta run, there's a piece of sheathing just screaming out to be installed. Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Paralyzed by Doubt

I just wanted to pontificate a little on my inability at times to take action, which is in direct contrast to my Mentor, who is all about action and doing, and must make him scratch his head in befuddlement whenever things don't get done. My lack of confidence has delayed this barn project in a number of ways, though for the most part, it has not been disastrous... yet. From the beginning, my Mentor has been advising us on what needs to be done and the proper chronology of events that go into finishing a house, and in typical fashion, I sat on them.

Bear in mind, this has nothing to do with laziness or shirking responsibility (well, maybe a little), though on the surface that is probably how it appears. It really boils down to being paralyzed by fear and doubt of the unknown, especially where large sums of money are involved. Then again, the process of confronting that doubt and overcoming it is all a part of becoming a real man, right?

From the beginning there have been things that needed to be done, supplies that needed to be ordered, and just a whole slew of responsibilities regarding things that I'd never before had to deal with. So in typical fashion, I tried my best to ignore them. In a way, I was living the very life that I disparage, based on the principle of "out of sight, out of mind," or as the French say,"Loin des yeux, loin du coeur." In other words, who cares how things run or are made, or where your food comes from or what is in it, just pay someone else to deal with it. This frees up a great deal of time to spend watching TV or shopping, or fretting about your life (something I've mastered)

I lived most of my life this way, and it really makes your life suck. Nothing gets done and you kick yourself after the fact because of it. Life literally just passes you by. It's easy when you're a city boy, and nowhere does this attitude come together more than in New York City, the capital of self-absorption. People don't do anything themselves over there. Sure, they make loads of money, but the they pay people to wash and fold their laundry, walk their dogs, and of course, watch their kids. In a way it creates entire industries and fuels the economy. Pay your taxes and expect that your water, heat and whatever you flush down your toilet is dealt with. Easy.

Since moving up here, we've had to make conscious decisions about a number of things that we'd never thought of before. Besides parenting, we have to be conscious of our well and septic system (we can't put nasty stuff, meaning toxic chemicals, in the ground or down the sink for fear of contaminating our water supply), wood to heat our house, where our food comes from, and now barn. The situation is more difficult in New England because the elements are really out to get you.

Early this summer/spring, my Mentor gave us a series of things we needed to take care of to build the barn, and he indicated he was willing to help, but none of them got done. At least not at first. In a way, I was doing to him exactly what I'd done to PD. I said we wanted to build the barn, and was hoping he's just do it and let me pound a few nails in to have a feeling of accomplishment.

Well, as any real man knows (this includes real man in training), things are never that simple. Since my Mentor is a busy man and probably was not planning on building the entire barn by himself (darn!), the responsibility fell upon yours truly. My first response was completely in character-ignore it and hope it would go away. No such luck, however.

The beauty of it all was that once things got moving and I shook off my cowardice and simply dealt with logistical issues, I realized that they weren't that bad, and felt ashamed that I let fear once again dictate my actions. Not that fear will completely go away in my life, but I do feel more capable, and dare I say, empowered. I'm working towards invincible.

None of this would have happened if certain events did not fall in place. First off, the opportunity to finish this barn, thanks to RR. Second, that the plans with PD fell through. If that were to have worked out, I would have sat back with a cocktail and watched PD and his crew finish the barn, and what fun would that be? And thirdly, having someone there to at least guide me, even hold my hand a little, and give me a foundation to start on. Thanks to my Mentor for that, with special mention to PR, PD, GS, and a wide assortment of people with building experience who have answered by pleas for assistance.

Serendipity at it's best. The process can be difficult mainly because this is all new terrain and an area that's easy enough to avoid for most of your life. There is no shortage of people who will take your money to do the job, but then it simply becomes a process of getting from point A to point B, and you completely miss out on the journey.

With this in mind, having been forced to take action and do many of these things, I feel much better. Sure, the work is hard, and I have zero free time, but am I ever learning a lot. More importantly, however, I'm being reminded of the fact that nothing replaces experience in terms of not only getting things done, but in self-discovery and personal growth.

Just do it, as the saying goes.

I know that my Mentor will never stop wondering how I made it this far in life, but things are moving along, and one day that answer will become clear to him. Not, however, until the siding is ordered and stored, the trees cut down, the roof is attended to, the septic is dug, the patio is replaced, the barn is sealed, and attic is properly insulated.

And that's just Phase 1 of this project. Did I mention that I think I broke my foot in karate? I'm not whining, of course.

I also wanted to say that I really don't think I could have pulled off any of what little I've done thus far if I didn't have the mental and emotional callouses that I've developed from 8+ years of parenting, the hard way, no less. Nothing is more humbling or puts you through the ringer like attending to your kids. It makes framing and sheathing seem like a walk in the park. After surviving the rigors of fatherhood, you come out the other side one step closer to being a real man. I'd like to thank A&N for that.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Yamamoto Ortiz for the pic.

Windows on Black Friday

In a classic example of not knowing anything until you at least try, I managed to pick up our big casement window, and all by my lonesome, sort of. When we ordered our windows, which in and of itself was hard because of the finality of it all (i.e., you'd better make sure of what you want), I had this idea in my head that the big window for the kitchen would be way too big for me to move. I even arranged for my friend GS with a truck to help me move it on perhaps the worst possible day, the Friday after Thanksgiving when it's every good American's duty to go out and shop. Needless to say, I was dreading going into town and battling traffic. Plus, GS had family over for the holidays, so I couldn't say for sure when he would be able help me, and I couldn't rush him. We had tentatively planned on going in the afternoon, again, probably the worst possible time.

Anyway, as I thought it over, I began to wonder if the window, which over 6 feet long, might actually fit in the Explorer, my Mentor's car that has literally saved our hides on a number of occasions. I measured it out, and believe it or not, it seemed big enough. You could fit a horse back there. It was still early morning, the time I would have preferred going to avoid the rush, so I decided to go for it. No sense wasting time fretting over things that haven't happened yet, right? Then again, that's the story of my life.

I went and picked up the window, the guys at HD helped me get it into the car (BTW, the customer service there has improved dramatically) and sure enough, it fit perfectly. I love that car. Who cares if it only gets 10 mpg, it's like having a truck. I brought the windows home and R helped me move it into the barn, which was fairly easy, too. Now all I have to do is install them, but I'll worry about that when the time comes. Or better yet, worry about it now, before I even need to, my MO, after all.

It's amazing anything gets done around here.

Just a quick note, a lot of things wouldn't have been accomplished if not for the use of my Mentor's car, the Explorer. Thanks a bunch to him for letting us borrow it. It saved us when my in-laws came, it's saved us on a number of occasions (too many to count) in terms of getting supplies for the barn. I could go on for days, but suffice it to say, life is better when you have two cars, or at least can borrow one.

Thanks for reading, and thanks to Asif Akbar for the pic.

Taking a Break

I've decided to take a break from making constant inquiries regarding home improvement. This stems partly from the fact that I'm sure people are tired of hearing from me, but also due to the fact that it's Thanksgiving, and nobody's going to answer my questions, anyway.

So Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, and thanks for putting up with me.

Moving Along and Happy Thanksgiving

In the midst of all the holiday preparation, we are busier here than ever. While people look forward to a day off while enjoying a huge meal with family, all I can think about is home improvement. It haunts me day and night.

At least things are cruising along. As I may have mentioned, about 75% of the barn is sheathed. I would have closed the deal but happened upon the big ant problem. It's always disconcerting when you discover a colony of ants, kind of ruins your day. It turns out that when I dug a little deeper, both literally and figuratively, the ant colony was still there in the header, requiring the header's complete removal. I'm still bewildered as to why they were up so high. Somehow moisture is getting up there and drawing them to the wood.

Whatever be the case, when I dislodged the header, it literally rained ants... all over me, no less. I was frantically brushing the little buggers off me, though a lot of them died as a result of my relentless pounding with a sledge hammer. Of course, the extent of the damage had spread to some of the studs, so I'm going to have to replace those, as well. Yet another setback, and my require that I get more rough cut lumber.

Our windows came and I finally ordered the doors. I went in a few days back to order them and was barraged with choices to the point where I had to leave. Doors are expensive, too, so the whole situation made me nervous. Plus, the guy at HD was kind of unfriendly and made it somewhat clear that I was wasting his time. Kind of unusual at HD, the people may be clueless, but they tend to be friendly. In talking to this guy, who was clearly knowledgeable and experienced, I felt like I was at LaValleys. Also, it really helps to be somewhat informed, because when you go in ignorant, they make choices for you that are not always in your best interest. I.e., they end up costing you more because they are either clueless themselves (a frequent occurrence at HD) or can't be bothered to make some effort to save you money.

I went home to recon with R about the doors, and we finalized some decisions and I went back with more confidence. It's amazing what the support of your spouse will do for you. I had to go to work so I went to HD right when they opened at 6:00 AM. I've done this before and found if you can swing it, is the best time to shop there. Nobody is there, the people are free and available and can give you their undivided attention. Plus, they're still riding high on their morning cup of coffee so their moods are better.

The guy, JD, was super helpful and friendly and clarified things for me that ended up saving us money, namely that some of the things you buy you can easily make yourself and save some bread, like jams. Also, you can save money by choosing hardware they carry versus ordering it from the door company. We'll see how that one plays out.

I finally installed the last of the sill pieces, only to discover that the previous pieces were not actually fastened to the foundation. What a drag. I can't really go back and fasten them because they are attached to the framing, much of which has already been sheathed. I figure they're secured to the frame as well as the adjacent piece of sill, and they are not in the center of high traffic zones. How's that for justification? Also, I got the thumbs up from my Mentor and PR, my teacher.

I'd like to get some finality in just one arena in this project. It seems like nothing ever gets really finished, and I drift in various states of limbo. Somehow, once I get the framing completed and the sheathing on, I'll feel like I've accomplished something and can take a break, at least until lunchtime.

Today the plan is to do more framing and then quit around lunchtime and get Thanksgiving dinner ready. Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to Rick Cowan for the pic.

Gloves

I just wanted to extend a big thank you to my in-laws, JR and RR, for the gloves they've given me over the years. There are two pairs that I've received and I use them every day when I work on the barn. I started out doing real man work not wearing gloves, but two things encouraged me to protect my Palmolive hands. First, my Mentor wore them when we put up sheathing. And two, I must have picked a million splinters out of my hands the first day, some of which I couldn't get out.

So I started wearing gloves, and they've changed my life. Not only do I avoid splinters, but they really help me when I carry around boards, and it's nice having them when working with nasty stuff like pressure treated wood. Plus, it's getting cold out there.

Thanks JR and RR, and thanks for reading.

Not Another Progress Report

Yesterday I also managed to get the front gable further along to the point where I think R is a little more pleased and might even be on the path to believing that there's hope for me. For the record, it sure as heck wasn't easy getting all that sheathing on, and I dropped a piece or two just hauling it up to those lofty heights. I also have yet to finish the very apex of the gable, but for now, it looks good enough to give the appearance that things are being done. Works for me. If I can get the backside sheathed in the next day or two, then all that's left is framing the back gable and sheathing it (a bear of a job, mind you), and then it's time to put on the Tyvek.

Then I'll have to think about fascia and soffits, but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I've got a header to remove.

I've also received some good news about the dormers. I've been told by two reliable sources, one of which is my Mentor, that I don't necessarily need to remove the boards on the dormers and can instead simply cover them with Tyvek and put siding over that. That's a huge relief because I was struggling with how I was going to get up there and cut out those boards, which would have required removing the windows first. It's the little things in life.


Also, I'm closer to being done sheathing the backside of the house. Once that's done and I can frame and sheath the back gable, I'm in pretty good shape in terms of putting on the Tyvek and keeping out the moisture. Some other new issues have come up but I won't fret over them until I speak with my Mentor or building expert, PR. Then I'll fret about them.

This week we'll talk to the tree guys and the roofing guys. Need to order shiplap and look into getting the septic installed. Last night R and I resolved to relocate all lumber into our basement so we will have more space to work in the barn and won't have to worry about the wood getting wet.

Today I need to get to Home Depot to pick up our windows, which came in. Bummer that my Mentor is back in Maine because his truck would be perfect right now, but you can't worry about stuff like that. You just gotta find a way. I've also got to do the food shopping since it's the weekend, but it works out because they are right next to each other. I know most of the contractors I know buy their building supplies and then do the grocery shopping in the same trip... yeah right. In their wives dreams.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Problems

I was getting a little cocky about the progress that we were making, and lo and behold, I got dealt another setback, and a fairly serious one to boot, though not insurmountable . I was removing the last of the siding on the back gable and found the remnants of a massive infestation of what I believe to be carpenter ants. They ate a whole at least 8 inches in diameter, and essentially destroyed the header. I did not see any signs that they were still there, but the damage was disconcerting, to say the least, and the header will have to be replaced. This is a bummer for a number of reasons.


First, the header is huge. For whatever reason, I'm guessing because it's a garage, they used a 1X12 board that is about 7 feet long. The thing must weigh at least 100 lbs, if not more. The other bummer is that it's now going to take me more time to finish this framing/sheathing. Fortunately the weather has been mild, so I'm not too distressed. Just a little disappointed. Finally, I'll need to get more wood, though not too much. Less than $50 worth, so it's not such a big deal. Just time and inconvenience.

I'm going to have to cut the nails with the reciprocating saw that fasten the header to the frame and then essentially knock the thing out with a sledge. Bear in mind, there are positives to all of this. I can now install a smaller header and essentially increase the size of my rough opening. This opens up new worlds of choices for doors. I can also frame the sill with a layer of wood, which actually makes the job easier and makes me feel better to get a bigger barrier to ice and water. I also kind of like framing.

My original plan was to divide the opening in two and put a door on one side and a window on the other. I'll break up the opening with a stud and then essentially frame the door and window as two separate areas. I'm glad I have rough cut wood on hand so I can work on it today.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Getting Second Opinions

In the craziness of it all, I find myself falling into the foolish trap of not getting second opinions. Sometimes it's just easier to go with whatever comes first, but you really suffer because of it. Like my Mentor is always telling me, information is free, so take as much of it as you can. Call me an idiot (my mom always does), but I just feel like I'm inconveniencing these guys by having them come all the way out here. If he's reading this, my Mentor is shaking his head and wondering to himself, "Where did I go wrong with this one."

The reason that this is coming up is because we have some trees behind the barn that need to be taken down. My Mentor brought over some lumberjack types that he knows and they determined that about six trees needed to be taken down. They came up with a quote and we left it at that. Of course, I sat on it for a few months, because I'm a slacker slob, but also because something just didn't sit well with me. The plan was to cut down some really tall pines that might have fallen on the barn. Two of them really need to be removed, they literally hang over the roof of the barn, but the other four were not as dangerous, though if they fell on the barn, it wouldn't be good.

My concern was two fold. First off, the loggers said they had no use for the pines, so the plan was to simply fell the trees and let them rot in the woods. This is standard practice and I can appreciate the ecological benefit that would result, but six tall pines? Which brought up my second concern: that's a lot of lumber that is not only going to waste, but will litter up the woods. I thought that if anyone wanted to take the trees, they could have them for free. I just didn't want to make a mess. The entire community uses these woods to ski or walk, and to dump a bunch of dead trees was not appealing to me. I guess I felt bad.

Anyway, as part of my effort to be more assertive, I decided that I could no longer waste time fretting about it. The time had come to get the guy out here to cut the trees down. The original appeal of this guy was that his father was extremely experienced in the ways of logging. Plus, his original quote seemed reasonable for the number of trees. When he came out again, however, his father was no longer in the picture, and his quote had doubled. The guy is young and seems to be just getting started. I understand the difficulty of the job, but twice the price? It made me pause and tell him we had to think about it. It didn't help when he told me that he'd lost his license and was relying on his girlfriend to get around. This is information that does not instill a client with confidence, but is probably better left unsaid.

After talking to my Mentor, who expressed concern and reservation at the jump in price, I decided to do what I should have done from the beginning - get a second opinion. On the subject of trees, this is especially true when you live in Vermont, where you can't spit without hitting someone who is either a logger or knows of one. Plus, living in the wonderful community that we have, there are tons or resources. So I called my neighbor, who is a forester and has in the past sold me rough cut wood. His name is GC. He came over, looked at the trees, and said two of them had to go, but didn't think the other four were crucial.

He also said he'd come over and take the logs off the land, and give me some boards when he milled them. Plus, in terms of the maple, he would only use the bottom 10-15 feet, so I could get the rest for firewood. This was the original plan, but in reality, I couldn't cut and split the bottom portion of the tree because my chainsaw is not manly enough. One day...

Either way, I was excited. Not only was it possible that we didn't have to cut down half the forest, but we didn't have to litter it, either. For the record, several people had indicated that it was not critical to cut down all six trees, only two. In fact, the only person who said they all needed to come down was the young logger.

GC also gave me the name of a tree guy (arborist?) that he knew and trusted, whom I called and is coming over on Monday. I'm stoked, and am hoping this all works out. We shall see.

The take home lesson in all this is to get second and even third opinions. This applies to most things in life, don't just take what's handed to you, fight for your rights. Nobody else will, nor should they. It's your life.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Jeri Gray for the pic.

The Future's Here, We Are It, We Are On Our Own

Had to quote the Dead at this appropriate moment. It is with a heavy heart that I bid adieu to my Mentor as he soon heads off for the wilds of Northern Maine. I have to confess, it makes me sad to see him go, though I realize this clashes with my real man training. Then again, it's yet another rite of passage as I embark on the journey to manhood.

Plus, not only will I see him come Spring, but I'll be able to inundate him with inquiries throughout the long, cold Maine Winter via email and telephone. So it could be a lot worse. It sort of reminds me of when A was first born and R's mom JR came to stay with us in NYC. It was fun having her there, not to mention comforting to be in the presence of hand of experience, so much so that when it came time for her to leave, I was prepared to throw my body in front of the taxi cab to prevent her departure.

Not that I would do that to my Mentor, nor would he want me to. Besides, you couldn't get a cab here if your life depended on it. Whatever be the case, even though the realization that you're on your own is a heavy blow, you just deal with it, and life goes on, much in the way that it should. That doesn't mean it's easy, but who said being a real man was easy?

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Felix atsoram for the pic.

No Room For Complacency

I was told that while I'm making progress on the barn, there are things I need to deal with that I simply haven't been dealing with, mainly the roof and the darn trees out back. There's also the issue of the siding, which I haven't ordered because there's such a note of finality to ordering all that wood that it makes me uneasy.

Anyway, my mentor told me to stop patting myself on the back and get on the ball and deal with that roof, so I sort of/kind of did. After browsing through some pics, I thought this might be a good look for the barn.

I contacted the roofing guys and if you can believe this, he came out the next day and took some measurements. He said he'd send a quote in the mail for both the barn and the house. How's that for service? My friend GS said his former town, Tunbridge, is the capital of standing seam roofs, and he got an amazing deal from a friend of his. He gave me several numbers but I really wanted to talk to the guy that did his roof. Of course, the guy has yet to return my call, but what else is new in the world of contracting?

Next up, the trees. About three months back my Mentor showed up with two loggers and they advised me on what trees needed to be cut down. I have to confess, my biggest reservation was cutting down all those trees and just leaving them in the woods. I feel like we're littering the forest, and that it was going to piss off our neighbors. Either way, some of the trees have to go, no doubt about it. I contacted the guy again and amazingly enough he remembers everything we'd talked about, which wins him points in my book. He's coming over today to talk green, meaning trees and prices. I'm thinking all five trees have to go, such is life.

Also, I need to order doors. The barn is on its way to being sealed, but won't be until the doors and windows are in. The windows have been ordered but it takes a couple of weeks, so I need to get on that one.

Finally, there's the issue of framing and sheathing. Hard to find a good block of time to get it done, so I've been taking the "chip away at the stone" approach, and so far it's been working. Not optimal, but you gotta take what you can get when you've got hungry mouths to feed and dishes to wash. I've got to frame out the back gable for the bedroom door and the shop door/window, but can't really do that until we finalize certain decisions, which is never my strong suit. I'm finding that with everyone so busy, however, that I've had to take the reigns and make some big decisions. Not an easy thing to do, but I'm doing it... sort of.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Patrick Hajzler for the pic.

Let There Be Light and Small Steps

I've concluded that the only way this project is going to go anywhere is by working at night. There's too much to do during the day that interrupts my manly flow, so I'm thinking that after dinner would be a good time. With this in mind, I got some lights for the job, though I've been told I'll need them anyway. We were out ice skating in Woodstock and were slated to meet mom in Hanover for dinner. I wanted to go to Home Depot but it is so out of the way, and once afternoon hits, the last place you want to be is in W. Leb. One of my favorite hardware stores, Welch's True Value, is just a mile or two away from the skating rink, so I decided to check it out and scored on two halogen lights that were on sale. Over half off! I'm such a sucker for sale.

Now that I have lights, I can pretty much work 24 hours a day, which is what I've dreamed of all my life. At the very least, it will help me work mornings and afternoons since the sun goes down so early. Also, on rainy days, it gets pretty dark in there, and you want to see when you're working with hammers and nails, saws, and drills. Plus, they're manly lights and make it look more like an official worksite.

The project is moving along, albeit with small steps, but moving nonetheless. I would say 90% of the framing is done, all I have left is that last sill on the back where the shop will be. I'm still hashing out the details of what will go there, but for now, I've got to fasten that board before any framing can occur

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Progress Pics and Complications

Moving right along with the barn, I have this crazy notion that if I could just get the framing done, then the sheathing aspect will move more quickly. Wishful thinking? It wouldn't be the first time, nor would it be the last.

Anyway, I'm almost on the verge of finishing off the sill work, and though I can appreciate the thrill of accomplishment, I'm definitely ready to sink my teeth into some framing work. At one point I had only one more sill to install, then I was doing some rough opening work on the front door. I need to raise the height of the header and then expand the sides to accommodate a standard door. When I got to work, I noticed some rot on the bottom frame board (not sure what that's called) that lays right above the sill. My first impulse was to do what I always do and ignore it and hope it would just go away, but then I could hear the voice of my Mentor and PR saying, "Do it right, you numbskull." So, I started picking away at the wood and realized the rot problem was more extensive than I thought, and the board was definitely going to have to be replaced. Bummer!

The problem with this was to remove the bottom boards, I was going to have to dismantle the entire door frame, cut some PT board, then re-frame the whole thing. Oh well, I did say I liked to frame. It's like Captain Kurtz in Apocalypse Now, "I needed a mission bad, and for my sins, they gave me one."

Now that I'm a man of action (relatively speaking) I didn't whine and moan about it. Well, maybe a little, but nobody was there to hear it, so it's like a tree falling in the forest and all. Anyway, another complication with this darn door frame was that we'd already sheathed it with plywood, so I had to rip out that sheathing, as well. When I'd gotten everything out pulled the rotting boards, which for the record had NOT, for whatever reason, been fastened to the foundation, I saw that the rot was pretty bad. There were scores of ants residing in the rotting wood (Yuck!) and were clearly devouring the stuff. It was a good thing that I'd done this, because carpenter ants are your worst nightmare.

I've got to replace another stud because it too has some rot damage, and then I can frame the thing out and then sheath it. Almost there. As for the gables, I've gotten the boards and Tyvek off, and need to finish framing the kitchen sink window and then I can sheath this, as well. Then the barn will really look like things are moving along, making certain important individuals happy, including myself.


I would have finished off the front door frame yesterday but I got caught up in a daddy daycare nightmare (maybe it wasn't that bad). Funny thing about being a stay at home parent, people assume you've got nothing to do all day and can watch their kids. In all fairness, that's not the case, and people are understanding and appreciative and only occasionally take advantage of you, but that's a story for another blog. You know the one. Either way, I had to leave to drop kids off and take our kids to ice skating and then Hanover to meet mom for dinner. So much to do, so little time.

There is, however, light at the end of the tunnel. Did I mention I may have found a reliable and knowledgeable person who might be able to help me with this barn. Yahoo!

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

Injury Report

On top of all my woes concerning my joints and digits, it feels like I may have broken my foot. I've never broken a foot, though I've broken all four of my limbs. It happened at karate. I was sparring with my usual sparring partner and it was getting pretty heated, as usual. At one point, I was attempting to deliver a death blow to his groin (just kidding) when he wisely brought his knee up to block it and I ended kicking that, instead. It felt like kicking a brick wall.

Oddly enough, it didn't hurt that bad at first, but when I got home, it really started to ache, and I went to bed in serious pain, hoping it would abate by morning. No such luck. When I woke up, I could barely walk, though I did find that through the course of the day, it felt better as a result of using it.

Best of all, and it's moments like these that make R shake her head in bewilderment, but when we took A to her choir practice, me and N went and played soccer. What you're probably wondering in amazement is what sort of fool goes to play soccer with his son with a broken foot. Well, I kind of figured that I'd be fine as long as I don't use that foot. After all, how strenuous is soccer with a six year old? Of course, when the ball is zipping by you, your mind goes blank and you instinctively reach out your foot, even if it's broken, to stop the ball.

Ouch!

Life ain't easy when you're training to be a real man. Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Nadja Girod for the pic.

On My Own and Small (but giant) Steps

As I continue to work on the barn, it has become increasingly clear to me that I'm on my own. Then again, thousand mile journey begins with first step, right? (one of all time favorite fortune cookie phrases)

There's something about the contractors I've contacted that makes me feel like the invisible man. It's entirely possible I'm simply contacting the wrong ones. They either ignore me or don't have the time. Even my karate teacher has let me down, though he said his son could help... we'll see about that. Maybe it's all a test of my real man training.

In all fairness, I can't blame these guys for putting me low on the priority list. This is what these guys do for a living, and they don't want to commit to something that doesn't have a commitment on the other end. I.e., if it's not a full time, paying gig, it can't hold as much promise, because in the end, I'm not looking for someone to come in and complete this project, I'm looking for someone to assist. With this in mind, what I really need is a pair of hands to help me, while I seek out my Mentor for advice (and about 12 other people, including PR). That would work best, though it's nice to have someone on site to simply tell me what to do, I don't think that's going to happen. If someone is going to spell it all out for me, I'm guessing they'd want to do the work themselves.

The bright side of all this is that I've been forced to deal with it on my own, and am dealing with it (sort of) accordingly. At least at this stage, the framing, it's not so bad, and as I've mentioned, I rather like it. In fact, there are times that I feel so confident and enthused that I want to cut our random rough openings just for the fun of it. Mind you, these moments are short lived and infrequent... thankfully.

Either way, one issue that was bothering and scaring me was removing the siding on the upper level of the barn. I figured it would entail getting up on an extension ladder and removing nails and then pulling the boards, which in turn is complicated by the fact that I'd have to remove the window up there. This is much simpler on the first floor, because not only is the window heavy (about 70 lbs.), but it helps to approach it from both sides, something much harder to do on the second story. It's also a shorter fall on the first floor, as you might have guessed.

Anyway, but it wasn't so bad. My biggest concern was dropping the window, or having it simply fall out the opening and onto the ground. I tied it to one of the rafters with a rope and set about removing the fasteners, which was a bear of a job because I had to lean out the window to get to them while standing on a ladder (the pitfalls of being short). After all the fasteners were cut or removed, I simply pulled the window into the house, and it was no problem. Suddenly I could knock out boards with reckless abandon.

It also means that I can deal with the gable end of the barn, the side facing our house, so that it at least gives the appearance that progress is being made on the barn. This will go a long way to placating certain observers who don't get a good view of the backside, where progress is being made in leaps and bounds. When you grow up in LA, you learn early on in life that it's all about appearances.

Anyway, I put the finishing touches on the rough openings for the windows on the back, which entailed putting in shims and then nailing the studs and jacks into the frame, and I think I'm good to go. Time to get on that sheathing.

I've also managed to get the second sill installed, and one more and I'm done and can begin framing in the doors to the bedroom and shop. This, of course, excites me to no end because as I may have mentioned in the past, I love framing. It gives me a chance to use my beloved Estwing Hammer (made in America), a tool favored by real man the world over.

Finally, and this comes only about a month after my Mentor told me to do this, I ordered some door and windows, so the true test of my rough openings is soon to come. After doing a lot of research, I've found you can save a lot of money (this speaks volumes to me) if you can work your designs around what is available, rather than the other way around. In other words, I made the rough openings to conform to what Home Depot has in stock, and the prices end up being at least half, if not a lot more, than a situation where they'd either have to order them or custom design them. Custom windows will kill you in the end.

Also, I don't want to speak too soon in this regard, but I may have found someone to help me who I can trust and is knowledgeable since he built his own house. The same guy who lent me his hammer drill, and his daughter happens to be good friends with A&N. A win-win situation, if I could just get him over here. Like Woody Allen said, 87% of life is just showing up.

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Lysanne Ooteman for the pic.

Sill Happenings

I realized that I couldn't look PR in the eye if I took the easy way out on this sill situation. He's a true craftsman and artisan who really believes in the value of the process and the importance of not focusing solely on the end result. This, of course, flies in the face of my approach to building, which is to seek out the fastest, cheapest, and easiest way to get things done, preferably in the hands of someone else (actually, this is not completely true). But I am getting better.

Case in point, this darn sill. I made the mistake of asking a half dozen people what I should do, which made it worse, but my bad. The lesson to take from all this is to just do it and not think too much about it. The problem with this approach, at least in the given situation, is that there is a certain permanence to concrete, especially the mistakes. If I screw something up with framing, I can always replace it and cut the wood or whatever. With concrete, however, you can't really go back and do it over again. My sense was that I had to get it right the first time, or the entire world would implode.

I had three options. First, find someone with a nail gun that literally shoots bullet-nails through the wood and into the rock. Funny thing is, I've learned that several of my friends have this gun. Second option, drill holes and screw the sill in with masonry screws. I've heard from a few guys that they work well and it's fairly quick and easy. And finally, the third option, which is the probably the best and most secure, but of course, required the most work - drill holes with a hammer drill, insert anchors, and then bolt the sill down. Naturally, I was leaning to the first option, which meant that I was dependent on not only a contractor (or anyone with the nail gun) agreeing to nail the board for me, but to actually show up. Two strikes.

However, PR strongly recommended the third option, and if her were around, I'm guessing he would have put on his work gloves and helped me with it, but no such luck. I was on my own. I really wrestled with this one, and the unfortunate consequence of all this thinking was that the job just didn't get done. Finally, I decided to take action. I searched for a hammer drill (why do people own these things?) and even toyed with purchasing one since renting was rather pricey. Finally, my good friend GS had one and said I was welcome to use it. I purchased the masonry bit (expensive!) and anchors, where I ran into the usual problem of too many choices, and went to work.

I lucked out with the weather, it was supposed to snow, but all we ended up with was a few sprinkles. With the kids fed and playing inside, I started drilling holes in the foundation, waiting for the bit to break and lodge into my head. I laid the PT board down and actually took the time to measure the distance between the holes. My plan was to drill through the wood and start into the concrete, then remove the board and finish the holes. I'd then insert the anchors, lay the board over, and then be done.

Of course, I screwed a few things up, but nothing major. First off, my holes weren't perfect, and required a little force to fit the board over the bolts, but no problem. Then I (and this is typical of me) laid the board down upside down and backwards. Amazingly, it fit, which is a testament to accurate measuring. The problem is, I had to drill recesses in the wood (I always forget what this is called) so that the top of the bolt would be flush with the top surface of the wood, and these recesses needed to be on top.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. The washer for the anchors were about 1 1/4 inch in diameter, so they required a fairly large drill bit. I looked at my bit selection and the biggest I could find was 1 inch, so I needed a bit. I had just dragged the kids around to Brittons and didn't want to pile them back into the car, but I also wanted to get this job done. Then I remembered that I had a bit in my bag that I'd used in the past, and as luck would it have it, it was 1 1/2 inches. Beautiful.

I positioned the board properly, laid it down, and then started bolting it down when I remembered one more key piece - the sill sealer, or whatever it's called. Once again, I had to pry the board off and measure out the sealer, then lay the board down. The new problem was that I hadn't factored in the little over 1/8 of an inch that the liner took up, so now my threads were too low and the nut wouldn't reach. Could I make this any harder on myself?

I took the board off, drilled deeper recesses, and then it all fell into place. I screwed in the bolts, and they held beautifully, though I need a bigger socket. I ended up using a wrench, but that won't be enough. My plan is to go to Britton's, who BTW have been coming through for me for all of my needs (kudos to them), get the socket, and two more PT boards, then complete this sill. Then I can take off the old boards on the gable end, frame out the kitchen window, and begin sheathing. This will please R to no end to see tangible progress that can be viewed from the house. Happy days will then ensue.

For now, I can bask in the warm glow of manly accomplishment, but there's no room for complacency, because there's so much work to be done. Until then, thanks for reading.

Real Man Nails, Shop Vac, and Backside

Just wanted to mention that I was at Britton's and bought some framing nails, and when I got home, I realized they were called Stallion Nails. This, of course, makes perfect sense, because I feel like such a Stallion when I use them.

Also, on the recommendation of PR, my brother in law, I went out and got a shop vac. He said to go out and get the best one I could afford, so I compromised and got what a I believe is a decent one, a Rigid, though probably not top of the line. Either way, I broke it in today and it worked beautifully. I realize that R will like it as well because we can use it to vacuum the car, which usually requires a trip to the car wash and lots of quarters. A win-win purchase if there ever was one.

Finally, I don't think R fully appreciates all that has happened to the barn thus far because it's all been on the backside. I've been framing like a madman, but when you see it from our house, it looks like nothings changed, and I get a sense she's losing patience. This makes me want to get to work on the gable ends so that she gets some sense of progress, but one step at a time. I can't really do any framing/sheathing until I get that sill down onto the concrete. I know, excuses, excuses, but what else am I going to do? Accept the blame myself?

Until the next time, thanks for reading.