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.