More Barn

No sense in waiting around for help to arrive, we have to take the bull by the horns and finish this darn barn. Hey, that rhymes. While we search for the elusive helping hand that comes reliably but cheap, yours truly will have to jump in with both feet.

The first order of business is thinking of that soffit, along with blocking the joists. I’ve heard mixed opinions regarding this. Some say it’s necessary, others say don’t bother. I know I’d rather listen to the naysayers, because it’s less work for me, but I also want to do this right. One friend said we could probably get away with doing every other joist. I just need to do it, and get it done before I put up the soffit.

The soffit is going to be a pain, because I have to put in a fastening strip to nail it in all along the perimeter of the roof. This means getting it in level, which will require some creative thinking, which I’m still engaged in. Once the strip is in, I need to cut the boards, and then cut holes or strips to let the air flow. My mentor said to use 3/8 inch plywood, which was confirmed by my good friend KM, builder extraordinaire (I love when that happens), and then either drill holes at a regular distance, or cut out strips. Whichever way I choose, I need to avoid the mistake that the previous owners of our house made, which was they did not cover the holes with screen to prevent critters from going inside and establishing a residence. We have wasps and bumblebees living in our soffit, and I have to retrofit it with covering.

HH mentioned that she would lend me her nail gun, and I think I’ll take her up on that one. Plus, it would delight the kids to no end to see me try to use it.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.