Roof Inspection

My Mentor’s eagle-eyes pointed out to me that the roof is not properly flashed, and upon closer inspection, it makes perfect sense. That guy is my hero. I thought it was fine, and all I had to do was put some trim on it and be done. However, that doesn’t address the water problem. Think like a drop of water. For most of the roof, it seems like it might be okay because the roof hangs over and the water will drip straight down, but sections will clearly let water in, and that’s bad news.

One approach would be to increase the length of the clapboards so they overlap the flashing, but that would be a bear of a job, not to mention incredibly expensive. What I’ll do is slide some flashing up along the pre-existing flashing, making sure I get it under the clapboards. Like everything I do, it sounds brilliantly simple, but will most definitely end up being harder than I anticipated.

Oh well, that’s why I have my Mentor to call in my time of dying. This should be interesting.

Until the next time, thanks for reading.

All Hands On Deck

Our deck is in serious disrepair. I have no experience with these matters, but what else is new? Looking at it, I think I can pull this off. I just need to decide what material to use, and then break out the miter saw and get to work. The wood that the Gs used was high end red cedar, which would cost a fortune to replace. I am inclined to use synthetic boards, which are more expensive, but last a lifetime. It’s nice not to have to worry about rotting.

This project is fairly low on the totem pole, so it won’t be happening any time soon. Plus, it gives me some time to consult with assorted experts so I can obsess over it for awhile.

Until then, thanks for reading.

Finishing the Blocking

I can’t let the barn project slip too much because before I know it, HH will be back, BL will come calling, and if no progress is made, it will only confirm what a complete loser I am. Wanting to avoid this, I need to get some things done, but man is it hard to find the time. Throw in some lousy weather, and I’m more than happy to sit back and work on my tan.

This past weekend, there was a break in the weather, though using rain as an excuse if for sissies, and a lot of the work can be done under the shelter of the barn. Either way, I was determined to get some stuff done, so I cut the blocks and nailed them in. I am about 95% done with it, except that I ran out of wood. The question then becomes, should I go to the time and trouble to get rough cut wood, which is cheaper but more of a hassle, or just go with dried pine which would be easier though more expensive? I only need about 10 feet, so the difference in the end would not be huge.

My big problem here is one of transportation. I can’t haul a 10ft board in the car, and would need them to cut the board, at least in half. They don’t do this at the mill, though maybe if I begged them, they would. However, they would gladly cut it at the lumber yard. I’ll have to think about this one.

Until then, thanks for reading.

Ready for the Next Round

I can’t get too complacent, because we want dry and crispy wood for our stove. I have been slowing hauling the cut up wood blocks over to the splitting area, and there is light at the end of the tunnel. I would say I’m about 75% done, though you wouldn’t know it by looking at the pile. It still looks huge, though nothing like it was a month ago.

I’ve even started splitting. Like I said, the goal is to move 10 loads each day and split for an hour. I never manage to get even this done, but as long as I’m chipping away at the stone. I want to take advantage of the Summer heat to dry the pieces, so I’d like to get started on the stacking. Besides, stacking is the easiest and most enjoyable part, and something the kids can help me with. Also, I can do it in the early morning because it doesn’t make too much noise, and even under the searing hot sun because it’s not too strenuous.

My hope is to get the pile complete before the August, but like all things, that might be getting too ambitious. Then again, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Until then, thanks for reading.

Plumbing Progress

I finally met up with BL and we hashed out some details about the plumbing. It wasn’t as daunting as I thought it would be, and I came away from it wondering why I put it off for so long. Most importantly, I finally learned BL’s last name. I thought he wanted us to come up with a blueprint for the design, and then we could begin, but all he really needed was a general idea of where the two bathrooms would be, and then he made a list of parts that we’ll need, which should be an adventure in and of itself, but let’s not get ahead ourselves.

He even mentioned choosing a bathtub and then letting him know so he can do some calculations, which should be interesting because that means that R and I have to make a decision, which is never an easy proposition. We’ll work on that one.

BL even offered to meet me and help pick up the supplies, which I thought was really cool, but I think I can manage. If things get too crazy, I can always ask my Mentor for help, but I don’t think I’ll need to bother him. I can always rent the truck from Home Depot.

I’m still waiting for the CL the electrician to show his face, but I told him it wasn’t urgent, yet, so I can’t make an issue out of it. Even still, the unreliability is always a bit of a bother, but what else is new in the world of contracting?

Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Marcelo Terraza for the pic.

Making Contact

You have to take what you can get. I finally got in touch with the plumber, and even arranged a time to meet, but the electrician, CL, flaked out on me. CL is a friend of ours, so we have to understand these situations, but it’s still a bit frustrating. He’s been somewhat unreliable about doing logging stuff, but he did, in the end, come through and mill the maple boards for us, and for free, no less. I can’t complain, but I still do.

Either way, things are crawling along on that front. It’s hard to imagine that one day the electrical and plumbing will get done, but that’s what house building is all about, right? In the meantime, I’ll keep plugging away at that soffit, my current challenge of the month.

As a side note, I saw HH before her big trip, and told her I was going to get as much done it as possible while she was away, and I detected a distinct scoffing on her part. What exactly is she trying to say?

Sometimes, you just can’t win when you’re a real-man in training. Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to Yamamoto Ortiz for the pic.

Blocking

This past weekend was going to be a busy one with the Balloon Fest and dumpling making, so I figured that with whatever free time I had, I was going to have to squeeze in some barn time, and I managed to get about an hour in trying to finish the blocking. We finished the front side and needed to address the backside, the story of my life. I had most of the wood, and decided to use whatever scraps of 2X6 or 2X8 wood I had, and there was a fair amount. We use 2X6 for framing all over the place.

I ended up a few blocks short, however, and will need to go and pick up some more wood. This, of course, is a bummer and a pain when you’re driving small import cars, but I think I can manage. I only need about 10 feet, and if I can somehow manage to get the board cut in half, I’m in business. The guys at the lumber mill must look at me and laugh. I can’t say I blame them.

I’m hoping that this week I’ll have time to nail those blocks in, but something always seems to stand in my way. I’ll be optimistic. Until then, thanks for reading.