INTRODUCTION
WRITING DOWN THE BLOCKS
Bricks 101
One Viga
A Year Later
Decking the Roof
Floor Plans
WORKSHOPS
It's only 65° outside - cloudy, overcast making it cool and moist. The table I am working at is even wet --- hmm, perhaps I should cover it up in the rains? You see, it's sitting in what will be the kitchen. The roof is only half finished. When Ed came up today to see the progress over the last month, I made a comment about it being a house at last. "Not quite. It's a haybarn, but soon to be a home I think."
Daisy is sitting in the corner that will be in the living room. John the puppy is at my feet. We are in the kitchen.
The roof. Yes, the roof.
Since I last sat down to write about the house, I have had help putting up 9 vigas, varying in length from 22' - 26'. Long and heavy. Since that weekend I have been putting up the decking, using 1 x 6" rough sawn lumber spanning across the beams/vigas. The first time with the decking was the scariest as I had to stand on the 8' ladder, reaching up hopefully place the planks in line with the front of the beams. A clean line I wanted. Once in place, I had to screw these 10' lengths of wood in the beams they were sitting on. Once I had about 6 planks up there, it meant I could climb up onto them and start working with more placements and screwing them above.
I couldn't stop! I stood on my roof, looked around and grinned to widely it hurt…I positively beamed at the world.
Pam drove up to hers, saw me up there, saw my expression and laughed with me.
What progress!
Of course, I didn't get it all done that day. I used up what wood I had that weekend. Since then I have had to return to making bricks. I decided to finish the bricks and windows on ht East Side. This way I can finish the decking part of the roof as soon as I can buy some more 1 x 6's. After last weekend, I am ready. You see, once I had finished the bricks, the decking I can actually insulate and put up the tin roof. Even if one side of the house is unfinished, I can start enclosing the space. I can't imagine how it will feel to start collecting rain off my roof. Since I plan to use straw bales on the south wall, I'm waiting for the roof to be done as much as possible before I build with bales. I want them to be protected from the rainy season.
Today was spent making some bricks on the west wall. I also spent time on the roof, working with 2 x 4's, placing them every 4 feet (the same spacing as the vigas) and screwing them into place. These 2 x 4's are going to be the framework for holding the rigid insulation in place. They'll also serve as the frame for the tin to be attached to.
I'm sitting here at the kitchen table, drinking my beer. Time to relax after a full days work. As I have said before: Good Honest Work.