A New Phase of Construction

After looking at concrete pilings for 4 weeks I finally got around to start the framing for the "west wing". The threat of the flying winter snows drove me into action. Actually, it was more the impending framing party next weekend that got me going more than anything.

I find the job of squaring a structure one of the most tedious of all jobs that I've ever tackled on the construction front. It takes me forever to do it and when you stand back at the end of the day, it doesn't look like anything happened. I forced myself to do all that last week and today I got to nail some lumber together.

Taking Paul Henry's advice on how to build a floor, I used a "pressure block" system instead of the "ledger board" set up that we used on the main structure. It works like a charm and looks great, too. Paul was even up to Hornby this weekend and came over to help me out. I bounced some ideas off of him around how the place would be built and he came up with some awesome alternatives that will be way easier to build.

The only real setback for the day was that the flange on the sliding door extended too low to allow the joists to be fastened in their correct locations. I had to shave a bit off of the header and remount the door a half inch higher. With Paul's help that only took a half hour or so and we finished half the joists by the end of the day. I'm hoping tomorrow to get the other half in and the sheeting on top.

Yesterday the crane truck arrived with the roof trusses for the units that we're building at work. It was one of those days that made me happy to be building houses instead of building programs. I was walking around on the top plates of the buildings moving trusses into place on a sunny but cool fall day. Everyone was in a good mood, I was working my body and having a really good time doing it. Fun Fun Fun.

Next weekend some friends are coming up from the big city to help frame the west wing. The lumber is ordered, the freezer full of meat, and there should be a good floor in place to build off of. Things are looking up.