Raze the Roof
In preparation for raising the roof on the old garage. There was an old pole tied precariously to the garage with some soft fencing wire. The pole was the roost for a couple of old TV antennas, and it always made me nervous when I walked by it.
For good reason, it turns out. I noticed how shaky the pole was when I used the arial lift to take the antennas down. We didn't waste any time getting some straps on it and securing it with the excavator. There was nothing really holding it up. When I cut the wires attaching it to the garage the pole just flopped over and Tom managed to bring it safely to the ground, securely attached to the excavator bucket. The bottom four feet of the pole was an ant's nest. Interestingly, there wasn't any sign of them from the outside. I hit the broken bottom four foot section with my claw hammer trying to pick it up and it split in two.
I sure feel a lot better with that thing gone. Lord knows how it stayed up with some of the winds we have around here.
Tom managed to pluck the old rotten roof boards off with the excavator, with me using a two by four to remove the ones on the far side that he couldn't see.
It took a fair bit of work to square the old structure up and frame it in for an 11' X 8' insulated garage door. The beams on the sides are built with 2X8 and 2X6's. That stiffened the walls considerably even without the trusses.
Xena learned how to crawl up a ladder to get to some stageing at the side of the garage. Once there she wasn't sure how to get down so decided to exchange a smooch for a lift down to the ground. Fair deal.
We have the trusses up, and the next step is strapping and roof felt and a metal roof and then frame in a walk in door and tyvek the inside in preparation for studding and insulation. I wanted to use spray foam but it is very expensive and not available locally, so I will use R40 batt insulation. I am considering Roxul, a Canadian made fire proof product made from melted Basalt.
When we built the trusses we made a five foot by 26 foot storage loft that will be accessed by the outside door on the front of the building. I will put 14 inches of loose fill insulation on the ceiling. Should be super insulated enough that I can heat it with a candle. And a wood heater.
Once the roof is one and door installed I will wait for a low wind day to stain the outside hunter green, with the trim white or a tawny deer colour, like the top of the House.
I want to pour a cement slab for the floor and am considering plumbing it with pex for a future in slab solar water heating system. A good training system for one I have in mind for the main house.
It has been blistering hot for the last week. Well by blistering I mean 29C (84F). Hot for this hill side, when you consider last Sunday it was below 10C when we got up. I am sun burnt in places I didn't know it was possible to sunburn. I have been wearing gloves while handling the rough lumber and my hands look really weird, white from the wrist down.
I am very interested in the 100 mile diet idea. We've been having quite a few 100 mile meals lately now that the retired garden is in full swing. The garage rebuild so far has used 100 mile construction material. The wood for the board and batten siding was salvage from our place where it was originaly milled, and the dimension lumber is from a local mill. I get a real thrill being able to re-use and re-purpose material.
We are taking the weekend off from construction. I am reminded of something Jo-Ann said a while back: " at least when we were working we had two days off a week.." We have company this weekend and today I am smoking about 14 pounds of chicken thighs until our mouths can't stand it anymore.
And being grateful that my Sweetie Pie keeps a bottle of Aloe Vera gel cooling in the fridge..
For good reason, it turns out. I noticed how shaky the pole was when I used the arial lift to take the antennas down. We didn't waste any time getting some straps on it and securing it with the excavator. There was nothing really holding it up. When I cut the wires attaching it to the garage the pole just flopped over and Tom managed to bring it safely to the ground, securely attached to the excavator bucket. The bottom four feet of the pole was an ant's nest. Interestingly, there wasn't any sign of them from the outside. I hit the broken bottom four foot section with my claw hammer trying to pick it up and it split in two.
I sure feel a lot better with that thing gone. Lord knows how it stayed up with some of the winds we have around here.
Tom managed to pluck the old rotten roof boards off with the excavator, with me using a two by four to remove the ones on the far side that he couldn't see.
It took a fair bit of work to square the old structure up and frame it in for an 11' X 8' insulated garage door. The beams on the sides are built with 2X8 and 2X6's. That stiffened the walls considerably even without the trusses.
Xena learned how to crawl up a ladder to get to some stageing at the side of the garage. Once there she wasn't sure how to get down so decided to exchange a smooch for a lift down to the ground. Fair deal.
We have the trusses up, and the next step is strapping and roof felt and a metal roof and then frame in a walk in door and tyvek the inside in preparation for studding and insulation. I wanted to use spray foam but it is very expensive and not available locally, so I will use R40 batt insulation. I am considering Roxul, a Canadian made fire proof product made from melted Basalt.
When we built the trusses we made a five foot by 26 foot storage loft that will be accessed by the outside door on the front of the building. I will put 14 inches of loose fill insulation on the ceiling. Should be super insulated enough that I can heat it with a candle. And a wood heater.
Once the roof is one and door installed I will wait for a low wind day to stain the outside hunter green, with the trim white or a tawny deer colour, like the top of the House.
I want to pour a cement slab for the floor and am considering plumbing it with pex for a future in slab solar water heating system. A good training system for one I have in mind for the main house.
It has been blistering hot for the last week. Well by blistering I mean 29C (84F). Hot for this hill side, when you consider last Sunday it was below 10C when we got up. I am sun burnt in places I didn't know it was possible to sunburn. I have been wearing gloves while handling the rough lumber and my hands look really weird, white from the wrist down.
I am very interested in the 100 mile diet idea. We've been having quite a few 100 mile meals lately now that the retired garden is in full swing. The garage rebuild so far has used 100 mile construction material. The wood for the board and batten siding was salvage from our place where it was originaly milled, and the dimension lumber is from a local mill. I get a real thrill being able to re-use and re-purpose material.
We are taking the weekend off from construction. I am reminded of something Jo-Ann said a while back: " at least when we were working we had two days off a week.." We have company this weekend and today I am smoking about 14 pounds of chicken thighs until our mouths can't stand it anymore.
And being grateful that my Sweetie Pie keeps a bottle of Aloe Vera gel cooling in the fridge..
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