Hey
Folks,
What
a beautiful day it was on site! I can't decide if Mother Nature is
blessing or taunting us with days like this. Started a bit chilly,
but the sky was clear, with a lovely blue ceiling. By noon it was
temperate out, with the sun's glow warming us. Days like this are a
blessing as they give us a break from the cold, gray days that
dominate many of the months here in the Northwest. It can be a bit of
a taunt too however, as we know the rainy days will return until the
unofficial start of summer in PDX on July 5th. :P Though I'm sure
people in many places feel they appreciate the radiance of our
glowing orb in the sky, I believe no one can possibly appreciate it
more than those of us who live under predominantly ashen skies. Give
us a sunny afternoon and we'll empty every structure that protects
us from the elements, filling the streets & parks to take in
the day. On days like this, I'll see smiles on the faces of the people at my local park that has a man made lake to walk around. There'll be families hanging out at the play
structure and picnic tables, older couples strolling along the path
holding hands and dogs bouncing about in the grass. That's what it
felt like yesterday afternoon. It was great to be working outside.
Right now this is a place to store extra materials and whatnot, but it looks like in just a matter of about three weeks the hole will be dug in this spot for our 2013 Women Build home. So looking forward to getting started!
Most
of the focus was on getting the decking on for houses 5 & 6, along
with completing the drywall installation in house seven. My first task
was to finish up the radon piping in the crawl space bringing it above the subfloor. First I needed to drill a 3 1/2” hole through a 1
1/2 “ wooden cross brace (I believe that's the correct term, still
learning) to run the piping through. I've used a saw hole bit before
but only through subfloor decking which isn't as thick.
It was some
work to keep the darn drill from kicking back on me but the real fun
began when I discover the bit wasn't deep enough and I ended up on my
back in muddy water to drill through the bottom of the brace, getting
a face full of sawdust for my efforts. Now that's a good time! In the
end, the pipes were where they belonged and I only ended up with a
swollen thumb and a snoot full a sawdust. Believe me, it could've
been worse. :P
While
we were waiting on our delivery, the last of the drywall and metal
corner beading were installed on house 7, bringing it another step
closer for the mudding and taping to happen. At this point there're
always some tricky little spots to fit unusually shaped pieces of
drywall into. Reminds me of the variety of shapes you'll often see if
you've taken geometry.
We
had a great group to tackle the decking job once all was ready, which
included some hard working & enthusiastic teens from Tualatin HS. Care is taken that
everything measures out correctly, including making sure the beam
centers are 24 inches apart so the seams on the decking run down the
middle. Pieces of decking are cut so they are laid out in a staggered
manner, creating a stronger floor. Holes are drilled though some
sheets to accommodate the bolts around the top of the stem wall and
pipes coming up from the crawl space and into the houses. Next week
wall framing will begin.
This
last picture in a peaceful shot of the site at end of day when the
work is done and the volunteers have headed home after giving us
their best. We're grateful they're willing to share their time and
hard work.
Until
next time, live your best life, however big or small it may be!
Nanette
No comments:
Post a Comment