Raising Walls

Hey Folks,

This week I worked off site on another project so one of our crew leaders RiLen, who will be lead for our Women Build home, took pictures and filled me in on what happened while I was away.

3.5" framing nail

The focus again this week was on the lot for houses 5 and 6. With the subfloor decking complete, it's time to start building and raising the first floor outer walls. These walls are built in several sections, then are nailed to long bottom plates of 2x4s, as well as to each other. There's a center firewall between the two homes that's well insulated to reduce sound. The remaining three outer walls have windows, doors or both. I've learned the hard way, these sections need to be assembled in specific steps so there is access to all the points that need to be nailed. It's pretty much a royal pain to try to drive a 16 penny framing nail in when you only have a few inches of swing room with your hammer.

How it was explained to me is to start on the inside part of the section and work your way out. Or in the case of a window or door frame, to start with the inside box and wrap the rest of the wood around it.

After the sections are attached to the bottom plates, the sheathing is nailed to the frame while it's still lying flat. It makes the wall heavier to lift but it's significantly easier to attach the sheathing.

 

Time to raise the wall! As you can see it takes a few hands to make this happen. Braces are then put in place to hold it in place.

Sometimes a wall needs a bit of adjustment. That's where a sledgehammer comes in handy. A sledge is also referred to as The Convincer. :)

By end of day one of the outer walls on both 5 and 6 were up. Other wall framing and raising be continued by more volunteers on Tuesday.

House 8 also got some work done on it with a crew putting in insulation. Volunteers make sure wear masks to protect their lungs from airborne insulation fibers. 

Our homes are Energy Star rated to help our families reduce their energy bills, keep warm in the chilly Northwest months and cooler during the summer.

Some of the folks I work with:

Meet Mike our Construction Manager. He keeps all the wheels turning at our Habitat and materials flowing so the site has what it needs when it needs it, keeping the build rolling along. His long list of responsibilities takes him from input on site selection and bids to the final walk through with the families that will live in the homes we build. As well, his work involves not only scheduling materials, but subcontractors and inspectors. Mike must balance the safety and quality of our homes along with keeping up environmental standards while keeping costs in check. These things are just the tip of the iceberg. I have a feeling it's never a dull day for this guy. :)

About WWHH:

What makes Willamette West Habitat different from other housing organizations?
Willamette West Habitat does not build homes for people, but with them in partnership. Homeowners must invest 500 hours of “sweat equity” into the building of their homes, make a down payment, and pre-pay their mortgage insurance and property taxes. The homes are then sold at no profit, through a no-interest loan. Each homeowner’s monthly mortgage payments go into a revolving fund that is used to build more Habitat homes.

Well, that's all the excitement for this week! Until next time, live your best life, however big or small it may be!

Nanette