Wow... I think I can officially say we are halfway finished. At least I hope I can say that. I'm so ready to be finished with this build! We are getting fried. Really, really fried. And I'm not talking just in getting so much sun. You can see a new tan on most of us. I think the girls are the only ones not really showing a change in color.
No, we are fried in the sense that we just want to be done with it all. We have sacrificed game time as a family. We have had plenty of nights where sandwiches were all we could manage to make and eat. Just too tired to do more.
But I digress. Let's look at our progress this 'weekend' shall we??
On Sunday, we finished installing the truss pieces. That was after we had to take care of the newly formed wasp and hornet nests we found. Each with a single bug busy building.
Once those were cleared, and the truss' in place, we had to decide what to tackle next. We are currently waiting for another ladder to be delivered. We would be able to put the roof on easier with that. We settled for installing siding in the meantime.
Before putting up the siding, we covered the plywood walls with this plastic sheeting. What you are looking at is a full single piece of plastic. We used this to prevent the dust from getting through cracks. This siding, called sheathing, was AWFUL to install! Using screws on this flimsy thing had them going completely through. But nails didn't hold it together at all. And we couldn't get the stud finder to work through it and the plywood. So getting them anchored was a pain. We managed to complete one wall (minus the very top), as well as start the other two walls that we had enough plastic for.
Feral cats rampant around here, using whatever spaces they can for breeding and nursery. We used some fine chicken wire around all the edges to prevent any cats from taking up residence.
Monday, Monday, Monday....
We installed windows! Two sliding windows. Looks fantastic. Always pay attention to the fine print details when buying windows. We made the mistake of thinking the size that the hole needed to be for the window was what size we ordered from the hardware store online. But in reality, we needed about a half inch more all around to make it fit. Since my husband didn't have a jigsaw to cut the hole the right size, he had to use a hammer and chisel to widen the space. Tuesday wraps it up!
Our final building day was a frustrating one. The wind was near nonstop. No rain has meant that the dirt we call a yard is dusty. Blows into our eyes, noses, ears and yes, even into our mouths. But we managed to at least get one end pieces up in the roof top. And we completed what we could of the siding. Have to get more plastic to wrap the rest of the building before completing that.
Next weekend, we should have the ladder needed to hang the roofing! Once that and the door are added, we can officially declare the outside done. I think of that as being quite the monumental moment for us all. And I'm hoping that will bring back our second wind.
Any lessons for this portion of building?
Hmm, paying attention to measurements of windows is crucial. Not just by the size in bold on the website. But how much room you will need to fit things around it.
I'm beginning to consider the possibility of wearing swimming goggles while we work... okay, no. That won't work for someone who is blind without glasses. But seriously, we need some kind of idea for how to keep the dust out of our eyes. I wear my glasses and a ball cap to no avail.
That is all until next weekend! See you then!
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