Thursday, October 31, 2013

One wall has siding...

After another rainy couple of days and the inside of the Bungalow getting a good dousing, I'm determined to get the roof on as soon as possible.  Siding comes first, so that is what I've been working on today.  I actually had the first piece started the day it wasn't supposed to rain and it did anyway.  So I put everything away and now I've gotten it back out.  Finished the first piece and then the whole side!  Wahoo!  Still need to put in the 2x3 windows, but they are replacement type windows so I can cut out the siding from the inside...goal is the roof, and it is in sight!  Also still need to frame the gable ends and I've got one side started.  I'm hoping to finish the siding all the way around tomorrow.

One piece of siding

Two pieces of siding


Three pieces of siding

Four and finished!!

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Houston, we have WINDOWS!

After a week and a half of working on my school project, I figured I'd better get back to Ticklebelly Bungalow.  I really missed working on it, but all of my assignments for school are now complete.  The only thing I have left is my research and the write-up and then...GRADUATION! in December.  I'm so relieved that is almost finished, especially the most frustrating part of organizing it all.  WHEW!

So today I decided to switch my plan a little bit.  I was going to work on the roof, but then I realized that I don't want the rafters up until my siding is on...the siding can't go on until the windows are in and the window openings need to be flashed before the windows can be installed.  Got out the window flashing and went to work.  I got my three big windows installed this afternoon and I'm feeling like the big box of housewrap is beginning to actually look like something other than a giant Tyvek-wrapped way-too-early Christmas present.  When I purchased my windows, I accidently bought a couple of replacement windows instead of new construction.  So my 3x3 windows are new construction...those are the ones I put in today.  The 2x3 windows are the replacement windows, so those will go in after the siding is on.  Tomorrow the plan is one more coat of paint for the siding.  If I have the energy I might try to get a couple of pieces up - that is if I get going early enough.

So here is today's progress...

One window  :)

Two windows :)  :)

Three windows :)  :)  :)



Thursday, October 17, 2013

First coat of paint! Wahooooo!

The weather has been so nice today that I couldn't resist doing a bit of painting.  I painted the siding this afternoon while Mom sat outside and enjoyed the lovely afternoon.  Tomorrow if the weather continues as the forecast says it will, I'll do the second coat of paint.

While I was inside cleaning up, Mom decided to take a little walk.  As I went back out I found her with both hands on the last panel I had just painted, so she had wet blue paint on both hands.  Luckily, she hadn't wiped her hands on her pants or anything, so I only had to clean up her hands.  

One more thing crossed off the list. Wahooo!

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Promised pics and ready to start painting

Today I actually finished what I was doing before dark!  I put the header on that will support the roof.  I'm such a goof that in my haste yesterday to pre-drill, I pre-drilled a bunch incorrectly.  So today I had to re-pre-drill a bunch of stuff.  Then I found out that my only 16' board was NOT straight.  In fact it was so not straight that I had to use a 12' and cut another piece to fit right.  So much for having that project only take half an hour.  I was hoping to get some paint on my siding today, but by the time I finished getting the housewrap on properly, I didn't have enough light left for painting.  AND I feel like I'm making progress.  I'm crossing things off my list and that makes me happy.


The tree in the front yard from the loft of Ticklebelly Bungalow.

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Loft joists are in! Wahoo!

This weekend my friend Paul came over and helped me get to a couple of things.  We finished framing all the walls and got the loft joists almost finished before the drill drivers (yes all three of them) were out of juice.  Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures because I put the house wrap on last week to protect it from the rain.  AND I've been finishing my work on TB after dark the last couple of days.  Tomorrow I will definitely take a few pics and post them.   Today I got the header on three walls and started putting the housewrap on properly.  Fourth header on tomorrow and finish the housewrap, that's on the list for tomorrow.  If I get to it I might try to get a window in...don't want to hope for too much.

And exciting also for today I bought the exterior paint and the weather is supposed to be nice this week, so on the list for this week is get the siding painted.  Get ready for painting pics!

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

We have walls!...and rain :(

Today was an exciting day in the life of Ticklebelly Bungalow because the walls went up.  The walls were mostly framed and I had been debating whether or not to stand them up.  It is supposed to rain tomorrow and it is just easier to cover walls that are lying down than walls that are standing up.  BUT ALAS after finishing the framing over the starboard wheelwell I realized that I would have to do some heavy lifting if I wanted to frame the same section on the port side.  Thus the decision to right the walls.  I'm still not sure it was the right decision, but it is what it is.  I got the walls that are finished up and connected together and the dark clouds started rolling in.  I thought to myself, it won't rain.  The rain isn't supposed to come until tomorrow.  So there I am standing on a ladder in the thunder, lightning, and sprinkling rain trying to get a few more screws in.  When I finally decided that the tarp needed to go on right now, the wind started to pick up.  That was interesting.  Finally got the tarp over the top, but of course the rain wasn't coming down straight, so I tried to cover the side on which it was raining the most with another tarp only to discover that the top tarp was draining directly on the subfloor next to the porch.  Aaaahhhh, what a mess.  After rigging another tarp there, I gave up and figured my house was just going to get wet.  I came in the house and made dinner.  

I realized while fixing food that I couldn't put off house wrap any longer if I wanted my house to stay dry tomorrow if it rains again, so after dinner went and got a roll of 9' by 150' housewrap.  WHAT WAS I THINKING?  Nine feet?  I should have gotten the three foot roll and taped it.  It would have been much easier for one person working in the dark to handle.  As it stands, it is a good thing that I have enough to wrap the house again, because I did a piss poor job of it.  It is also good that it is recycle-able because I'll be chucking at least half of what I put on the house tonight.  The roll fell and ripped, pulling holes where I had already stapled.

So, all in all today was a success.  Walls went up, still have the port side over the wheel well to do and the aft wall, and now I have room to work again.  
When the rain started i stopped taking pictures. So i'll post more when it stops raining and i can take the tarps off and start working again.

Monday, October 7, 2013

In denial...just a little bit

Today as I was finishing up, I realized that I am actually building my house.  It seemed a bit surreal and I needed to pinch myself to make sure I was awake and really using my drill driver to build walls.  I've got the walls framed except for over the wheel wells and the rear wall where the door will go.  Still need to make a firm plan about the door so I can frame that side properly.  All of the walls are lying flat on the trailer currently because I want to have the loft joists and the rafters all cut before I put too much upright.  It is just easier to cover up in case of rain.  Supposed to rain again this week on Thursday.  Just debating how much I want to try to finish and if I want to try standing anything up before then...might need another tarp or a large sheet of plastic to cover it all up.  I'm just feeling like if I get my rafters up, or at least some of them it would be easier to keep the rain from pooling and getting in.

No pics today, although as I was just thinking about it, the pile of walls on the trailer might make an interesting picture.  I'll have to see what I can do tomorrow about that.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Where's my autumn?


It seems that we went straight from 100 degrees to overnight freezing!  The last two days have been so cold and rainy that I didn't dare pull the tarps off anything for fear of a sudden downpour, but today stayed bright and sunny all day.  Warmer temps also decided to grace us again as well.  It was actually perfect work outside weather, so that's what I did!  Have to say I was a little more than surprised to find sheets of ice on the Bungalow's tarp. 

While putting everything away tonight I saw that the ice I had dumped off the east side didn't melt today.  It was in the shade, but I was still surprised to see it there on the ground as I put the tarp back on.  

The accomplishment of the day...finished the framing of the aft wall.  I even tried the window to make sure it would fit and it did!  I guess all that measuring paid off.  

I cut a bunch more studs and measured for the starboard and port walls.  Starting the starboard wall tomorrow.  I guess it is time to really decide on the size of my door, buy some exterior paint for my siding and get some housewrap.  I might need it soon if the nice weather keeps up.  Wahoooo!