House-building is a series of milestones. Foundation done, walls up, trusses in place, roof secure. All those milestones have been met since June. And today, in mid-October, another milestone: windows and doors all in! (Well, almost -- two more decorative ones still to go.) The truck arrived at 10:30, carrying 15 windows and doors. By … Continue reading Windows & Doors! And Colors….
Fall has arrived at Lake Superior as we put up soffit and fascia, pick up lumber, and enjoy the falling leaves. It's 36 degrees as I write this in the little camper and I'm burning leftover lumber parts in the little wood stove to stay warm. The pre-winter construction race is on. Photos and captions … Continue reading Soffit, Fascia & Fall
In the far north, the cabin's superstructure is done. That is, the big bones which give it shape and integrity...trusses, beams, roof. Now, work proceeds on the smaller bones...interior wall structure, loft, stairway. Things have moved along while I've been in Virginia! In fact, I can't believe how much we've done in four months. (Posts … Continue reading The Inside Bones
It's another big milestone in DIY building because (1) it means the house shell is almost dried-in and (2) at least that decision is done! Choosing shingles was almost as hard as choosing windows. And I never even thought about roofs or shingles before! For weeks, I looked at every house I drove past, watched … Continue reading Shingles Are Up 🙂
In the 1800s, "raise the roof" meant to make a ruckus. In the 1990s, it was a hit song. But in 2023, on the 46th parallel at Huron Bay, we are literally raising a roof. It's moving right along. The house trusses are all up and sheeting covers them. A weatherproof layer has been added … Continue reading Raising The Roof – Pt. 3
Recipe for DIY roof-raising: 1 part materials, 2 parts flexibility, 6 parts helpers. (Notice, no heavy equipment.) It reminds me of an Amish barn-raising, not that I've ever seen one. Prepare the materials, put out the call, watch the weather, and hope. Voila! It worked! It's still only trusses, and just 1/4 of them so … Continue reading Raising The Roof – Pt 2
The musical "Fiddler on the Roof" includes a catchy song called "Sunrise, Sunset." (If you know it, the refrain is playing in your mind right now.) In between some beautiful sunrises and sunsets, we are fiddling with a roof...but not yet on it...while fighting flies. Ticks in June, wasps in July, black flies in August … Continue reading Sunrise, Sunset, Roofs & Flies…
While awaiting arrival of trusses later this week to continue construction of our waterfront cabin, we scrub the new concrete patio (repeatedly), dig out one dead tree and cut down others, and wait. We also take outings on the bay to remember why we are building here. Nature! When you're immersed in daily tasks, it's … Continue reading Scrubbing, Digging, Waiting…
The little dog was new. The men in ball caps were not new. I'm getting quite familiar with men in ball caps, and usually wear one myself these days. But I'm not so familiar with myself in this environment. Who is this woman, anyway? This week, I've been to "the pit" and I've been to … Continue reading A Visit to The Pit
Before a house is roofed, it should be wrapped. So say the construction experts. So we did, pulling this light-weight but strong stuff across the walls and around the corners, then stapling it into the wood frame. Each roll was 9' x 100'. We managed it, between the two of us and with the help … Continue reading That’s A Wrap
For Many Moons 