Tag: chainsaw

July 2020, Uncategorized, windows and doors1 Comment

First Exterior Door Frame

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The Setup We’ll have three exterior doors. The first one is on the actual back side of the house. We wanted a door with a large window in it so plenty of light can come into the house, and also so we can look out into the backyard. The next one will be on the side of the house in the kitchen. This will be a utility entrance – pull into the carport, drag all the groceries out of the car and use this entrance to bring things into the kitchen. The front door will be the formal entrance. Use … Continue reading First Exterior Door Frame

December 2018, Rafters, Roof, Uncategorized3 Comments

Roof – Part 1: Decking

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Buying the Decking I searched high and low for a good price on the decking. The plans call for 2×6 Tongue & Groove, preferably in 16 foot lengths. Yes, 2 inches by 6 inches. It sounded really thick, and when I started looking on Craigslist, I could only find advertisements for 1×6. I checked the plans- nope, 2×6. I called the orange box people – they don’t sell it, and can’t even order it. I checked local mills, but you need a large volume mill – the equipment to make it is expensive. I finally found a supplier in Guntersville- … Continue reading Roof – Part 1: Decking

Rafters, Ridge Pole, Roof, Uncategorized2 Comments

Leveling Rafters

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Seems like there’s always more to do… A few weeks ago, we took a major step forward- we are done with the walls, and we got the Ridge Pole and rafters installed. I’ve spent that past 2 weeks- in between weather events and life- getting the rafters level. Again, if we were building with 2×4’s, it’d be easy. Building with crooked logs involves a lot of finesse and finagling to get things to look right. There is nowhere to ‘zero’ my measurements, so I have to do relative measurements. For example, the cap logs are actual logs, so they vary … Continue reading Leveling Rafters

August 2017, Rough Construction, stacking logs, Uncategorized2 Comments

Almost done with 1st floor logs

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  We’re nearing another crossroads- the logs are about 12 feet off the ground, which means they are about 9 feet up from the piers, and about 8 feet up from the finished floor height. All of which means we have to start thinking about the second floor. But first, I’ll summarize what’s happened since my last post. Improving techniques Jack hammer is pretty good The jack hammer cost me about $130. I don’t know if it’s a monster jack hammer or just a regular one, having never owned a jack hammer before now. But it is definitely heavy- I … Continue reading Almost done with 1st floor logs

September 2016, Uncategorized2 Comments

Stuff Breaks

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Since the beginning of this project, stuff has been breaking: Logs are too heavy, I do dumb things, money is tight, I have another job, etc. My whole life, I’ve been working in jobs where I see areas that need improvement- more efficient methods, outdated standards, etc, and every new job I get, I try to implement changes that are more efficient. I guess my whole life has been one of “process improvement”: I had this old Nissan Sentra my grandma sold me for $1.00. It had been through several cousins as a starter car. Finally came to me. One … Continue reading Stuff Breaks