Progress finally

glenn kangiser · May 07, 2006, 12:28:03 AM

I think we decided that Al isn't totally crazy and there could be problems with the Monitors. A friend had to rebuild one at a pretty high cost -- and this year we are having trouble keeping ours going - first year in 7 or so - possibly got condensation and dirt in the line again.

Daddymem · May 07, 2006, 06:23:11 AM

Yeah, Al got us in that direction...then a few more places stating similar sealed the deal...Riannai it is.
Blog updated.

May 07, 2006, 08:42:48 AM

I am impressed and what cute rugrats! Great blog, Sarah. Tell us about your tool skills. Which have you used to this point? Reading your blog it sounds like you are gaining skills.

http://schluterhomestead.blogspot.com/

Daddymem, you really aren't afraid of work! Great job - I don't know why you ever had any question about your ability to do this project.

Jochen · May 07, 2006, 10:07:02 AM

Mommymem & Daddymem that looks really good. When I look at your pictures I'm getting jealous and want to start building again.

Jochen

Daddymem · May 07, 2006, 07:04:58 PM

I'm learning to love my tool belt...I even find myself automatically reaching for things and finding them the first time. I'm pretty skilled with the speed sqaure, and the framing hammer and my noggin. I got a little work to do on skil saw skills and nailgun...sheathing sound perfect for that since it gets covered anyways. FirstDay has been a tremendous help and these houses really are easy...lots of work, but all the tasks are basic. I almost have claw hand and my knees are pretty bruised from doing flooring...even with the knee pads. Sarah is incredible, I think she even surprises herself. Got a bunch of wood to come this week. All our frame is cut out, save the rafters. Got 22 box beams to put together and first floor decking to finish..then we can raise the posts and boxbeams for the second floor. Boy this wood is gorgeous! Eurograde is very impressive stuff.

May 07, 2006, 07:28:13 PM

I haven't used many tools yet but I think I'm getting to the point where I may need my own tool belt instead of the $.99 apron. I have to keep looking around for my hammer and thats just a pain.

The tools I have used so far is the bowrench while helping lay the decking. John and I were working on box beams and I got to shoot a couple nails with the nail gun before Scott did. Was kinda neat but it took 2 hands to hold it! Mostly my skills are moving wood around to places its needed

Glenn- Thanks for the compliments on the blog. Since things are moving along quickly now I'm trying to keep it better updated.

Charlie · May 10, 2006, 10:48:00 PM

I'm curious about what a nitrogen easement is. Is that a conventional leach line system on a parcel owned by another?

glenn kangiser · May 10, 2006, 11:46:00 PM

QuoteI'm learning to love my tool belt..

So -- break out the wallet and get Sarah one too. I think she can handle it.

I use your blog and posting's as an example of what people can learn from our forum, Sarah. It's great that you have been here the whole time from thinking about it and wondering if you could do it to actually making it reality. Great job.

Daddymem · May 11, 2006, 05:18:51 AM

QuoteI'm curious about what a nitrogen easement is. Is that a conventional leach line system on a parcel owned by another?

In MA, we are limited to 1 bedroom per 10,000 sq ft of land owned (written in the books as 440 gpd per acre-do the math at 110 gpd per bedroom, and builder's acre=40,000 sf) in nitrogen sensitive areas which also includes lots with both private septic and water. I'll use my situation for clarity. I own ~25,000 sf so only 2 bedroom house is allowed. State says 3 bedroom minimum system size. My neighbor has ~70,000 sf of land and only 4 bedrooms so she has "extra bedrooms" in her land. I can use her "extra bedrooms" via an easement. The easement is a legal document that get recorded against her property and mine limiting her to what she can do in this area...no golf course, no buildings, no chicken farm...etc. My system in still on my property and I cannot build anything on her property, I just claim her bedrooms.

The situation above is not common, especially in the land of NIMBY. The more common situation is a developer with a large piece of land may want to sell small lots in a cluster form (think Chapin's pocket neighborhoods) and set aside the rest of the land for conservation restrictions. Each lot would claim bedrooms from the conservation land in the form of a nitrogen easement so they can build their homes and septic. We did that on Nantucket Island for 14 10,000 sf vacation home lots around a short cul-de-sac and open space in the back of the property.

May 11, 2006, 06:16:42 AM

Quote
QuoteI'm learning to love my tool belt..

So -- break out the wallet and get Sarah one too. I think she can handle it.

A tool belt for mother's day wouldn't be all bad

Amanda_931 · May 11, 2006, 10:34:35 AM

IMHO, too many pockets means you'll never find anything!

I had trouble with one-pocket pouches on a belt--after a bad day I could tell when I'd had an extra 7/16ths wrench in there--and they ain't very heavy. Balanced is nice.

But there's nothing like feeling that you're working when you strap that thing on. (The relief when the load--four big pockets filled with 16-penny nails, for instance, comes off is nice too)

glenn kangiser · May 16, 2006, 09:08:19 AM

Bummer about the rain, Sarah. I was wondering if you guys were drowning there. Hope all get well and the rain stops so you can strap on that new tool belt and get to work. He did get it for you didn't he?

Daddymem · May 17, 2006, 05:20:33 AM

Nope, we were gonna head out Saturday but the kids were still sick and Sarah was sick and I was fighting a battle with my breakfast and lunch....I lost. Mother's Day is postponed to this weekend this year.

glenn kangiser · May 17, 2006, 07:36:04 AM

Sounds like nearly any weekend will be better than that one. :-/

May 18, 2006, 06:19:21 PM

All better now, we hope (although it's always a bummer to get healthy for Monday going-to-work after being sick as a dog on Sunday).

Mommymem · May 19, 2006, 06:59:22 PM

We have all recovered and eager to get back to work on the house.

And I did get a tool belt for mother's day

Yay! No more searching for my hammer.

glenn kangiser · May 19, 2006, 08:58:54 PM

Great -- I can see production increasing already.

Mommymem · May 20, 2006, 08:14:47 PM

We got our slab poured today and it went very well! I updated the blog with lots of pics and even me wearing my new tool belt

glenn kangiser · May 21, 2006, 01:43:59 AM

Great job - the floor looks nice from what I see--That tool belt looks nice too. Very professional.

http://schluterhomestead.blogspot.com/

Mommymem · May 28, 2006, 07:31:09 PM

More updates, lots of pictures

May 28, 2006, 07:57:54 PM

Nice Bulkhead

looks like a Bilco is it ? T&G stock looks very nice . I wouldn't get to anal about the place getting wet , it will . The tarps will hold water pockets , get you soaked , leak , etc . Some times with wood if it's gonna get wet, it's better it all does, sort of the same , less water spotting cuz some was ,some wasn't ,grain all raises not just some , keeps MC equal etc .

A lot of work that IMO isn't going to gain the return for the effort. Heck it's summer in NE . It will dry out, real wood can take more than you'd think more than plywood or OSB .

On a remodel ya , ya gotta keep it all dry , or die trying to save S/R/ plaster , hardwood floors etc .

Ya it would be nice to keep it all dry and clean but MTL that ain't gonna happen.

It really looks good and at this rate you'll be in the dry in no time , beat fall / winter , that's the real goal I'd think .

Keep it up you'll be in the dry in no time

Good luck , PEG

glenn kangiser · May 28, 2006, 10:04:13 PM

Great blog, great friends helping friends, great job, Sarah and Scott.

deertracks · May 28, 2006, 10:20:18 PM

Great looking ceilings!! It makes me excited for T&G pine in our cabin. Your updates and photos are great for the rest of us that are playing the waiting game on getting the actual building part of the project started. THANKS!

deertracks

Daddymem · May 29, 2006, 05:16:45 AM

The importance of keeping it dry has to do with the floors. We need all the wood more or less at the same moisture content. Once the deck is on, the wood can swell and shrink together instead of having the decking swell up from being wet but the planks not installed yet not swollen. Hope that is clearer than it sounds.

Now, once the upper deck is on, should we bother tarping at all? Our next step is framing out the window and door openings, then sheathing for the first floor, then rafters. If it rains hard and we don't tarp at all, won't we get leaks into the basement? What if we took the two tarps and wrapped around the first floor and left the second floor exposed to keep the rain outta the basement?

Also, the shrink and swell has been incredible already. Where there were no gaps on the first floor, there are now. I would think swelling would fill them up, but when it gets dried in would it shrink more, or less to what it is dry now?

Bilco bulkhead of course

Now...the floors. We just can't decide how to finish them. They are 2x6 European Spruce. The problem around here is there is sand sand sand and sand. Poly coating grinds down pretty good. We have 2 kids, 2 cats, and three dogs so any surface has to take abuse. Any ideas on a durable surface. We aren't looking for perfection, the worn look is better. Rick told us about a primer applied after sanding that fills in the cracks, but he wasn't sure what that was, just saw it once. FirstDay suggested boiled linseed oil. I know it sounds early to think about finishing them, but depending on what finish we do, we could do something right now such as apply a thin poly coat just to temporarily seal them. Any thoughts?

I'll remember and give thanks..will you?

Amanda_931 · May 29, 2006, 08:03:39 AM

Limewash?

Nothing? Eventually it would get a nice patina.

Like ships used--wet and/or wash down scrub with holystones and flog dry every morning (or every couple of weeks)? (edges wouldn't get as much stoning

) That combination mostly took the abuse of cannons rolling back and forth on the decks! Somebody mentioned the stoned finish in something recent I read, so apparently people still know about it. It leaves a kind of fuzzy surface.

Most of the all-natural--e.g., linseed oil--finishes are subject to wear. It's really recommended that people leave their shoes and boots at the door if you use them--and an absorbent mat in the entry and keep the critters' toenails trimmed--especially the dogs'--it's usually easier than doing the cats') I had a pair of dogs once that could be told to "SHAKE" before they came in when it rained.