A 24'x18' straw bale lodge

[Drew]

No pictures today, but it's not for lack of progress.  I got about half the flashing on the bale base (Thanks again, John!) and we got all the rafters in place.  The last ones out on the ends involved a lot of ladder moving and very careful, mindful movement.  I will say that I did not overreach my abilities.  I did however come up to the edge of them and treated the moment with great reverence.  I am also glad for the time I spend doing yoga.  There were some moves over headers that were possible and safe because of it.

Man, I do not like heights.  I learned to fly a paraglider to get over it.  No, not a parasail where you get dragged behind a boat on your vacation.  This is the cousin to the hang glider with ground school, certification, and foot launching off of very tall mountains.  Didn't help much up there.

I'm working this week so I can't go up on Tuesday.  My green pickup was still caked in bugs and road dust in the client's parking lot.  We're going back up Friday night to work Saturday.  I don't have any work lined up for next week so maybe I can get back up there again.  I don't know if we'll beat the rain, but we're sure going to try.  There are also tarps, and the rain won't be out in earnest until December.  Sez here...

My neighbor came out to the work site on Sunday to take a look.  After joking, "Naw, naw, Drew! You got it all wrong!" he asked me where I got the plans.  I told him I got the foundation and floor plan from a place on the internet but the rest of the design was mine with some checking with some pros (That would be you fine folks).  I think he was a little surprised.  Nobody is building for themselves out there anything bigger than a pump house.

There's another neighbor up there who's really encouraging about our project.  I like the way he put his place together and I bet he'll do a straw bale one of these days too.

Anyway, it's going to be weird when my face goes back to white and my hands stop aching this week.  If I get too lonely I'll mash my hand with a fry pan or something.

[glenn kangiser]

Were just glad we could have a little part in helping out, Drew.  Always nice to see someone succeed at something that would be a bit harder if no one helped with ideas.

In repayment we get your fine running commentary on your progress and we enjoy that.  Just don't take any of thos flying lessons from the top of that ladder.

Why do I get pictures of the Karate Kid when I think of you up there.  You didn't say anything about Karate.

[fishing_guy]

Why do I have this cartoon bubble of Drew hanging from that last rafter with his paragliding stuff on...just in case?

You're doing a great job.  Congrats.

[Drew]

Hehehe...  I remember the Kid in the last scene in the Crane Stance with a busted knee.  Yep, that's my knee!

My paraglider harness is built like a padded car seat with straps and risers coming off it.  On the rigth side is my emergency chute.  I've never had to "throw" it.  I don't know 100% that it would work if I did.  Hmm.  Maybe I should put it on my tool belt.

[Drew]

We had Dan , the Old Ma, and me up on Saturday getting the sheathing through the rafters up on top of the place.  Putting stops on the low end of the rafters to keep the sheathing from sliding off before we nail it is harrowing in itself.  2 fot overhangs look good on paper, lousy rom 16' in the air.

Well anyway, here's the second course of the sheathing. You better believe I am the one taking the picture. Aside from working far off the end of a ladder, I really don't like sheathing work. My beams are all marked like a robot did them.  huricane clips to hold the bird mouthed rafters are in perfect position.  Then we add the wood.  Most are flat, but enough crowned, fork-screwed rafters make lining up my sheathing a real pain.  I straighten out to the square of the roof.  I do my best with the turns in the wood and plan to block a minimal number of places.  It will be covered by sheathing and whatever I'll us for a ceiling, but I would have appreciated either a little more cooperation or better technique on my  part to fix it.

Ah well.  The roof will not have water problems when I'm done and I'll get a little bit smarter along the way.

The air was cooling off but we still got to 95 in the afternoon.  Here's Dan near our basement dining room.



And here's the Old Man up  on the roof doing the sheathing nailing.  Some guys will do anything if you hide their blood pressure pills.



The place is starting to look like a house.  Dan and I talked about putting in a loft bed that would look like a queen size bunk bed over a desk.  Might save some space and add some entertainment for an sleep walkers.

And here's a picture of our first solar system.



That's a 15 w. battery charger cell filling up my Xantrex 1.1 Kw pack that can run the well pump and most of the tools.  I bought a DC extension cord fro Radio Shack and soldered a 7-amp charge controller I had between the ends.  Now the battery won't drain when the sun goes down.  Tomorrow the world.

I've got sources for my straw bales now.  One is close in on Loan Tree Road in Oroville, but he hasn't had a chance to get on the phone with me.  The other guy is in Williams and is about 60 miles out.  He wants $4 a bale (I need about 200) and about $200 in fuel to bring them to me.  He can even store them for me for free until spring if I can't get the roof on in time.

And if that happens I'll spend the winter starting my orchard and my latrine.  And a Jamba Juice.

[glenn kangiser]

Careful up there Drew.  That last step's a doozie.

Dan looks happy in this picture.  Is it because you are working?

[considerations]

My favorite is getting the last screw in the metal sheets at the very outside corner of the roof.  I didn't have to do it myself, but got good and worried just watching. 

Looks like your weather is holding.  Excellent.

[Drew]

We've been up at the place every weekend since the end of August and the progress has been pretty good.  We're taking this weekend off because of the Red Flag warning and some stuff we have to do with Dave's applications for college. 

Anyway, here's a picture of Dan up on the roof nailing in sheathing.



I still get to finish the drip sill flashing, including the corners.  The sheathing is nearly done.  We have a few of the 4'x4' sections to do and the 2' sections on the top edge.  Then it's drip edge, felt, and shingles.

A question for you learned people.  We are not going to beat the rain.  We plan to get the roof done and put the bales in come spring.  I'll tarp the studs and keep the rain out somewhat but I don't want to make a giant sail out of my lodge for the wind to knock around.  Water evaporates and one season should not be too bad. Is this reasonable?

And the roof.  The sheathing is OSB with the foil underside (I got a deal from my man Dean at the building supply store).  How bad is it if rain gets on it through the season?  Should I put the roof felt on it and stop there (before putting on the shingles)?  Should I leave the sheathing bare and let it dry out in the summer?  Am I now committed and need to get the shingles up ASAP?

Here's a picture from the front.



If we can button this up for the winter, we can do some work on other projects in the place that we need soft ground for.  The orchard gets started this winter.  I am also thinking about starting the shower house.

This has all been very educational.  I mentioned in another thread that we had water coming into our Bay Area house around the sliding glass doors.  After learning a bit here I noticed that the swelling in the moulding happened under the bolts that held the narrow deck to the house over the bottom floor sliding glass doors.  In short, the holes the bolts go through have become a bit larger than the bolts themselves over time and are now providing a great place for rain to get in.  I think I can cut into the ceiling next to the bolts and replace them one by one (So the deck doesn't fall off).  This is much less invasive than taking off the siding from the outside.  It needs a little more planning, like how do I make sure the holes don't change shape again, but I think I have a reasonable start on the problem.  I no doubt will impose upon you folks again when we get to that.

Anyway, I slept until 8 this morning and feel great!  I'm going to get some more coffee!

[Sassy]

What's a "red flag warning," Drew?   BTW, ya got lots of chemtrails above you   

I think you may need some 2x6's from the floor to the roof for more diagonal bracing (I double checked with Glenn) - otherwise you have a good lever point low on your posts, which you don't want...     I just finished my big cup of coffee 

Great progress - I see you still have Dan doing the work 

[glenn kangiser]

I would put 2x6s - maybe 2x4's  at about a 45 or so  from top plate down to the bottom in 2 directions - each wall, Drew.  The bracing you have there would help especially after the bales and stucco are there but leave the posts to flex in the high winds now.  PEG is best on this stuff.

OSB doesn't like water much and swells.  30 lb felt or that Titanium Felt Redover talks about could be good - well nailed with the plastic cap nails.  For the floor you may want to drill drain holes where the water collects and sweep it out when possible.

[Redoverfarm]

Drew I might have missed it but is your subfloor OSB or treated (Advantex).  I would worry just as much as I would about the roof if it is just OSB.  Maybe get the gang and paint rollers to give it a good coat of something that will shed the water.  The OSB will actually gain 1/4 to 1/2 of it's thickness if it gets wet. IMO if left over the winter it could be a nightmare to work on this next spring.

I am like you in regards to the tarps and covering things up.  They usually will not hold up especially if you are prone to wind in your area.  The only problem with floors is the partitions walls and of course the flat(not being pitched).  So water will stand on the floor. 

[Drew]

Glenn and Sassy, are you talking about running boards from the top plate to the sole plate or from the top plate to the middle of the floor?  Sounds like the former.  And if so, what about using Simpson strap directions on each wall?

The floor is OSB, John.  I don't remember if it's treated, but I'll look.  If not we'll paint it with something like you said and do the drain holes.

Thanks for the help, everyone.

[glenn kangiser]

Top to sole plate right along your posts diagonally.

Simpson straps would work diagonally also, Drew.  I thought of it also but failed to mention it -- I think I had already posted and got lazy.

[MountainDon]

I'll chime in too regarding the OSB.

H₂0 + OSB = BN!!!      (BN!!! = Bad News)

During the week or so that it rained every day on our OSB floor we were lucky enough to be on site full time. I have no idea how many times we swept the water off. Thanks to using some tarps we kept the amount of water that sat for any time to a minimum. Still there are a few small areas that flaked slightly. I know where they are but nobody else could probably tell. Well, PEG could, MTL.

However the three sheets of OSB that were temporarily on top of the ceiling joists as a work platform for rafter work did not get swept off. They soaked up water like a sponge and then when the sun came out they baked. The edges are about 3/16" thicker than they are supposed to be; 7/16" (from the swelling). There is very much surface flaking/separating. Those sheets are not much good for anything at present. I think we'll slice them up with the chain saw and give the burn barrel a good workout.

If the floor can't be protected by completing the walls then you need to give it a good coating of paint and say some prayers. As for the roof OSB, #30 roofing paper or some synthetic with a lengthy UV rating would be advised, as others have also commented.

Best of luck.

[MountainDon]

Simpson straps would work diagonally also, Drew. 

Remember, Simpson straps work in tension, not compression, as lumber can. Therefore metal straps must be installed in an "X" or "V" configuration to be of any use.

[Drew]

We started buttoning up the place for the winter over the weekend.  We finished the roof sheathing and spread some 6 mil plastic over it with some lathe to hold it down.  While not the easiest thing to do in an afternoon breeze, it bodes well for the roofing felt work we'll do come spring.

The flooring is untreated, so we put on some water seal and will drill a few holes to let the water drain.  I tossed a handful of marbles on the floor a couple times to look for a low spot and could not find one.  Darn!   

We had all five of us up this weekend; Dan, Dave, Robin, the Old Man, and me.  Robin is a junior in high school and is taking her Independent Living class.  The class assignment was to carry around this fake baby for four days, unless you already had a real one.

Here is my granddaughter, Ashley.



Back in the Day we'd have to carry around eggs or a sack of flour.  Now these things are baby robots.  They have a computer in them that programs them to cry at random intervals.  Well, not so random.  They cry at night.  Every 15 minutes.  And there was already something wrong with Robin's baby, like a low battery or computer virus or something.  So there we are Saturday night crashed out on the Old Man's livingroom floor when this sound erupts.  It is a cross between a spiraling 747 and Darth Vader getting it in prison.

"Robin!  Your baby!" we'd say for the fourth time that night.  Robin would then need to select a key from a chain to plug into the robobrat.  "Feed?"  No.  "Burp?"  No.  "Attention?" No. "Change Diaper?" No.  "Feed?"  No.  "Feed?"  No.  "Feed?" Yes!  Ahhh...

GGggRRRROOOwwwrreeehhhhhhOOOWWW!!!!

"Robin!  Your baby!"

Little Ashely has sensors on her too.  Unlike the low-tech baby Dave had to drag around (and he did), this one needs its head supported (I tell you, this nation coddles its prosthetic youth.).  It can also tell if it gets shaken too much.  It can also tell if it is being left alone too much, at which point it begins to bellow.  So we parked Ashely next to one of the studs and would jostle her head whenever we walked by.  I was thinking of parking her on top of the generator, but having her smell of exhaust might be considered abuse.  That's what my parents did with me and I turned out okay.

Here's Hippie Dave putting in some of the last nails on the post caps.  I tried to calculate how much metal we have in this building between nails and Strong-Ties.  Now that we have the Simpson Strap in I am pretty sure that no one of us could lift all of the metal at once.



Here's Robin with Ashley at the restaurant last night.  She's pretty well behaved in a restaurant.  Ashley was pretty good too.



I'll go back up on Wednesday to work with the Old Man on buttoning down the edge of the tarp and drilling the holes in the floor.  We're also going to wrap the rest of the materials in plastic and put them under the floor (Out of the way of the holes).  That should keep it out of the way of the wind and rain for the season.

[glenn kangiser]

Sounds like you are near ready for the possible rain season, Drew. 

Your granddaughter seems to confirm my belief that all babies are born ug.....   I mean not always pretty.

Uhhhmmmm - I'll probably catch it for that but truth be known, I'm not even sure that I was pretty when I was born.

Fortunately many of the babies turn out pretty like your Robin.  The rest turn out like me.

Thanks for the great update, Drew.

[Drew]

Hehehe.  When Robin was born she looked like a cross between Yoda and Rosanne Barr.  >Shudder!<

I would have liked to have had the bales up and stuccoed, but I've resigned myself to waiting until the spring.  It will be good to not worry about rain on the bales when we put them in.  It also won't hurt to spread the expense out a bit.  This whole financial crisis has freaked out my customers and I've had a little more time to myself than I had planned.

This winter we'll plant the fruit trees and dig down the high spots on the access roads.  Drink hot tea and contemplate the impermanence of all things.  It's all good.

[glenn kangiser]

[Redoverfarm]

WTG Drew.  Got more patience than me.  I would (or am going to) still be working in the snow it looks like.  But hey it should be inside . 

Glenn I guess it is true that you can't have good looks and be smart too.

[glenn kangiser]

If only I could have either one.

[fishing_guy]

"Back in the Day we'd have to carry around eggs or a sack of flour.  Now these things are baby robots.  They have a computer in them that programs them to cry at random intervals.  Well, not so random.  They cry at night.  Every 15 minutes.  And there was already something wrong with Robin's baby, like a low battery or computer virus or something.  So there we are Saturday night crashed out on the Old Man's livingroom floor when this sound erupts.  It is a cross between a spiraling 747 and Darth Vader getting it in prison."

We lived with these "babies" during our kids teen years.  My DW actually dropped the daughter's "baby" down off a set of bleachers.

The middle daughter is now a high school swim coach.  She finally outlawed these "babies" in her presence.  She told the kids she would rather miss practice then to be distracted by them.

[Drew]

Robin went back to school and turned her baby into the Independent Living teacher.  The message back was, "Good job.  But you can see that you are not ready for a baby now, right?"

"Absolutely, Ms. Levine," said Robin, "But my mom is ready for a granddaughter."

It's a little freaky.  I think I'd better head this off and get another dog before things get out of hand...

Won't be going to the farm this weekend.  I have a gig instead on Saturday night at a Halloween party.  That should be a little safer.  I can put that chicken wire to good use around the stage.

[glenn kangiser]

hmm, grandkid means SIL or SO, Drew.  Are you ready?

Better get a recording of that night crying and barfing and play it every few hours.

[Drew]

But this is my beautiful, perfect daughter, Glenn.  I'm betting on the virgin birth route.

That's the good thing about moving out to the farm.  "Sure!  We'd love to have you and the kids for the weekend!  The rattlesnakes are almost gone!  What?  Next weekend instead?"

Dave had a girlfriend for ten months, then they broke up.  He's happy to have his camping and tree house building time back.  He's looking at colleges now, including University of Alaska at Fairbanks.  "It has a good conservation sciences program," I tell him, "And I hear those Palin women are easy."