Plans Change, and now I'm starting with a 12 X 12

OlJarhead · September 04, 2012, 11:32:01 AM

Sorry to hear about the troubles but glad to hear you got stuff done!

Paying young guns a little to come and help out would be a good idea if you can afford it. You could get the cabin dried in before winter then!

That broken sheet might still be useful if you cut away the broken parts -- sorry that happened too! Sheesh, you, me and Joe Bftspk has some serious luck!

JavaMan · September 04, 2012, 11:55:31 AM

Yeah, It was an interesting trip.

I just got off the phone with Beautiful, and it looks like the weekend I want to go up is clear (we have a friend going in for back surgery and I wanted to make sure it wasn't any weekend I might be planning on).

Now all I need to do is grab one of the young'uns to head up. I will probably take a day off, as well. Just the roof, the gable ends, the paper on the roof and windows, and door, should be do-able with two of us going at it. That would dry it in completely. I'd like to build shutters for over the windows, too, which shouldn't be too difficult.

I did get in a bit of "yard" clean up, also. Which was good.

The other thing that I need to do before going up again is get the tailpipe re-attached on the truck... I think I caught it on something backing up at the site and pulled it loose..

Hopefully it's just a hanger.

September 04, 2012, 06:21:38 PM

As promised here is a picture of how far I got this weekend. Well, except for the 4x4 section on the right hand end (which I did manage to get on the roof):

diyfrank · September 04, 2012, 08:49:39 PM

Looks like you're making some real progress.
I get those un productive trips also, usually getting half what my plan was.

JavaMan · September 05, 2012, 09:06:15 AM

That half thing seems to be a pervasive issue up there for some reason. Even this last time when I figured what I was planning on doing, and then set my own expectations in 1/2, I still wound up doing about 1/2 of THAT!

I guess the moral of the story is to set expectations higher than you think. That way 1/2 will be more.

I keep forgetting there is some blocking on the other side of the roof rafters that still needs to be done. But I have enough lumber for that.

Now, next time I head up there, I really shouldn't have to buy any supplies (if the 4x8 sheets don't walk off) - well except the roof felt. If all I get done is the rest of the sheathing on and the felt up, I'll be happy for the year. I'd like to get the windows, door, and roof steel on (and I might get the windows and door in), but if not, that's ok, too

September 06, 2012, 09:42:45 AM

I must admit I'm curious about the blocking? Of course, since it's a 'shed' then I'm guessing you don't plan to vent the roof, and there are new insulation plans without venting but I'm still a believer in venting myself. So, the blocks would have to either go, or be changed.

Not saying to remove them, just suggestion that you consider this when you build your cabin. With the ridge board and bird blocking you don't install the blocks mid-rafter so you can lay in vent foam and insulation to the peak.

JavaMan · September 06, 2012, 11:03:33 AM

Well, I am fortunate - the trusses are 2x8 (if I recall), and the blocks are 2x6 ... so there is room for venting. I truly didn't purposefully plan it that way, but had the 2x6's on site, and decided to use them. And of course, I will want to do some real bird blocking down at the eaves.

OlJarhead · September 06, 2012, 11:32:15 AM

Quote from: JavaMan on September 06, 2012, 11:03:33 AM
Well, I am fortunate - the trusses are 2x8 (if I recall), and the blocks are 2x6 ... so there is room for venting. I truly didn't purposefully plan it that way, but had the 2x6's on site, and decided to use them. And of course, I will want to do some real bird blocking down at the eaves.

That should work then

JavaMan · September 17, 2012, 10:40:18 AM

Well, it will be off to the property on Friday afternoon. If I can get the roof sheathing on, I will be happy. If I can get the gable ends done, I'll be thrilled, and if I can get the felt on the roof, I'll be ecstatic! (we need a dancing banana here

)

I certainly hope that the roof sheathing (and sheathing for the gable ends) hasn't grown legs in the last 3 weeks.... I put it inside this time. The other stuff was outside

, so that may have been a bit more of a temptation.

I just realized why I haven't been able to afford a tractor or quad ... if I'd had one of either of those, I probably wouldn't have gotten as much work done on my trips!

September 21, 2012, 10:05:04 AM

Truck loaded? Check...
Gassed up? Check...
Change of Clothes? check...
Camera? Check! (I remembered it this time

)

Guess I'm about as ready as I can be. Now to just get through the day at the office and head out! Hopefully I can get outta here by 2pm... which puts me at the ranch just before dark, including a stop for "supplies" and a burger. Thankfully there isn't much I need from HD/Lowes this time. Just the felt and nails.

OlJarhead · September 21, 2012, 03:19:02 PM

Good luck!

I hope to get there Sunday night to start planting Rye

JavaMan · September 21, 2012, 11:17:14 PM

Quote from: OlJarhead on September 21, 2012, 03:19:02 PM
Good luck!

I hope to get there Sunday night to start planting Rye

Thanks! (I found a hot spot at Home Depot in Omak

)

Next, you'll need a still

Got a late start from the office, Bluette pass was closed so I had to run up 405 and head over on hwy 2 ... took me 45 minutes to get from the office onto I-405. Which is normally about 10 minutes (if that)

So, rather than attempt my road in the pitch black (since Vin Diesel wasn't with me (obscure movie reference)), I decided to overnight in Wally Worlds Parking lot. I'm amazed the HD hotspot reaches this far!

OlJarhead · September 29, 2012, 10:10:15 AM

Hey Java, what's the update?

JavaMan · October 01, 2012, 10:56:27 AM

Thanks for asking, Jarhead!

The update is that I've been busier than a one-armed paperhanger (can I still say that?)

I did get up to the property a week ago for the weekend. All my lumber was still there

, and I got the roof on. Pictures on the camera, but no time to get them off yet.

I looked at the setup I had to pull the 4x8 sheets up to the roof and decided that it would be a lot easier if I simply turned the ladder over so that the rungs weren't sticking out on the side the board was supposed to slide on

. That was a real "DUH" moment. There were still a couple bumps, but nothing bigger than 1/8" or so, which made it easy. So I finished the north side, then went and dd the south side.

I then realized that because of the way I built the trusses, the south side sheathing sat higher than the north (because I butted the 10' rafters so one was 7-1/4" longer than the other). This made nailing the top of the second row from the inside, standing on a step ladder on the loft floor, a bit more difficult. Not only was it higher (just a smidge), but it also placed where I had to squeeze between the rafters right where the "tie" piece was, effectively making that space about 3/4" narrower than without that piece in there.

Being a big guy (originally my fingers typed 'big gut', which is only too true

- but I'm working on that), that made it a bit more difficult to get inbetween the rafters to nail in the tops of those boards.

Of course, since I started the sheathing and it was a bit crooked, it all looks crooked on the rafters. Not the most elegant job, but I keep telling myself, "It's a SHED

"

There is about a foot wide strip at the top that I had to cover with a tarp, since it was so dry I didn't want to start the genny.

I got up to the area in the dark, so I overnighted at the WalMart in Omak, then went up to the property in the early morning. Worked my tail off until about 3 in the afternoon, and decided that even if I stayed I wouldn't get the gable ends done, so decided to just head home.

Al in all, essentially a one day trip, but I got done what I really wanted to have done, so mission accomplished for this trip.

Pictures to come as soon as I have time to get them off the camera

Now, I'm on to the project at the house. Replacing the deck. Oh Joy ...

October 01, 2012, 11:12:40 AM

It's funny, I find even since I started my build there always seems to be work to do everywhere, home, parents, in-laws. Now I don't know if the work wasn't there before or maybe ignorance was bliss. I wouldn't change anything for the world but I do miss those days

. Can't wait to see the pictures Java.

OlJarhead · October 01, 2012, 12:24:06 PM

Sounds great!

Getting the roof sheeted and covered with a tarp will protect your investment and just remember: rough framing is covered by finish carpentry

JavaMan · October 01, 2012, 03:15:30 PM

Quote from: OlJarhead on October 01, 2012, 12:24:06 PM
Sounds great!

Getting the roof sheeted and covered with a tarp will protect your investment and just remember: rough framing is covered by finish carpentry

Or in this case, steel roofing

JavaMan · October 01, 2012, 03:18:10 PM

Quote from: ColchesterCabin on October 01, 2012, 11:12:40 AM
It's funny, I find even since I started my build there always seems to be work to do everywhere, home, parents, in-laws. Now I don't know if the work wasn't there before or maybe ignorance was bliss. I wouldn't change anything for the world but I do miss those days .

HA! I hear you there! Suddenly there's way too much going on. This coming weekend is college tour weekend for my step-daughter ... which cuts into the deck repair/replace time. Ah well, it's all going to get done... maybe not on my schedule, but it will get done!

JavaMan · January 11, 2013, 12:28:38 PM

Well, since October, there's been a mess of things happening.

The largest of which is that beginning in February, I will have a bit more salary to store away for this summer's building!

For a variety of reasons, I decided to part ways with my current employer, and was made an offer by another employer that is about 10 minutes from home... and pays a considerable amount more than I have been earning ...

So, I will get to reclaim about 5 hours of my life, spend more time with Beautiful (and the kids) and generally be more rested (perhaps I won't need as much coffee in the mornings now

)

We've decided to drop two very large trees in the yard, and unfortunately, I wasn't able to persuade Beautiful to keep them so that I could either mill them (or have them milled), or turn them into about 6 or 7 cords of firewood. They both are about 110' tall!

Ah well, I've at least convinced her to let me have a few 8' chunks from near the tops. The bottoms are probably somewhere between 24 to 30 inches in diameter. Could have been enough lumber there to frame a nice shed - or put siding on the one I have (and then some!). Her concern is the time and effort that I'd have to put into it and the decks are not complete yet - and won't be for a couple months!

I have a few vacation days that I have to burn before the last day at this place, so I plan on getting a few projects finished around the house before starting in on the decks again.

And life just keeps on rollin' and gettin' better!

OlJarhead · January 11, 2013, 04:25:08 PM

Congrats on the new opportunity! Very exciting for you I'm sure

Too bad she won't let you keep the logs though

Those would make some very nice lumber!!!

January 11, 2013, 04:35:20 PM

Quote from: OlJarhead on January 11, 2013, 04:25:08 PM
Congrats on the new opportunity! Very exciting for you I'm sure

Too bad she won't let you keep the logs though Those would make some very nice lumber!!!

Yeah, I'll see if I can get some pictures of the tree, standing and felled ... It will probably make you cry! ... of course, they could be rotten in the middle, but it's still a lot of firewood.

JavaMan · March 28, 2013, 03:15:15 PM

OK, it's been a while ...

Of course, it's winter at the ol' lodge and the road is snowed in, so there's no going up to the property at this time of year. At least not until I get a snowmobile or a quad. Maybe next year!

So, instead I've been working on the deck(s) here at the house. And I've come to a point that I need an opinion on the construction before I go a bit further.

I am at the point where I can start putting in support beams (the joists rest on these) and there is one that I was thinking of using a 6" X 6" as the beam. The span is 9' long. This section of deck is only 6' wide and attached to the house on the other side via a ledger board that is a 2 x 10. The joists are 2 x 6's.

The question is : Am I going to run into a problem using a 6 x 6 as a beam? In other words, is the 6 x 6 stout (strong) enough to do this job across 9'?

Thanks!

OlJarhead · March 28, 2013, 04:26:41 PM

Can you draw it? Seems to me a 6 foot span is nothing for 2x6's unless you want to load a concrete truck onto them! As for the beam, why so big? If they are hung on a 2x10 on the far side and are on at least 24" centers and the beam they will hang on off the house spans 9 feet then why not make it a 4x8 and put posts under it on 4' centers? Or something like that?

MountainDon · March 28, 2013, 04:41:23 PM

The AWC Residential Deck Guide has tables for beam and joist spans and other good stuff on the deck to house/cabin connections.

JavaMan · March 28, 2013, 07:05:41 PM

Quote from: OlJarhead on March 28, 2013, 04:26:41 PM
Can you draw it? Seems to me a 6 foot span is nothing for 2x6's unless you want to load a concrete truck onto them! As for the beam, why so big? If they are hung on a 2x10 on the far side and are on at least 24" centers and the beam they will hang on off the house spans 9 feet then why not make it a 4x8 and put posts under it on 4' centers? Or something like that?

Well, here's a drawing (pardon my art skillz):

The box on the right (to the left of "6 x 6 beam") is the beam. The beam is supported on each end by a 6x6 post (per the code), a 10" concrete column, and a footer (all per code).

The problem is that the code specifies 3 2x6's which measure 4.5" across, not 5.5" like an actual 6x6. Of course the code says that I can span 8'7" with those 3 2x6's, so I'm guessing that an extra 20% of wood (almost) in the beam should be good for an extra 5" of span?