Building Update #21: Eight Walls and a Lid

Jake worked really hard this week, and with the help of friends, family, and milder weather he was able to put up the last two walls.  Even though it snowed almost all weekend, we were able to plumb and square the walls, install a 2x4 frame across the top, and start putting plywood above the second floor (this is not normal - we are doing it for airtightness purposes). 

With all four walls up. 

The stairwell cut out.

A neighbor checks in on our progress. 

Plumbing and squaring the walls.  The braces get nailed to the top plate and the floor.  The "kicker" gets pushed into the brace, pulling the wall in.  Thank you YouTube.  

Installing the 2x4 braces.  We used mending plates to put two 2x4 studs together to make them long enough to span the walls. 

What we showed up to this morning.  Thanks Mother Nature!

All the 2x4 spans in place. 

We installed bracing to make it safe for Jake to walk around up there.

Moving plywood up to the top and nailing it in place.

By the end of the day we had a complete "lid", but only two rows were nailed.

Building Update #20: A Break in the Weather = Two Walls

The past week and a half has been very frustrating as the cold weather prevented us from using caulk to air seal the second-story walls before they went up, and then we had to wait out some rainy weather.  Fortunately today was warm and sunny.  Jake rounded up a crew of 4 to help raise our first two second story walls.

The north wall went up first.  Some wind gusts gave us a scare, but we eventually figured it out. 

The walls went up as one piece, and they were REALLY heavy.  My Dad and my friend Sarah show what it takes to get it done.

From the front of the house.  The only window on the North wall is the bathroom window.

Now with both walls up.  The second wall was lighter, but we had a problem with it slipping off the edge as we lifted it.  Jake devised an on-the-spot system to put tension on the bottom plate as we lifted the top to prevent it from sliding away from us. 

The walls aren't perfectly plumb yet, but they will be once we get the end walls up.

The man himself.  Jake after a somewhat hairy but successful wall-raising.  Many, many thanks to Dad and Sarah for making this possible!

Building Update #19 - Holiday House Progress

Our progress has slowed somewhat over the holidays, not because we are not out there every day (except Christmas Day - Jake let us take it off), but because the weather has been unseasonably brutal - cold and snow.  Our winter has actually made national news (click here), with no end in sight.  

Jake and his Dad trying to snap chalk lines for our second floor wall bottom plates the day after Christmas.  We knocked off shortly thereafter since we couldn't stay ahead of the accumulating snow.

Framing up the long north wall.

Trimming the sheathing on the long north wall.

New Years Day - putting together our large window headers in the South Wall on the second floor.  We are using a single-ply header which allows us to fit the same amount of insulation above our windows as in our walls.  In order to meet code we have to glue, and nail it every 3 inches.  Here Jake is applying our glue.

Nailing the header.

Both headers complete.

South wall framed, sheathed, and windows routed.  North wall is complete as well.  We are just waiting for it to warm up enough to caulk (for airsealing), but it is not supposed to rise above single digits for the next two days.