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.