Building Update #24: Catching Up

My sincere apologies to all of our blog followers.  I have been MIA for a couple months, but I will bring you up to date tonight!  Jake has made a lot of progress since the end of February.  Our windows have cleared Customs, and Jake will be ready for them soon.  Once the windows are in we will do a preliminary blower door test to check the airtightness of the house while it is still relatively easy to seal leaks.  I'll let the pictures do the talking:

Where I last left you at the beginning of March.

Baxter making sure Jake gets the air-sealing right. 

After a building strategy break, Jake has started attaching 11-7/8" TJIs (manufactured wood joists) vertically to the stud wall.  They will eventually hold our exterior layer of insulation and our siding. 

Before attaching the TJIs, Jake built window "boxes" to go in the rough openings of all of our windows, they are the full width of the wall. 

The TJIs are held about 1/2" off of the wall with shims, but are screwed into the studs. 

The second level of TJIs going up.

Jake put up all the TJIs, except the ones at the center of the gable ends from the top of a very tall ladder. 

A special visit from Germany - my best friend and her two adorable children.

Jake had to get some extensions for his scaffolding, but once he did he was able to finish the second level of TJIs on the east gable end (so far).

Jake used his sweet homemade hot-wire foam cutter to cut foam in preparation for the windows.