Last week one of the lumber shipments was delivered and placed against the house, here:
This is notable because our raspberry bush just happens to live just to the right of the window above. I had wondered if the plant would survive our renovation, and now that question appeared to be definitively answered.
Yet, today that patch of ground was uncovered and this is what I was very surprised to see:
Impressive.
Today the second floor walls went up.
Rain was expected today, so the guys took the day off. It turned out to be a gorgeous day after some morning showers.
The lumber for the remainder of the framing arrived today.
We are in a pretty good groove now in Shantytown. We have our routines for meals, dishes, laundry, showers, etc.
Enjoying the view and the open air from the second floor. It will almost be a shame when the walls and roof go on.
Today installation of the second floor joists was completed and most of the subfloors were laid.
Today all the floor joists for the second floor went in. But first the last steel beam had to be lifted from the ground/basement level to the second floor and set in place atop the first floor walls.
How many men does it take to lift a 1000 pound beam 20 feet? Turns out the answer is ten, if they are hearty, clever, and determined. First they used ropes to tilt one end up to the main floor, then used brute force to lift and slide the other end up and over, onto the floor. Then they built a wooden ladder of sorts in the walls for the beam ends to be lifted and set upon, one rung at a time. It was all a very impressive feat to witness.
The walls are going up fast today. All the walls on the first floor were completed.
This week the framing of the house continues. Today, many of the first floor walls went up.
This was really cool to see.
We have learned a few things about living in the RV while trying to keep up with school and work (and home renovation). When we took our big cross-country trip a couple of years ago, we quickly learned than time just slows down on the road and in the RV; everything takes about twice as long to accomplish, even the simplest little things. But unlike the big trip, life doesn’t slow down at all when you are not on the road. School lunches have to be made; carpool requirements have to be met; meetings have to be attended; homework has to get done on time; there are after-school activities, sports practices and games; and one has to find the time to shower and show up for work with brushed hair and clean clothes. In short, it is a completely different ballgame.
Anyway, this was a good weekend to take a break from all the craziness. A good weekend for a long nap in the RV.
Today installation of the first floor joists was completed and the subfloors were laid atop them.
It is a very cool feeling to walk around on the large, new expanse of our main floor–with Shantytown below and wide open skies above.
The floor joists arrived today!
The guys got straight to work and laid in the joists for most of the first floor.
