Snug as a Thug with a Slug (That's the urban version)

My sweet sister next to what she calls, inappropriately, "the doll house".

A long day of working--in fact, two long days of working--has yielded this:

--exterior trim and caulking doing
--interior insulation finished
--itchy eyes and arms

All of which leads me to say that by November 1, 2010, I should move in.

Green house with white trim, anyone? Anyone?

R-13 plus the styrofoam plus the Hardie Board.  Pretty tight!

South wall now finished; see the white caulk?

Close to Enclosure

Over the past few days, with the weather holding steady in the 70s for highs with no precip, it's been perfect to get the exterior almost completed in time for the raindrops to come.  When they do, I'll be snugly ensconced inside, working on the insulation, paneling, and the pine board flooring.

Here are the pics from the progress over the past days.  All done by widdle ol' me. Some of the Hardie Board, being scavenged, was already painted, but will be repainted.  Some of it is simply dirty.

The color scheme I've hit upon is green siding with white trim and doors.  I think the 4" trim will show up nicely.

I especially like the framing around the window; it seems rustic somehow.

As if a one-room, off the grid, shed roof house wasn't rustic enough.

Click the pics to embiggen.

The Horizon of Finishdom within Sight

Attached are pictures of the two doors up and framed in.

Also, you see the east wall taking shape, including the only operational window in the place.

Doors come for free; one from Ralph (neighbor) and one from Tim's sister (Tim worked with me a couple of days last month.). They included the frames, so that made things so much easier.

The window was a find in an abandoned storage unit.  It's a double paned window with a screen.  30"x19", so not huge, but perfect for my widdle space.

The two sliding glass doors are from my cache of them gleaned at the apartment complex in Mississippi over two years ago.

A Craigslist sale of Shawn's old college bike a week ago netted $300 for The Cause as well. I used the 'free money' to buy my roofing material, a good 1"X6"X10' fascia board, and some other things.

I'm all goose pimply like a great pimply goose over the progress and the fact that it's all costing so little.

By the way, any ideas out there concerning color schemes?  I'm thinking khaki green exterior walls with white trim and white doors.

East Facing Side.  Note window on left (SE corner).

ETC (Estimated Time of Completion) now mid-October.

South Facing Side.  Window/Door/Window.

Don't Look Now, 'Cause it's Very, Very House-Like

Tim and Josh returned to the house site for a second day--and what progress was made!  Fantabulous amounts thereunto.  Siding on the north and west; roof OSB plus outside insulation on; a stationary glass window installed.  Wow!

See pics below.  We (the lads and I) hope to have the entire outside finished (sans painting the exterior) by Thursday of next week.

Josh inside; Tim uptop

Enjoy!

Timmy builds up the eastern plate to create a fall for roof.

Roof Supports

After Three Months-Progress!

Tim (left) and Josh Affix the Styrofoam(tm) Barrier on the OSB

Well, after a long, hot summer, I finally got my OSB up and some foam insulation on the outside in preparation for applying the Hardie Board later this month.

Greg S., my friend and church brother, 'loaned' me two guys from his work crew, Tim and Josh, to help me get the framing work I'd done in May squared and leveled.  

They did it, and had only a modicum of corrective carpentry to accomplish.  The whole process of watching these two framing masters work with what I'd done earlier was gratifying to say the least.

They want to come back next week and help me get the framing in for the two sets of French doors and to get the roof framing done.  I, then, can come in and finish the roof and put in the fiberglass insulation and sheerock.

All in all, a great day on the homestead.  More and soon!

Tim Can't Believe My Previous Work was Not Too Bad!

Three Down, er, UP...One to Go!

Got two other walls up today.  Will get the last one up on Monday, Tuesday at the latest.

Note that the wall to the right has the large header and three openings for the windows/doors that will be fixed sliding glass door/french door/fixed sliding glass door.  Yes, I know I have to add another 2x4 stud at each door opening.

Following that, we sheath the skeleton with 1/2" plywood, wrap the house frame, and add the 1/2" Corning insulation.

Then comes the roofing.

Finally, install the windows/doors, add the Hardie Board, and finish the interior.

Do that and Bob's your uncle.

Oh, and here's a link to a You Tube viddie of me and Bucky today (you'll have to tilt your head sideways to see it well):  http://www.youtube.com/user/need4news#p/a/u/0/4RzNTN-PSlA

Wall-E! (Tip o' th' Hat to Barry)

Ran down to the house site this pip emma and threw up the wall seen in the previous post.  It be brace-ed and relatively stable, and, with my imminent departure to worlds unknown for the next 10 days, it'll be quite the feather in my construction hat if The Thing still stands upon my return thereunto--if my construction hat has a place for feathers.  Perhaps I'm getting my Village People characters mix-ed up.

Notice, too, that the mid-to-late afternoon sun is largely shaded on my southern (windowed) and partially shaded on the western wall.  Nice going, Mother Nature; you put the trees in exactly the right spot for my cooling comfort during the impending Dog Days ahead.

On the way out, this monstrosity lay in my path.  I waited for his sluggish self to slytherin off before Bucky and I could make good our escape.

We celebrated with gas station biscuits and fried thingummies.