Framing walls

Starting point: the flat deck previously built. You measure and cut lots of pieces of wood (Carolyn off to the side doing that) then lay out flat on the deck (subfloor)(Russ). Then nail them together. It's not a random arrangement. The long studs in the walls are called "kings", the shorter ones around window sides are "jacks", etc. Russ is learning all this as he goes from both his building mentor Chuck and a book.



Then starting with the top edge (and with some stoppers on the edge of the deck so the bottom of the wall won't slip off the edge), walk it up til it's upright and nail those diagonal supports to the deck to hold it up (although the bottom of the wall is flat so it stood up by itself).



Then the second opposite wall ("You do the long walls first", according to Chuck)...



July 4th long weekend Russ did Walls 3 and 4 by himself because Carolyn was out of town.

Here's how he put up Wall 4 (click the little triangle video play control under the picture and cut your volume up):

Putting on decking under a sheltering tarp

As we moved into summer, Carolyn requested a large tarp over the worksite to keep us from burning up. To accommodate two stories of height, Russ strung it really high: 25 feet. It was a cool rainy day when "we" (Russ 90%, Carolyn 10%) put it up. It was like an enormous sail.




Then the decking party began, with me on the saw and Russ nailing. First, unloading a big trailer of wood (there have now been several from the S.I. Storey Sawmill in Summerville, GA).

The view from above (pine gets the blue stain on it when it's wet but goes away/lightens as it dries).

Carolyn was tired.

Collecting/buying salvage windows

We've been collecting windows here and there but needed more. Although the hut will be teeny, there will be a lot of glass. Accordingly, we went shopping at the Atlanta ReStore, run by Habitat for Humanity, and got 6 really nice windows. Now we have plenty! Also went to Dixie Salvage in Ft. Payne, AL and got French doors and a backdoor (glass). My philosophy is this: when you have no electricity, you need to have plenty of windows!

Six good ones from ReStore, below, stacked in Russ's vehicle, then stacked for use near the new cottage:



The French doors and glass backdoor from Dixie Salvage, leaning up against a tree waiting to be installed.

Adding termite shield and floor joists

Same characters, different day. Chuck showed Russ some good termite shield tricks... then it was time for floor joists.

Carolyn, cutting almost every board a little too long, but with extensive feedback and training, shown here finally getting it right!





Ready for decking

Building the foundation

Chuck donated some leftover cinderblock
but when Russ went to get them, he
had a flat (note chewed up tire above).

While Chuck and Russ worked on the foundation (with the assistance of Shawn Abbott one day)...







... Carolyn was removing nails from recycled wood and also got to try laying some block.

Preparing the cottage site, February, 2008

Chuck came over with his tractor to push over dead trees and stumps and dig the foundation ("Russ, you don't want to do it by hand!"). He's right: it was quick. Over several weekends, we worked together to pour the foundation. Picture below: Chuck concentrating.