Next, Nathan is ordering the cinder block and arranging for his block man, Sammy, to come set the foundation. I'm about to head off to Florida with Carolyn for the Christmas visit with the kids and grandkids.
Happy Winter Solstice!
Monday, December 21, 2015
Set in Stone
The footprint of the additions is, as they say, "set in stone". The drama of a cement truck rescue is behind us. Most of the ruts left in the driveway are filled in. Only cleanup of sloshed concrete remains of this phase of the project.
Next, Nathan is ordering the cinder block and arranging for his block man, Sammy, to come set the foundation. I'm about to head off to Florida with Carolyn for the Christmas visit with the kids and grandkids.
Next, Nathan is ordering the cinder block and arranging for his block man, Sammy, to come set the foundation. I'm about to head off to Florida with Carolyn for the Christmas visit with the kids and grandkids.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
More Space!
It hasn't been that long since I proudly announced "indoor plumbing". What might not have been clear is that the toilet and the shower, while indoors, are each in separate buildings hundreds of feet away from the cabin. The process has begun to bring all of those facilities under one roof - the same one under which we sleep.
Here is the plan:
On the South end will be a full size kitchen with an island, a pantry, and a breakfast nook. On the North end a Laundry, Bathroom, and a Master Bedroom with a walk-in closet.
The back porch will be extended at each end and covered as the existing one is now. At the kitchen end the porch will extend beyond the roof to provide a sun deck.
First off, getting past a couple of white oaks straddling the driveway presented a challenge. I had consulted with the dispatcher and measured between the trees. We concluded there would not be a problem. What I had not counted on was the ground compressing under the extreme weight of a fully loaded concrete truck (9.5 cubic yards of wet concrete weighs a LOT). The truck tipped just enough to catch his ladder on one of the trees. We scrambled to pile rocks under the rear wheels on that side to get him safely through.
Once he got past that obstacle, the next challenge was to turn his truck around so he could begin unloading it into the footers. That's when he got stuck. And I mean up to the axles on one side stuck. Running board and water tank on the ground stuck. Leaning at a precarious angle and too far from the footer stuck. We had to get him unloaded and quickly. We did not have time to do this with only two wheelbarrows.
Nathan was unsuccessful in finding anyone who could help us right then. I remembered that one of my neighbors had a tractor with a front end loader. I called and asked to borrow it and thankfully, she consented. Once we figured out how to start it, I drove it over and began ferrying bucket loads of concrete to the footers. Nathan and Matt continued to shuttle wheelbarrows full while Wade raked it out.
When we had removed about 2/3 of the concrete, we tried to move the truck with the tractor and Nathan's truck. No luck. Not an inch. We dug and piled rocks and did everything we conld to move it but nada. We finished unloading with tractor and wheelbarrow. Tried again to pull the now empty cement truck from captivity. Again, nothing.
Ultimately, I called the only person I knew who had a tow truck capable of pulling this monster out of the muck - Randy Bobo at Scrappers. By now it is dark. Randy found us and after some maneuvering of his own monster vehicle (I'm glad he brought the small one) was able to effortlessly pull the cement truck free.
Wade had stuck around to see if he could help and he did. On his way home he dropped me at the neighbor's to get my truck. That's when we found out that all that heavy traffic broke the water main right in my driveway at the road. I got a number for the water company from the neighbor and called them to report it. The next day, it was repaired.
Beware the Ides of December!
Dec 10th
After weeks of waiting, my builder showed up with his crew to lay out the batter boards for additions to each end of the cabin.
Here is the plan:
On the South end will be a full size kitchen with an island, a pantry, and a breakfast nook. On the North end a Laundry, Bathroom, and a Master Bedroom with a walk-in closet.
The back porch will be extended at each end and covered as the existing one is now. At the kitchen end the porch will extend beyond the roof to provide a sun deck.
Dec 12th
A couple days later, Nathan showed up with John and his brand new Bobcat trackhoe to actually dig the footers. They were done in just a few hours including the digging of the composting toilet access.
Dec 14th
I drove into town to pick up rebar, chairs, and grade stakes for the footers. I had to build another special rack for my trailer to carry 20' lengths of rebar. I was in town all day running errands that included arranging for American Phoenix to build some buss bars for the big battery and having a delicious lunch at one of my favorite places.
Dec 15th
The builders arrived bright and early to install the rebar and build the bulkheads for the step-downs. After about an hour, Nathan asked me to call the concrete plant to see if I could schedule a delivery that afternoon. Amazingly, Basic Readymix in Rome was able to schedule for 1:00. The truck arrived right on time and the fun began.First off, getting past a couple of white oaks straddling the driveway presented a challenge. I had consulted with the dispatcher and measured between the trees. We concluded there would not be a problem. What I had not counted on was the ground compressing under the extreme weight of a fully loaded concrete truck (9.5 cubic yards of wet concrete weighs a LOT). The truck tipped just enough to catch his ladder on one of the trees. We scrambled to pile rocks under the rear wheels on that side to get him safely through.
Once he got past that obstacle, the next challenge was to turn his truck around so he could begin unloading it into the footers. That's when he got stuck. And I mean up to the axles on one side stuck. Running board and water tank on the ground stuck. Leaning at a precarious angle and too far from the footer stuck. We had to get him unloaded and quickly. We did not have time to do this with only two wheelbarrows.
Nathan was unsuccessful in finding anyone who could help us right then. I remembered that one of my neighbors had a tractor with a front end loader. I called and asked to borrow it and thankfully, she consented. Once we figured out how to start it, I drove it over and began ferrying bucket loads of concrete to the footers. Nathan and Matt continued to shuttle wheelbarrows full while Wade raked it out.
When we had removed about 2/3 of the concrete, we tried to move the truck with the tractor and Nathan's truck. No luck. Not an inch. We dug and piled rocks and did everything we conld to move it but nada. We finished unloading with tractor and wheelbarrow. Tried again to pull the now empty cement truck from captivity. Again, nothing.
Ultimately, I called the only person I knew who had a tow truck capable of pulling this monster out of the muck - Randy Bobo at Scrappers. By now it is dark. Randy found us and after some maneuvering of his own monster vehicle (I'm glad he brought the small one) was able to effortlessly pull the cement truck free.
Wade had stuck around to see if he could help and he did. On his way home he dropped me at the neighbor's to get my truck. That's when we found out that all that heavy traffic broke the water main right in my driveway at the road. I got a number for the water company from the neighbor and called them to report it. The next day, it was repaired.
Beware the Ides of December!
Friday, December 11, 2015
Closed In
The little Power House that was formerly simply Dried in is now Closed in. In other words, I got the facia and soffit put up. That is one shaky piece of scaffolding but I can't have squirrels nesting in the electric company.
A few days later, the final major piece of the system arrived. The power center. This is the piece of equipment that takes the DC solar power from the panels and converts it into AC for the house and shop. It also is responsible for monitoring the state of the battery and keeping it charged.
I'm sure glad I had some help getting this thing out of the trailer and up on the wall. It weighs close to 300 pounds! It just so happened that Nathan and John were at the house the next day to do some other work (see More Space!) and they graciously helped me while I barked orders - "What are you guys doing? Its got to go up!"
I now have to put the siding on so I can install the fittings for bringing the power lines through the wall.
A few days later, the final major piece of the system arrived. The power center. This is the piece of equipment that takes the DC solar power from the panels and converts it into AC for the house and shop. It also is responsible for monitoring the state of the battery and keeping it charged.
I'm sure glad I had some help getting this thing out of the trailer and up on the wall. It weighs close to 300 pounds! It just so happened that Nathan and John were at the house the next day to do some other work (see More Space!) and they graciously helped me while I barked orders - "What are you guys doing? Its got to go up!"
I now have to put the siding on so I can install the fittings for bringing the power lines through the wall.
Monday, November 23, 2015
New Arrivals
Just about the time I was closing in the little Power House, parts of the system began to arrive. First was a trailer load of solar panels. Thirty to be exact.
Carolyn came back from her world travels just in time to help me unload the solar panels so I would have the trailer for the battery. I can't believe these trucking companies take your money for residential lift gate service and they show up in a semi that can't navigate my driveway.
A few days later, the battery was delivered. Forty cells weighing 49 pounds each.
The fun part was unpacking these crates to once again free up my trailer. Here's a short video. Multiply this by 40.
The battery cannot remain like this. I have to be able to see the electrolyte level in each cell and the general configuration needs to be more compact. So, I plan to construct a simple stair-like series of four steps or shelves. Each shelf will hold 10 cells about 5 inches above the previous shelf. Since there will be about 500 pounds on each shelf, I've decided to use 4x12 timbers for the shelves. Each shelf will rest on three pylons of wood.
As usual, Storey Lumber had the material I needed. The 12 foot 4x12's were cut in half for me so I could get them to RW on the hitch haul. The material for the pylons came from scraps that were about to be burned. Just before the Thanksgiving break, I managed to get some trim and a piece of floor and ceiling in the Power House.
Carolyn came back from her world travels just in time to help me unload the solar panels so I would have the trailer for the battery. I can't believe these trucking companies take your money for residential lift gate service and they show up in a semi that can't navigate my driveway.
A few days later, the battery was delivered. Forty cells weighing 49 pounds each.
The fun part was unpacking these crates to once again free up my trailer. Here's a short video. Multiply this by 40.
The battery cannot remain like this. I have to be able to see the electrolyte level in each cell and the general configuration needs to be more compact. So, I plan to construct a simple stair-like series of four steps or shelves. Each shelf will hold 10 cells about 5 inches above the previous shelf. Since there will be about 500 pounds on each shelf, I've decided to use 4x12 timbers for the shelves. Each shelf will rest on three pylons of wood.
As usual, Storey Lumber had the material I needed. The 12 foot 4x12's were cut in half for me so I could get them to RW on the hitch haul. The material for the pylons came from scraps that were about to be burned. Just before the Thanksgiving break, I managed to get some trim and a piece of floor and ceiling in the Power House.
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Dried In
The little building now has gable ends, a roof, and a door. It is officially dried in. I still have to add soffit and fascia to completely close it in. Also I need to add trim and siding.
As you can see from the picture below, I spent considerable time hauling and stacking the siding and trim wood. This material, I bought from Daniel Millican at Millican Forest Products in Valley Head, Alabama.
The autumn weather has been beautiful on the mountain. Fall colors are popping everywhere.
As you can see from the picture below, I spent considerable time hauling and stacking the siding and trim wood. This material, I bought from Daniel Millican at Millican Forest Products in Valley Head, Alabama.
The autumn weather has been beautiful on the mountain. Fall colors are popping everywhere.
 |
| Around dawn one morning, I caught this rainbow from my back yard looking West. I was really wishing I had a wide angle lens. |
 |
| This is a view of the Little River from the highway 35 bridge. |
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Final Stretch
I am nearing the final stretch on the infrastructure portion of the power project.
The painted trusses will rest on the arms protruding from the front and rear of the building to provide overhang.
Left to do on the power house are metal roofing, a door, and siding. On the panel racks, I still have to install X-bracing and adjustment arms for seasonal adjustment.
The painted trusses will rest on the arms protruding from the front and rear of the building to provide overhang.
Left to do on the power house are metal roofing, a door, and siding. On the panel racks, I still have to install X-bracing and adjustment arms for seasonal adjustment.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Decked!
As I mentioned in my previous post, it is time for some wood-work. But first...
... a barrier against those pesky wood-eating insects. I used 10" wide aluminum flashing. Since aluminum is quickly corroded by chemicals found in both cement and pressure treated wood, I protected it by sandwiching between layers of tar paper. Both tar paper and aluminum are soft enough to be easily punched by placing the sandwich over one of the J-bolts with a 5/8 socket over it. A sharp rap with a hammer and, voila!, a hole. I learned this trick (and many others) from Chuck Henson. Chuck, you live on in my life.
The joists were laid out and end-nailed through the band board. Then, using lumber not fit for joists, I cut and nailed blocks to run down the center line to prevent rolling. One of the joists is doubled all the way across. This is to provide a full nailing surface for the end of the decking. I really hate trying to nail two butting pieces of sheathing or decking to a single 2X edge so I almost always double my joists, studs, or rafters where butting will occur. I also doubled other joists from the wall to the center beam under the area where the battery will be situated.
Before the decking was nailed down, I placed some polyethylene sheeting in the ground below the floor to keep moisture from rising to the wood. The ground was sloped from all walls and corners to the center of the back wall where there is a pile of rock and rubble covering a single un-mortared joint at footer level. Condensate will collect on the plastic sheet and run down to this drain slot and outside near the low point of the elevation.
I used Advantech decking because it has a tongue and groove milled into the long edges. This makes a nice sturdy joint without the need for additional blocking between the joists. HOWEVER, the manufacturer in all its wisdom decided to keep the overall 4X8 format of plywood and other sheet products. This sounds great until you realize that the tongue is milled from part of the 4' dimension. So, you loose 1/2" inch of coverage for every sheet you put down. In this tiny structure, that amounted to only 1 1/2". In my shop, however, this added up to 4" over the 32' length. I had to nail down a strip of 1X to make up for the loss in that case.
With the decking nailed down, I ran to town for a load of 2X4 and OSB. Time for some walls. I like building walls on the floor. This makes everything easier. But, the price is that you eventually have to get the wall vertical. Blocks were nailed to the band board to prevent the wall from sliding off the floor while it was being raised. I used a crowbar and blocks to get it high enough to get the farm jack under it. The jack was able to lift it another 3 1/2 feet. From there I used lengths of 2X4 to form legs to hold the wall in place while another set of legs was positioned. I would lift the wall until the legs swung perpendicular to the floor then rest it. Another set of legs would then be nailed for the next lift. In this way, the wall was "walked" up until I was able to make the last push in one go. The tire is there to keep me from being completely flattened should something go wrong.
One wall up, three to go.
... a barrier against those pesky wood-eating insects. I used 10" wide aluminum flashing. Since aluminum is quickly corroded by chemicals found in both cement and pressure treated wood, I protected it by sandwiching between layers of tar paper. Both tar paper and aluminum are soft enough to be easily punched by placing the sandwich over one of the J-bolts with a 5/8 socket over it. A sharp rap with a hammer and, voila!, a hole. I learned this trick (and many others) from Chuck Henson. Chuck, you live on in my life.
The joists were laid out and end-nailed through the band board. Then, using lumber not fit for joists, I cut and nailed blocks to run down the center line to prevent rolling. One of the joists is doubled all the way across. This is to provide a full nailing surface for the end of the decking. I really hate trying to nail two butting pieces of sheathing or decking to a single 2X edge so I almost always double my joists, studs, or rafters where butting will occur. I also doubled other joists from the wall to the center beam under the area where the battery will be situated.
Before the decking was nailed down, I placed some polyethylene sheeting in the ground below the floor to keep moisture from rising to the wood. The ground was sloped from all walls and corners to the center of the back wall where there is a pile of rock and rubble covering a single un-mortared joint at footer level. Condensate will collect on the plastic sheet and run down to this drain slot and outside near the low point of the elevation.
I used Advantech decking because it has a tongue and groove milled into the long edges. This makes a nice sturdy joint without the need for additional blocking between the joists. HOWEVER, the manufacturer in all its wisdom decided to keep the overall 4X8 format of plywood and other sheet products. This sounds great until you realize that the tongue is milled from part of the 4' dimension. So, you loose 1/2" inch of coverage for every sheet you put down. In this tiny structure, that amounted to only 1 1/2". In my shop, however, this added up to 4" over the 32' length. I had to nail down a strip of 1X to make up for the loss in that case.
With the decking nailed down, I ran to town for a load of 2X4 and OSB. Time for some walls. I like building walls on the floor. This makes everything easier. But, the price is that you eventually have to get the wall vertical. Blocks were nailed to the band board to prevent the wall from sliding off the floor while it was being raised. I used a crowbar and blocks to get it high enough to get the farm jack under it. The jack was able to lift it another 3 1/2 feet. From there I used lengths of 2X4 to form legs to hold the wall in place while another set of legs was positioned. I would lift the wall until the legs swung perpendicular to the floor then rest it. Another set of legs would then be nailed for the next lift. In this way, the wall was "walked" up until I was able to make the last push in one go. The tire is there to keep me from being completely flattened should something go wrong.
One wall up, three to go.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)