projects on the go
The boulevard is covered in weeds. I would like to plant some of the same blue flowers (a wild flower) that both neighbours have, some sunflowers, and a type of tall bushy grass (I see these in the Costco parking lot). I also trimmed one of the trees.
But the priority for my time is getting the house suites complete. The outside will have to wait.
I spent most of the morning cleaning up and organizing the place. I bought a new exterior light a bit ago but found, at home in the garage, another one. Hmm. I’m disorganized. It gets expensive buying and misplacing and forgetting about building supplies.
I also completed the mudroom / exterior lighting switch wiring.
This afternoon, when Dave showed up, we added Sonopan soundproofing boards to the bathroom / living room wall.
Some cuts were made with a utility knife, and some were made with the table and mitre saws. Using a power saw makes one appear like Kermit the Frog as they are covered head-to-toe with green.
Next: drywall.
Because of the rains in the past few days, I found that the window installed by the previous owner leaks. I have water seepage on the floor from the window framing. I have to reframe now. Not sure if I have to take the window out completely. Knowing me, I will. I can’t take chances. In the mean time, the neighbours have to look at a wrapped window.
This is what happens when you do wire-as-you-go electrical without first drafting.
Yesterday, I thought I could ‘borrow’ the hot (live) black wire from the mudroom 14-2 to run the exterior light, use the black wire from another 14-2 as a traveller, and use the white wire from that same wire as a common. It seemed like it would work at the time.
The blue arc-fault wiring dangling from the 2nd floor is now connected. I had to wait for the upstairs bedroom / stairwell wall to be relocated before connecting this up the receptacle.
The kitchen 3-way light and fan switches are now connected – or, at least, one end of it. Yes, I know, one switch is a different colour. I’ll get on that as well as stapling the wires down.
As none of the weeping tile, run-off mitigation, waterproofing, etc. has been done yet, the heavy rains in the past few days have caused some difficulties.
The mudroom leaks. None of the flashing or sealant between the four-square house and the mudroom has been replaced yet, so the mudroom leaks.
This was a big day in terms of re-construction. Four rafter ties were cut and reinforced by the new 2×6 balloon framing studs.
Before 2×6 bridging:
More odds and ends were completed on the framing of the 2nd floor entrance.
(This post is categorized in both “main” and “up” of 1403.)
More practise with the welding was done, as well. I bought a new spool of flux core wire from Princess Auto, replacing the Benchmark wire bought at Home Hardware.
Yes, I know – the welding looks like crap. This is my first time welding – ever. As the day went on, and Brock came by to guide me through it and practise his own welding, things got a little better. However, I am still unsure if the stairway will be made of welded metal or wood. We’ll see.
In the mean time, the new kitchen / entrance wall separating the two suites is up. We started by taping Shane’s level to a 2×4, extended to the rafters, in line with bottom plate, to find where the top plate will sit. I marked it, then Dave and Floyd held the 2×6 in place with some sticks while I fastened it to the rafters.
We then measured the length and angle of these new balloon studs (114 5/8″, 29°) and cut them. This took fiddling about because the roof has a certain amount of sag (about 3/16″) from where it is tied to the house to the middle of the kitchen.
Studs are placed under each rafter (24″o.c.) and one in between (making about 12″o.c.).
As for the stairway itself, …
Is today the day the welding actually starts? I’ve got my 5th or so draft of the staircase completed.
We’ll see.
