Allan

new shed plywood & OSB

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Building material prices have gone up and down a lot lately.  I picked up a few sheets of OSB & plywood for the shed today.  We have to cut the bottom off the exterior sheathing (rotten, chipped, dried, dirty, ugly) and put an actual floor in it.

 5/16/2022  2:20 PM      2911152 1403 3 Ave N Lethbridge AB 20220516_142022 shed Floyd.jpg
 5/16/2022  3:33 PM      2654693 1403 3 Ave N Lethbridge AB 20220516_153340 shed plywood & OSB on van roof.jpg
 5/16/2022  4:12 PM      2839351 1403 3 Ave N Lethbridge AB 20220516_161235 shed framing floor.jpg
 5/24/2022  8:52 AM      2200617 1403 3 Ave N Lethbridge AB 20220516_161238 shed Floyd.jpg

shed on beams

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We put the shed on 4×4 treated beams today.  What a task!  This shed is heavy and likes to bend into a parallelogram.

 5/15/2022  6:05 PM      3605537 1403 3 Ave N Lethbridge AB 20220515_180521 shed setting on beams.jpg
 5/15/2022  6:05 PM      3210123 1403 3 Ave N Lethbridge AB 20220515_180532 shed setting on beams.jpg
 5/15/2022  6:05 PM      2378713 1403 3 Ave N Lethbridge AB 20220515_180538 shed setting on beams.jpg
 5/15/2022  6:05 PM      2921104 1403 3 Ave N Lethbridge AB 20220515_180542 shed setting on beams.jpg
 5/15/2022  6:05 PM      2722152 1403 3 Ave N Lethbridge AB 20220515_180548 shed setting on beams.jpg

van solar

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The idea is to have portable power.  I found some mounting brackets at Home Depot and used them to mount a 110-Watt panel to the roof racks of the Chrysler van. 

First, drill holes in the frame. 

Next, make sure they physically line up. 

Voila. 

Now I can add a controller, deep-cycle (RV) batteries, and an inverter to create 120VAC. 

not a stitch of insulation

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I learned today that this old house has no insulation!  There is nothing in the attic of the main floor, and there appears to be nothing in the walls, either.  I took the trim off the top of the kitchen window, and there appears to be nothing there.

I found Sunny South Insulators at the Home & Garden show this spring.  A guy came out to have a look, and this is what we found – nothing.  So, it would be $8500 to blow in insulation into the ceiling and walls.

tub surround

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The project for today was removal of the glue at the tub surround.  It was cracked in many places.  It had to be replaced.  Behind it though was a truckload of glue that was basically just squirted on in an S shape without being trowelled.  The result was large gaps where the surround plastic was bulging away from the wall, creating ample opportunity for someone to lean on it and crack it.  In some places, the surround was glued in place a good quarter inch (0.7cm) away from the wall.

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first repair (pull string light in mudroom)

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This marks the first repair to 1403.  They (the previous owners) put in a pull-string light fixture in the “mudroom” (what I would typically call a “porch”).  Of course, like many things in this house, it didn’t work and had to be replaced. 

1403 3 Ave N begins

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The significance of this picture is strong. 

It marks the beginning of a project at 1403 3 Ave. N. Lethbridge, AB, Canada, December 3, 2021. 

Here is the house two days after purchase. 

(Disclosure – on June 5, 2026, today, I’m going through old pictures.  This posting is retrospective.  In fact, when you see a posting timestamped at 22:00, it means it was written after-the-fact.) 

CNC

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I have a new CNC coming!  With the help of my college cronies (thank you, T & R), I chose the Maker Made M2 kit.  It’s a hobbyist apparatus that stands upright (not flat, like a table).  The website states that it is capable of cutting 4×8 sheets, but others who have used it say it can do larger.  Needless to say, it’s not comparable to larger professional CNC machines with vacuum sheet movers, automated switching of router bits, and lasers to guide it all.  It’s a beginner’s CNC.  More later when it arrives.

back from the cold

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The teardrop trailer is now back from the storage compound and sitting in the garage.  After taking the tarp off, I discovered some water damage to the hatch.  It was a cheap tarp, and the wind jostled the tarp back and forth enough to wear thin spots in it, and water seeped in.  I’m hoping it’s just a matter of sanding it away and sealing it again with polyurethane.  There is still much to do.