June 2019

June 24, 2019July 6, 2021

Roof Dry In Begins – Plywood & Felt Paper

Day #68

June 23, 2019 – I was up early this morning, with high hopes of getting the roof dry in process started. I had to make a run into Lowe’s to get the plywood roof sheathing and felt paper. As it turns out Lowe’s opens at 8:00AM on Sunday’s so I had about two hours to kill. What better way than to continue demolition on the old kitchen exterior wall. A got a good chunk of it out before I left and I took down the tarps on the living room wall. It’s pretty much wide open now.

Old Kitchen Exterior Wall Framing — Removing the old kitchen exterior wall framing.

Old Exterior Wall Framing — Tarps removed from the old living room wall and the framing demolition at the old kitchen wall.

Now I’m off to Lowe’s…..

Before we could start putting any roof sheathing in place we needed to demo the last of the old kitchen roof at the gable end. When that was complete I constructed a ladder type overhang and new gable framing.

Ladder Framing - Overhang — Ladder style overhang framing on the old kitchen side.

Gable End Framing — Gable end framing in the old kitchen side.

Now we have an overhang supported by the gable framing so the roof dry in begins.

Roof Dry In…

We installed 5 sheets of 5/8″ plywood roof sheathing on the new rafters over the old kitchen. This was followed up with a layer of #30 lb roofing paper held in place with green cap nails.

It was to late in the day to start another roof section so we decided to clean up, and tarp the roof back in until next weekend. We didn’t get as far as I had planned but I set the goal pretty high. Next weekend we will continue the roof dry in. The next goal is to totally enclose the new addition to keep the birds and insects out. It’s been kind of buggy inside!

June 24, 2019July 6, 2021

Old Kitchen Roof….GoodBye!

Day #67

June 22, 2019 – The miscellaneous roof demolition is complete. The new structural support beam across the end of the living room is complete. The roof ridge beam and support column are in place. Now is the time for us to say goodbye old kitchen roof!

Today’s focus is the complete demolition and removal of the old kitchen roof. We started with cutting and removing the 1′ thick oak roof plank. After the plank was removed we cut and pried loose the full 2×4 solid oak rafters and ceiling joists.

The cottage is constructed with rough cut solid oak framing. After almost 70 years it is harder than rock! At the end of the day the only remaining portion of the old roof was the gable end.

Roof Demolition — Oak roof planking removal.

With the old kitchen roof gone rafter framing for the new roof continued.

New Rafters — New roof rafters and ridge beam..

Porch Rafters & Ceiling Joists — Roof rafters and ceiling joists over the new porch.

New Porch Roof — New kitchen and porch roof tarped up at the end of the day.

Tomorrow we will demo the remaining gable end on the old kitchen roof. We will build a new gable end with a one foot overhang and begin placing roof sheathing. Immediately after roof sheathing we will install a layer of 30 lb roof felt to get us dried in.

PS: I broke down and bought a Rigid 21° 3½ Round-Head Framing Nailer and I’m loving it. You can really put down some nails with this rig. I can’t believe that I built (back in the day) my whole house without using any pneumatic s. What was I thinking…?

June 24, 2019July 6, 2021

Scaffold, Demolition & Roof Rafters

Day #66

June 21, 2019 – Yesterday I pulled six scaffold bucks, six braces and ten planks out of my shed. I loaded all of this, my baker scaffold and a six foot stepladder onto my trailer for the trip to the Cot-Taj-Mahal. My plan is to start framing roof rafters and dry in a portion of the roof this weekend.

On Friday when I arrived, the first order of business was to I set up the scaffolding. I put the baker scaffold in the old kitchen. One section in the new kitchen and the remaining two sections in front of the new porch roof. For our roof framing it’s much easier to work off scaffolding than it is to work off of ladders. This should be a time saver too.

Scaffold Section 1 — S-Style Walk Thru Scaffold in the new kitchen.

Sections 2 & 3 — Scaffold sections in front of new porch roof.

With the scaffold set up done it was time to get started. I completed the roof demolition above the living room ceiling. This allowed me to trim the end of the new structural beam and install the last wall anchor.

Wall Anchor — Wall anchor at structural beam. Full 2×4 solid oak studs and top plates.

Roof Rafter Framing Starts…

I had just enough daylight left to frame the first new roof rafter on the old kitchen side and two roof rafters on the new porch side. On the kitchen side the first rafter is actually sistered onto and existing rafter. This will give us a solid nailing surface for the plywood decking material. The rafters on the porch side are a much longer. They are supported mid-span by an extension of the new kitchen wall.

Porch Roof Rafters — The first roof rafter for the new porch. Scaffold and ladder below, Lookout in the background.

We are off to a good start on the roof framing. Tomorrow’s forecast, beautiful with no rain, for once. Perfect for putting on a new roof.

June 18, 2019July 6, 2021

Porch Beams & Ceiling Joists

Day #65

June 16, 2019 – It rained most of the night but thankfully we did not take on any water. Must be a good tarp job. Today, between the rain drops, we set up two sections of porch beams at “Brenda’s Deck”. We also started the ceiling joists / roof framing for the porch roof.

As we gathered the tools and materials to get started I realized that we were short one post cap and one post base. Since we were framing two porch beam sections we needed three caps and three bases. We only had two of each. Robrandi and Brenda from “Brenda’s Deck” ran out to Lowe’s and brought back the missing hardware. Thankx to them for coming to the rescue.

While we waited for the hardware we installed the rest of the exterior plywood sheathing at the new kitchen walls. We will now have to access the new kitchen from inside the cottage.

When the ladies returned from Lowe’s we framed up two sections of porch beams, nine porch ceiling joists and one row of solid bridging between the joists. It was drizzling the entire time. Rather than continue to work in the rain we stopped for the day. Time to pack up and go home.

Kitchen Exterior Wall Sheathing & Porch Framing — Kitchen exterior wall sheathing complete. Porch Framing started.

Porch Beam & Ceiling Joists Framing — Two sections of porch beams and some porch ceiling joists framed up.

The best thing is that I didn’t have to move my temporary outside light pole. The ceiling joists are higher than the pole. That was awesome and it saved a couple of hours of work! I’m such a great planner!

Next weekend, weather permitting I hope to start the roof framing over the new kitchen addition. I have to remember to bring down a scaffold section or two and my Baker scaffold to make life easier.

June 18, 2019July 6, 2021

Roof Demolition – Existing Kitchen

Day #64

June 15, 2019 – Before the start of the new roof framing the existing kitchen roof will need “disconnected” from the main cottage roof. Today I wanted to concentrate on the miscellaneous roof demolition to accomplish this isolation.

To remove the remaining fascia boards at the gable end it was necessary to remove the roof above the old kitchen door. I took off the shingles then cut the roof deck parallel to the gable. Once the deck boards were removed I was able to cut and remove the joist in front of the fascia and then the fascia itself.

Misc Roof Demolition — Roofing removed. Deck boards cut for removal along the gable end.

Deck Boards Removed - Roof Demolition — Deck boards removed, Rafter exposed at the base of the fascia boards.

With the rafter and fascia boards removed I moved on to exposing the ends of the new structural beam. Each end of the new beam needs anchored to the top plates of the walls, on both sides. I continued the roof demolition by removing the shingles on each side of the new beam exposing the roof deck. Cutting and removing the deck boards exposed the new beam.

Structural Beam - Roof Demolition — Exposing the ends of the new beam for anchoring to the top plates of the wall on each side.

And then the rain started….

Just as I got the beam exposed it started to rain. We quickly covered the holes in the roof with tarps. Luckily we didn’t take on any water. With rain on and off for the rest of the day the work pace slowed down to a crawl. I got three of the four beam / wall anchors installed. I’ll have to get the last one installed on a better day.

Rain Tarps - Roof Demlition — Quickly tarped over the roof openings because of the rain.

With the continued threat of rain we decided to demo the wall sheathing on the living room wall. The siding on this exterior wall was removed yesterday. This area was under tarps and staying dry so we went for it.

Light Stripes — Light coming through the wall as the roofing paper on the outside is removed.

Wall Sheathing Removed — Exterior wall sheathing boards removed.

After we finished removing the exterior wall sheathing boards from the living room wall we closed up for the night.

Rain Tarps — All buttoned up for the night.

All in all it was a pretty good day. Tomorrow we will start the front posts and beams at “Brenda’s Deck” and the porch ceiling / roof framing. Dam the rain!

June 18, 2019July 6, 2021

Exterior Wall Demolition

Day #63

June 14, 2019 – Earlier in the week I placed a small lumber order for the start of the roof framing. To pass the time while waiting on the delivery I continued the exterior wall demolition.

The siding along the exterior living room was easily removed with a pry bar and hammer.

We’ve come a long way with the demolition. Here’s a look back at the start of the exterior demolition.

Exterior Wall Demolition — Exterior wall demolition at living room wall.

Siding Removed - Exterior Wall Demolition — Siding removed from exterior living room wall.

Bird Nest Relocation

Since we still have a bird nesting on the old porch roof support along the exterior kitchen wall I had to perform a bird nest relocation. The nest has 4 eggs in it. I was able to move it to the big oak tree in front of the cottage but I don’t think the mother bird found it. Sorry bird family….

Relocated Nest — Relocated bird nest in the big oak tree in front.

The Lowe’s delivery guy showed up around 1:30 PM with the lumber order. He off loaded it by the porch and was on his way in like 10 minutes. In and out no problem. The big stone parking area is working out great for these big truck deliveries.

Exterior Wall Demolition continued…

With the Lowe’s guy on his way,and the nest relocated, I was able to continue the exterior wall demolition along the kitchen. The siding came off just as easy as on the living room wall. Once I removed the exterior window trim the old kitchen window came right out. It was all pitched into the dumpster.

Window Removed - Exterior Wall Demolition — Siding and kitchen window removed.

Old Kitchen Window — Say goodbye to the old kitchen window.

I quit for the evening around 6:30 PM. After I got cleaned up, Robrandi, Brenda from “Brenda’s Deck” and I, headed to Wingman’s Brew N Que for dinner. The discussion centered around the asking price and the square feet amount of “Brenda’s Deck” that will be rented out. Hummmm…?

June 18, 2019July 6, 2021

Wall Framing – Kitchen Addition

Day #62

June 9, 2019 – Today we started the wall framing for the new kitchen addition. There is only two new walls but it’s exciting to see it starting to come together!

The first new section of wall framing is along the end of the cottage. This wall will have a window slightly smaller but generally the same configuration as the existing window. The operable panels will be sliding and there will be no divided light grilles.

Kitchen Addition - New Wall Section — First new wall section at the Kitchen addition.

The second section of new wall is along the front of the cottage. It too will have a window similar to the existing window. The window will be located over the kitchen sink and will also be a slider.

After the 2×4 stud were in place we covered them over with 5/8 inch plywood wall sheathing. We also covered the window openings to help keep the site secure. They will be cut out when the new windows arrive.

Plywood Wall Sheathiing — View from above – Plywood wall sheathing installation.

At the end of the day we place our tarps back over the roof openings. Rain is in the forecast for next week but hopefully it will stay dry inside.

With the wall framing complete, next weekend I hope to start the roof framing on the new porch at the “Brenda’s Deck” section. Those of you vying for ownership is this prestigious section of the new deck will have to pay close attention for upcoming details.

June 17, 2019October 19, 2021

Ridge Beam and Support Column

Day #61

June 8, 2019 – The structural beam is installed and the living room ceiling is supported. It is time to build and install the ridge beam for the kitchen addition. My plan is to have an open ceiling in the new kitchen. To accomplish this feat we need to install a beam to support the roof without transferring any load to the exterior walls.

The large beam we installed last weekend supports the end the ridge beam at the living room. A new 4 × 4 column will support the ridge beam at the center of exterior kitchen wall. Today we will continue any miscellaneous demolition necessary to install the roof support beam.

First we fueled up with some vegan breakfast sandwiches. J U S T Egg, Tempeh, vegan cheddar cheese and a little vegan mayo cooked on the grill in a cast iron skillet. Toasted whole grain bread slices round out the recipe. Many thanks to our Hawaiian Chef!

Corner Post Location - Ridge Beam — Exposing the corner to install a new post support column.

Support Detail - Ridge Beam — Support for the existing ridge board at the living room side.

Support Detail — Support detail – Existing ridge board, existing rafter cuts and pocket for new ridge beam.

New Ridge Beam — Kitchen ridge beam and support column framed in place.

Tomorrow we will begin framing the new kitchen addition walls. The new space is starting to become well defined. Exciting….!

June 12, 2019July 6, 2021

Living Room Ceiling Support

Day #60

June 7, 2019 – Not a whole lot going on today. I managed to get the living room ceiling tied back into the new structural beam. We placed a temporary 4×4 post under the living room ceiling to hold it up while we installed the new structural beam. With the ceiling tied back in I removed the 4×4. Voila, there you have it, ceiling support in the living room.

Temporary 4×4 Post — Temporary 4×4 post holding up living room ceiling.

Living Room Ceiling Support Beam — The living room ceiling support beam meets the new structural beam.

Joist Hanger — Installation of a new joist hanger to tie in the living room ceiling to the new structural beam.

Ceiling Jack — Jacking up the living room ceiling to flush it with the bottom of the new structural beam.

Ceiling Support Tied In — Living Room ceiling tied into the new support beam. Temporary post is removed.

Before night fall I was able to get some more demolition done at the gable end of the living room. We are getting closer to tearing out the walls.

Gable End Demo — The gable end is now open and the new structural beam is clearly visible.

Next up is the installation of a new ridge beam to support the new kitchen ceiling.

June 12, 2019July 6, 2021

Structural Beam Day!

Day #59

June 2, 2019 – With good luck and lots of hard work we plan to have the structural beam installed by the end of the day.

We made any early morning run to the Lewistown Lowe’s to pick up the lumber and plywood to construct the beam.

Structural Beam Materials — Trip to Lowe’s for the structural beam materials.

Beam Construction

Our structural beam is constructed with three layers of 2×10’s separated by two layers of 1/2 inch plywood. The layers are glued with Loctite PL Urethane based adhesive. After gluing, it is nailed together with 16d nails. The nailing pattern is in three rows with the nails 8 inches on center. The length is 20 feet end to end. It is very heavy!

Building the Structural Beam — Constructing the structural beam on the deck framing.

Completed Structural Beam — Here is the completed structural beam. All 20 feet!

Beam Preparation

After the beam construction we set up some ladders and got ready to lift it into place. The fun part..! All of the necessary openings and holes were previously cut so the only thing that remained was getting it in there.

Roof Removed — Roof section over the living room removed for beam placement.

Roof Hole. — Hole cut in roof on the kitchen side to accept the new beam.

Beam Installation

“Beam Master” Troy hoisted the beam up into the roof opening. Apprentice “Beam Master” Ryan managed the anchor point of the come along. “Commander Gyeem Beam” operated the come along. With a lot of effort, some sweat, and some cursing the “Beam Team” managed to pull it into place.

Lifting the beam. — Lifted into the roof opening and balanced on a ladder.

Pulling the beam. — Pulled into place with a come along anchored on the opposite wall.

Beam In Place — The beam in place above the living room.

My thankx to Troy, Megan, Ryan, Angelie and Robrandi, a.k.a. the “Beam Team”, for your help. We wouldn’t have been able to get this thing in place without all of you guys.

The image below shows the 4×4 post we installed to temporarily support the living room ceiling. To the left of the post is “Beam Master” Troy in full regalia!

The Beam Team — Part of the “Beam Team, incognito.

PS: As a follow up to a previous post, our snapping turtle friend, T.S. Snappy has officially moved into the puddle in front of the neighbors cottage.