July 21, 2019 – Today I started the section four porch decking. Section three was completed yesterday. We ran out to Lewistown for some trim pieces and some exterior stainless steel screws. It was another hot day and we didn’t work very long but I did manage to get a good start on section four.
Edge trim – Section Four Porch DeckingSquare edged Trex pieces and trim along the edge of the porch section 4.Three pieces – Section Four Porch Decking.
By early afternoon, having enough of the heat wave, we started the clean up process. We piled a bunch of lumber on the deck help protect and keep the “snake screen” in place. Hopefully nothing will try and walk across it.
After we packed up we headed home. Stay tuned, it will be a couple of weekends until we can get back down to the Cot-Taj-Mahal to continue the renovation. Just a slight pause for some needed rest and relaxation.
July 20, 2019 – Dam it’s hot today! Once again it hit 97° here in Lewistown. The heat index was off the charts. Slowly but surely, with a bunch of breaks, and lots of hydration, I continued the section three porch decking.
“When I prayed during the winter months, I aksed the Lord to make it warm. I did not say, ‘Lord please bring the devil from hell and have him sit his ass crack on earth.’ That is not what I asked for. It’s not what I requested.”
It is so hot that the caterpillars are crawling into the grooves on the Trex decking!
Caterpiller inside the Trex groove.
It’s so hot that a group of eight Daddy Long Legger’s gathered underneath a scaffold plank to conduct a Heat Index Convention!
Daddy Long Legger’s Heat Index Convention.
But seriously, I did manage to get the section three porch decking complete today, despite the heat wave.
Section three porch decking in progress.Section three porch decking is complete.
Tomorrow morning I will start the final section of Trex decking. We are not planning on working all day so I doubt it will be completed tomorrow. We also have to get some trim boards for this section because there won’t be a knee-wall or screens. This means another trip to Lowe’s before I can start.
After the decking is complete we will be jumping back on the porch roof framing and roofing for the rest of the deck.
July 19, 2019 – According to the weather forecast, this weekend will be hotter than Hades. There are excessive heat warnings in effect and the heat index expected to reach 115° F on Saturday. I’m not sure how much work we will be able to accomplish because, for most of the day the porch addition is in direct sunlight. Our only hope is to get up early and work in the morning before the sun comes up. The plan is to continue the Trex decking installation in section three. This is in front of the living room door.
In the morning I completed the additional framing required for the picture framed deck pieces. There will be a knee-wall and screens between deck sections three and four. Deck section four is officially “Brenda’s Deck”. It will not have screens. From what I understand she (Brenda) has divided it up into 2′ × 2′ pieces and is attempting to sell them to the highest bidder. Good luck.
Additional framing for “picture framed” deck pieces.
After completing the picture framing support I realized that I was out of snake screen so off to Lowe’s I went. It’s an hour round trip but what are you going to do, right.
With the snake screen in hand, I rolled out and stapled the next piece. After it was down I was able to continue the decking.
Snake screen rolled out. Decking installation in porch section 3.
The temperature hit 97° in Lewistown today. I took a bunch of breaks and stayed hydrated but once the sun hit the Trex decking it became unbearable. I only got half of the section 3 decking installed. Tomorrow is supposed to be hotter so we’ll see how it goes.
Heat coming up on the deck. This is porch section 3.
Osprey ???
As some of you may remember we have seen Osprey along the river at the Cot-Taj-Mahal. Today I witnessed a young Osprey (I think) swoop down and grab a hold of a mouse over by the Old Shed. It pinned the mouse to the ground and stayed there for several minutes. I tried to sneak up on it but it was in the open. Unfortunately, I did not have my DLSR and telephoto lens with me. The picture below was shot with my iPhone at max digital zoom. Best I could get but still kinda crappy.
A juvenile Osprey with a mouse over by the Old Shed.
July 14, 2019 – The kitchen sink drain line is complete so I can continue the Trex decking installation. The goal today is to finish the second section of picture framed deck. Should be a pretty straight forward process.
Installing porch decking in section two.
I have my chop saw set up on the deck framing. This makes it convenient to measure and cut the 16 ft. long pieces of Trex decking material.
Installation of decking in the 2nd section of the porch.
As the Trex decking got closer to the cottage it began to cover over the kitchen sink drain piping run.
Decking covering over the kitchen sink drain pipe run.
Trex decking installation in the second section of the porch is complete! Yeah!
Porch section 2 decking installation complete.
Next weekend the Trex decking will be continuing into section three and hopefully the last section, section four. If I can get to it, I have water piping to rough in for a new hose connection. That should be fun, working under the deck.
Well that’s it for this weekend’s work. I hope your enjoying this little blogfest. This is carpenter Gyeem Raj-Du-Kamar signing off from Cot-Taj-Mahal in the Land Before Time. Stay tuned for further adventures.
July 13, 2019 – Yesterday I ran out of daylight before I could get the kitchen sink drain line completed. This morning I checked the slope and alignment of the piping that I had roughed in. I still have an 1/8″ per foot slope to the tie in point.
After I glued everything together I installed the galvanized pipe supports and double checked the slope. Everything looks good. Now that the kitchen sink drain rough in is complete the porch decking can continue.
Gluing up the kitchen sink drain line.Smoking drain line installation.Completed drain line with cleanout.
Before the deck installation continues, we felt the installation of some of the new windows would minimize the chances of any breakage. Two of the rough openings are ready. One above the kitchen sink….
New window above the kitchen sink location.Exterior view of the new window over the kitchen sink location.
…. and one along the side of the new addition. It didn’t take very long at all to put these in place. They are leveled, fastened and taped off.
New window in the side wall of the kitchen addition.Exterior view of new window in the kitchen addition side wall.
The third new window also gets installed in the side wall. Before we can set it, I need to remove the old existing window and re-frame the opening to the correct size and height. This is a future project.
Today was a pretty productive day. We finished the kitchen sink drain line rough in and managed to set two of the three new windows. Tomorrow I will continue the Trex decking install.
July 12, 2019 – Today is another miscellaneous work day. I have hurricane ties, that I purchased from Fasteners Plus, to install on the first porch roof section. Thankfully, I made it all the way to the cottage with the three new windows without any breakage…so there’s that. Before I can continue anymore Trex decking I have to install the drain line for the kitchen sink.
First up, the Hurricane Ties. They are easy to install and help prevent lateral movement and uplift from strong winds.
Porch roof framing
I was able to unload the windows buy myself without breaking anything.
New windows safely unloaded.
After the hurricane tie installation and the window unloading I started the drain line installation. I did a quick take off of the material and headed out to Lowe’s to purchase what I needed.
Gathering plumbing supplies at Lowe’s.
Back at the cottage I started the drain line. I am basically working between two fixed points. The underside of the floor framing at the kitchen addition, and the existing tie in under the bathroom. I began by putting in the drop at the kitchen sink.
PVC drop and 90° sweep for the kitchen sink drain.
With the drop in place, I cut aligned and glued an elbow at the tie in.
Drain tie in point under the bathroom.
Working between these two points I laid out and blocked up the pipe to the proper pitch. I was hoping to get 1/4″ per foot slope but I was only able to get the minimum, an 1/8″ per foot.
At this point I was running out of daylight so I decided to complete the drain line tomorrow, in the morning.
July 11, 2019 – I picked up the three new windows for our Cot-Taj-Mahal renovation project. They are going home with me tonight and then on to the cottage tomorrow morning. I have them tied down pretty well. Fingers crossed that we make it in one piece.
New windows for the kitchen addition.Three new Anderson windows for the Cot-Taj-Mahal.
July 7, 2019 – We reached the end of the holiday weekend. Everybody gathered up their stuff, packed up and headed home. I continued with a little work on the next section of porch decking. I could only go so far because I need to install the drain line for the new kitchen sink. The drain runs under the porch framing and ties into the existing drain line underneath the bathroom. This will be next weekends project. Stay tuned, I’m sure it will present some challenges.
Also due in are the first three new windows. I am supposed to pick them up at Home Depot on Friday, July 12th. Woot….!
Second section of porch decking. Snake screen in place.Porch deck installation.
July 6, 2019 – Today, I didn’t get much work done at all. I only worked until about about noon. The heat and humidity were too much and I needed time with the family. It can’t be all work. In the short time that I did work, I finished the first deck section, completed the support framing for the next picture frame and started the snake screen.
Decking complete in the first section. Snake screen for the next section.Support framing for the next section of picture frame.
July 5, 2019 – This morning when I awoke, the significance of the comment Troy made yesterday evening came bursting through. I needed to restart the porch decking installation from the outside edge otherwise, the mitered corner of the picture frame would not work. It was all clear, finally! This is what I did.
Restart of the porch decking from the outside edge.Porch deck ans snake screen installation.
Restarting the deck installation allowed the picture frame pieces to meet at a 45° miter.
45° miter on the outside corner at the “picture frame” pieces.
While I worked on the porch addition the rest of the family was busy filling the dumpster. Over the years we have accumulated literally tons of junk.
Filling the dumpster with all the junk.
The Old Shed is filled with a bunch of nonsense and has needed a good cleaning for quite some time. (For those following along, at the Cot-Taj-Mahal we have a New Shed and an Old Shed.) Welp now it’s all cleaned out!
The Old Shed at the Cot-Taj-Mahal in the Land Before Time.Ha look Ma! It’s all cleaned out!
At some point in the day the fire ring was rebuilt. It’s now a two story fire ring… cee.
Narley supervising the fire ring construction.
It was a very hot and humid day at the Cot-Taj-Mahal. Two very rare “McVeytown Viper’s” somehow made it thru and onto the snake screening to sun themselves. After shoeing them back under the cottage I knocked off for the day. I managed to get the restarted deck section mostly complete. Tomorrow I will move the first four deck pieces that I started yesterday forward to finish the section.
Ssssnnnakes on the deck!End of the day, first section almost complete.
