Browsing Archives for Construction Diary

The country doctor grew up in the house his grandfather built. His own parents did a lot of remodeling on that same house over the years. As they worked on it, I have heard stories of how they uncovered notations left by my husband’s grandfather.

Dennis, our builder also does a lot of figuring right on the bones of the house.

Here are a few notations he has left behind.

There have been several occasions during the construction of our farmhouse, that various men have made drawings for me. It is always a man, and it is always a very little drawing. Usually on a tiny scrap of paper.

They use these drawings as tools to try and explain some construction method to me, so that I can then use this wee little drawing to make a decision on some element of the house.

When I was trying to pick out our windows, a man, at the local lumber yard grabbed the pencil tucked behind his ear and drew something to explain something or other about how the window sat in the framing.

On numerous occasions, our general contractor has drawn a sketch for me on the side of the house or on a spare board, to try and show me how the siding or the window trim was going to look.

Even the cabinet maker has occasionally sketched a little something to try and make me understand how a certain corner cabinet might be affected by the cabinet next to it and why I might not want to put a drawer in that particular space.

All of these men are knowledgeable, hard working, decent people. I trust them with my house and my cabinets and my windows. I know they have skills and tools and abilities. But I could never understand a single one of their drawings.

I pretended that I could. I nodded my head and said “Oh!” or “I get it!” or “Yes, I understand now…” But it was a bald faced lie.

They may as well have been drawing pictures of a rocket launcher, for all the sense it made to me.

Ridge Beam – The one at the very very top

Header – The wide board above the doors and the windows.

Purlins – The horizontal wood pieces on the trusses.

Joist – The heavy duty wood boards that support the floor

Riser – The “up” part of the stair

Tread – The “step” part of the stair

Gypsum – Also known as sheet rock – but saying gypsum makes you sound smart.

Friese Board – The trim piece that outlines the gable

Rafter – Old school roof construction. Like they made back in pioneer times. They built the roof on our house this way cause it was so dad blamed steep.

Truss – Factory made roof parts ordered and delivered to the site. The barn roof is constructed of trusses. We designed half of the trusses in a traditional manner and half we designed to house a loft, up under that there barn roof.

The sheet rock is going up, very slowly. But I have gotten used to the slow building pace. There are even some good things to be said about slow building. You can make changes and it is no big deal. You can move outlets from one side of the house to the other. You could even re-wire and or re-plumb the ENTIRE house. There is never really a rush. You also get to know the men working on your house.

Out here in these parts we don’t have many big sheet rock crews, roofing crews, or electric crews – and our contractor seems to prefer the single man operation when subcontracting out jobs. So these various subcontractors are around for several days to weeks, depending on the task, and you get to know them. There are certain advantages to this. They can’t get really angry with you for asking them to move that light fixture just a little more to the right – and then the next day maybe just seven more inches to the right and then the next day. I think I liked it better in the first location… if they know they have to see you the next day and the next day and the next day. You learn to get along.

The country doctor and I were visiting the work site together and the builders and the electrician were taking their morning break with a box of donuts and coffee. They were talking about sheet rockers and how difficult their job is. Lifting the 9′ X 4′ sheets overhead and holding them in place, while screwing it in – even with the proper tools this is a back breaking job.

The country doctor mentioned that he takes care of a few men who have bad backs, bad ankles, spongy knees, crackly hips, elbow no bendo, necks that have gone soggy, and fingers that hang uselessly from their hands. He asks them what they do for a living.

“Sheetrock”.

Then Larry the electrician piped up. He said that he knew of a small wiry fellow who amazed him with his ability to lift the heavy boards of sheet rock and install it. One day he asked the man how he did it? The man replied…

“Sometimes I fill my shorts with blood.”

And so with that bit of wisdom , the coffee break came to an end.

Oh Dear – I am afraid that the next few weeks are going to be a hectic spasm of activity. Here is what has to be done before we move in on July 1.

1. Paint all interior walls three times (one coat primer, two coats color) – this is my job, I primed the upstairs this weekend.

2. Paint all ceilings – Dennis and Jordan’s job.

3. Drag reluctant tile contractor by his throat to the house and get him to install a tile floor in at least ONE bathroom, so we can have a functioning bathroom when we move in. I feel certain I am going to have to stand over him with a hack saw and a gleam in my eye until he is done.

4. Install wood floors throughout entire main floor (Country Doctor’s job)

5. Move contents of current house to new house. (all warm bodies in family will work on this).

6. Have lateral field installed and hooked to house so that we can flush.

7. Hang light fixtures

8. Install carpet in upstairs bedrooms.

There are many many other things that have to happen before the house in finished – like paint cabinets, install cabinets, tile other bathrooms, trim entire house, install plumbing fixtures, paint and hang doors, etc, etc, etc…but they are not as necessary as the aforementioned items. And even though it is somewhat overwhelming and not likely to work out as I would like, I am looking forward to all of it. I will be happily working in the depths of my house, covered in paint, sweat in my eyes, but a big smile on my face. Very happy to be getting to do something I always dreamed of. I may not see you all as often as I would like, but I will try and update occasionally. Tomorrow please stop by as I will be typing out my grocery list for you.

Okay – you want to impress a contractor? Next time you build a house, ask for a soup door. Then step back and watch the new found respect dawn on his face.

A soup door is a factory second, something went wrong, so the door is sold as a “soup door” and contractors use them as temps until the construction work is done.

The door in this picture is a soup door. It even says “Soup” on it. When I first saw it, I thought, that sure is strange graffiti. I mean if you are going to scribble a word on a door, deface property, vandalize – why write write “soup?” It puzzled me for a long time. Then Dennis, our contractor explained.

I know a few of you have been worried about that door. Thinking, why is that door there? Surely that is not their door. Surely they realize that door is not really right. I know you have. I just KNOW!

And you are correct. It is our soup door. The real door is coming…sometime…hopefully…soon

Our general contractor Dennis, arrives at 7 am. A time of the day I try to avoid at all costs. He is currently sawing oak boards for trim.

Jordan shows up a few minutes later and gets set up to stain trim in the basement.

Ron, the tile guy shows up around 8 am to start putting our bathroom floors together. Can I hear an Amen!

And the propane company stopped by to deliver a propane tank and dig a trench.

Then there is always this activity. Which goes on night and day without ceasing until they fall into a comatose like state around midnight.

The concrete guy just showed up to pour a foundtion for the A/C. It isn’t even 10 am yet. Good Lord!

My entire body is speckled in paint. My shoulders hurt so bad I am in agony just sitting still. My shin splints have come back from climbing up and down the ladder twelve thousand times. I have paint caked in my hair. My eyes have gone twitchy. My fingers are rubbery. My brain is whacked. I have no feeling in my tongue. My eyelashes are falling out. Both of my ears are sagging and my left quadrant exosocometer is drooping out. My toes are bungled. Hydroceph is cockeyed. Nails are grim. Nostrils linty. Overall feeling of please say I never have to pick up a paint brush again.

Unfortunately I am only about… maybe… almost… but not quite… half way there.

If there is a good thing about this hellish predicament I find myself in – of having to paint an entire house – it is that I can drink as much REAL coca cola and eat as much ice cream as I want. Painting burns it all off. Plus, I don’t pee anymore. I just sweat. Sweat and sweat and sweat. Or maybe that means my kidneys are shutting down. Add kidneys shutting down or trickleometers broken to above list.