Sam Takes a Day Off

...and spends part of it blogging. No pictures, just notes. Kim's been doing all the blogwork lately, so I figured it was time I checked in and let you know my perspective. Dan and I have already agreed to work all day Sunday, finish the framed-in floor, finish the shearwall I started yesterday, and tie together the remaining walls with double top plates.

1. Construction is great exercise. I drink around a gallon and a half of water and iced tea while working a 12-hour day, and usually end the day 3 lbs lighter than when I started. There is often no time to eat. In the evening, Kim re-flates me with a sumptuous dinner, we crash, and do it again the next day. So far I've lost 12 lbs or so, and am hovering around 203. Cancel your gym memberships and come on over!

2. Kim's schoolmate Dan Bauer is a natural framer. This kid is a self-starter, is in some ways more meticulous than I am, works all day and curses nightfall. I'm trying hard to NOT buy a halogen worklamp...Dan would keep going and I'd wake up the next day to find the house completed. He's the best help I've had in this whole process. If that PhD thing falls through, Dan, I can keep you busy for the next couple months and you're always welcome. :)

3. Nailguns are great. The shearwall I'm sheathing now requires a nail every 2 inches and the Paslode is burning through the nail strips. It does suck when you get shot by the nailgun though. One of my day laborers was nailing blocking at an angle and the nail ricocheted off the wood and into my forearm as I stood ten feet away. It went deep enough that it (a 16d nail) stood out on it's own and I had to pull it out. I think it may have been stopped by the bone. Luckily I just had a tetanus shot the other day, for that splinter incident. Well, it makes a great story!

4. When "the big one" hits, this house will still be standing. There is so much wood and steel built into/being built into this place that it's unbelievable, especially compared to the original construction. The last long wall on the outside of the garage we framed entirely on the slab, whereas before we had added fireblocking and shear wall window blocking (six 4x6x14 inch blocks of wood on each side of every window, plus steel straps) once the wall was already erected. The result was that it took seven strong guys to put that wall in place.

5. There is no substitute for great tools. The Milwaukee Sawzall (courtesy of Joe and Peggy Sweeney, my terrific in-laws) continues to perform like a champ. That saw has been used continuously since this process began and was especially invaluable during demolition. With the right blades, it'll quickly cut through anything.

Believe it or not, second place for MVT goes to the lowly Shopvac. I've used it to clean out footing trenches before a concrete pour, suck up water and mud to get at irrigation leaks, and even used it as a blower to blast debris out of concrete anchorbolt holes.

My DeWalt saw, purchased used but in great shape, has been essential during framing, as has the saw stand I picked up at Dixieline. It's the stand that had decorated our living room, and it looks as good on the garage slab as it did sitting along the living room wall. Haha.

6. God Bless the Empire Tool Company- for putting out a set of levels guaranteed within .0005 inches. I had to have a couple of those, and even at over a hundred bucks for the eight-footer, it's well worth it to be able to lay that sucker across a bowed stud in a wall and know you've got it plumbed dead-to-rights.

7. Finally- choose your spouse carefully. My statuesque 1969 model was outstanding in every other way but most manufacturers just don't design for the dust, noise and general disarray that comes with living in a construction zone. Happily, my lovely Kim is holding up well. She floats above the mess, keeps me well-supplied with iced tea and is always excited to see the progress at the end of the day. We're discussing putting her to work tomorrow, but that's another post.