Roof System Installation, July 11, 2010

Today, we installed the roof system. I rented a crane from the company my cousin Ron works for. Ron ran the crane for us. It took about 4 hours to set the posts and install the ridgepole and purlins. The next job is to cut flats on the walls to accept the rafters (TGIs). Then we will install the 1 X 4 boards on the ridgepole, purlins and top, side, wall logs. These will be spacers to install the inside tongue and groove roof boards after we insulate and install the electrical wiring. After the roof TGIs are installed and the roof is decked over with plywood or OSB, we will install the logs over the deck poles and tie the deck roof into the main roof on both sides of the house. Then we will install the felt and shingles.

Installing loft floor, July 7, 2010

Yesterday we started installing the loft floor. It is about 1,080 square feet of tongue and groove 2 X 6's. Today we finished all but the last 4 boards. We ran out of material, We will pick up what we need to finish in the morning. We also built all the parts for the roof system the last few days. Tomorrow we will finish the rest of the parts, plan out the height of every pole, and drill the holes in the posts and the top logs for the 3/4" rebar. This is my nephew Steve, worn out after building the floor.

July 4th, a day off!

Today, my nephew Steve and I took a day off and went fishing up in the mountains above Wisdom, Montana. We went with my cousin Jim Hendrickson, and a friend, Jerry Phillips. Steve caught his first trout. It was a great ride to get to the lake on 4 wheelers and a dirt bike. We brought home 16 trout, and did a catch and release on a few others. Fish can be very slippery!

Wall logs completed, July 2, 2010

Friday we completed the wall logs. The final count was 15 and one half rounds. The longs walls are now 12 feet high. The floor of the loft is about 9 feet above the main floor.

The end logs have been flattened on top to accept the uprights that hold the ridgepole and the purlins, and to give us flat surfaces to frame in the gables. I also flattened two sides of the ridgepole on Saturday. This allows the TGI's (rafters) to be secured in a uniform manner. Monday we will flatten one side of each purlin, and one side of each deck log. The deck logs rest on the top of the tallest deck posts and will support the roof over the deck. We will then prepare the uprights that will be placed on the end walls to support the ridgepole and the two purlins on both ends. There will also be uprights in the center of the ridgepole and each purlin. These will be supported by other uprights right down to the basement floor.

The plan is to have all the roof system parts completed by this coming wednesday and get a crane in on Friday to lift everything into place. At this point, the log work for the house will be complete, and I can begin installing the roof, the soffits, and frame in the end gables.

The plan is to install three dormers on the roof. One dormer will be in each upstairs bedroom, and one will be in the open area between the two bedrooms. This may end up as a bathroom in the loft at some point.

I also plan to install the loft subfloor this week to give us a working platform when we install the roof system.

14th round completed, July 1, 2010

Today we finished round 14. The next round is partially completed. We were rained out in late afternoon for the last two days. There will be 16 total rounds on the walls, then we begin to install the roof system, which includes cutting the tall deck posts to length and installing a log across them to support the roof sections over the deck on both sides of the house. The combined weight of all the logs on the walls is compressing the lower logs to the point that some of them have absolutely no gap between them. I love it when a plan comes together!

Half of 14th round completed, June 29, 2010

Here is my nephew, Steve Anderson, in front of the house with 13 and 1/2 rounds installed. We had the last two logs for the 14th round just about ready to put on the wall today when we were rained out. Tomorrow we have to move cattle, so we will not get back to the round until Thursday. We also installed the commode in the basement and plumbed it in. Modern conveniences!

Round 13 completed, June 28, 2010

Today we completed round 13. The first thing this morning I blew a hydraulic line on the lift. It was inside the boom. I called my cousin to see who I could get to fix it; It turned out I was the repairman! I had two new lines made (30.5 feet each) and installed them with the help of my nephew, Steve. We lost 3 hours as a result. We set, scribed, and sawed two logs today, and placed them on the walls. Tomorrow, we have to cut grooves in them to accept the ends of the loft planks. Then we will begin installing round 14. We also purchased everything we need to install the bathroom stool in the basement. We cut off the pipe below floor level and glued on the adapter that will hold the stool to the floor. Tomorrow we will finish the installation.