April, 2014 It's getting close

   It's time to start planning for the 2014 building season in Montana. What has to get done in 2014?
I need to install the last window in the garage so I can finish the siding on the end gables to make the garage more weather resistant. Trim out the windows in the log walls of the house and the garage to make both buildings totally weather resistant. Repair or replace the electrical wiring going to the garage so the garage doors will work without the use of an extension cord. I will wire in the garage electrical panel and hook up some lights. With these jobs completed, I can begin working on the inside of the house.

   I would like to get stairways installed in the house from the basement to the main floor, and from the main floor to the loft. The basement stairway will be built with conventional lumber, the stairway to the loft will be built out of logs. I would also like to get the stairway to the loft in the garage completed. I will start looking at what I want to do about getting the stone chimney built so I will have heat in the house.

  I still have three doors to install in the house. The headers have to be cut out with a chainsaw once I have decided what doors would look the best.

   When the exterior of the garage is completed, I will hire my cousin, Jim to install a cement slab in front of the garage with a walkway to the side door. I will have fill brought in to grade the area between the house and the garage sloping it away from both, and put a cement walkway coming off the sidewalk at the back of the house towards the garage. The north and west sides of the garage will be graded and graveled, sloping away from the garage. The graveled area  by the garage will be used for parking our trailers and as a fire break.

   Until I get to Montana and start building again........

 

 

August 24, 2013 Work completed for 2013

   Today I wrapped up the work for 2013. I framed out the three windows installed in the loft, and trimmed out the end gable completely on the front of the garage. Next year I will install the last window on the rear end gable, trim out the rear end gable, and install siding on the front and the rear. Other than trimming out the windows in the log walls, the exterior of the garage will be 100% complete at that point. In 2014, I will have a cement apron poured in the front of the garage, and a walk path poured from the service door to the apron. I would also like to get the stairs to the garage loft installed next year. This winter I need to learn how to do stairs as I have to install them in the house as well.

  When the inside of the house is completed. I would like to install stone facing on the cement stub walls around the base of the garage, as well as around the base of the house.

   This has been a challenging year. The push to get the garage completed was very strong; I worked many nights up to and past sundown. I won't be thinking about building in Montana for a while, but when I get back to New Hampshire, I will have to start laying out plans for what I want to accomplish in 2014.

   Have a great fall and winter. See you in the spring!

August 22, 2013 Installed soffits complete, and service door

      

   Today we finished installing the last of the soffits. The toughest ones were on the sides where the soffits meet the end logs. The top ones had to be driven in from the side. It was a very tight fit.

   Here you can see the two adjustable can lights we installed on each side of the service door (Which we also installed today). We drilled a hole up through the five logs above the door so we could wire in a light switch beside the door on the inside of the garage. The wiring will be completed next year.

August 21, 2013 End gables sheeted

   Today we finished sheeting the end gables and installing all the windows in the loft, except for one in the rear. It is framed out. I sheeted over it and covered it with house wrap. In the spring I will buy the window, use a router to open the hole, and install it.

   We also cut the grooves for the splines (1/4 in X 2 in steel bars, 30 inches long) on both sides of the windows in the log walls, then pounded the splines in place before framing the windows out. The splines will keep the logs from moving for the life of the building. We then installed all five windows on the main floor. The only opening left is the service door.

August 19, 2013 End gables framed

   Today I finished framing the end gables. I'm showing the back side as the front is not as pretty.
When I reframed the 4 ft X 4 ft holes to 3 ft X 3 ft, it didn't turn out as nice as I would have liked. This  I can easily hide.

   Tomorrow I will frame out the windows on the main floor and hang the windows. I will also sheet the end gables, cover it with house wrap and install the windows in the loft.
 

August 16 and 18, 2013 Garage doors and framing.

   On August 16th I had Copper City Door install the garage doors, and I started framing out the end gables. The garage door motors are side mounts, which makes for a much cleaner installation. 

   I ran out of 2 X 6s today, the 18th. I will pick up another load in Butte tomorrow.

I purchased all the windows on the 6th, and you can see in this picture that two windows in the loft are just about framed in. I don't like the size of the windows. I feel they are too big for the space they are going in.  I framed them out for 4 ft X 4 ft windows. I will see if I can get 3 ft X 3 ft windows tomorrow. 

   Before I frame out the windows in the log walls, I have to chainsaw a groove on each side 1/4" wide X 2" deep, X 31" long. I will drive in a steel bar that is 1/4" X 2" X 30" long. This will prevent any movement of the logs. I will install longer bars at the small walk in door. My goal is to have all windows and doors installed by the end of this week.

   

August 5, 2013 Roof shingled

On August 5th, I had a friend help me finish the roof. We installed the drip edge,  ice shield, and the underlayment, and shingled the roof in about 7 hours. The roof is right at 16 squares.

This picture shows the garage in relation to the house.