We only got a chance to work on the cabin on Windday…I mean Sunday. We framed a lot of the walls when my family was here last weekend so we started putting them in place this weekend. Our plan was to attach the OSB sheeting and then set up the walls already covered. We sized the walls so we could lift them with OSB already in place. The wind, however, said differently. We started to set up the first wall and nearly flew off the back of the platform. I don’t know what the wind-speed was officially, but it was ridiculous-miles-per-hour by my reading.
So, Plan B…We decided to set up the walls sans OSB just so we can say we made progress. There is a fair chance we will regret that later when we have to go back and hang the OSB, but doggone it, we have walls up! Emily’s granddad came up to help us. He’s been around the sun 86 times but you would never know it. He was a huge help in getting these walls in place and we couldn’t have done it without him!
You may notice that these walls look a little different than most walls. Good eye! We are roughly following the Advanced Framing Technique. What that means for us is that we are building with 2×6 boards rather than 2x4s. We are also building on 24 inch centers (the space between boards) rather than the more typical 16 inch centers. You can read the details on the link, but we are excited about the potential savings in materials costs and the potential for improved energy efficiency. That and we like the weird looks people give us. It sort of flies in the face of traditional house framing which makes it all the more appealing.
Building a wall…and the view out the front door!
Abigail surveying the scene…that’s as far as we got!
So, anyhow, we got the hardest walls set and plan to work more this weekend on getting the remaining walls up. We will need to get the OSB started too. I figure we will set up some elaborate pulley system to get the wood in place so we can start on the roof. If we get wind again this weekend, I am going sailing. Let’s see, I will need to get that old washtub and some sheets…what else do I need to build a sailboat?
See all of the progress on the cabin
Very cool to see the pieces coming together. Had not heard of that framing technique—but anything that saves on materials and cost while proving to be more efficient sounds like a win-win!
That technique works real well here in Michigan. However, I wish you luck with the OSB and the wind. Your reference to “sailing” reminds me of a rather small co-worker Harvey, (5 1/2 ft. tall, maybe 98 pounds soaking wet) who forgot his Carhart overalls one cold windy winter day and borrowed the biggest guys (6 ft 3″ and 350 lbs.) All was well until he had to go out on top of the grain silos and they turned into a para-sail and almost floated him away. It was a good thing he had a strong grip and managed to catch the guardrail and a radio to call for help. The guy who’s Carharts he borrowed was actually the one to save him. Later he joked that he could have tied a rope on Harvey and flew him like a kite.
It’s coming. Hope weather holds up for you this weekend. It’s suppose to be clear here but cold. Take you gloves with you.
We have a sailboat you can borrow. It’s parked up in our woods. LOL.