November 23-26, 2000 - With the help of Ron, we were able to lift up the 3/4" plywood flooring and screw down three sheets. That way we had enough space so that we could lift up the other sheets of flooring so that I can place them alone if necessary.
Mother Nature did a number on us Saturday & things did not dry out enough on Sunday to get much additional work done. My last day of work at Siemens is Thursday.... So, weather permiting, I'll be full time on this project until the money runs thin and I need to start hunting a new job. Odds are I be finished long before that happens...
Dec. 1-3 2000 On Friday I decided to install some of the truss assemblies just to see how it would go. Some of the plywood webs that I had glued & screwed were so tight that I had to use a sledge hammer to pound them in place... Talk about press fit!
The 6' studs of the second floor walls line up perfectly on the right side of this picture but 2 or 3 studs on the left side are out of square at the tops by about 1/2" I don't know where the error is.... They were all built on the same template... When I get more flooring in place up there, I'll go looking for a solution.
During the week of Dec. 3rd. I completed blocking the second story floor joists and installed the plywood flooring. On Dec. 8th. Wally helped me hoist the truss assemblies you see stacked here.
On the 9th. I placed most of these assemblies... In just a few hours, I looked as if a whole lot of work had been done. Next will be a lot of time making sure these assemblies are absolutely square and cross braced...
The week of Dec. 10th... I thought I would have to wait until someone could help me install the roof joists.... But where there is a will, there is a way... I had the same problem of the re-enforcement webs being too tight. But pounding away with a 3 pound rubber mallet made them go into place.
It was a thrill to drop the 2x4 ridge pole down into the notches at the peak of the roof joists! Things are going to line up just fine.
With the roof joists in place I could pull my tarp up and tie it down... I did this just as the rains came again... At least the second floor stayed dry and I could work on installing the necessary cross-bracing.
I spent close to two days with a plumb-line and measuring tape making sure that everything is as near absolutely square as possible. I am terrified that when I start attaching the 4'x8' sheathing that there will be allignment problems. Maybe I'm doing OK.
