| Author | Content |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 09, 2007
04:54 PM Post #3715902
| We have had an old old old as the hills carriage house/horse stall on this property for close to 60 yrs. Before that it was in town (15 miles away) where it was originally constructed circa 1900, then hauled out here to the farm on a lowboy trailer around 1958. Over the years it has been a slaughter room for beef, chicken coop or tool shed. The roof had moss growing on the rotting shingles on one side. When we got into looking at it in 2002 the timber frame that touched the ground had rotted and even many of the 2X4 wall posts were shortened by dry rot. We extended all the short 2X4's and replaced all the rotted 4X4 framing then added 2X8 floor joists every 15" along the ground attached to a sill plate. I had to get a few chains with come-alongs to attempt to bring the walls into square and plumb as much as possible. So for the 1st time ever the old carriage house (prior to garages for automobiles) had a floor. We then had an extremely kind neighbor move the small carriage house with his front end loader and a fork-lift east about 150 feet across the yard where we leveled it 1 foot off the ground on pillars and cement posts. It was and had been a sight. It was never painted and has pine siding in mostly T-in-G panels that are 1X8's. The building is not plumb ... leaning 3 inches in 8 feet. We located similar 1X12's & 1X10/s to provide matching exterior panels to cover the entire building. Originally the carriage house had large swinging doors that were removed sometime and a gaping hole was covered by plywood for the last 40 years or so. The building looks awful to be honest. With some insulation, Tyvek, sheet-rock, joint compound & tape my 18 yr old son and I have brought this building back from the dead.
Kelly
This message was edited Jan 16, 2009 7:23 AM |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
July 09, 2007
05:50 PM Post #3716107
| With a name like that, I was looking for some pix - before, during, after.
Please?
I'm in the process of helping a friend refurb an old family house. Interesting to see the construction details, materials, and craftmanship.
Trying to figure what some of the intentionally cut or drilled holes were used for makes for some interesting conversations.
And speculation about what animal created which damage - rats, squirrels, racoons, skunks, armadillos, etc.
Replacing old T&G can be challenging depending on where the damaged board(s) are located. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 09, 2007
08:32 PM Post #3716667
| Bubba,
Here is a photo of the north facing exterior with an improvised hand made door. Notice the enormous barn door hinges ... they glide. The door was originally an interior hollow core door but with the addition of 1 inch planks on both sides it is now 3 inches wide and must weigh more than 100 lbs. I'll get a before photo of the door later. This new/old door is clad w/ 1" pine and cedar boards that have been weathered by years of exposure like the rest of the exterior. The building looks or looked like it should have been torn down or burned down. We've had quite a bit of fun doing this. My oldest son is moving in/out of the house amd into this remote building roughly 85 ft from the NE corner of our home and the back door. His drums and a few close friends w/ guitars as well as his recent graduation from HS prompted this renovation. I happen to get my own personal 250 sq ft office in the house adjacent to my BR as a result of this project. So there were multiple reasons for this project.
Kelly
This message was edited Jan 17, 2009 10:11 AM
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Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 09, 2007
08:40 PM Post #3716695
| Bubba and all,
Here is a photo of the interior. This photo provides a clearer image of the present renovation status. We've been sanding the joints, seams, corners, ceilings and nail head spots all day long. We still have painting and then the new floating floor (dark chestnut pecan color) to install. We've been able to accomplish the renovation for less than $1k & our time.
This message was edited Aug 9, 2008 6:28 PM
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Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 10, 2007
01:10 PM Post #3719233
| Bubba, Here is a before & during demolition photo of the interior. We had just installed a recycled ($25) double paned aluminum framed window that filled in a 72X35" space on the east facing wall. I bought the windows at a home building recycling store. Prior to the window panes the space was covered by 2 hinged wooden frames with 2X2 lattices that provided ventilation for the chicken coop portion of this building. The henhouse chicken coop portion took up about 8 ft X 12 ft leaving14 ft X 12 ft for storage of yard equipment. You can see the closed off chicken door about 14 sq inches on the back wall next to the leaning shovel at floor level. We had white abitto board glued onto the sheet-rock walls. As messy as chickens are this coop was usually extremely clean ... like a hospital room. We also had a sheet aluminum floor under the birds covered by 4 inches of pine shavings for ease of cleaning. Kelly
This message was edited Jan 17, 2009 10:23 AM
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Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 10, 2007
01:20 PM Post #3719280
| This photo shows the nearly finished west facing exterior wall of the carriage house ... a little more than 12 ft wide with its new window. This smaller double paned window (35 sq inches) matches the larger window on the east wall (also recycled ... for just $9). The building looks like its seen and endured everything for close to 100 years. Anyone looking at the building from a distance would never suspect it is nearly habitable and finished so nice on the inside. Once we have the interior painted and the flooring installed ... it will be the nicest bedroom on the property. We have a 3BR home about 85 ft from this semi-restored carriage house. We have purposely used materials that have endured years of rust, weathering and exposure. It makes for an interesting enduring style or effect. Kelly
This message was edited Jan 17, 2009 10:38 AM |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 10, 2007
01:40 PM Post #3719371
| Oops ... I forgot the photo. Here it is!
This message was edited Jan 17, 2009 10:42 AM
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Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 10, 2007
01:50 PM Post #3719417
| A before and during construction pic showing the rickety old front door removed. This is a view from the north facing side. Little has changed from this side view except the door is now installed and we have policed the area of rubbish and wood scraps. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
July 10, 2007
04:25 PM Post #3720083
| Thank you.
The roof looks like it is new.
Inside looks like the perfect "band" practice space. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 10, 2007
06:11 PM Post #3720529
| Bubba, You're right of course. We peeled off the old cedar shakes. They were totally dry rotted. I got 90% of the steel roofing panels for free ... my B-in-L worked at a local lumber yard at the time and turned me onto the scrap pile (2nd's). The remaining panels cost less than $50. One roof side is dark green and the other side is a dull corrugated steel color. We found that roofing was a challenge because of the old planks were spaced about 2 inches apart. We stapled down the tar paper and then screwed down metal panels. After having completed the roof we sorta wished we had spent the extra money to give it a new OSB layer, then the tar paper and then the steel roof panels. The pine planks are even more soft after all the years. |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
July 19, 2007
09:17 PM Post #3757025
| Wow!! I want that carriage house!! LOL |
zion_lover
delhi
India
July 20, 2007
07:39 AM Post #3757996
| Wow! nice work photographer. Keep it up that one. Also tell us what hidden experiences or problem u faced while doing your work on this prety cool house. Thanks alot. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 27, 2007
03:19 AM Post #3784711
| Zion_Lover, This small old barn / carriage house is almost ready to paint inside. We've been away for nearly a week so the joint compound has had plenty of dry heat to cure solidly. The biggest obstacle has been the overhead sanding of the seams in the ceiling drywall. Filling in the seams with joint compound was a bit of a hassle all over the room mostly because I'd never done it but the job of using joint compound was also made larger because the room is not plumb and the seams or creases in the corners were larger than had everything been perfectly square. We used $4 sheets of drywall from the cull pile at the local HD and reduced the drywall cost by 50%. With all the crappy drywall boards it caused a need for significantly more repeated joint compound efforts and sanding and filling repeatedly over the crumbling drywall spots. In the long term this restored outside room will become an extra bedroom for visitors or my wife's storage and presentation room for her fairly significant/impressive collections of glass wares, costume jewelry & antiques. When we get the surrounding ground landscaped better I'll post photos of all 4 side views. On the outside this little building is really quite hideous looking ... in a rustic sort of way. The painting will be completed late this afternoon. I'll post a pic of the inside tonight or tomorrow. We'll install the floating wood flooring after the painting is done and I'll post another photo when we get to that point.
This message was edited Jul 29, 2007 6:24 AM |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 07, 2007
02:03 PM Post #3828955
| Bubba, We got the Carriage House interior painted and the floating engineered hardwood floor installed. My son has already moved his drums into the room. It is so clean. We also finished the door trim and got it all flush with the hinges. The door is tight and the bugs stop there. Here's the latest image showing the painted room and the new flooring. We salvaged about 70 feet of 2X6's from a burn pile in my neighbors abandoned pasture to use as the baseboard along the bottoms of the walls to keep the floating wood flooring in place and to hide the slightly uneven ends of the finished floor pieces. The baseboards are huge and warped and uneven and totally weathered with nail holes or drilled bolt & screw holes all over. They look like they've been exposed to the elements for close to 50 years and been through years and years of various uses and abuses. They are from old corral fences and gates. Can't beat free and they match the exterior perfectly ... totally beat to kingdom come. Kelly 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
August 07, 2007
02:50 PM Post #3829113
| Great looking!!
I will remember that trick. Used some new boards for a valance around an old room. Not really happy with the look but needed to cover the ragged ends of the vertical sheetrock.
Unfortunately the ceiling boards are 5 1/2 " T&G about 80 years old - very uneven, so I have gaps all over the place. But it does look better than it did.
Owner and the current tenant both like the look of the old boards, so busy filling and caulking the cracks. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 07, 2007
09:40 PM Post #3830698
| Bubba, I don't have any recollection of seeing an old T&G ceiling. I've seen plenty of tin and plaster on lath ceilings. The home we live in was a small Dutch Barn 40X28 ft with 2 later additions ... 1 on each end that are almost about 400 sq ft each. The floor is cement. In the summer we hardly even need air conditioning due to the cold cement slab. Perhaps 1 week in the summer we actually turn on the air conditioner. |
Selkirk_Grammy
Selkirk Island, TX
(Zone 9a)
August 08, 2007
10:28 PM Post #3834990
| Loved reading and seeing the pictures about your carriage house. A huge undertaking but I sure the rewards are well worth it. Beautiful job.
Thanks for sharing. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 13, 2007
11:40 PM Post #3854728
| Selkirk_Grammy, I never really thought of this a as big effort. I re-did the math on the square footage and determined it was closer to 250 inside. The walls and ceiling add quite a bit of work to the entire project and if one considers the new roof ... the project is imposing. We've done this renovation in steps. We originally added the sub-floor and the roof 4 years ago. That was half the work involved. This time around we've had some demolition. Next there was insulating and covering the interior walls and ceiling with the sheet-rock. Filling the cracks and sanding the sheet-rock ... is real work. We're now adding a 100 sq ft porch and a roof to cover the porch. The porch addition will make the building homier and much more inviting to look at. Last week I put an exterior shutter on the small west wall window. Next week we'll have 2 more on the east side window. I'm gonna have to start taking photographs again because the new features are adding quite a bit to the overall appearance. Kelly
This message was edited Jan 17, 2009 10:57 AM |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
August 14, 2007
09:12 AM Post #3855475
| Are the shutters working or decorative? The latest This Old House magazine has a "how-to" on working shutter installation.
Looking forward to seeing the pictures. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 15, 2007
12:54 AM Post #3858432
| Bubba, The shutters are functional and decorative in a rustic sort of way. We have them attached with oversized hinges again. The shutters are substantial ... 2 inches thick. I still have to get some sort of chain attachment to keep them in place when they're open & closed. We have come across a few old rusted hay bale hooks (used to buck hay bales) & several old rusted 1 foot lengths of chain that we're considering using as a part of the hardware to keep the shutters closed or open. In the winter I'll cut styrofoam boards to insert between the windows and the shutters to create an additional "R" barrier between the windows and the shutters. The more things we do to the Carriage House to improve it ... the more I wish it were my/our office or BR. My son is in there and at this point he's not leaving unless he goes away to a university or gets married. Chances are he's in there for the next 2.5 yrs minimum unless he lands a job up on the North Slope ... some sort of Alaska Pipeline job. My neighbor has a great deal of influence so we're considering this as career option related to his engineering studies. The pay is mind boggling and the 2 wks on and 2 wks off at significantly more than the average hh earns is inducement enough. Few 18 yr olds could resist having 26 weeks of vacation plus earning more than any of his uncles, aunts, cousins (except 1 M.D.)
This message was edited Aug 15, 2007 7:31 PM |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 19, 2007
10:52 AM Post #3874023
| Bubba, Yesteday I began adding facia boards to the overhanging truss end boards. This building has had an exposed loft-attic since it was originally constructed over 100 years go. But since we added the ceiling with insulation over it ... there have been pigeons flying inside who came to the wrong conclusion that the attic space would make a fine home for them. I hope we don't end up closing them in. We're down to just one more facia board and several of the underside soffits before the attic space is totally inaccessible to birds. The starlings will be shut out of the attic space as soon as we get some 1X2 strips along the upper siding boards as they meet the soffit boards ... plus we'll have to cover a few small knotholes. I used a tyvek type wrap on the inside of the building before we installed the insulation. We even covered the 2X4's that were spaced every 18 to 24 inches apart. The walls are incapable of being penetrated by birds plus whenever we found a knothole in the siding boards... I stapled an old cedar shingle to the inside of the board so the tyvek would not show through the knothole and to reinforce the tyvek against woodpeckers. We're looking for rusted old tin cans with or without advertising on them to cover the knotholes and add character to the exterior. There are (as one would suspect) several knotholes in the pine and almost none in the rough hewn cedar siding boards ... but the holes are especially visible up along the attic siding where the walls to the room itself do not extend. I did not put tyvek up there in the attic nor did we use the shingles (this area is/was out of reach for the most part). So the small birds can still get in if they try. So far we've not noticed the starlings but they were up there before we began all the construction. I assume they dislike all the noise and commotion. The building has remained dilapidated in appearance. We'll be covering the knotholes with the flattened / rusted tin cans (with advertising?). The oldest pine siding boards are dry, brittle, soft and have aged terribly. The newer cedar siding boards came from a corral and barn. They had 30 years of cattle rubbing them + the unspeakable exposure to the elements. I didn't even want to hose them off or even hold them much ... they are so clearly distressed by the animal poo and aged much quicker than had only wind and rain been the cause. If we ever have the opportunity ... we'll replace the older pine boards with the heavier thicker cedar. The cedar turns different colors and it is twice as resistant to the elements. The pine boards literally crumble to the touch when rubbed across the grain. The pine still has tensile strength lengthwise and is dark as can be seen in the photos. We're down to a few final little things on the outside and now were assembling a porch with a covered roof to mismatch with the existing metal roof. We're way down to the last few items on the check list and looking forward to the being completed.
This message was edited Aug 20, 2007 9:24 AM |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 22, 2007
06:50 PM Post #3887829
| Last night I began covering the knotholes on the west face using rusted tin can lids and pieces. Old pineapple cans seem to rust better than other zinc / tin cans. I have 2 coffee cans to cut up and 2 other odd cans with enamel paint advertising to accentuate the awfulness of the exterior. This is kinda fun to do. The building is becoming more of an eyesore as each piece of metal is put in a visible place. My son is a bit annoyed at the added touches. There hasn't been an invasion of birds (starlings) to deal with yet but having lived here for 5 years ... I know they'll be in the attic space before long if I don't take the normal precautions or steps to keep them out permanently. The 2 pigeons have been hanging around the Carriage House but the soffit spaces are completely covered. The building certainly has a cleaner more finished look than before. I'd like to get 2 or 3 rather large old Coke , Pepsi or Hires signs ... but the cost would be off the charts. I'll get some advertising up and take a photograph for a few more laughs.
We're planning to add an ever so slightly elevated deck onto the south facing wall ... just a bit larger than the square footage of the carriage house itself ... 16X22 ft. We intend to put a hot tub on it this fall. That should add some value plus we'll all have more enjoyable lifestyle with the warm and fuzzy tub.
This message was edited Aug 24, 2007 8:08 AM |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
August 24, 2007
07:54 AM Post #3893988
| Now, really looking forward to seeing the pix. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 24, 2007
04:50 PM Post #3896152
| Here is a photo showing a few of the tin pieces. The new functional shutter is also in this view. I have preferred using over sized pieces of trim for the doors and windows and inside for the wall baseboards. Notice the 2X12 for the lower valence for the window. These pieces of wood have been lying exposed to the elements in various piles here on the property for 20 years. Due to the desert dry conditions here (9 inches of annual rainfall) ... nothing rots quickly and if it does its always dry-rot.
This message was edited Aug 24, 2007 1:09 PM
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Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 24, 2007
04:58 PM Post #3896184
| Here's the East side with the functional shutter open. I'm planning to clad the inside facing side of the shutter that is now just plywood with the same wood as the outside has been ... but maybe vertical instead of horizontal. These old shutters are heavy and there's no opening or closing them from inside the cottage. You gotta go outside to open and close them. They are rustic and ugly ... perfectly charmingly ugly. Just think ...100 yrs ago a horse used to live inside at night.
This message was edited Jul 25, 2008 11:57 AM
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Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 24, 2007
05:02 PM Post #3896205
| My son has mostly moved into this space. Here is an early photo that provides a good feel for perspective and room size 12ft X 22 ft. The window shown is the same west facing window that now has the new fully functional shutter door attached to the exterior. The hinges on the shutters are enormous and old as the hills too. I have a rusted old chain attached to this and the other 2 shutters. The chain fits into a notched piece of steel to hold it open and a second notched piece of steel to hold it closed.
This message was edited Jul 16, 2008 9:40 PM
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Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 24, 2007
05:19 PM Post #3896256
| The first step in getting the Carriage House renovated was removing the previous occupants from the Carriage House and into their new house ... the chicken coop. Actually we have both guinea fowl and chickens. They co-exist. Here is a photo of their new chicken coop made from poles and scraps of wood and sheet metal for roofs plus pieces salvaged from their former digs inside the Carriage House. This is an 8X8 ft structure with 6 ft ceiling. Before they had 12X8 ft inside the Carriage House. The flock is roughly half what it was so they need far less than what they had.
This message was edited Sep 25, 2009 11:05 AM
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Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 24, 2007
05:32 PM Post #3896294
| 5 years ago this Carriage House had 3 entrances ... 2 doorways and an open garage door hole. Our intent was a more confined building so we were forced to enclose 1 of the 2 doors and then we also re-clad the entire west face thereby eliminating the horse/carriage entrance. We chose to eliminate the south side doorway mostly because there was no door. DG readers can easily see where the doorway was. It looks really awful doesn't it? And so does the rest of the building. We love it any how. This photo here also shows the new facia covering the ends of the roof trusses and below the facia are a few boards that make up the soffit area. The soffit boards are mostly not visible and that is normal to be out of sight. We have some trim to finish but the soffit boards are all up but not quite the right size and thus not yet totally nailed in place.
This message was edited Aug 24, 2007 7:04 PM
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Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 24, 2007
06:09 PM Post #3896422
| This next photo shows the North side of the Carriage house and one can see that the chickens enjoyed a large space (1/3) of the building. It was a mess to clean up and we are glad it is over. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 24, 2007
06:19 PM Post #3896446
| This is a photo of the roof frame for the new porch on the North side to cover the doorway entrance. This is a sorta heavy frame. Anyone out there in cyberspace wanting to assist us in lifting this frame into place ... just let me know when you'll be driving through South Central Washington. We're planning for a deck on the South side ... about 600 sq ft. When that is completed this little Carriage House will be significantly nicer than it has become already. Kelly
This message was edited Mar 5, 2009 9:49 PM
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Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
September 02, 2007
03:21 PM Post #3929057
| This afternoon we put the porch roof frame into place using stilts to hold it up and temporary nails to tie into the building. Later we'll be drilling the holes for several 5 inch lag screws to hold it onto the building at the roof line. The frame was heavy. We needed 3 people to lift it up into place. Glad that's over.
This message was edited Sep 24, 2007 8:12 AM |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
September 24, 2007
12:19 PM Post #4011840
| The porch and attached roof are done except the trim. I'm drawing up the sandstone flagstone patio with a pergola to cover 1/3 of the stone. I've decided the additional deck will be on the west side of the Carriage House and the patio with pergola on the south side. Wisteria vine grows here fairly well so my intent is to have wisteria on the pergola. I probably should replant our grapes around the pergola posts since we have wisteria in another location doing well and the grapes are not (mostly due to lack of nurturing). The porch is quite a bit like a deck in that we have cement pillars holding the 4X6 corner posts and used 6 inch lag screws to hold the frame up tight to the building. We have been adding skirting to the porch so that the underneath area is not visible and will better prevent skunks and things from hiding underneath. The skirting adds quite a lot to the overall visual appeal of the porch. Kelly
This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 7:48 PM |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
April 16, 2008
03:01 PM Post #4817912
| Spring again and with spring ... we got several days of high winds again ... 60 mph and our roof was heavily damaged. The roofing material used was low tensile sheet metal. We have to replace 20% of the material as it blew off the roof ... exposing the old planks. So we're gonna do it right ALL right. We have heavier gauge roofing sheet metal that will be on top of OSB. We'll use twice as many screws that are twice as large along with washers. This new roof will last forever as its 2-3 times thicker than the cheap painted material we put on last year. Thank goodness the old stuff was nearly free (that's about what it was worth). Nothing like a lesson well learned. I'll post a few pix as the OSB is put in place and later when we put on the old heavy gauge corrugated sheet metal (salvaged from a barn that toppled on the neighbors land). Nothing like having fun on the side when you're already knee deep in work. We're into nice weather now so the roofing project is next. We've had many daily gardening projects going that our time is stretched a bit thin for the roof to be redone.
This message was edited May 25, 2008 9:14 PM |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 17, 2008
12:52 AM Post #5272124
| Well its summer and we've re-roofed the north facing side of the Carriage House. The porch roof and the new porch are attached and both roof sections are of the same galvanized corrugated steel roofing material. This material should be familiar to all who've seen farm buildings in the west or mid-west. It is quite heavy ... 2-3 times heavier than what we put on originally. This roof will last a few hundred years or more. We used 2.5 inch long hex headed lag screws to hold down these panels. There are 8-10 lag screws in each panel. I used a ratchet to crank the lag screws into the OSB underneath. I aimed for the 2X8 ceiling joists underneath the OSB so many of the lag screws are into the joists 2 inches deep. We'd have to have 200MPH wind to peel off the roof (will never happen). The OSB was screwed into the pine and joists underneath using 2 inch screws with my trusty Makita portable battery powered drill. This was easy work ... refreshing but time consuming. We were out in the sun ... a few beers and even more iced teas ... later we finished. It looks grand to me ... so solid.
This message was edited Jul 17, 2008 8:37 AM |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 17, 2008
04:05 PM Post #5274946
| I have a few updated photos of the porch and the new roof. This little cottage will last for a long long time and provide a great deal of utility for those here to enjoy. Kelly
This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 7:55 PM
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Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 17, 2008
04:08 PM Post #5274959
| Here's a wider angle of the same porch and shows the new-old galvanized roofing material. Kelly
This message was edited Jan 16, 2009 7:28 AM
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Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
December 04, 2008
04:50 PM Post #5858943
| Late in the summer we finished the soffit and facia work on the south facing roof. I had peeled off all the new thin gauge sheet metal roofing panels that were put on a few years back. It was mostly hanging on by shear luck and a few well placed screws. Last month I completed the south facing roof with the new-old recycled heavy gauge galvanized corrugated steel roofing material. The roof is done except the brow. I counted up the number of lag screws we used to tie down the steel roof panels ... about 350 total. I spent close to $80 for the screws and washers. This roof is 3 times more sturdy than the new sheet metal roofs going onto homes pole sheds everywhere you turn. I have no doubt the panels will withstand 200 MPH winds.
Next summer we're looking into moving a steel grain bin to cover a hot-tub in the general vicinity of the Carriage House ... create a sort of gazebo from an old SIOUX steel container. It could be quite interesting and stay in keeping with the style that has evolved on this property.
We still have a deck to construct, a pergola or two to attach onto the deck and 14 ft awning to add onto the south side of the Carriage House. It may take another couple years to get this all accomplished. We're enjoying nearly every minute of this renovation. Kelly
This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 8:00 PM |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
December 04, 2008
05:40 PM Post #5859056
| Glad to hear that progress is being made. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
December 08, 2008
06:15 PM Post #5871908
| Bubba, Since you seem to have the most interest in the building threads ... I'm writing this to you. I thought I should load up a few photographs of the new Bunk House for my son - the former Carriage House ... aka horse stall and buggy garage. The 1st photo here is the south facing roof that I finished in early November. This photo kinda shows the weight of the heavy gauge galvanized steel panels. They are rugged. I've got them really well fastened to the OSB underneath using about 12 of the 2 inch hexhead lag screws per sheet. They're also overlapped by 3 bumps on each side vs maybe 1-2 bumps normally. I increased the work some with the overlap of 3 bumps but the additional bump or so of overlap makes the possibility of water damage ... impossible. This roof will last forever and I really mean it. Most homes get 25 yrs or so from a new roof ... this roof will last more than 100 years ... that's assuming the world lasts 100 years. Kelly
This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 8:03 PM
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Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
December 08, 2008
06:26 PM Post #5871965
| Bubba, I have a few more photos to upload. This 2nd photo is of the west facing side of the bunkhouse that shows the finished cover porch. The addition of the covered porch in this photo gives a more correct impression of how much of an improvement overall the porch with the matching awning was to the building. Imagine how bleak this little bunkhouse would be without a porch. The roof over the porch makes it even nicer. The plan is to add a 5-6 hundred sq ft deck on this west facing side ... 1 step down from the porch ... extending westward about 18 ft and having a north-south length of about 30 ft.
This message was edited Dec 9, 2008 8:01 AM
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
December 08, 2008
07:43 PM Post #5872260
| Think you could transport that over here for me? LOLOL |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
December 09, 2008
12:17 PM Post #5874338
| pepper23,
If one has 2 hands attached to arms ... they could recreate this little shack on site in a matter of a few weeks. I've thought about reorienting the building but with 9 cement pier anchors buried in like numbered critical corners ... I wouldn't want try to even lift it up and turn the building to face the east or west let alone try to move it again. Believe me ... the thought of turning the building has gone through my mind.
My son's bunkhouse bedroom was the recipient of our old king sized bed since my wife and I recently upgraded to a pillow top of the same size. He teases my wife and I and his girlfriend for the last 18 months about needing to upgrade to a really big girlfriend since he has such a enormous bed. His current gf is quite petite (100lbs) and not yet graduated from HS and she's definitely not the kind of young lady to fool around with him.
Kelly
This message was edited Dec 9, 2008 2:39 PM
This message was edited Dec 9, 2008 2:41 PM |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
December 09, 2008
06:53 PM Post #5875826
| Bubba,
Here's the east facing side of the Bunkhouse. We're thinking - planning long term to shingle this east side in cedar shakes that are machine cut. Notice the extra heavy corner boards that frame in the exterior walls and windows? This photo shows the shutters mostly open.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
December 09, 2008
08:26 PM Post #5876173
| Bubba,
I have this 4th photo showing the south facing wall with the dart board hung. We've been enjoying darts this summer. My daughter has been the "Queen of Darts" in her HS club. Apparently she has more opportunity to practice than the other members of the school's dart club. This wall is scheduled to be shingled too but not in the near future.
My wife intends to take over the Bunkhouse once our son goes away to the 4 yr university ... CWSU in Ellensburg ... just 45 miles NW of here. She has a lot of junk or collectibles to store and keep well organized and I'd just as soon she have more space.
Maybe we can use it as a guest BR or a pool house too ... once we have a swimming pool built.
Kelly
This message was edited Dec 10, 2008 3:28 PM
Click the image for an enlarged view.
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Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
December 10, 2008
10:56 AM Post #5877648
| Moving and turning the building will be a "fun" project.
There is another thread with a man that moves everything - jacks, levers, rollers, etc.
Might want to check out his techniques.
As for moving heavy objects - we completed lowering and supporting a deck / porch a few weeks ago.
It's always harder and more time consuming to re-work something, than build new. But you learn so much more, and have to be more creative to solve all the problems that are encountered.
The interior flooring refinishing we are doing now has certainly presented many learning experiences. Not the least of which is the changing REAL dimensions of wooden boards. Today's s4 boards are a 1/16 smaller that those 30-40 years ago. Planing, shimming, and sanding required to level things adds a lot of time to a project.
Would have been MUCH faster to have added a new layer, but would not have maintained the original. Fortunately we were able to find most of the original size boards - just 4-5 new used.
It is rewarding to see a project completed successfully - keep up the good work.
As for your roof - looks great.
Here in the Gulf Coast, I have learned to apply at least 2 coats of Kool-Coat to protect galvanized metal roofs. Otherwise - 20 years is about the maximum life expectancy. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
December 10, 2008
07:53 PM Post #5879332
| Bubba,
Most do not know this little tidbit ... but where I live is in fact situated in the fingertips of the Sonora Desert. These fingertips of the desert extend from Phoenix up into Canada at Osoyoos, BC in the Okanogan Valley (we had a summer home up there). The normal annual precipitation here is 9 inches and the humidity is barely measurable. Galvanized sheet steel lasts forever here. The ones I put on the roof are 60 years old already. I expect them to last another 120. There's not a speck of rust on them yet and given the amount of dust and wind we get here ... they ought to maintain their dull sheen for ages. If the roof lasts 40 years ... I'll likely be gone by then ... so that'll be enough.
Kelly |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
January 05, 2009
06:27 AM Post #5968129
| Bubba,
With winter temps here ranging from -5 to15 f degrees lately my son has been concerned about the cost of heating and the heat loss through the double glass windows. I decided to do what I could. We cut 2 inch thick polystyrene inserts to fit inside the windows behind his curtains. The inserts fit snug against the inside frames ... about 29 inches square on the west window and 60 X 29 inches on the larger window facing east. These panels have reduced heat loss through the windows ... significantly. I've covered the polystyrene panels with 2 inch wide dark tan colored box tape to prevent the polystyrene flakes from messing up the room. The tape acts like alligator skin. The tape skin on the polystyrene increases the life and rigidity of the window inserts. When it warms up in the spring he can pull them out with ease and store them in the shop.
Kelly |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
January 05, 2009
10:20 AM Post #5968543
| Great solution!
We installed (or should I say had installed), the Sears Magnitite inside storm windows several years ago - it made a huge difference. They use a 3/4 x 3/4 wood frame with a metal strip on the inside facing, then glue a strip of the magnetic tape to the Lexan cut to the exact size. When in place it adds that extra dead air space, plus the Lexan has a much higher R-Factor than window glass. It also helps with noise reduction. |
JuneyBug
Dongducheon CpCasey
South Korea
(Zone 4b)
January 07, 2009
09:15 PM Post #5979327
| Kelly, Your rehabbing of that carriage house is spectacular!
And thanks for posting it, I feel like I learned a lot just by reading it.
Nan |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
January 08, 2009
12:44 PM Post #5981502
| JuneyBug - Nan, Had I discovered this forum and better understood the importance of meticulously documenting the step by step by step effort required to get the remodel done ... I would have begun with original photos of the building as it sat when we first moved onto this property.
The original Carriage House was leaning and close to falling in ... caving in ... since there were just 3 sturdy walls and 1 wall made of 2 pieces of flapping plywood facing the west when we started. Crumbling to the ground would have been a pity and I would have hated to see that happen. I figured it was jump in and save it or it would soon be over as far as this little building was concerned.
As I wrote ... there were a few major step that took place ... 1 by 1. Each was critical. Putting in the sub-floor with joists and repairing the bottom timber frame was essential to being able to make the building a cohesive structure and thus able to move it. Once we got it jacked up off the ground the tractors were able do their work. My plan had been to drag the building on top of a dozen round logs with the farm tractor. Instead we had 2 heavier equipment pieces lift and push - pull the building eastward about 150 ft. That exercise was quite exhilarating since the structure looked liked an old swaybacked horse while it was being moved. Needless to say we were close to frantic until it was sitting on top of 8 cement pillars. The weight of the Carriage House is unknown but it was substantial when it was originally moved and now is almost certainly close to double the original weight. Like Bubba wrote ... more photographs of the beginning efforts would have presented this renovation quite a bit better. When we started hammerin we had just 1 digital camera (my wife's semi-precious Fuji FinePix). Now 3 of the kids have low cost digital cameras + the fancier Olympus to replace my wife's now broken Fuji. That Fuji served us well for nearly 9 years. Like Bob Dylan wrote .."the times ... they are a changin."
This message was edited Jan 16, 2009 7:41 AM |
JuneyBug
Dongducheon CpCasey
South Korea
(Zone 4b)
January 08, 2009
02:20 PM Post #5981918
| I'm glad that you saved it and made it into such a great place. It looks so neat. Unfortunatly, my FIL has burned all the old outbuildings, so we have nothing of our own to work with. I must say that your thread has opened my eyes to what can be done with whatever I do find at friends/family's places. Again thanks for sharing the experience.
Nan |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
January 08, 2009
02:37 PM Post #5981969
| Nan,
The one thing I love about this building is its enduring nature. Most new construction has (at a bare minimum) to be painted every few years at costs approaching $1k per year or other even greater annual maintenance costs. This place is close to maintenance free. The exterior of the Carriage House can only look slightly more distressed as the years pass us by but not calling for any kind of maintenance cost.
The Carriage House has been a labor of love. Sharing the experience has been fun as well. I had hoped to help others experience and learn or see how things can be fixed during spare time at little cost if labor is not added into the equation. We spent less than $1k on materials for the 250 sq ft renovation and the covered porch of about 100 sq ft. Today's new construction costs often equal $100 / sq ft = which would equal close to $25 - $30 thousand to recreate what we have today. Normal people just can't do that with their incomes plummeting like many are today. Kelly
This message was edited Jan 19, 2009 8:09 PM |
JuneyBug
Dongducheon CpCasey
South Korea
(Zone 4b)
January 08, 2009
02:45 PM Post #5981989
| Sharing the experience HAS helped others, I see above the thread that it's been viewed over 500 times. Yep! folks are 'alookin' and 'alearnin'. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
January 08, 2009
03:39 PM Post #5982189
| Nan, I had never noticed - or looked at that number. Maybe it is a significant amount ? Like I wrote ... I hope it does help people learn how simple a hammer and a nail and a step by step approach can make for a nice renovation or addition and thus provide better lives for many.
I appreciate your kind words ... that's for sure.
Kelly
This message was edited Jan 16, 2009 7:50 AM |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
January 08, 2009
09:01 PM Post #5983292
| I've learned alot reading this thread and I will be coming back here when I need ideas. It was fun reading all of it and looking at the pictures! |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
January 09, 2009
11:01 AM Post #5984815
| pepper23, There is a small % of the populace who need a little house in their back yard or even have the room for a separate 300 sq ft structure standing alone from their homes. There is significant appeal and use to individuals for a cottage of this size when they have a 2-3X normal or larger building lot. Many folks use structures this size for storage of bicycles, mowers, tillers; etc. I suspected briefly that you were pulling my leg about liking the building. Actually I thought once or twice that maybe you were being sarcastic about wanting it and that you were sorta laughing about how hideous this structure looks and how awful it would look in your back yard. It doesn't have any common architectural element or style that is being widely constructed today. There are no builders out there specializing in "run-down-old-farm-building" that I can imagine.
The one thing I keep reminding myself about this little building is the long term value of its various uses. The fact that there is no long term maintenance cost also ranks way up there with me.
Kelly
This message was edited Jan 16, 2009 7:52 AM |
JuneyBug
Dongducheon CpCasey
South Korea
(Zone 4b)
January 09, 2009
11:20 AM Post #5984891
| My neighbor's just build a small building in their backyard for the son and his motorized toy cars. He is a young adult and their culture says that he cannot leave his widowed Mom, so this works great for them. He and a man in his late 70's-80's built the place for 25K. You can see why we are so interested..$$1K is a much better price.
I had a friend in Virginia that pulled three sheds together and made them into a forge and wood-shop. I knew that that would work, however I never would have thought to make it into a guesthouse-studio-teenager's hut. And as my county in Missouri has absolutly NO zoning laws whatsoever, I can build anything that I want and no inspection or fees ( or codes).
It makes it kinda' scary when you go to buy a house, you have to have the best home inspector that you can find. We were not that lucky, a screened porch had been turned into a sunroom. The joist that the rafters hung on was butt-jointed with no sister to strengthen it. After a heavy snowload, the walls bowed out and the roof sunk in...With our bad spines, we had to hire out the repair$.
we will be a bit more careful if we do any building, of course. The thought of doing it for so much less really intrigues me. |
pepper23
KC Metro area, MO
(Zone 5b)
January 09, 2009
11:40 AM Post #5984983
| Actually I love your building. That's the kind of style I like. Old farmhouses and buildings made like yours. Tons of character and is built to withstand time. |
JuneyBug
Dongducheon CpCasey
South Korea
(Zone 4b)
January 09, 2009
11:49 AM Post #5985018
| Ditto to what Pepper said... |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
February 01, 2009
02:30 PM Post #6079070
| JuneyBug,
I'd be less than honest if I failed to mention a bit more strongly that the roofing material is costly or would have been were it not for it having being in a pile from a collapsed and dismantled out-building shed. The real cost to re-roof the Carriage House ... now a Guest House would have added about $1k more ... which essentially doubles the aforementioned cost for this project. The roof is quite substantial today. I can only hope we are able to put down such a wonderful roof on our home (a converted small Dutch barn). I should also point out that I spent $1k back in 2003 when we began to salvage this little building.
Originally the Carriage House was leaning due to a rotted frame and walls. We began collecting various lengths of chains and steel pins to brace the walls in position. I used ratcheted "come-alongs" to inch the North & South walls into near plumb positions. Once the walls were straight we removed the rotted 2X4's that were touching the ground on all 4 walls. Most were dry rotted between just a few inches to as much as 15 inches. Once we had them replaced or extended to equal length ... I removed and replaced the 4X4 frame along the bottom. That is what had held the Carriage House on the ground for roughly 100 years. Beneath that 4X4 frame we attached a bottom sill plate using 2X8's laid flat. Next we drilled holes ... hundreds of them with 8 inch bolts spaced about a foot apart through the 4x4's and the 2X8's to form a quite solid bottom frame to the building. Once we had the 4 inch lip from the sill plate to work with on the inside of the building floor ... tying together all of the walls (the entire structure) was accomplished using floor joists ... 12 ft long 2X8's spaced every 12 inches from east to west. We used joist hangers and once the near 20 floor joists were hung ... putting down the plywood floor was easy. I used 5/8 inch plywood flooring. With a new floor in the building ... something it had never had in its prior 100 yr life ... we started to look at the roof and the exterior walls. We collected a patchwork of pine and cedar panels to cover the West facing wall. This wall had a gaping hole (where the horse and buggy would pass through). This entrance had been a few sheets of plywood toe-nailed into the beams at about 8 ft high. We tore them off and framed in the West wall. Once we had adequate 2X4 framing completed ... we covered the West wall with wood panels ... mostly 1X12 X 8ft pine boards. With the walls mostly sheathed in pine and a few cedar planks we focused our attention on a 2nd smaller doorway ... this one on the South wall. The little doorway had no door and we did not want to have but just 1 entrance into the building. Sooooo ... if you'll scroll back up this page about 1/3 from the bottom you can spot a photograph of the South facing wall with a DART BOARD. If you look closely at the South wall ... to the right of the DART BOARD ... you'll see a door I added ... its fake ... decorative ONLY. You'd be surprised how many friends, sisters and cousins have walked out to the Carriage House and tried to get inside through that fake door. We always have a good chuckle when we take people out to see the Carriage House because they head for the fake door and start pulling on the handle. Lastly we peeled off the cedar shakes on the south facing roof and replaced that half of the roof with green sheet metal roofing/siding material that we got for free from a place where my B-in-L worked. We left the cedar shakes on the North facing roof for close to 2 years after re-roofing the South face with the new free metal material. I had to admit at the time I was happy with the green colored half of the roof while it lasted. It was quite attractive looking and new looking. The problem is we've gotten a few wind storms here up to 75 MPH over the last few years. Eventually the new roofing material got blown off or nearly blown off. So I decided to do it right the next time and I knew how to do it right. More later ... Kelly
This message was edited Feb 3, 2009 7:18 AM |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
February 02, 2009
11:05 AM Post #6082518
| Prior to winching - pulling the walls together with the come-alongs ... we had to get the building off the ground. We have a few steel "I" beams in lengths about 14 ft. We dug holes under the north and south walls. Next we slid the beams under the house. We also have 3 really large screw jacks. We used the screw jacks, the steel I beams and cinder blocks to lift the building up about 18 inches off the ground. We worked our way around the house, digging holes lifting a point. The screw jacks had bases about 5 inches diameter and the screw shafts are roughly 2 inch diameter. We used tractor lug wrenches to move the screw portion of the jacks and lift the building. Kelly |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
February 02, 2009
11:36 AM Post #6082632
| Thanks for explaining how you raised the building.
I have used a different technique for partial support to replace rotten, water amd termite damaged studs.
Removed sheathing, lag-bolted 2x6 "bridge" to the studs, well above the damaged ends and plate. Then use hydraulic jacks to raise the wall using the temporary "bridge" for jack points.
Finally cut out the damage, and sistered a new treated stud for each. After replacing the plate, lowered and attached the studs back in place, then insulated and rebuilt or replaced the sheathing. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
February 02, 2009
07:35 PM Post #6084843
| Bubba, I should mention the screw jacks are now gone. My B-in-L took them away after we used them. They were big ones. Turning the screws required a lot of elbow grease ... let me emphasize that. Once we got the jacks up to ground level ... out of the holes ... from beneath ... the work became easy. Imagine the 1st few attempts of screwing the jack in a hole we had to dig under the "I beams". The cinder blocks made the work more simple ... once we had the a corner up higher than a jack. There was quite a bit of grunting and groaning on our bellies reaching down into a hole to turn the screw of the jacks. I had to "sister in" more than 30 different 2X4's along the walls where they had rotted. We also had the West wall ... pretty much all new frame from the ground up to 8 ft high. If I had it to do over again ... I'd have added 18 more inches to the bottom of the building ... resulting in the ceiling being 9 ft high instead of 7.5 ft. Kelly |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
February 08, 2009
10:26 AM Post #6109429
| Bubba, The one thing that I've attempted to do as this project progressed was to keep expenses to a minimum. If I had had more disposable cash at specific times along this trail ... some of the choices I've made would have been to spend money. You mentioned the hydraulic jack. That piece of equipment would have eliminated at least a days work for us. We had those enormous screw jacks and I said to myself ... they're free and they'll do the job. My work situation is home based but shakes out to 4-6 hours of free time daily where most wage earners are gone for 9 hrs. There are often faster and more efficient ways. Nail guns are incredible tools. I could have used a stronger electric hand drill vs a hand ratchet to screw down the metal roof material ... saving a couple more days of man hours. I've got the drill now and odds are ... I'll have the hydraulic jack before too long. I was pretty much obligated to used NEW wood for the floor joists and sill plate and the sheathing back in 2003. I would have trimmed $500 off the wood expenses ... had I known in advance I was going to fully renovate the building. Initially I shored it up to put our flock of chickens inside and I tore out several hundred dollars worth of material once the chickens were moved out. I created a hen house and I had a schedule to meet. Had I known the chickens would be permanently elsewhere ... It would have reduced my time on the 2 projects by 1/3. We had a heck of a time constructing a NEW hen house ... totally out of scrap material and $60 worth of lag screws. My B-in-L says our chicken coop looks like a dynamite shed at a heavy construction site. I have to agree. Kelly |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
February 09, 2009
09:09 AM Post #6113943
| I understand the need and desire to keep costs down. I learned years ago - don't just go buy tools for their own sake, but when you need a tool, buy the best you can afford -- you will have if for a lifetime.
Fortunately we have both Harbor Freight and Northern Tool outlets available - The hydraulic jacks were only about $20 each. Started with 2 - now have 4.
Unfortunately - many of my tools wound up in my son's collection - he is a master motorcycle mechanic - so I got to "start over" a few years ago. I wandered where a few went, but when we were with him in Sturgis in 2000, he asked me to hand him a particular wrench - when I opened the drawer of the tool chest - there they were. I quized him about them - he said, "Well, they were engraved with my initials, so I figured it was OK." -- we have the same initials. "Plus, there are the only wrenches that fit certain Harley parts", he added.
Now his new tools are really "big boys toys" - a Dyno, a flow bench, a 48' trailer, etc. I'm glad he is successful. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
February 09, 2009
12:36 PM Post #6114975
| Bubba, Your version of a hydraulic jack and my image of what I might be purchasing ... are about to $175 from each other and THE reason I chose to use the heavy screw jacks. Thanks for the reality. I was thinking more like the automobile lifting crank up types on heavy duty caster-rollers that are capable of lifting 3-4 tons. My wife got me a Craftsman set of motorized hand drill and a circular saw for X-mas powered by 20amp batteries. They're pretty slick. The Makita battery powered drill is no longer usable anymore and the new stuff ... looks nice. Kelly |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
February 09, 2009
01:53 PM Post #6115356
| These are 20 ton bottle jacks. The travel is only about 6", but by blocking and resetting the jacks, I've lifted a deck/porch about 24". And to replace the joists at our restaurant, I've lifted one whole corner over 8". Had to reposition the blocking and jacks several times.
Latest most useful tool I added to my collection was a Stanley Fubar. You can grab 2x stock and twist it into position, or use the hammer portion to get things in line. Saved a lot of extra jacking when sistering 2x6 & 2x8's.
http://www.stanleytools.com/default.asp?CATEGORY=xtreme&TYPE... |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
February 10, 2009
12:06 AM Post #6118249
| Bubba, I'll be asking you for advise before I buy any more tools. We have a few of those bottle jacks in the shop ... they're small and painted red. I chose to use the screw jacks because they're enormous and looked like they'd hold up better. My B-in-L has the cranking sliding type of hydraulic jack and seldom or never uses the large screw jacks that he removed from the shop-warehouse here on the property. I think he sorta disliked my using his old stuff. The good thing is he's gotten 95% of his garbage out of the shop. Its only taken him 6 years to do so. Kelly |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
February 11, 2009
12:03 PM Post #6123997
| Bubba, My wife love to shop in antique stores. Last week we stopped at a local Habitat for Humanity store. She found 2 HOT & COLD ceramic handles from an old faucet to a probable bathroom sink. While nosing around I found what I want as well. REBAR ... tons of it in a bin ... 4-6 ft lengths. We're going to buy about 30 of them. I'll be using them to stabilize 20 ft long poles ... regular old poles from a forest. We have a dozen of them here on the ground. I'll be constructing a frame for our deck. The frame will lie on buried cement or stone ... not quite piers. I'm not going to buy the $10 cement type piers with a metal post inserted. Instead I'll use the REBAR rods to stabilize the frame and lag screws to tie the frame together. The cement and stones will be used to keep the timber framing of the deck up off the ground ... to prevent rot. I plan to attach a deck about 20ft X 30ft on the West side of the the Carriage House beginning at the for North corner of the front porch. We'll get started this spring when it warms up. Yesterday we got a 1/2 inch of snow. Kelly |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
February 11, 2009
01:08 PM Post #6124294
| You could make a form and pour your own pier footings. A $5 bag of sackrete should make at least 2, maybe 4 or more.
Looking at what's available from the "big-box" stores - I like the look of the deck footings with places for 4x material going in all 4 directions. Those can be used througout the structure to support the beams for the joists.
Are you planning to use fresh cut trees for the poles? Be sure to remove all the bark, and let them dry. The size will change as the wood dries, and removing the bark will allow that to happen faster and prevent any wood-bugs from hiding and damaging the poles.
Here is a picture (not pretty) of a couple of my jacks and the deck - now on cinder blocks instead of rotten posts.
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
February 11, 2009
11:44 PM Post #6126934
| Bubba, The plan at this point is to use poles ... hops poles. They're about 7 inches diameter and close to 20 ft long. I live on a small retired hops farm. The poles are dry as a bone and been sitting on the desert floor for 20 years. I mean they are bone dry. I can rest the poles on rocks and broken cement square pieces. I'll drill holes through the poles straight down and drive the REBAR into the ground 3-4 ft through the log poles to hold them in place. I'll drive 4-5 REBAR rods through each 20 ft long log. The corners of the log frame will be held together by 15 inch long lag screws. I'll use a tire iron to get the lag screws twisted into the frame after drilling holes. I'll have cross member framing made of the same 20 ft long poles and they'll be tied into the frame with the same 15 inch long lag screws. I may or probably will use L shaped metal brackets on each corner to add strength to the corner ties. I don't want to have to mess with wet cement. I have enough free large rock and 5 inch thick cement pieces to use as props/support for the log frame and to keep the wooden frame a few inches off the ground. The cement and/or rock foundation stones and slabs will be buried a bit. Basically I'll do this without having to spend hardly anything ... by using the materials at hand. I'll have to buy the REBAR rods and the lag screws ... but that's about it. I'll end up with a deck about 500-600 sq ft for next to nothing but my free time. Right now I'd estimate $150 for a 575 sq ft deck covered with aged / distressed 2X6's !!!!! Does that sound like a fairly cheap deck or kinda normal cost ??? Kelly |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
February 21, 2009
11:14 AM Post #6169278
| I ended up buying 50 REBAR rods for $50. I bought every 4 ft and longer rod they had at half price. That's a good start. It looks like I can drop $50 off my overall cost projection for the deck. This deck will be attached to the west side of the porch and Carriage House ... extending westward about 18-20ft and south by as much as 33ft. I'm gonna try to make it close to 600 sq ft with an overhead pergola covering 1/3 to 1/2 of the deck space. This will take till the end of summer. I'll keep posting and add photos once I get the poles laid out on top of the cement and rock pillars or foundation supports. This should be fun. Kelly |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
February 23, 2009
02:46 PM Post #6178974
| Looking forward to your progress. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 30, 2009
08:15 AM Post #6884013
| I've been up to my eyeballs in business related deals which took me away from assembling the deck attached to the Carriage House. I put together a lattice gate that matches our rose arbor facing the gravel driveway a few days ago. This gate keeps out the coyotes from our yard at night. I've gotten so tired of finding tiny mounds of rabbit fur leftovers from a coyote kill...in my yard! We have a wonderful 2.5 acre fenced compound mostly 2 acres of turf lawn. The rabbits love it here and the darned coyotes figured that out real fast. Now the rabbits can eat our clover in peace. Here's a photo of the arbor and gate held in place so far by the shovel leaning against it. I'll have hinges on it by the end of the weekend. We keep poultry and this gate will better ensure the geese, ducks, guineas, chickens will be more safe in our yard. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
July 30, 2009
09:15 AM Post #6884204
| Wow - you had a coyote smorgasboard - rabbits, chicks of several species - lol. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 30, 2009
09:10 PM Post #6887188
| Bubba,
Yeah ... we have quite the menagerie of poultry here in our little flock. We'll be adding Pea Fowl next spring ... I sincerely hope. We partitioned a 1 acre poultry run in back of the house where the chickens, ducks and the geese (not lately) are kept. The guineas go where ever they like. Lately the geese, since they're a bit cantankerous toward our layer chickens, have been relegated to our side of the fence for nearly a month. I've used a 10 ft long wire fence section pulled in front of the arbor each night to keep out the coyotes...but it looked like hell. So I finally broke down and spent $20 for the vinyl lattice and screwed together a frame from 4 cut pieces of 2X4's. I've been worried about the geese since they sleep on the lawn. The other members of the flock roost 11 ft off the ground. The frame fit the lattice perfectly which fits the "passing through" section of the arbor perfectly too. This weekend I'll pick up a few appropriate sized hinges. I need to add another 2X2 in the middle for structural integrity and to mount the 3rd hinge. It should all work fine once its assembled. I need to get a bit of white paint too. I like the look of the vinyl lattice; plus its rugged. Nothing will get through the gate. No more coyotes meandering around our lawn at night feasting on the poor defenseless cottontail rabbits. I've got $70 in this fairly good sized arbor... I like cheap.
Kelly
This message was edited Aug 22, 2009 12:48 PM |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
July 31, 2009
09:32 AM Post #6888911
| Be sure to put a turnbuckle on that huge frame to keep it from sagging and becoming distorted.
The vinyl is nice looking stuff, and it does not rot, but does not have the structual integrity of plywood, so it needs a little help. The 2x2 frame is certainly sufficient.
|
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 31, 2009
11:59 AM Post #6889527
| Bubba,
I know what a turnbuckle is. I have 2 of them on my wife's 75 ft long clothesline. Those kinds of words are becoming nearly lost from usage in the English language. Words like it have become highly specialized in the last 50 years. I was thinking of adding a trid 2X2 right down the middle. Also had planned to use corner "L' brackets to strengthen all 4 corners and add 2 of them at each corner joint where the middle 2X2 intersects the 2 sides. We'd end up with 8 total of the "L" brackets...since this gate would essentially become 2 rectangles with the middle crosspiece as the center side of the top and bottom rectangle. I'm wondering if the turnbuckle would be necessary at that point. Remember too I've been intending to put a caster type wheel at the bottom end of the gate as well to roll on the ground
Kelly |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
July 31, 2009
01:59 PM Post #6889961
| OK, That added more weight, but should support the structure just fine. I like the castor wheel, too.
I made some gates for our dog fences. Ripped a 2x4 to 2x2, then used pocket screws to make the frames and stapled the fencing to the frame. Used a couple of adjustable self closing screen door hinges to mount one side to another 2x2 attached to a u-post. Dogs (a pair of blue heelers - same litter) are 8 mo old and no gate failure yet. but I may need to add a diagonal turnbuckle at some point. These are very high energy dogs - have to use stainless bowls, they chew up anything else - they found a bike cable lock - took then a couple of weeks, but they chewed through the cable - lol. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
July 31, 2009
02:39 PM Post #6890102
| Bubba,
I've decided to employ your fairly terrific suggestion ... but with a slight twist. I'm gonna replace the left side frame board and make it 8 ft tall. From the top of that new frame piece of the gate (4 ft higher than the lattice) ... I'll attach a cable with turnbuckles to the top and run it across and down at an agle 45 degrees I suspect to the far top corner of the gate. This cable will hold up the far side of the gate using the strength of the 2X4 and the cable as leverage and minimize the stress on the 3 hinges and most of the potential for warp on the vinyl lattice.
Thanks,
Kelly |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
July 31, 2009
03:08 PM Post #6890205
| Great solution! |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 10, 2009
04:32 PM Post #6931293
| Bubba,
My wife & kids flew off to Japan to spend time with her parents (the kids grandparents) till just before school starts. I've been assembling items I need for the gate overhaul; the metal bracing, hinges,and cable. I'm gonna need at least 1 turnbuckle and a couple metal sleeves to eliminate or reduce the wear on the cable at each end.
Have you noticed there seems to be 1 or 2 threads in this construction forum that are basically people advertising whatever they make to earn a living? They've gotta be pretty darn desperate. And of course...that's precisely the kind of whatever person one doesn't want to deal with. I've been hoping they'd just go away...really bad form...low class. Oh well.
Kelly |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
August 10, 2009
05:47 PM Post #6931549
| Kelly,
Bet you had a great time. That is one of the countries I have always wanted to visit - would be a lot more fun with a native that was willing to play tour guide.
I have noticed that "self-promotion" on several forums, not just this one. Some might even accuse me of that (with the restaurant), but I don't want to hog or bully anyone. And most of the real banter is to friends who know me - that's what I love about DG. I have met so many wonderful people - some in person, and more virtually.
It also appears to me that many of us are no longer "young whippersnappers", and we have a lot of stored knowledge that we really want to share. I learned years ago - hording some thing does not benefit me as much as sharing it. But, I'm still learning, too - so if / when someone shows me a better / easier way to do something, I quit the old way quickly.
Often when a couple of people work on a project together, a better solution than either of them might have come up with on their own, occurs. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 10, 2009
07:23 PM Post #6931945
| Bubba,
I'm at home this time. But yeah...I've been there half a dozen times in the last 25 years. Its sorta become one of those been there done that things with me. I'd rather travel to Patagonia or South Africa to hunt and fish than spend any vacation time there. We'll be in Japan within 4 years half of the time once I'm retired. There are nice places to visit of course...like the old Imperial Cities of Kyoto & Nara. My wife's parents are in the Central Chuo Alps region...near Matsumoto. There is a castle in Matsumoto as well as an incredible edifice in Nagoya...90 miles south. They're within 30 miles of Suwa Lake where the royal family has a summer palace. It is a nice area. The Winter Olympics were there in Nagano in 2002 again within 40 miles of her parents home. My kids all got to meet and shake hands with a few of the Gold Medal winning Ski Jumping Team members at the ski jump venue.
Kelly |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 14, 2009
07:35 AM Post #6945082
| Bubba,
I got all the gate hardware assembled. The gate will have 3 hinges. Each hinge has 3 bolt holes. I found steel hinges that rest on an "L" shaped shaft. They're a bit heavy duty for farm corral gates. This hinge sits on a huge shaft that goes through the post but is bent upward forming the shaft that the hinges turns on. Getting all 3 shafts for the hinges aligned ought to be fun. I'll have to drill 3 holes with an auger because the shaft part is at least 9/16th inch. I should get a pic of them tomorrow. The shafts are steel and the hinges are really really heavy. I bought a turnbuckle for the cable yesterday and the 9 bolts to hold each hinge to a cross member. I also picked up the eye bolts for the cable. I found 2 sets of clips and thimble in a drawer from a previous project to use at the end of the cable. The "thimble" portion provides a metal sleeve barrier to protect the vinyl covered cable from crimping and wear as the cable passes through the eye bolt. The weight of the gate holds the hinges together. I think this darn gate is gonna end up costing me close to $40 plus a boat load of my free time.
I recall your mentioning a restaurant one time but its beats the heck outa me how anyone can make a buck advertising inside a thread.
This gate looks good is what I like the most. Its gonna end up looking like a real farm style gate.
Kelly
This message was edited Aug 14, 2009 4:51 AM |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
August 14, 2009
09:54 AM Post #6945508
| Ha Ha - I was not trying to advertise our tiny "shack", but if any DG'ers want to stop by they would certainly be welcomed. Digger (form AL) and her DH stopped by one Sunday, and many local DG members have graced our porch.
You already know that projects develop a "life of their own" as improvements are added. Be sure to use non-rusting bolts or paint them after assembly. Glad you found some thimbles - greatly reduces the wear and spreads the load.
Waiting to see the finished project.
I have a bunch of unfinished projects of my own. If the temperature will just stay below 100, I might get some done next week. |
Gymgirl
SE Houston (Hobby), TX
(Zone 9a)
August 14, 2009
04:54 PM Post #6946734
| Um, Photographer, I KNOW for a fact that Bubba is in hog heaven having this discussion about your carriage house renovation. I'm enjoying reading ya'lls conversation, but it is soooooo TOTALLY over my head!
But, interesting. I just wish I knew more about how to do all that stuff...shucks... |
Gymgirl
SE Houston (Hobby), TX
(Zone 9a)
August 14, 2009
04:55 PM Post #6946738
| Bubba,
We gotta talk about WINDOWS! |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
August 14, 2009
04:59 PM Post #6946759
| What's wrong with your windows, gg? |
Gymgirl
SE Houston (Hobby), TX
(Zone 9a)
August 14, 2009
05:04 PM Post #6946786
| I need NEW ones installed in the other house. |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
August 14, 2009
05:13 PM Post #6946833
| I'll ask my friend who he recommends - he had of the old farm house windows replaced with double pane - really nice windows.
Where is the "other" house? |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 14, 2009
09:30 PM Post #6947620
| Gymgirl,
What could be over your head. The discussion is just about nuts and bolts and how to get a gate hung onto a post without having it fall or warp. This is a heavy gate and long...not the typical 4ft wide arbor gate. This one is 8 ft wide and hand made from scratch.
Kelly |
digger9083
Dahlonega, GA
August 16, 2009
05:38 PM Post #6953974
| Bubba , gymgirl , Hi , and I take old windows in wood frames . LOL .
Love your gate, Photo. Been watching this thread forever . digger |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 16, 2009
08:35 PM Post #6954531
| digger,
I am bit surprised at the interest in the project(s) I post here. I notice the # of looks has reached nearly 900. I hope the banter between myself and Bubba and the methodically slow pace aren't boring. I got the gate swinging wide and smooth. It has the wire cable holding up the far end and there are 3 heavy hinges. I put a spring on it to help keep it closed. I went out this afternoon (took a nap) and found the gate wide open and our cat wandering on the outside. The wind came through and whooshed it open out across the gravel driveway. My kids would be crying if this kitty were to be lost. We've had 3 cats here in 9 years. 2 disappeared the 1st time they escaped outside our house or the fence. We've kept them inside 90% of the time for fear they'd end up being coyote poo. The tame house cats last about 24 hours if they walk outside our fence line. Coyotes don't miss a thing around here. So I don't have a photo of the finished gate this minute (its coming as I type to my email). My wife and kids took all 3 digital cameras with them to Japan. I have to wait for my son to snap a photo with his telephone/music player/hh-internet/camera...yada yada. I Don't see the use for all those things to be in one thing. Before you know it... these fancy hand held electronic devices will drive my car using the GPS (yes its inside too) and I'll be sitting in the back seat telling the device (I'll call it James) not to go down the wrong street.
I have 3 pictures of the gate showing all the hardware from a few angles...thanks to Greg.
We have a special guest in picture # 3. He's one of our summers precious little miracles. I have Game Fowl chickens. He's a little Game Fowl cockerel...about 2 months old...likes to get his picture taken it seems. He's perched there on the top of the gate looking at us.
Kelly
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 16, 2009
08:48 PM Post #6954577
| The views are reversed from the original picture that is up the thread about 5 frames. The lattice is on the outside of the fence facing the gravel. This 2nd gate picture shows the cable stretching and reaching down from the pole to the far end of the gate and the spring for keeping it closed ... plus the the hinges. The cable will prevent the fence from sagging at the end and probably eventually dragging in the gravel. I decided to not use a caster-wheel because of the gravel. 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 16, 2009
08:59 PM Post #6954626
| This is the last picture today. My son thinks we ought to add a lattice on this side to make it look pretty. I'll wait to add another $20...I agree...but I 'll wait. This 3rd picture shows how wide the arbor gate is and how convenient it is. Have a nice Sunday evening. Kelly 
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
digger9083
Dahlonega, GA
August 17, 2009
07:14 AM Post #6955695
| What's to keep the chickens from flying over the fence? Or the little ones from going through the wire ?
we have coyotes here too and I have a horror of one getting my itty bitty dogs , altho I have a chain link fence all around and they are more often outside the fence .
I don't know what Bubba says about the wheel , but It seems more simple to be safe on the gate sagging . Imo . |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
August 17, 2009
09:47 AM Post #6956155
| Take the weekend off and see what happens - wow.
OK, first Gymgirl: The company is advancedhomeexteriors.net.
Photographer: Seems ironic with your handle that all three cameras would be unavailable - lol.
Gate looks good.and that is a great looking cable. Adding another lattice will add weight, too, so maybe it might require a wheel, but since you will be on gravel, it should be a wide one to avoid cutting a grooved path.
|
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 17, 2009
12:08 PM Post #6956782
| Bubba,
The cable is fairly strong. If I were to wager...I'd say its enough. I have an insight advantage (I'm here). The additional lattice would be prettier but I'm more of a utility guy...so pretty can wait. I put 3 extra heavy duty hinges through the pole and onto the frame. The original lattice really ties the frame together. We'll not see any warping. I suspect as long as I keep the cable tight...the load on the wood framing at the point of the hinges is next to nothing...really minimized to about 10% of the stress weight on the frame and 90% can be carried by the cable. At this point...maybe is correct about a caster wheel being needed...a small maybe. In some respects the gate feels lightweight due to the cable. I appreciate your insight as always.
Digger,
The gate is to keep out the hunting coyotes, passing dogs, feral cats & most skunks. Our chickens are Game Fowl...aka Gamecocks. They fly like pheasants and so do the Guinea Fowl. I have a rational and modest concern about their welfare during the daylight when I 'm up and about; that's dawn for me. Coyotes do their greatest harm in the early morning as the poultry are get off their roosts. Over the 7 years we've been here...we've lost maybe 6 Game Fowl chickens and 3 Guinea Fowl to coyotes...all in the early hours. My flock takes close to 30 minutes to meander enough to consider hopping the fence line. My big concern has been the ability of the coyotes to come into the yard at night when we're sleeping to kill the geese or my occasional setting hen and the cottontail rabbits. The 50% of my poultry flock are protected by another fence in the back. Presently...only 3 birds out of 60 are at risk during the night. We've put an end to that potential threat forever with the gate. Now the poultry flock is protected from the occasional stray/marauding dog(s) during the daylight. The poultry are keenly aware that the yard area inside the fence is safe. When danger arrives...they fly back over the fence or if they're on this side already they make noises as the danger walks by. My guineas scream at the top of their voices, my roosters do similar. They'll often head for cover...such as when a hawk or raven flies over. I MUST put a self locking latch on the gate to prevent the wind from pushing it open...& pronto. The last chance opening for the coyotes is...the wind.
BTW...my 10 Game Fowl hens (they're a working flock) have hatched 40 guinea keets and 60 chicks this spring-summer and there are15 more of each to hatch by mid-September.
Kelly
This message was edited Aug 18, 2009 10:04 AM
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
digger9083
Dahlonega, GA
August 17, 2009
02:15 PM Post #6957278
| What color are the guineas " I love a rooster in the morning . Really miss chickens , and yours are pretty . D |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 17, 2009
05:37 PM Post #6958018
| digger,
I have close to 10+ colors of guinea fowl. You ought to be amazed...unless you're a total poultry expert.
Pearl Gray, Royal Purple, Buff, Buff Dundotte, Blonde, Cinnamon, Brown, Chocolate, Lite Lavender, Powder Blue, Porcelain, Slate. 12 keets hatched yesterday in several of these colors.
Here's a picture of my Buff roo. He's fathered 8-9 colors of guinea keets this summer. My Porcelain keet is just 9 weeks old. This keet (if its a roo) can theoretically father about 10 colors (if crossed with the right hens).
Buff is a diluted Tan color. Porcelain is a diluted Blue color. They shed little color influence to their get so having a colorful flock of hens for the roos to cover...is the primary key to hatching multiple colors. I'd been using Royal Purple hens to get the colors. My RP hens have been a mix of Tan & Blue with White often as a 3rd potential genetic influence. As a result my Buff was responsible for shedding a few Blue colors, even more Tan colors and the standard Pearl along with the hen's RP colors. Prior to April...I had just 3 colors for all of the last 6 years. All of a sudden my Buff roo became the Alpha Male in the flock of 8 hens...and bingo...colors galore.
I bought a few dz eggs to get the Chocolate, Brown & Cinnamon keets. I'm hoping to get Violet, Cobalt, Lavender & Bronze later.
Kelly
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
digger9083
Dahlonega, GA
August 17, 2009
05:56 PM Post #6958117
| Good Grief , Aren't those regular guinea s? I didn't know they came in anything but white and dark . Are they the same thing as I had back when ? Do they try to roost in the trees,and you have to have a covered pen to keep them from wandering further from home over time until they just leave ? I had no idea there was such a variety , IF they are the same . digger |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 17, 2009
06:20 PM Post #6958214
| Digger,
My roosters are plentiful now. My roos a renice looking I suppose. I've always thouhgt that most roosters ar enice looking ...no matter what breed. The Game fowl are usually Black Breasted Red...aka BBR...the most common color pattern for all chicken breeds...since they were domesticated. I must have 10 roos between 2 months and 2 yrs old. I'll be selling off or eating all but 4 over the winter.
Yup...same ole regular...normal...Helmeted Guinea Fowl. The "high brow" breeding farms in the USA have developed about 30 colors from the original Pearl Gray. Add in the potential for white with any color (pied) one can theoretically have 60 different colors of guinea fowl in 1 flock. They home if they like the place. They love to wander maybe 1/4 mile at most but if provided a safe roosting place will gladly choose to roost there vs up in a tree. I keep them happy and secure and well fed. I sold off my oldest hens this summer...a group of 5 that were 6 yrs old + 2 others that were 3 yrs old and 2 others that were 2 yrs old. My oldest hens were so old...they were laying just 20 eggs each instead of the 70 each they ought to lay. So I sold them off to unsuspecting buyors (I know that sounds bad). They were all very healthy hens...just old. If any of the buyors were to collect their guinea fowl eggs next spring...they'd be able to 10 times their flocks size with the use of an incubator. The buyors wanted birds to eat ticks and other bugs...nothing else. I told them they were 6 yrs old. Nobody asked about the egg laying habits. Most people do not care. The birds can live to be 10 yrs old but most (90%) die within 4 yrs due to an external reason...they almost never die of old age. I happen to have a VERY safe environment here for guinea fowl. I can guarantee you...my place is safer for guineas than probably 99.999% of guinea fowl owners in the USA.
Kelly
This message was edited Aug 18, 2009 8:59 AM |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 18, 2009
12:14 PM Post #6960954
| Digger,
I found a list of the various Guinea Fowl colors... I have nearly 50% of them now and expect I'll have close to 20 different colors of guineas in my flock by this time next year. Guineas are personable poultry. They are infectious..sorta. They almost have personalities. As they get older...they warm up to specific people.
1) pearl gray
2) royal purple
3) violet
4) copper
5) pastel
6) slate
7) pewter
8) smokey
9) ivory
10) brown
11) chocolate
12) dark chocolate
13) cinnamon
14) blonde
15) walnut
16) buff dundotte
17) dundotte
18) buff
19) almond
20 lavender
21) coral blue
22) sky blue
23) lite lavender
24) lite coral
25) powder blue
26) porcelain
27) opaline
28) crystalline
29) bronze
30) white
+ all of the above with white = pied ... X 30 = roughly 60 and there will be more !
Kelly
This message was edited Aug 29, 2009 6:05 AM |
digger9083
Dahlonega, GA
August 18, 2009
12:51 PM Post #6961082
| I had a few dark ones years ago when I lived on a farm . Never thought much about them , they were just there . Before that , a neighbor had white ones and had dinner for us one time . They were better than chicken . I just kept mine for the bugs around the place . At my age and no more time than I spend at home here in GA , I don't need more pets and that is what I'd have , pets . I thought about a few chickens a few years back , but can't travel with them , and I can't butcher them anymore .
You sound like you are really enjoying your place , The parts of Wa that I've seen is beautiful . Oregon is one of my favorite places too .I remember a snowy winter night going down Snoqualmie with chains , after they opened the highway . Was bobtailing in a mobile home toter . .Beautiful , and the lights from the ski areas were breathless on the mts in the distance . digger |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 18, 2009
03:22 PM Post #6961567
| digger,
We're just 75 miles SE of the ski area at Snoqualmie Pass. I go over to Seattle every few months...try to avoid it in winter of course. It is peaceful here. Today the temps will top out at 95f.
Kelly
This message was edited Aug 20, 2009 12:50 PM |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 20, 2009
05:32 PM Post #6969678
| Well...early this morning I put the new gate locking mechanism in place. Since I used 4" spun posts for the fence and arbor...I had to reinforce the latch post with 2... 6 inch long plates of 2X4's...on each side of the post. The gate latch is attached to the front plate. I've got 4 qty ...8" long bolts running through the front plate and holding the back plate. I'm gonna have to cut a bolt to allow for the gate to fully close. I'm sorta disappointed that I've got roughly $150 invested in the arbor and gate combined. I'm disappointed I spent so much. At least the climbing rose bush on the east side of the arbor is still growing. We lost an identical rose bush facing the west side due to a normal cold dry long winter. Golden Showers is supposed to be hardy to USDA Zone 3 or 4. From now on we're gonna mulch the roses in the winter or even cover them with cardboard boxes as well as mulch. I hate losing plants almost as much as losing one our poultry. After a while they seem like family.
Kelly
Click the image for an enlarged view.
|
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
August 21, 2009
10:15 AM Post #6971956
| That is an industrial strength latch!! |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 21, 2009
12:40 PM Post #6972544
| Bubba,
Yeah; I figure it'll last a while. No sense building it if its gonna blow away next year. When we 1st put up the fence here. I used 6 ft tall fiberglass rods...1/2 inch diameter ... as the posts. The wind came blowing through in February or March of 2005 and just blew the wire right off the the poles. I had begun to reinforce the fence line with the 4" spun poles out in front of the house...but 75% of the 2000 feet of fencing was blown down laying flat or hanging on the poles. It took several days to get it repaired. We started in the corners and worked my way around the perimeter. Once we had the corner poles in...we put poles half way between the corner poles then half way between the middle poles and the corner poles. One of my sons helped too. Digging a 3 ft deep hole by hand is a hell of a lot of exercise. At last count there are more than 50 posts. Close to 25 hours of digging and of course...$6/post plus $1.50/ ft of woven wire X 2000 ft. The fence we've constructed here is not for the faint of heart or pocketbook.
This message was edited Aug 21, 2009 11:31 AM |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
August 29, 2009
09:22 AM Post #7000835
| Bubba,
I have to get going with the 500-600 sq ft deck frame that is to be adjacent to the Carriage House before the weather turns cold... and too miserable for me to work out in the elements in the fall. I have nearly 3 months to get something accomplished.
Sooooo...I have 1/2 inch diameter X 3-6 ft long rods of reebar. I should cut them into reasonably uniform lengths. What do you recommend for cutting the reebar. I have a near new fully functional reciprocating saw made by Porter Cable... the saw-zaw type with metal cutting blades. What do you think? I've been gathering broken concrete pieces to mount or set the poles that will make up the frame onto so the poles do not rot on the ground. I'll be able to tie the poles together with a series of cut steel strips w/ drilled holes and lag bolts. I'll use an auger to drill several holes through each pole for the reebar that I'll simply drive into the ground through several holes in each pole. One way or another...the frame will be solid and dry and level...and nearly free. I'll trim 1-2 inches from the up side of each pole to remove the high spots and have a uniform flat surface to put down the deck boards.
Kelly
This message was edited Aug 29, 2009 4:18 PM |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
August 31, 2009
10:19 AM Post #7008204
| That would work, but I have found that an angle grinder is MUCH faster. When our son left to set up his own shop, he left me a Hitachi 4.5" grinder. Just amazing what I have cut with that tool. I also have several Roto-Zip's - both original and newer (Bosch) built. The cut-off wheels also do a good job, but because the blade is so much thinner it wears down very quickly. I use them mostly for cutting square holes in 2x2 angle iron for strike plates for dead bolts at the restaurant. Harbor freight had angle grinders on sale. The smaller 4.5" was less than $30.
If you are going to use the recip, I recomend getting some Lenox T2 blades. Go to their website, sign up for a free one, and watch the videos.
Another way to cut the rebar is a 7.5" wheel in an old circular saw - When we had our wrought iron fence rebuilt, the welder had a 14" cut off saw - made really fast work of any cut. But I would not go that far. My DW's dad brought an old circular saw and we used a couple of blades to remove 14 fence panels form the posts for the welder to repair and re-hang. Only took a couple of hours to cut them all down. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
September 20, 2009
12:06 AM Post #7083071
| Bubba,
I have a normal electric wheel grinder in the shop. The wheel is about 8 inches diameter. Its close to 50 yrs old but works like new and looks like it will last 100 years. I'll use it to cut the reebar. I've been working on another building...the farm implement shed so we can be more comfortable here. We moved some work related material from the house out to the shop since we'd been selling inventory and got it reduced enough to fill it with the material from the mud room. The archive material was using up the floor of our 400 sq ft mudroom and laundry room adjacent to the kitchen. I got tired of not having adequate space in the house so I covered (filled in) one stall wall of our 4 bay farm implement shed with old t-in-g wood that matches the original exterior of the farm implement shed. I had to move my old mahogany Chris-Craft runabout from the 1st stall to the next stall which is adjacent to the old 56 Ford tractor. The t-in-g wood was on the ground floor of the farm implement building...piled neatly in a stack on the gravel/dirt floor rotting for the last 40 years. The t-in-g wood panels were in lengths of about 16 ft. All I did was tack it up and trim it off and now we have a 300+ sq ft storage room for about 40+ plastic storage boxes...50 gallon containers that had been stacked on top of the metal cabinetry that was moved from the mud room to the shop. I'll hang and tack up a new tarp from the rafter beam and the back wall to keep out the chickens from the isolated stall. Since all we'l store in there will be in large plastic containers...the small amount of dust won't bother a thing. Kelly
Kelly
This message was edited Sep 20, 2009 9:37 AM |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
September 21, 2009
11:11 AM Post #7087445
| Good job.
Now - you will have to show us some pictures of the boat & tractor.
I still remember my first speedboat ride in a beautiful ChrisCraft on Lake Bemidji - I was probably 5 or 6.
And, I have always admired old tractors. Spent many summers working on farms, driving tractors, etc. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
September 21, 2009
02:14 PM Post #7088119
| Bubba,
The tractor has chicken poo on it. I have my Chris-Craft covered with a tarp. The boat is an antique...actually a museum piece...1935 model year...all original. My boat won the Best of Show trophy at the 1999 Clayton Boat Show... up in New York State...along the Saint Lawrence River. That is the largest, oldest and most famous wooden boat show in the US and Canada...actually in the world. I bought it from the guy who won the trophy in 1999. I saw my boat in the magazine cover story. Its a famous little boat actually...a barrelback with butterfly engine hatch and yellow striped calking down the center between the deck bards. It has a runabout trundle seat in the far aft section for holding a tow rope. It is a pleasure craft to the enth degree. Tony Soprano would gush over it. I towed it home to the Lake Tahoe area from near Kingston, ONT where we lived before moving here. Kingston is less than 100 miles from Clayton, NY. My neighbor in Carson City, NV asked me if we were still on speaking terms when I drove in towing the boat. He said the Tahoe crowd who own woodies go up into Carnellian Bay to park their boats and sorta keep to themselves when partying at the lake. If anyone drives by in a boat that is not a woodie they reportedly yell things like...plastic, aluminium ...at them and go on sipping their cognac. He says they're real a snooty crowd. I loved hearing that of course. My bro-in-law just about crapped his pants when I pulled into his driveway with the boat. He talks about it every time he's here oohing and awing over it. Sickening isn't it how some people make a fuss?
Kelly |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
September 21, 2009
02:41 PM Post #7088271
| Chicken poo isn't surprising - I once climbed on an old steel lugged wheel tractor and pretended to drive - when I twisted the steering wheel, the took box attached to the column creaked, and out can a swarm of angry hornets - the @#$%^ got me before I could get away on the bridge of my nose.
The owner (friend of the family - old hermet on The Lake of The Woods) just stepped to the lake and dredged up a handful of bottom muck,and placed it on the sting. Within minutes the pain was gone.
Ii would be fun to watch the hoi-paloi if you tried to launch the boat with that old tractor - wearing a pair of coveralls, a straw hat, and a jug. - LOL. |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
September 21, 2009
10:01 PM Post #7090011
| Bubba,
I've been looking at buying a .5 gal old Albany slip jug..aka...little brown jug. My wife just hates the farmer / hayseed stereotype we're sorta into here. She's the type happiest on the 10 floor of a $400k condo within a minutes distance of the waterfront of Victoria BC. She's into high tea, hair styles, fashions and jewelry.
Kelly |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
September 23, 2009
09:53 AM Post #7095378
| Bubba,
In all my life I've so few times heard the term you just wrote that...until today NEVER knew what it meant..."wealthy masses or "effete rich"" in common terms. It originates from the Greek language to mean the "mass of people" or "majority of people"...practically turned into the opposite of the original Greek. In college I majored in English...ESL actually was intending to teach English and Linguistics to foreigners.
I'll get a photo of the tractor. Its been spray painted gray. My boat has a shiny shellac finish over 90%. It ought to be refinished again. Surface maintenance on the woodies is supposed to be almost annual.
Kelly |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
September 23, 2009
10:15 AM Post #7095483
| My vocabulary isn't what it used to be, but every now and then there is a term or word that conveys exactly what I mean.
I was a Journalism / Political Science double major - and a photographer - wanted to be a While House / Press Corps photographer. Viet-Nam early buildup caught me, so joined USAF. The Air Force trained me as a computer programmer.
Was stationed in the San Antonio, TX area, so checked with the local papers to see if they could use a "cub reporter" for feature articles. The Express News editor was impressed and gave me an assignment. He warned me to simplify my language a bit to meet the SA, TX audience.
I turned in the report and he read it - immediately asked, "Are you trying to write for Atlantic Monthly?"
"No, sir. Just wanted to write a good report."
"Well, over half our audience will need a disctionary to translate what you wrote. We need simpler words and terms".
" I thought I had reduced it to high-school level."
"Try 5th or 6th grade level."
"Sir, I don't think I can. Thank you for your time." |
digger9083
Dahlonega, GA
September 23, 2009
10:52 AM Post #7095607
| Bubba, you'n's shore nuff got us'ses going now . Don't recollect when i ever ben so impressed with high educashun . LOL, I love it !! Served him right and you rock ! digger |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
September 23, 2009
02:31 PM Post #7096422
| digger & Bubba,
I've read from reputable sources that the average educational level of the adult population in the USA ... is ...
drum roll... 8th grade. The catch is most get more education but revert / forget and fall down to the average.
I attended 5 universities and 2 Jr colleges in 4 western states between 1970 and 1986 and collected about 300 hundred semester hours of college credits. I won't go into my career exploits but suffice it to say I work at home and make an average to above average hh living. I've been self employed since 1982...I haven't driven to work since 1979 when I was in my junior yr of college. My wife and I are both at home 24/7. Its fun and life is full in many ways.
Kelly |
Bubba_MoCity
Missouri City, TX
September 23, 2009
02:41 PM Post #7096485
| Funny thing about education - I've used everything a failed or came close to failing, but very little of the courses I breezed through.
Even more amazing to me is all I learned in the north woods from farmers, indians, trappers, and hermets, is more important than ever. I'm exceedingly greatful to my mom and stepdad for my childhood - even though, at the time, thought it was punishment |
digger9083
Dahlonega, GA
September 23, 2009
03:02 PM Post #7096570
|
This message was edited Sep 23, 2009 3:58 PM |
digger9083
Dahlonega, GA
September 23, 2009
03:09 PM Post #7096609
| If I could be or do anything I wanted , I'd be a heathen and live in a cave . Digger |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
September 23, 2009
04:53 PM Post #7096937
| Bubba,
The education I appreciate the most is those things I learned due to my interests...not necessarily the college courses. I slept through a few classes that were in an area that had been my "hobby of interest" for several years prior. I knew as much as the professor...he even stated it in the classroom discussion. In fact that prof was so impressed with what I had "in my experience resume" that he encouraged me to hang out my shingle and go to work for myself...for others as a contractor. I did just that...back in 1982 and haven't worked for anyone else since then. My eldest son is named after that professor...the son who sleeps in the Carriage House.
Kelly |
digger9083
Dahlonega, GA
September 23, 2009
07:55 PM Post #7097432
| There is something magical about the two words , "independent contractor" digger |
Photographer
Moxee, WA
(Zone 4a)
September 23, 2009
08:20 PM Post #7097541
| digger,
I'm not involved in any way...with building construction...my work is all "mental" but it has become natural; ''like water rolling off the back of a duck". Very few are involved in my area of expertise so it has been rather easy to rise up to the top and simple to make a living.
Kelly |
digger9083
Dahlonega, GA
September 23, 2009
09:02 PM Post #7097708
| An independent contractor can be any thing . I was an ins general agent for 36 yrs . that's independent . A shopper is independent . It doesn't have to be related to construction . I owned my own 18 wheeler , and it was leased to a freight co . I also drove ,but it was independent contract . I don't have a clue what you do , but it sounds a little stressful . My ddil and dgs are civil engineers .He was a math major at U T . Dgd is starting medical school and will be a reconstructive surgeon . No thanks , too much control by other people .The title for m dgs is environmental scientist . Both of them, him and his mom, could work as shoppers . I'm more like you and Bubba , smart but independent . LOL. Maybe that should be, smart to be independent . Any way , I think we're all doing what we want to do . digger |
