Sealed Up and a Look Back

Truth be told, since I work and travel, my husband is the main builder in our project since he is a teacher with summers off. His biggest source of advice and sweat equity has been his dad and my dad who have spent 6-day weeks of 12-hour days working over the past month.  I come in when critical decisions need to be made, food needs to be planned and prepared (after work), and to take a turn once or twice with the nail gun just because it is fun.  I do however have some vacation time planned and I hope to get my hands dirty.

In one month's time (exactly July 1st through Aug 1st), we went from a hole in the ground to walls, a dried-in roof, interior rooms framed and a 2nd floor. Pretty good for a music teacher, a retired computer programmer and a retired GM employee (with some help along the way -- notably a long weekend of sweaty work from my husband's brother).

After the work whistle sounded tonight,  I asked my husband and his dad for building advice at this point in the project.  Here is what they said:

Framing a house: advice to would-be DIY Home Builders from actual DIY Home Builders

• Buy the full set of plans including studding and floor joist lay outs.  Though it has been fun and satisfying to save $400 AND research and figure things out ourselves.....what you'll lose in engaging post-work-day discussions you'll more than gain in saved time and avoided frustration
• Have the right tools, know when to use them and use them when you should.  Example: much rejoicing in the efficiency of a power planer (and apparently it smells really great)
• There's no substitute for a power nailer.  Napoleon said "I can give you anything but time" .  Power nailers give you days worth of time (and save your forearms and thumbs)
• Tool belt -- you have to wear one....or make sure someone working with you has a well-stocked tool belt so you can drive them crazy by asking them for things.  Tool belt should include:  hammer, fasteners, tape measure, pencil, razor blade knife.
• Do not buy tape measures at garage sales.
• Buy half-inch wall sheathing.  Trying to save a little $ on 7/16th sheathing means you have to calibrate to the order of 16ths of an inch constantly during the framing.  Much more challenging than half-inch.
• Feed your workers well and take water breaks.  This build typically turned out to be 12 hour work days.  Labor of love for sure, but even the most passionate workers need to conserve energy.
• Ask good questions to the right people (and listen to the answers). Some of the best advice we got came from the building inspector and random builders who we came into contact with.  
• Save roof work for days that aren't windy
• Roofs are tough. The steeper the tougher. And scarier.  Our roof is a 9-12 pitch, which I have come to learn is pretty darn steep.
• Handle OSB with gloves
• Learn to use your simple tools effectively.  Everyone gets how to use a hammer, but using it well is a different story. There's something zen-like about hitting a nail once and watching it disappear into the wood. 
• Invest in good tools. You'll have them forever and they won't let you down.
• Don't assume anything on the roof is nailed down. Always check.  My husband learned this the hard way when he stepped on a sheet and it slid off the roof.  He caught himself on the edge of the roof, his body dangling below until we could get a ladder under him.
• Take pictures of your project along the way and take the time to stand back and appreciate the progress you have made. Allow yourself to be proud of what you have done and appreciate it without getting bogged down in what you have left to do. You're building a house.   That's pretty amazing. Enjoy it.

And on that note....




Floor joists



We had lots of help on the sub floor the weekend of the 4th of July
(this picture makes me laugh)

The first wall -- Quite a view!

Wall Sheathing

Starting to figure out the rafters

More rafters (scaffolding in the middle) This is really up there!

This view will never exist again



Starting to look like a house!

Rafters are done and roof sheathing going on. 

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Interior rooms framing

Finally, a water-tight roof.  No more worry about rain ruining the sub flooring!

We hope to get windows and siding up and the roofing on before the snow flies. In the meantime -- onward to windows, siding and all the interior fun!

I still can't believe this is actually happening. 

Thanks for reading.
Sarah