My plywood was delivered so now the garage is full again:
I ordered 1/2″ plywood for my wall sheathing, 5/8″ T&G plywood for the roof (eliminating the need for plywood clips, plus it was all they had), and the 2x6s for my rafters.
The other day I was out measuring all the gaps between the studs to cut blocking for the plywood. I ended up having to leave before being able to cut anything, and then later I was reading about blocking. I read that you should measure at the bottom or the top; that way a bowed board doesn’t mess you up. So I re-measured all the spaces at the bottom and then cut them all.
I also cut some extra studs to make my California corners and cut all the pieces for the small wall. Then today, I had Dylan and Dan over to help, and Tasha, Jordynn, and Megan were there to watch. 😛
The first thing we did was pick up some 12′ boards with the truck for my ridge board, which I had neglected to order with the plywood. Then we spent most of the day up on ladders. We did a bunch of little things that aren’t very visible. This was when we stopped for supper (after starting at noon):
And at the end of the day:
What we did:
- nailed together the small wall (that goes beside the window seat) and put it in place
- added the angled pieces around the wheel wells and put a few extra nails in a few places
- nailed the corners together (no more clamps!)
- added the extra studs in the corners to create a nailing surface for the interior siding
- started drilling a bolt-sized hole in the trailer to secure the post (but it still needs to be drilled bigger)
- drilled a shallow hole in the bottom of the post to accommodate the the bolt head
- snapped chalk lines for the plywood
- added blocking (except for above the windows)
My mistake: not accounting for the fact that the trimmer studs don’t continue above the windows, so I have a few too-short boards to re-make.
I don’t know how other people manage having friends over to help them with their builds. It’s hard to direct people when you barely know what you’re doing! And unfortunately, a lot of jobs require about one and a half people and lots of patience. There’s one person doing most of the work, while the second person is bored just holding or checking something. But it’d be really difficult to do anything without that person holding or checking!
All in all though, it was a productive day, or at least a day that set us up to have a really productive day later. 😛
Next up:
- cutting and adding in the missing blocking
- finishing the bolt hole and attaching the post
- making a perfect rafter to use as a template
- putting up the ridge board
- making a couple dozen rafters
- bracing the frame so it’s 100% square when the plywood goes up
- cutting and putting up plywood!
I have all the plywood planned out, and one thing I had to research was how to close the gap between the top of the wall and the top of the rafters because I have a 6″ overhang. A lot of buildings have to leave a gap for ventilation, which I don’t need because I’m using spray foam. Other buildings don’t show what they’ve done. Many tiny houses don’t have an overhang at all. It was difficult to find information on. One suggestion was to fill the gaps with blocking, but that would mean I’d have to buy 2x6s or even 2x8s to fill the 5.5″ gap plus the angle. Then there’s the question of whether or not to notch out your plywood to fit up between the rafters to fill that space. My plan so far is to notch my plywood, then decide if I need some size blocking for support. If I decide to leave the ends of the rafters exposed, then I’ll have a flat surface to continue my siding onto between the rafters, and if I decide to cover the bottom of the rafters, then the plywood will stop the spray foam from getting into the sealed off overhang.
Notes: Nail guns are heavy, the more ladders the better, and metal takes ages to drill into! Also, I’m a regular at the building supply store now.
Thanks for the help and patience, lovelies, and remember, I’m making it up as I go along!
Lovely Little Dream 