not quite a timber frame

[Jim_Rogers]

Lj:
A tip about pictures. When you have a picture/photo uploaded from your camera to your computer, review them there first. While in Windows Picture and fax viewer, rotate the picture using their rotate controls to make up to the top. Then when you close that viewer the picture will remain up. Then upload them to your gallery and when you post them the up side should be up.
If you're not using Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, then rotate them in your photo software, before uploading to your gallery.
Also, a space between photo insertion tags in your post helps. It makes the photos separate from each other and less confusing.
Thanks for all your great posts on this subject.
Jim Rogers

[ljmathias]

Thanks, Jim- I think I figured most of this on the fly, and the more recent pics conform, don't they?  I'll make sure I do them this way...

Lj

[jamesamd]

Looking great LJ  8)

[ljmathias]

Thanks, James and Jim: appreciate the feedback and help.

No, WDH, my county is just now entering the effort of oversight and regulation of individual home construction.  In the city, of course, they follow the international codes, but out here, it's been slow coming, thankfully.  Well, I say thankfully, but it comes down to the problem of free markets and capitalism: if we let the business owners (small contractors in Mississippi) work without rules and oversight, they build shoddy houses which stick their new owners with high energy bills, continued fixes and upkeep and not-very-pleasant homes to live in.  The cost for this are the new regulations that are being implemented, which hurts the rest of us (vast majority) who do build according to code.  Like any law, it is a result of and aimed at the few law-breakers who would probably ignore it anyway and still build crappy stuff till they got caught.  Oh, well, not my call;  I just focus on today's needs and keep plugging away...  like having to pay Uncle Sam a huge tax bill this year: ouch!

Made great progress yesterday on lay out of framing and getting lumber in place- I'll update later today after I retrieve my camera which I foolishly left laying on the slab yesterday evening.  Had planned to go back and finish up a few things but what with grandkids to play with and boy scouts to go to with the eldest grandson, ran out of time... again.  Seems to happen more and more these days: running out of time and money.  >:( :D

Lj

[submarinesailor]

like having to pay Uncle Sam a huge tax bill this year: ouch!

running out of time and money.  >:( :D

Lj

Lj,

I truely know the feeling........no time, no money and too large of tax payments.

Bruce

[WDH]

Better to run out of money that out of time, in the ultimate sense .

[ljmathias]

WDH: right about that for sure- at least I'd rather pay taxes than not be ever needing to again...  :(

Another lesson learned: 2X6 walls are darned heavy, especially when made with lumber that's only partially dry (air drying but not long enough).  Also, not to do heavy lifting of awkward stuff alone, unless you think it through real carefully.  Tried hooking the first section of exterior wall to the FEL using a couple of screws and straps- didn't take into account the breaking strength of the screws: strong but brittle, and they just snap off when they've had enough.  Nails will at least go gracefully, bending before the give up the ghost.  Oh, well, here's the story: started to pick up the poorly supported wall section when the screw snapped and the whole section fell onto my favorite impact driver: picture below.  Lesson learned: don't leave valuable tools where heavy stuff can fall on them!  :-\ :'(
Oh, and the section somehow fell wrong (is there a right way to fall? if you're made mostly of wood?), and cracked both the sill plate and the top plate- second picture.  Finally, carefully, got the wall up and partially bolted down and braced, then screwed the broken pieces back together and tightened down the anchor bolt nuts.  Stupid!  But then, we all do stupid things, it's just how often and what the consequences are that matter.







Anyway, continued with layout, drawing placement for studs, windows and doors as in the picture below.  Got the second section built and used the FEL very, very carefully this time, with two tie-down straps to stabilize and lift it into place over a vent pipe set in the wall floor.  Next picture shows Jessie after she helped with this-- amazing how an extra pair of hands to stabilize and guide make all the difference in the world.  Picture after shows her tightening down the anchor bolts.  











Somehow in the course of getting 2X4 studs for the interior walls cut, I realized that this wasn't a productive use of my time, and since time is money, I went to Lowe's and spent some of each: came home with a load of lumber that thrilled the daughter but I have to admit is not the color I'd have picked for framing lumber:



This stuff creeps into your work and starts to turn every thing the same- weird hybrid structures starting to develop that I will forever deny ever existed inside the walls of the finished house; all the more reason to finish quick before any of the subcontractors start work.







Help!  I've been infected by commercial lumber!  Well, so much for hysteria; at least the pace has picked up some, now that I'm not back and forth to mill just to make some 2X4's.  Still making all the 2X6's though which means at least every other day pulling boards from the drying stack, putting them back on the mill and trimming down to 5 1/2" in width so they fit PT sill plates.  At least it lets me make sawdust on a regular basis, and that helps.  I have to admit, though, that framing is my favorite part of building: laying out the walls on the slab with all the key components in place (like doors- it really helps to have doors in your finished house), laying out the sill and top plates, nailing and screwing everything together and then raising and bracing.  It's especially satisfying when you start putting in the interior walls that intersect the outer ones- that's when you find out if your slab really is straight and square and your first sections were put together flat and square on the slab so they rose up into place just right.  I barely needed the level for the last few sections shown above (just joking: a level is absolutely the single most important tool at this stage, other than safe work habits and a partially functional brain of some kind... in short supply around here, it seems, at least until the daughter shows up).

Lj

[submarinesailor]

Lj,

I just gotta ask;  what's the pink for?  Mold and mildew treatment?

Bruce

[WDH]

I think that they are Martha Stewart Designer 2x6's  :D.

[Buck]

Temple Inland uses dye on studs. Kinda separates them from the pack. That and the wagonwheel T logo are their mark around here.

[ljmathias]

Actually, the pink color was not my idea- these are store-bought 2X4's that I couldn't make for the price they sell them at... Martha may have been involved, who knows? Or maybe "American Idol Wood" or "Dancing with Star Lumber" or ... well enough foolishness, back to work. 

Lj

[beenthere]

Often a die is used to cover some off-color of the wood. May have blue stain (which doesn't affect the strength) or be a species that has a different tone to it that the customer may not be familiar with. So they die them to make them all look the same. Now why they'd pick pink..... : : :

[ljmathias]

Pink was chosen to allow those of who are secure in our manhood to allow those that aren't to think otherwise... what?     Shoot, I don't know, maybe the owner of the lumber company has a wife who likes pink, or maybe the owner IS the wife...  only thing that matters is: are the straight and strong, and they seem to be for the most part.

Lj

[beenthere]

Pink was chosen to allow those of who are secure in our manhood to allow those that aren't to think otherwise... what?     ............

Yeah, riiight!!  ;D    :D :D
Get it covered up quick a'fore the subc's come, like you said. ;)   

[ljmathias]

Back to business of framing.  But to frame you have to have lumber, and I'm basically cutting as we go, so it was back to the sawmill this morning to clean up some 2X6's and 2X4's.  Didn't realize I had any more 2X4's buried in the stack but did so loaded the FEL half with those and half with the 2X6's, took them to the mill (30' away), stacked all the same width on (MOL the same, which is why I'm trimming them), and cut them to exact dimension lumber dimensions.  Did two FEL loads which was enough to finish the east wall.  First three pictures below are 2X6's before, during and after trimming.  








Next two pictures below show the rest of the days work: building two sections of the east wall and getting them up.  Getting better at double checking my work- had forgotten to put a "nailer" in next to the wall stud for the interior wall of the bedroom- needed to tie the ends of the interior siding or drywall to something at the soon-to-be interior corner.  Trimmed up the window on this wall as we don't need it as a temporary "door" as in the north wall- left both windows there without the bottom sills and cripples so we could freely go in and out with lumber and stuff.    Having learned my lesson on dropping walls that break things, I used the FEL very carefully to pull the longest section upright onto 2X4's that were laid inside the anchor bolts.  This gave the sill plate something to push against to distribute the load so I didn't accidently bend one of them over- don't ask.   >:(

Working alone requires some dexterity and speed- daughter and grandson were tied up moving- even with a FEL to help.  Got the longest section upright and then couldn't get the 2X4 out from under so it could drop down on the bolts.  Took some back and forth finangling with one hand on a pick (good lifting leverage) or hammer, holding it upright with the other hand while I pull the 2X4 out with the other.  Oh, wait, that's three hands, which means I had use my feet which looked really crazy- me trying to hold the wall up and balanced and jump-pulling the board out.  Oh, well, looking crazy goes with the territory here- finally got it out, the section dropped down, anchor nuts on and everything leveled up with a brace.  Then nailed and screwed the connecting studs together to join it firmly to the section already standing.  

Whew!  Couple of times I almost lost it, which is why you need to be fast- drop the pick, pull it back upright just before it goes over, and try again.  Lots of sweat on this one, but finally got it lined up pretty good.  Pulled the next section over and hoisted it into place, using the FEL to lean against while I did some trim work on the sill plate so it would fall into place and line up right.  Then another brace, more nails and screws to tie it to the section just put up, and that wall is framed!  Laid out the walls for the master bedroom closet, the doorway wall into the master bath, and it started to thunder, then drizzle.  Figure this was a good time to quit for a cup of coffee so put all the tools in the truck cab- waterproof storage at its best!  Just made it back to the house when it cut loose pretty good, the wife came in from shopping, so we discussed plans for the Thursday service at the church, and here I am, finished for the day whether I want to be or not.





Things are going slower than I'd hoped.  Had coffee with daughter last evening at the bookstore- after church tradition with us: we have dinner at the church, then the grandkids that are there play with the other kids on the playground, then we go recover over coffee.  Sometimes it's important just to reflect and plan, which made us realize that we won't be ready for trusses for a couple of weeks- business trip next week, then making a timber bent to support the loft floor and trusses at the ceiling, finish the rest of the framing.  Well, at least things are going even if not as fast as we'd like... and the house is beginning to look more and more like a real house!  Daughter is super excited and spends a few minutes each time she comes to help just looking at how everything is laid out and fitting together- dreaming is half the fun.  

Lj

[WDH]

Nothing is as exciting as building your own house. 

[Raider Bill]

Nothing is as exciting as building your own house. 

I agree Danny!

[PC-Urban-Sawyer]

Nothing is as exciting as building your own house. 

I agree Danny!

Well, I don't know about you guys, but I can think of one thing that's usually more exciting than building your own house.  No further details because this is a family content site...

Herb

[ljmathias]

Finally had a full day to work, and got a whole bunch done.  Daughter was tied up showing her house and getting stuff boxed up and moved out, so I worked alone most of the day... until almost supper time when I got the helped needed to raise the walls.  So, last picture last post showed east wall of the Master Bedroom.  Today, first thing I managed to knock out the corner closet- not what I would have built but it was in the plans and Jessie liked it, so there it is.  Had to build the first of three sections for the south exterior wall first, then tied the closet frame to this and to the east exterior wall put up before:




This picture also illustrates why having a sawmill in your toolbox is so handy.  In the past, I've cobbled together door and window headers using store-bought dimension lumber, which works alright if you don't mind using mixed thicknesses.  This time I cut a log from my hoard into  8 1/4" wide planks (picture below), and then used these as the main uprights for the headers.  This width allowed me to cut top and bottom plates from 2X4 r 2X6 stock; all four pieces ready to assemble below.  Never seen 2X9 dimension lumber for sale, but it would probably be "shrunk down" to about the size needed here.





Nail on the two studs, one on each side, then the two jack studs (support studs inside of these butting up to the header, and you've got the window roughed in.  Of course, if not going to use this window as a temporary door, it's best to go ahead and put in the window support plate plus the cripples to support- you can see this assembly installed in several of the pictures here.

Spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon building the two sections left for the south wall.  I would do the door differently next time, locking it into the middle of a section rather than at one edge.  Oh, well, six inch walls are a whole lot different to frame ups than typical 2X4 stick frame walls- harder to assemble and much harder to raise, set with a level and make perfect.... well, as perfect as I'm able to. :D

Around 5, Jessie and Josh (2nd son, the plumber) answered my call for help and showed up to assist in raising wall sections to heavy for me alone.  We made a startling discovery that answers a question raised here- why pink lumber from the big box store?  Turns out it matches my daughter's toe nail polish perfectly, meaning that either the manager of the sawmill making this lumber uses this particular brand and color, or his wife does, whichever.  Second picture shows Josh figuring how the best way to lift and raise a really heavy 16' section of south wall.  The three of us finally got it up, braced both ways and anchored with bolts and nuts.  Then fit in the door section I'd built earlier, trimmed the top plate for a better fit, and tied the two together.  Then slid in the last section of the west wall of the master bedroom. 








By a little after six, I'd nailed these all together, picked up the tools and put them in the cab of the truck in preparation for an 11 day absence from the work site, and moseyed uphill to the house for dinner.  At this point, I was tired, but didn't realize how tired till I took a quick shower, ate supper and tried to get up to help with the dishes- couldn't move.  Remember the scary TV ad some time ago, "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up!"  ?  Well, I didn't have the strength to move at all and ended up sitting over dirty dishes for a few minutes, willing my arms and legs to move and hoping I didn't just fall off the chair and lay on the floor, crying out like that old woman in the ad...

Too tired now for any more but I'll catch up tomorrow.

Lj

[Raider Bill]

Nothing is as exciting as building your own house. 

I agree Danny!

Well, I don't know about you guys, but I can think of one thing that's usually more exciting than building your own house.  No further details because this is a family content site...

Herb

In my case the houses stick around longer, are cheaper and are way more reliable. ;D ;) :D

[submarinesailor]

OK Lj, its been 13 days and I'm in bad need of a fix here. :-\ ;D :  I need my daily dosage of " not quite a frame frame". :D

Just kidding - hope the business trip went will.  Off to Chicago : next week myself for GasMart, trade show for the gas industry.

But I still need my daily dosage......................  : : : : : : : :;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Bruce

[WDH]

He is probably out looking for some pink or mauve sheathing to go with the 2x4's  :D.

[jamesamd]

Lj,We know thats Your foot in the flip-flop,but We don't make judgements,here.............












Men ,have to do what,what they ,got to do :D
Jim

[ljmathias]

Finally made it back to the US- was in South Africa when bin Laden was taken out and strange to not be at home when that happened.  Oh, well...

Did find some beautiful chartreuse siding but it doesn't go well with the framing lumber so I guess I'll have to keep looking.  And I haven't worn flip-flops in years, and it amazes me the places you see people with them on, like on international flights and airports- what if there was an emergency and you had to actually run somewhere? Or someone dropped something really heavy on your foot?  Getting more and more into the Boy Scouts, so getting the "Be Prepared!" hammered in at every weekly meeting is starting to take hold.

Hope to do a bunch of work this weekend, from finishing up the framing to getting some sheathing up to lock in the square on the frame to starting the actual timber framed support holding up the loft floor and trusses.  Wow, am I ever ready to be back at it!

Lj

[ljmathias]

Well, I'm back in business, or at least trying to be... been at it for two days and results are really starting to show.  In fact, today we (Jessie was helping) almost finished up all the first floor interior room framing. Pictures below are of the master bedroom closet (may have shown this from a different angle), the master bath with the head wall up to house the plumbing and separate it from the commode, and the pantry.  The last was a late addition- seems a lot of you work from napkins at an early stage- I actually bought a set of plans for this house and while the basic footprint has stayed constant, lots of details have gotten shifted or modified.  Worked yesterday till 4 or so, and Jessie came over to decide on location for kitchen windows.  We went through the whole house in an hour or so, visualizing where everything would be and ended up making some changes, which is always good to do before you actually build it...  I know from experience how that goes, and if someone was paying for this, those "change orders" would be worth a bundle. :D  Anyway, the pantry came into existence when we realized there was this beautiful empty wall and space next to the back door- we'd eliminated the double doors- couldn't see them working for this family- and substituted a 36" regular exterior which gave us an extra 3' to play with, hence the built in pantry.







So now to sheathing, and I know, the exterior walls aren't all up yet!  Well, knowing that lots of framers use plywood or OSB sheathing at corners to lock in square, I figured I might as well go ahead and start that process since I can that by myself- can't lift the 2X6 exterior frames into place alone, unless I'm willing to risk damage to myself and the frame.  Bought enough OSB to do the first floor exterior and went to work.  Two things that are really great: hurriquake nails, a battery powered large caliber glue gun, and glue, of course (sure, that's three things, but who's counting?).  So first thing I do is gently pound three nails at the junction of the sill plate and the foundation- these hold the sheet of OSB up so I can nail it in place with the fantastic hurriquake nails.



Then I use this battery powered glue gun, it's a real hand and arm-saver: .  I don't know if any other companies make any like this or not; I got this baby with a bag full of other stuff (which I seldom use) on special from Rigid.  I bought the whole set so I could get this glue gun, which is fantastic- hang on to the ladder with one hand, reach out and slobber some glue on the frame for the next 4X8' sheet of OSB, move the ladder and finish the bottom half.  Where it really shines is on roof sheathing, where I have to hang on with one hand (fear of heights) while I apply the glue.  So the second picture below shows how artistically I make this glue application.  Can't say it was all my fault though- summer heat is here and the 90 F temp made the glue run like honey...  :(





Oh, and here's a blurry picture (sorry) of the hurriquake nails.  These won a Popular Mechanic's best in class award a while back- they've been tested on pull out and it takes 3 times as much force to pull these as regular galvanized and maybe twice as much as ring-shank.  They're a little more pricey, but I can tell you from changing the garage into a boys bedroom on the last house- the nails don't come out without a huge amount of effort.  Couple that with the glue, which stops the initial movement that loosens regular nails, and you have enormously stronger sheathing.  This is important because with stick framing, the sheathing works in conjunction with the mostly inadequate 2X4 stud walls to really strengthen the envelope of the house- it's the combination that works so well, and the "glue and screw" method of hanging the sheathing makes it even better.  Ok, so it's not really "screwed in" but it's close and it's fast with a good nail gun.  Since the picture's so bad, here's what these nails have: part spiral shaft, part ring-shank, and the two together make strong joints.  Someone else (can't find the reference) did a study on "glue and screw" vs just nails on the exterior sheathing: four times stronger in racking (if I remember the numbers right, which I may not have... >:(  )



And now pictures of the sheathing up- first two pieces, then the whole east wall.  As I got to the low end of the slope, on the south part of the wall, I was lifting almost three feet up in the air to get the sheets onto the nails and lined up with the last piece- but then, you do what you gotta do to get 'er done.  I've often heard it said "what doesn't kill me makes me stronger."  Well, folks, I ain't getting any stronger so I'm not sure what the outcome will be here...





And just to show that I am learning from all this, here's a view down the east wall which is actually as flat and square as it looks.  Used the old trick of running a string from one corner to the other and pulling the wall in or out as needed, then putting the top plate on and nailing it in place.



Well, got to go- time for Scouts and the grandson is getting anxious- he had two teeth pulled today to allow braces to work their wonders, and his antics under laughing gas were really laughable- daughter did a terrible thing and recorded most of it on her cell phone- strange what that stuff can do to you, maybe why I hate drugs so much.  More later...

Lj