WALLS BLITZ

MARCH 15, 2010

Frank and I had completed Row 8 last week. I felt very good about this because it meant that we had completed over half of the walls by ourselves. (John had helped us a little one afternoon.) Frank's brother Glenn and brother-in-law Dwight arrived late last Monday to help us with the walls.

They helped us for two rather long days. They determined they wanted to get all the logs up. The logs in the last two or three rows were longer because they did not have windows or doors to go around. Longer means heavier. Their goal was to keep Frank and I from lifting those long, heavier logs by ourselves.

We had decided before they arrived that the best use of all talents would be served by dividing the labor. My job was "prep" work. I checked for and sealed any "leaks" with the Sikaflex caulk, and laid the Butylog that seals the two rows of logs together.

Glenn and Dwight would position and attach the logs to the former row. Frank would come along behind them to seal the log joints, nail each row to the corner posts, and attach the window and door bucks. Dwight actually did the major part of the lag work--driving a 12 inch lag bolt about every two feet into the former row.

Glenn helped Frank find and prepare the logs. Row 12 needed to be cut to fit over the window and door bucks. Row 14 needed notches for the collar ties in the Great Room. Of course, we all helped as needed to keep the job going forward.

Watch our house grow! Rows 9 and 10.

And grow...Rows 11 and 12.

And grow...Rows 13 and 14!!!

Here is our house with the log walls completed! THANKS LOADS, GUYS!!

Dwight and Glenn left Thursday morning. Frank worked on revising the tarps. He strung a rope across the middle of the house, and attached the two tarps to it. Then he made it taper down to the doors--one on each side. He also cut plastic and stapled it to the outside of the window bucks. I began to clean the floor of sawdust, wood chips, and a couple small tools we had missed the night before. When I was not helping Frank, I cleaned where the logs had been stored, gathered and bagged all manner of trash, and sorted logs and wood scraps and put them away. This is how the tarps looked from the inside.

And from the outside. Will they shed the rain?

Friday Frank cleaned and put away all the tools. They are now ready for our next project--the inside walls. Especially the smaller hexagon in the center, which will be our bathroom, needs to be framed in before the roof goes on. Glenn and Dwight enjoyed the work so much, they want to return for Operation Roof. Son Franklyn is coming next month for that project.

Meanwhile, it has been another wet and dreary weekend. We are on hold again--this time with a rain delay. The snow is almost all melted. Maybe tomorrow ????