8.5.2017

Jim got more insulation in the wood shop done this morning - including organizing all the wires for the security light in the corner.

 

Wow - this whole living room wall is insulated! 

More insulation in the bathroom too - it's very different not being able to see into the other room now!

This was a day for details with the siding - Jim is cutting the weird shaped piece to go around the flashing and overhang.

Making sure it fits.  Then I primed it - Jim wants it to sit up really well since it is a key piece.  We'll get it painted tomorrow morning.

Once Jim had the first piece figured out, he was able to figure out the next rows.  I got these primed too and Jim will paint them in the morning.

 

This always makes me smile...Jim doesn't just go down the scaffolding, he swings down each time!  Not sure where he gets his energy!

Next was putting up the hip shingles...

 

 

Pretty much everything that could be done on the right side is done so Jim made the copper flashing for the left side.  It's different because it's so close to the edge of the overhang and trim. 

The flashing needed to cool down so we moved to the next task - taking down the roof jacks on the roof by the dormer wall!  Jim double-checked that all the painting was done and then he started removing roof jacks.

He's throwing down the planks as he takes them off (top middle of the picture)...

A big thumbs up to having this roof and wall section done!

While he was up on the scaffolding, he figured he would lower the side scaffolding down so that he could finish up some touch up painting.  Not an easy job - he had to get the platform from the stairwell scaffolding and move all the heavy planks out of the way.

Moving the pieces down...

Whew...all done and putting the plank back on.

While he was working on the scaffolding, he decided to weld the pins into the top of the safety posts - he's been wanting to do that for awhile because the pins were kind of wobbly.  It's so nice that he can just plug in the welder and do what he needs to!

End-of-the-day picture...clean roof and more roof shingles on the overhang!

High 74/Low 53 - gorgeous!

 

 

8.4.2017

Jim worked on more insulation this morning in the wood shop...

 



Then continued working on the living room wall...

At lunchtime, he went to the plumbing supply company.  He got some duct work he was looking for to use for the dryer, but they didn't have the quality vent for the outside that he was looking for.  He'll have to order that online.

It was a very strange weather afternoon.  Mid-afternoon, we were surrounded by thunder and kept getting weather alerts on the phone, but the mountains kept everything from us except for a couple sprinkles.

With the scaffolding moved over, Jim started working on the side of the roof...

He had to come up with a diverter for the flashing - he experimented with the aluminum before making it in copper...

Trying it out...

Happy with the fit, it was time to solder the joints...

And then attach it...

Jim needed half pieces of siding to start rows - after he cuts the shingle, he distresses the edges a bit.

Putting up the step flashing...

Making good progress...

Jim had some pieces of step flashing already made, but he had to make some more.

Putting up the last piece...

We got the hip shingles out but about this time it sounded like the thunder was getting even closer.  Being up on a metal platform is not a good idea, so we called it a day on the outside work - although it never really rained!

So Jim went back upstairs and started working on more insulation in the living room.

At the very top of these cavities, where the box beam is, there's a little gap so Jim fills that area in with some fiberglass...

Then he puts the more dense fiberglass on top because it backs up to the attic space.

High 81/Low 65

8.3.2017 - Rough plumbing and electric done!

Jim works hard everyday but some days are more taxing than others - this was one of those days.  Jim started working this morning on the insulation in the wood shop.  He had one smaller cavity to fill on the back wall - which requires lots of cutting of long pieces - but then the next piece was behind the steel for the bathroom wall.

 

 

This is the view from inside the bathroom - you can barely see through to the cavity.  Jim had to try and wrestle the insulation batt inside that little tiny hole and then to fill up the cavity!  It took him over an hour to do just that piece!

 

 

 

Another look...

 

 

He got the bottom pieces started in the bathroom...

 

 

Jim then got the Pex cut and the copper pipe all mounted for the urinal.  This completes the last of the rough plumbing!  We are now ready for inspection and testing!

 

 

So after all that wrestling with insulation on a hot day, Jim then headed up to the attic where it was really hot which made being coated with fiberglass even more of a joy.  Plus, since we had already started putting stuff up in the attic, he know had to work around all of that.  Jim said he was just drenched in sweat when he got finished.   But he got all of the wiring done for the switch so that we can now turn on the attic light from the master bedroom.  And that job now completes all of the rough electric work!

In the afternoon, it was time to head back outside and finish the few siding details underneath the overhang.

Putting the last siding pieces on the other side....

 

With the siding done underneath the overhang, it's time to focus on the roof!  We dragged the scaffolding over in front of the doors and got it all leveled.  Then Jim started marking studs and placement lines.

We had to switch gears and get reacquainted with our stash of roofing shingles.  Jim putting up the first starter piece...

Making progress...

Making all these cuts is so much easier with the shear.  We marveled that Jim had to do the entire roof using his saw to cut all of the shingles!  Now, Jim can even mark pieces and hand them off to me to cut on the shear.

End-of-the-day picture - front is all shingled!  After this picture, we moved the scaffolding over so that Jim can work on the side piece as well as the siding.

 

As if that wasn't enough work for one day, Jim had to spend time cutting grass at the end of the day. 

High 82/Low 63

 

 

8.2.2017

Jim put up the other recessed light box underneath the overhang today...

 



 

Then he continued on with the insulation work.  He got over to the bathroom wall in the wood shop...

 

 

He got more bathroom insulation done also...

 

 

He's doing this wall because part of the upper section is considered an outside wall and the inspector may want it completed.  It's very different now that you can't see into the living room from the corner of the bathroom!  

 

 

He also got the rest of the top wall insulation done in the living room...

 

 

After he got the electric outlet redone yesterday, he was then able to put insulation in that area.

 

 

We had a storm blow through in the afternoon - it hit harder where the apartment is and not too much at the carriage house, even though they are only a few miles apart.  So no outside work today, but Jim continued to press on finishing up some details.  

 

Some of the parts that came yesterday enabled him to work on the plumbing for the urinal.  He had to solder pieces of copper fittings together...

 

Then he attached it to the Pex and tested it.  Everything seems good to go so Jim will connect everything up tomorrow and put it in place.

The other electric work that Jim wanted to do involves the attic light.  As it is wired now, the switch for all the lights is up in the attic.  However, it would be very easy to leave the light on that way and you would never know about it until you went up again.  So he decided that he wanted to change the switch to be in the master bedroom with a light on the switch so you would know if the light was on or off.  Good plan but that requires a ton of work.  First Jim removed the old switch...

Then he had to get up in the attic and drill new holes through the steel to feed new wire through.  As you can see, there is no room to work.  Jim has his back pressed up against the sheathing and all the roofing nails while he tries to drill these holes.

He finally got the holes drilled and the grommets in place.  The next step was to run wire to the first attic light...

Then he brought the wire back, fastening it down along the way.  Running the wire is usually one of the hardest jobs - tomorrow he'll work on rewiring the boxes.  A lot of work but it will be a much nicer setup when it's all done.

 

High 81/Low 61

8.1.2017

How did it get to be August already?  Really hard to believe.  It was kind of a different day - we were expecting a bunch of deliveries at the apartment today.  Unfortunately, we have a new UPS man who doesn't bring our packages up the stairs - he leaves them right at the bottom, which is right in the small lobby we share with the dentist.  So there are lots of people coming in and out on the days he works.  These were some high-dollar items that we were uncomfortable leaving to chance.  Sometimes the UPS guy shows up in the morning and other times it's in the afternoon.  So I stayed home to be on package watch - and the packages didn't show up until almost 5:00!

It worked out well because Jim did insulation work for a good chunk of the day and I got some fire school work caught up.  It was a warm day for insulation work though so I felt bad thinking about Jim working on it!

Besides insulation, Jim did some electric work too - there are a couple places in the apartment that he's decided to do things a little different.  One of those is the outlet underneath the sink.  He has decided that there will be a baseboard heating unit there and he wanted to be able to plug it in along with the garbage disposal.  So he got that all switched out.

Back outside later in the afternoon, Jim spent his time working out details on the siding where it meets the overhang area.  This is just an example of one of the strange pieces of siding he had to cut!

Doing all the cuts and fitting the siding right up to the overhang...

This is a picture with that crazy J-shaped piece of siding installed.  He just has one more little piece of siding to put on and this side will be done up to the overhang!

The other side is just about done too...just a couple more little pieces.

While he was waiting for some pieces to dry before he could install them, he put up one of the recessed light fixtures underneath the overhang.

High 82/Low 60