7.26.2016

Sifting sand for the first batch of mortar...

First batch ready to go!

Working along the front and going up another step...

We just have a few block to finish on the front so Jim is doing a few of those at a time too.

Working across the back...

Up another step!

Jointing the front...

After the first batch and lunch, time to get ready for the next batch.  Jim had to bring up another cube of bricks - this is our 8th cube!

Putting up brick ties...

Drilling into the concrete for earthquake ties in the back...

Time for the second batch of mortar...

Another course in the front...

Putting up a few block - not the easiest working conditions now...on a hill, underneath scaffolding, no flat surface for the mortar board.

Putting up another brick behind the auto bay roof is quite the challenge!

Working along the back...

Jointing the front...we're getting a lot of brick on the front now!

Jointing the back...

Final clean up...

 

Jim worked on cutting more brick at the end of the day.  The very last course of bricks on the back wall will need 5/8" cut off the height of each brick so that Jim has enough room to get the mortar bed and the brick up in place underneath the pour stop.  That's going to be very tedious to cut all those.

 

High 83/Low 59

 

7.25.2016

We had pretty much decided yesterday that today would be a self-imposed rain day.  The forecast looked slightly iffy for the possibility of a shower so we decided no brick work.  Sometimes you just need to catch up!

Jim spent time doing a lot of prep work for our next round of brick work - this next course in the front required a lot of earthquake ties.  The next row in the back needed a lot too.  Plus he got all the marking done for the next few courses.

Jim brought up a couple more bucketsful of sand and then spent awhile cutting more bricks.

After lunch, we moved the boards I painted the other day upstairs and then I painted the last 5 trim boards!  Jim is anxious to do some rearranging downstairs so it will be good to get all of these long boards out of the way.

In the afternoon, Jim worked on making the next stair run.  This run is actually going downstairs.  Jim used an old piece of plywood to make a template to make sure he was happy with the run and rise of the stairs to make sure there was adequate headroom.

He was happy with the design, so he got busy making the stringers out of steel.  He has some of the clip angles on - but the good part is that he has all of the tread clip angles made already.

 

We had a brief passing sprinkle but it was still good to have our own rain day.  As much as Jim wants to continue doing the brick work, there are a lot of other jobs he wants to do too! 

 

High 81/Low 64

 

7.24.2016

Not too much prep work to be done this morning - Jim had to do a little marking.

Then we were ready for mortar!

Working on the front...

Up another step in the front!

Jim fitting another brick behind the auto bay roof...quite the challenge!

Going up another step in the back...

Jim jointing in the front....

Then we finished up the batch of mortar on the next row in the back...

The west side looks so amazing all bricked!

After a late lunch, we did a little more membrane work on the front.

Then Jim got the rest of the fascia backing on the overhang as well as the hip piece made and installed.  Almost ready for sheathing!

 

High 84/Low 55

 

7.23.2016

Jim did some more prep work on the front - put membrane over the exposed block so we are good to go for the next 4 or 5 courses.

Jim wanted to check to make sure the bricks were level across the man door opening...

Can't get any better than that!

He also took all the sawhorse scaffolding down from the side of the building and rebuilt it all up in the back.  So except for the very end, this should do it for this side!

Time to make the mortar!

Putting another course of bricks on the front...

Now that the scaffolding is gone, Jim can bring the Bobcat with the mortar box back in the back!

Finishing up the last course of half bricks on back of the auto bay...

This is kind of crazy - trying to get a brick behind the side of the auto bay roof!

Jointing the front...

Using up the rest of the mortar to continue along the back.

By the time we were done, it was time for a late lunch.  As we were starting to eat, a few giant raindrops fell.  We scrambled outside to get the back covered but it never rained any more.

However, the forecast looked a little iffy for the afternoon so we made the decision not to do another batch of bricks.  Instead, we had lots of work to do to continue getting ready for the next stages.  Here Jim is putting some membrane over the top of the dimple board just so that no mortar droppings get behind.  We had done this over most of the areas last year so we were ahead of the game.

The grass had gotten so long around the scaffolding that Jim had to get the trimmer out before he could continue working!

Meanwhile, I did some more painting of the Miratek trim boards.  We only have 5 more boards to be painted and then they are all ready to go!

Jim's working on marking and getting things set for working up the steps.

About 4:00, the clouds started looking a little threatening.  I headed home to do some fire school work - Jim stayed to continue working.  We made a good decision not to try and do another batch of mortar - on my way home, there was a big downpour.  However, Jim only got a few sprinkles on Angel!  Nevertheless, we were glad we weren't doing mortar.

 

Jim got some prep work done for making the next stair run - he wants to make a template to make sure everything fits. 

 

He also did some work on the overhang - which first required taking down a tower of scaffolding.  He got another piece of fascia backing put on the front as well as angle tying all of the rafters together.  It's taking shape!

 

High 83/Low 58