September 8 - New things Going In, Old Things Coming Out

Out With Temporary Bracing and Scaffolding - 

This building project never ceases to amaze me. A great deal of effort goes into setting things up for a certain stage and when that stage is finished, the temporary thing that was done is then undone. When I commented to Nate that some things in construction have a very brief lifespan he replied, "Yeah, just like computers. After you have it for a week you find out you need a new one."

The scaffolding, so painstakingly erected for completing the walls, is no longer needed once the trusses are in place. So, everywhere the trusses go, the scaffolding must leave.












The external bracing used to anchor the large gable end truss is now passe and in the way. So, down it comes. The lumber is saved to be used in another place, perhaps in shorter pieces, perhaps at full length. There were many, many shorter pieces made that will be used for bracing when the next set of trusses goes up on Saturday, if the weather cooperates.

Oh yeah, and those outside truss braces that were so acrobatically nailed up last Saturday are now, not only obsoleted, but they are in the way and must be removed. They were attached with only one nail in each end so they can be quickly detached to make room for the sheeting that is being applied. Jonathan knocks out the brace and nails down the sheeting for the roof.

Troy, Nate and Jonathan position the sheeting and then nail it is place. I think the lines on the sheet goods are not to delineate the proper places for using color crayons, but rather for the nailing pattern. It is hoped that the lines are over the trusses so just nailing through the lines sticks the nail into the truss. I suspect if I were to try nailing the sheeting I could miss the truss with some regularity, but these carpenter fellows seem to hit the truss every time.



Painting Already?

When I first arrived on site this evening two things surprised me. Dave was sitting on a lumber pile reading directions that came with the paint. The first surprise was that he was reading the directions before even opening the paint. I always figured the directions were to help you get out of what was already messed up, but no, Dave was reading them first.

The other surprise is that he was painting at all. There are no exterior or interior final surfaces on the entire job. So what is there to paint? But, I guess if you are a painter, that is what you do. Paint. So paint the trusses if that is all there is to paint. But how does he know what color to paint them? This was all a big mystery to me.
Just like when I dealt with the man of science, Dave patiently explained to me what he was painting and why. He was applying an Intumescent Coating just like it shows in the picture below. So now you know also.

 Intumescent paint is a fire retardant. It has this characteristic that it expands when heated. Since the end of the girders adjoin the firewall, this kind of coating is required. In the event of a fire, the paint will expand to create an even tighter seal with the adjoining material, thus helping to keep the fire from spreading. Having added intumescent to my vocabulary, I can hardly wait to drop it into casual conversation at the next seniors gathering.

Water Again and Creativity -

There is sheeting covering some trusses but not nearly enough is covered to keep rain out of the building shell. So, inside there is a large puddle and one quicksand-like spot that claimed at least three victims. I think the damage was limited to muddy shoes. I don't think any shoes were lost in the mire.
The puddle offered the opportunity for reflection, this time it is Eric and his work.



It also offered an opportunity for creative kids activity.

Alex Loukusa jumps on a board that his sister Ashlyn had cocked into firing position. Using advanced knowledge of fulcrum and pivot point, Alex is able to generate a good size wave from the splash as the board hits the water. Maybe the next step is use as a diving board, but I did not see that.

I take my responsibility as a chronicler seriously. I report things I see and do my best to explain them in such a way that the average computer hack has a chance of understanding them. When I encounter something I don't understand, like intumenscent coating, I attempt to get an explanation and pass it along to the blog followers. When I come across something that totally defies understanding, I simply scratch my head. Pictured here are Brian and his son Bryce. Bryce is pounding nails in 2x4 chunks and Brian is pulling the nails out. Perhaps they think they were being paid by the hour.

Two Views as the Day Came to a Close - 

The trusses that are in place have a flat top. The triangle trusses in the foreground will somehow be stuck on top of them since the final roof in the plan does not have a flat top. Maybe duct tape will come into play yet.

As the sun sinks below the western horizon and the sandhill cranes wing their way to the refuge for the night, the roof people valiantly forge on with their task. It is too dark for the photographer to continue but roof people apparently do not need as much light as photographers. Perhaps they keep pounding nails until they can no longer see the black lines on the sheet goods.