May 6 - Spring Has Sprung

Saturday, A Beautiful Spring Day -

A gorgeous spring day for a ride on the lift while doing some roof work.

Outside Work: Porch and Roof -
I stopped by on Thursday evening. Kevin, Andy and Matt had done more work on the porch. The beam was complete and resting comfortably on the posts. Temporary supports were installed, securing it to the building. The picture shows Kevin on the lift, Andy on the ladder and Matt on the ground, ready the shake the ladder if necessary. The object of this exercise is to stretch an orange string the length of the beam in order to have the beam color coordinated with Matt's shirt. Or it may have been for a guide in building the porch roof.

Likely it was the latter since by Saturday morning the roof was taking shape. Here Charles and Tom are figuring out how much of the existing roof material has to be removed to make room for the new porch roof.

Apparently figuring out how to tie the two or three, rather, roof surfaces together is not a trivial question. Here Ken is doing the finger pointing while Sam is thoughtfully stroking his chin. Charles looks on.

The discussion continued With considerable arm waving and gesticulating.

After a time some posture adjustment was required.

A plumbing vent pipe had to be moved so the place where it had previously penetrated through the roof needed to be patched. Paul and Troy were diligently fixing up the roof when I arrived.

The high level meeting (a meeting on the rooftop must be a high level meeting) continued on after the roof repair was completed allowing Paul and Troy to join the meeting.

As I was not invited to the meeting and climbing a ladder would have been necessary, I did not participate in or overhear the conversation. At lunch I asked Ken if they figured out how to get the roofs to join. "No," he said. "We determined what we can do up there until we get it figured out."

Inside Work and Play -
Pete was busy framing up a wall in the kitchen.























While up in the front, the stage framing was being put to use. A couple of Sam's sons, one named Lincoln and the other not Lincoln, clambered about on the floor joists.

Thursday evening I had also observed someone else clambering about on the same boards.

 Brian added some further adventure. I think he was playing hide and seek.

While the hiding spot was very good, I think he got discouraged and gave it up when no one came to seek after him.

May 2 - A New Month, Spring Weather and a Burst of Activity

Spring Weather Arrives - 

What could be more fun than nice weather, a dirt pile and puddles.

More Doors -
Winter's encore performance was fortunately very brief and springlike sunshine and warmer temperatures returned. Maybe it is the nice weather and a new page on the calendar that inspired the burst of activity. Many workers showed up and significant progress was evident in three areas of the building.
The door frame Sam was installing last Saturday now has doors attached. The size large openings on either side, however, allow easy passage for both outside air and peripatetic chroniclers. Once inside, I find actions being taken that will inhibit such freedom in the future.





Pete and Kevin are fixing to install another door. First get the frame ready.

Next, install air-flow-reducing glass.

Finally, recruit additional help, Sam, and hang the door in an opening. Once installed, both free air and wandering chroniclers will need to be more resourceful to get inside the church.








Setting the Stage in the Pulpit Area -
The stage on which the pulpit will reside is taking shape, giving a preview of the completed sanctuary.

Adrian secures hangers for the stringers on which the stair treads rest. Matt Grangroth, in the background, is aligning pieces to assure proper fit.

Many hands make light work. Bob, in the foreground, is measuring and trimming. Sasha, Amber and Rebecca, in the background, tidy things up a bit. Ben, scratching his head in wonder, and his son Laif are securing the base piece to the floor.

Bob, under the watchful eye of Felix the shift supervisor, measures and fits the end piece where the stage joins the wall.














Meanwhile Out Behind the Church - 

Tom noted with all the progress on the building to date, it must be time for an addition.

The concrete  piers that Brent poured on Saturday now have posts attached. And on top of the posts, a beam needs to reside. Size large steel brackets are affixed to the posts to keep the beam from wandering off to undesirable positions. However, the brackets seem to be a bit tight for the beam. So, the brackets need expanding. Here, Andy uses a bracket expander to stretch the gap.

 Matt Forstie uses the same tool and a wood block to try to open another bracket.

Then Andy and Matt collaborate to increase persuasiveness while Tom supervises.




















Ken uses the forklift and a strap to raise the beam skyward. Matt and Andy merely need to jockey the beam into the hole in the wall on the far left and over the two brackets such that when the beam is lowered it drops snugly into the desired position.

That, however, is easier said than done. Perhaps in a friction free perfect world, the beam could  be dropped into the brackets and slid into the hole in the wall. But this is not a friction free world. Given the newly discovered realities, it is noticed that, if there was a bit less roof over the wall notch, the beam could be aligned with all three support spots and dropped into place.

Andy says, I can fix that.



Just a few licks with the sawzall and there appears a bit more room over the wall support.

A  gentle nudge or two from Andy's hammer and the beam glides quietly into place. Give Andy a sawzall and a hammer and he can make anything fit.

The beam is up. Let the porch construction continue.

April 29 - Doors, Boiler and Lunch

Doors, Hanging and In-Process - 
Several exterior doors are installed but not yet operational. They are all wired shut with size large "Do Not Use" signs plastered on the face, so I assume they are not yet operational. Tempted though I was to see if they worked, I resisted and let the doors rest in peace.














Not all the doors are hanging yet. The frame for the main entrance is assembled and on Thursday evening was in quiet repose, propped against the back wall.

On Saturday, Sam was diligently working to install the frame in its final resting place. Sam demonstrated his dexterity by using both a tape measure and a level while standing on a step ladder. I was duly impressed as I dare not ascend such a device without digging my fingertips into the side supports of the ladder. Since this uses up both of my available hands, I am not then able to grip either the tape or the level.  I tend to follow the advice an uncle of mine often gave. "A good eye is better than a bad rule." Well, better Sam than me for this job.



Boilers - 

Thursday evening was cold. Very cold. It was hard to remember that April was coming to a close and May nearly here. It felt rather more like November with the wind racing around the outside and then through the openings in the building. So it seemed like a good time to get the lowdown on the boiler system that will heat the floor and provide hot water for the sinks.
Mark, hiding deep in the hoodie, was giving his best effort to educate the chronicler. If I understood correctly, we will have three boilers on site. Due to some kind of license restrictions, only one boiler at a time will be in service. A second will be available as a standby if needed, and will be put into service when it is time for maintenance on the first unit. The third is to be used for parts if either of the first two blows up.
He added that this is not a direct fired boiler since the fire does not heat the fresh water reservoir. Rather, the fire heats water that is racing through copper tubes that wind through the fresh water tank and then go off to warm our toes through the concrete floor. When that job is done, the tired out, calorie-drained fluid returns to the boiler to get fired up so it can do it all over again.

He further noted that this is a TriangleTube system, which I could have learned on my own had I read the tag on the boiler earlier.

As I have aged, I notice that my memory may be slipping a bit but my fortified imagination is able to fill in any missed data. It is possible that Mark did not say this stuff exactly, but this is the best I remember it.

The Optional Porch - 
The optional porch is shifting from 'optional' to 'here and now'. Thursday evening I saw this plan on the wall, all marked up with red ink. I remember from my school days that when I got a paper back from the teacher with this much red ink, I knew I had to do the work over. That does not seem to be the case here. Instead the red ink appears to be a code that informs the insiders of the construction trade how to assemble said porch. I am trying to learn the jargon to become an insider but am still baffled a bit  by 'BEAR ROOF JOISTS ON BRG WALL, LAP W/ROOF TRUSSES & NAIL W/ 8-10 d x 3" NAILS'. I just need to get the bear out of the woods and the trusses out of hernia protection and I think I will succeed in the construction trade.

One thing I do understand is that Mark brought some concrete mix on Thursday and on Saturday Brent converted the contents into piers that will hold up the roof support posts.







And I have pictures to show the progress.















Lunch - 
Another thing I understand about construction is that about noon on Saturday the lunch wagon shows up. I try schedule my visit so I just happen to be there about this time.
There are workers in various stations both inside and outside the building, some seemingly out of earshot, but when the call for lunch sounds, they all appear in short order. Janelle brought the hot meal Saturday.

The large temporary table in the sanctuary, built for assembling metal door frames, on Saturday served as the community lunch table. I hope the seat that Mark and Brent are using is not 'Pew Concept 2.0'

The younger, heartier workers enjoyed the outdoor picnic area, which also serves as Sam's trailer.

And while the majority of the work force used the large, community table, Merja and Mark enjoyed a quiet, private meal in the dining area.

April 18 - Pouring the Stoops and Other Interesting Sights

The Big Blue Box Revisited -
I was impressed by the vain efforts to move the blue container where it will be out of the way of the landscapers. The tractor, the forklift and the tractor-forklift tandem struggled mightily and vainly to move the box. Friday I was at the building site and notice the doors on the blue box open. Peering inside, I could start to appreciate why the wheeled vehicles charged with making this beast move were thwarted. The box is full of stuff. Heavy stuff. While the in-floor heat tubing is of trivial weight, and the blue duct pieces add very little, the generator and the dirt compactor are somewhat heavier.

These trifling details pale by comparison to the front half of the box. Therein lumber is piled half way up to the top of the box. Seeing the contents makes it a little easier to understand the stubborn resistance of the box. Maybe we have to add the entire congregation tugging on a tow strap attached to the forklift which is chained to the tractor which is finally secured to the big blue box in order to make it move. Whatever it takes, it still needs to move.




The Lift is Repossessed - 
Steve Redman apparently needs to use the lift that he has so generously allowed us to use on the project. Accordingly, he showed up with a truck and trailer to cart it off. The lift is an amazing device and it has been an invaluable resource, used both outdoors on the roof and high on the walls as well as inside for the ceilings. Thank you, Steve, for making it available for use on the project.

Here Steve, well out on the end of the boom, drives the lift up on the trailer.


It seems like a good idea to secure it to the trailer with chains before trucking down the road. Here Steve uses a cheater bar to tighten the chains holding the lift in place.

Having now seen how chains and cables are used to combine motive power or keep heavy objects in place, I am once again puzzled by a sight on this construction project. I admit to novice status on construction and its associated machinery, but I cannot figure out the need for or the use of the electrical cable attached to this wheelbarrow. Maybe one day I will understand.



The Foam Block Cutter -
I came out Friday afternoon because I heard that concrete progress would be made on door stoops. It happened that the electricians were on site, so I had the opportunity to see the foam block cutter in action.

Pull the trigger, add a little heat to the metal wire and voila! A really-o. truly-o hot wire, foam cutting, channel making electrician's tool. It melts the foam but creates no smoke. And it leaves no burn marks in its wake. It does, however, leave a neat, clean channel in its wake. Clever fellows, those Americans (or whoever figured this out).


Exterior Doors -
Bob's trailer was packed with doors. Not the scavenge from a demolition site, used doors. But brand new still in the box doors.

 Even after Kevin and Bob carried the doors inside the church, they remained exterior doors. I think I heard Bob say, "Look, Ma, one hand behind my back."


I was not able to get there on Saturday, but I understand that some of the doors were installed. I will send along a photo or two after I get out there.














Friday's Main Event -
The really big thing on Friday was pouring more concrete. Outside stoops need to be poured before those exterior doors are installed.  The Chronicler was not the only observer on site to watch the first concrete of spring be poured. Pete showed up form next door with Eve and Lacey, riding in style on the high power lawn mower. Now maybe this is another vehicle to add to the chain for moving the blue box.

Some final dirt rearranging was required before the concrete truck arrived. Kevin demonstrated his multi-tasking skills, talking on the phone while holding the shovel upright.

The pad outside the front door was the first one poured. Dave guides the chute from the truck while Paul and Aare push the heavy mud around. Bill and Phil use the 2x4 as a screed before they trowel the surface smooth. 

 Aare and Bob get a good start on the second stoop.

Reinforcements soon arrive as Phil and Bill man the screed while Dave massages the heavy, gooey mud.

Phil takes multi-tasking to impressive new heights, with a trowel in his right hand, the screed in his left and the cell phone tucked up in his ear with his shoulder. Such coordination is rarely matched on the job site and perhaps only topped by the mother of a large family fixing dinner while minding the kids.

One More Big Thing -

Last Monday the well drillers showed up. They drilled down deep enough to strike water.

So now we have water available to feed the plumbing fixtures and a sewer system available to dispose of the waste. It hardly gets any better than this.