Housebuilding Week 5: All Hands on Deck

Hi Friend,

It's been a good week up here on the hill. The form of the house is taking its final shape as the rafter trusses are built and hoisted up one by one. The truss itself is strong, but it felt pretty top-heavy once it was resting on those little posts. So everyone had to come up on the deck once Dolan and Isaac had finished assembling one to steady, attach, and brace it, while making sure it was straight and level.

Testing the first rafter truss

The second floor will be cozy!

We got another big shipment of materials: foam boards for the walls and roof, strapping, and 1x8 lap siding.

That's a lot of foam!

One of the things that I love about this project is how accessible it is. Every animal on earth makes or finds its own shelter - it's an instinct that is required for survival. And I marvel at all the laymen who, for centuries, have built such sturdy and beautiful homes for their own families.

All of the college kids on this site are philosophers (it's only our son who might go into the trades). They have studied ancient physicists like Archimedes and have discussed Aristotle's comparison of the human soul and a hammer. This might have prepared them in some existential way, but it's no substitute for experience. Yes, they are determined and hard-working and conscientious - these qualities are absolutely essential - but they have no specialized skill in building. Yet look at what they have done! As Aristotle wrote in his Ethics, "People become house builders through building houses ..." I am so proud.

My perfect house shape - a rectangle with a triangle on top!

Just a few trusses left - and the south side has big windows and doors for solar heat gain in the winter

On our end this week, we've still got to choose a septic installer and submit a water service application to hook up to town water (digging a well would be much more costly and perhaps, quite salty, given our proximity to a highway that salts the road every winter).

Now that some powerful storms came through this weekend, the weather has cooled off, thankfully. But there a few casualties from the storms: our big patio umbrella snapped in two, a large branch on our apple tree broke, and my phone got drenched and is now broken (and, of course, it was not backed up - ugh!). I'm sure I've lost some wonderful photos and who knows what else, but this reminds me keep enjoying life as it happens and to hold things lightly, as my mom likes to say.

A broken apple tree branch on a beautiful day

It's so great to have the town beach up the road when it's hot outside

Puzzling the night away

Until next time!

xo,

P.S. Thank you for all of your feedback on concrete floors - so helpful! Feel free to keep the advice coming. Now we're trying to decide whether to have the vertical wood siding smooth side or rough side facing out. Do you have any experience with this? Pros / cons?

Next post: Housebuilding Week 5: All Hands on Deck - Part 2