Howell Cabin

The lumpy terrain left by the electrical trench precluded driving a lift around back. We finished the back side by assembling our scaffolding sets, which worked out just fine. Christina did all the batten cutting again. All three kids helped with wall prep and caulking. Siggy and Christina each took up the nail gun for their first time. We got the rest of the battens installed, including all the short ones on other walls. There are still two pieces of trim to install next to the front door, and a little bit of bondo work on the corner trim, but otherwise we're ready to paint.

  We had a lift again this weekend. I used it to take a nice photo of Eliot's chimney-securing work.     Before we could get any work done, we had to relocate Siggy's mini-cabin. I used the lift off-label to get it done. Siggy and I installed battens on the south end of the house. Siggy got pretty good at driving, so here he's driving, Siobhan's caulking, and dad's taking selfies for social media. It'll be fine.     Siggy planed a contour into the corner trim and primed it.   Sunday We got to work on the high battens of the east wall. \ Christina cut the battens.   Guinivere helped installing a set of corner trim. Jon installed faux beam boards under the peaks; they'll provide a nice way to terminate the tongue-and-groove soffits. Siggy drove the lift back to the gate for the rental truck to pick it up.   Here are the two walls we got done this weekend. We didn't finish the low battens since they could be handled without a lift.  

Saturday Half the Liljas joined us for the day, and we got a lot done!  Dan sanded and oiled the great room collar ties. They look great. Christina worked on the shower pan. We had a lift today, so we worked on the battens. We got most of the north wall done. Sunday   FROG! More shower pan work. Lots of batten work. Christina tweaked some of the drywall. The drywall guys started earlier than planned, so we didn't get a chance to point out where we wanted it to stop. Eliot and Kierah, his girlfriend, dropped by for a visit and lunch on their way to Denver to start his sophomore year.

Eliot and Jon were supposed to install battens, but the rental shop lost our order for the lift. We put a few up using ladders before Eliot had had enough. The insulation guy did most of his work earlier this week. The house is now much quieter and darker than before. We actually have to use doorways now.   Siggy helped get materials and tools out for making a pony wall and curbs in the bathroom.     Eliot installed the pretty blocking in the entryway.     Christina and Jon sawzalled the shower drains off the pipe and spliced on stubs of straight pipe that connect to the fancy Wedi shower pan system.   Jon and Siobhan put a dozen more battens on the west wall.   Eliot reframed the stairwell wall to be ready for drywall.       Christina measured and cut the Wedi shower pan. She was understandably nervous; that was a thousand-dollar piece of the finest German foam. It came out perfectly. Siggy added a slide to his housetraption. Guiniver...