Pocket Door Now Works!

One of the longest-running projects I've had in the JayBee is the pocket door and its wall leading into the bathroom. I built the door starting in 2012. I built the wall for it in 2015. I hung the door in 2016. I replaced the door stop for the wall with a removable one in 2020. (Hmm... This might be another entry in the "you know you're taking too long..." series.)

For years now, I've had the door tied to the door stop because the wall was not plumb so the door did not hang exactly in the middle and, because it hangs free from the top, it could easily swing from side to side and scrape the half-studs or even slam into them. Even when I warned visitors not to move the door, it was too tempting; everyone who sees it wants to operate it. So--I tied it down, to keep it from moving and getting damaged.

Most pocket doors are hung in a wall that is built with 2x6s. Every inch counts in a tiny house, so I purchased this kit that allowed me to install the door in a wall only 3.5" deep. It has half-studs reinforced with metal to accomplish this.

In the photo below, you can see that the door was hanging unevenly in the wall. This edge was too close to the righthand half-stud; the other edge was too close to the half-stud on the other side.

Now that the house is level, I could finally plumb up this wall. I removed the screws holding the base of the studs to the floor, moved the studs until they were plumb, and reattached them to the floor.

Then, I decided to make use of these occasional holes in the metal reinforcing on the sides of the studs.

I cut boards to length and put pocket-screw holes in the ends of them.

I used the boards to span between the two half-studs on each side of the wall.

Now the door slides back and forth in the wall without scraping and crashing.

For a little extra insurance, I wrapped each of the new boards with leftover strips of sill insulation.

Voilá! A functioning pocket door. Now the door can be moved in whatever direction makes it easiest for the plumber to do his work.

That's the great news! The plumber is back in touch, and he will be doing the rest of the plumbing work in about a week.

Also see:

Pocket Door 1
Pocket Door 2
Pocket Door 3
Pocket Door 4
Pocket Door 5
Pocket Door 6
Wall for Pocket Door
Pocket Door Wall Done!
Dubbing Around the Edges (includes new door stop for pocket door)

Progress Through Tedium

For those who might have this misconception... Not all of house building inspires brilliant application of one's creativity. Much of it involves slowly grinding through repetitive, boring tasks so that systems are built in a consistent and complete way (and end up functioning well)--even if that work and function is all behind the scenes, not visible in the finished product.

I have been immersed in these kinds of tedious tasks for more than a week now. (The timing is good for this at the moment because the last few days have been gray and cooler.) I have sprayed tons of yellow, low-expanding, insulating foam around windows, the door, and narrow cracks. I have sprayed tons of orange, insulating, fire-blocking, moisture-sealing foam around electrical boxes. I have taped potential leaks in the vapor barrier. Case in point: This next photo shows the breaker box with orange foam sealing the holes where the wires enter or leave the box, and with red circles of tape sealing all the holes in the box.

All of the kinds of spray foam specify in their instructions that you're supposed to fill the spaces and cracks only 50% and allow the foam to expand to fill the crack as it cures. I know this instruction very well, but I just cannot seem to follow it. Partly this is due to the fact that, when I have forced myself to follow this procedure, I invariably end up having to go back and fill in gaps; partly it's due to my penchant for being thorough. It's just so much more satisfying to fill the crack until it's full. Thus, once the foam cures, it is obvious that I have used way too much foam, and I then spend all kinds of time trimming the excess foam.

More baffles installed.

I have also been trying to think through any additional framing support pieces I should install before I finish installing insulation--especially in the walls. For example, now that I know how I want to build the clothes closet--with half of the closet pivoting completely open on a piano hinge--it made sense to install some support for that piano hinge. See the lighter-colored 2 x 3 I just installed in the wall below.

From another angle... The blue tape on the floor outlines where the right half of the closet will sit when it's closed. That new framing support now sits behind where the piano hinge will attach that back corner of the closet to the wall.

One coat of sealer applied to the loft chair...

... and one to the folding, flat chair.

How do I keep myself on task when so much of what I'm doing these days is boring?

1. I have been binge listening to seasons 1 and 2 of Serial. My son has been recommending these podcasts to me for years, but it has taken me until now to follow through with listening. Very engrossing! Definitely helps with the tedium. I pause the broadcast when I run a power tool or leave the JayBee for something; I turn it back on after.
2. I find myself pondering during the day some of the things I have been reading at night. Here's a quote that has stuck with me for days: "There are moments in life that are between: between the blow and the pain, between the phone ringing and the answer, between the misstep and the fall. One that comes to everyone is a moment, or three, or five, between sleeping and waking, when the past has not yet been re-created out of memory and the present has made no impression. It is a moment of great mercy; disorienting, like all brushes with grace, but a gift nonetheless." [from All Mortal Flesh by Julia Spencer-Fleming] I have thought about some of my moments of disorienting grace--when I've been suspended between sleep and wakefulness. I have also thought about many other kinds of inbetween. Then, when I realize how far down this or other rabbit holes my mind has burrowed, I end up laughing and thinking: "A mind is a beautiful thing to waste."

Bear visiting. "Just what are you doing in here for all this time, anyway?!"

George complaining that we haven't had a good walk in days.

I took the Fourth of July weekend off from house building. Perfect weather!

Here is what remains of a thoroughly devoured fish sitting on the riverbank. Skeleton intact!

Kayaking on the Kennebec with Frida, Paula, and Lily (patiently huddled under a sun-blocking tee shirt).

We saw and heard so many leaping, thwapping fish! No photos of them, though.

West Wall 8

The top of the west end bumpout needed some roof rafters.

Cut roof rafters started piling up.

All but the corner rafters installed.

The corner rafters are complicated. Three edges have compound-angle cuts.

Finally, I had both corner rafters installed.

Next, I added a hurricane tie to each rafter.

Then I added blocking between each of the rafters.

Roof sheathing added.

Radiant barrier added to the west end.

Housewrap done up to the level of the bumpout roof!

Also see:
West Wall 1
West Wall 2
West Wall 3
West Wall 4
West Wall 5
West Wall 6
West Wall 7
West Wall 9


Once again, my yard is full of snakes. I keep startling them. And they keep startling me!

This morning before I got out of bed, I heard these little snaps outside the window. It sounded like twigs snapping. I thought it might be a deer, so I sat up and watched. Sure enough, just a few feet from the edge of the grass, this deer's head appeared. She was a young one. It's amazing how close they can get without being seen. The foliage around here is like a jungle!

A temporary détente.

West Wall 7

Before attaching the exterior plywood to the west bumpout wall, I decided to put a little insulation in the wall. There is a shallow bay underneath the window in the wall (seen below upside down). Although the lower edge of the bay will be accessible from the inside of the bumpout, I decided that it would be too deep (and the opening too narrow) to be able to get insulation in there evenly once the plywood was installed.

So, I put insulation in just the bay area.

And then installed the plywood.

Dale and Arlen came over and helped install the wall on the bumpout.

At this point, the sides of the bumpout were still open.

After I installed plywood on both sides of the bumpout.

And from the inside.

Oh my goodness...the JayBee is finally enclosed!

Next up: Getting a roof on the west end bumpout.

Also see:
West Wall 1
West Wall 2
West Wall 3
West Wall 4
West Wall 5
West Wall 6
West Wall 8
West Wall 9


Arlen spent some time working to complete a queen-sized bed that I started years ago but will no longer need. He is going to finish it and use it.