Roof Rafters 20

Adding rafters to the north side of the east end of the JayBee...here's the first one.

Then the second one...

...and, then, (tra la la!) the last one!

It may be a bit early to celebrate (I still have to trim the rafter tails and install a whole lot of blocking), but it feels momentous just the same.

Also see:

Roof Rafters 1

Roof Rafters 2

Roof Rafters 3

Roof Rafters 4

Roof Rafters 5

Roof Rafters 6

Roof Rafters 7

Roof Rafters 8

Roof Rafters 9

Roof Rafters 10

Roof Rafters 11

Roof Rafters 12

Roof Rafters 13

Roof Rafters 14

Roof Rafters 15

Roof Rafters 16

Roof Rafters 17

Roof Rafters 18

Roof Rafters 19
Roof Framing Wrap-Up

Roof Rafters 19

I have been installing roof rafters on the east end of the JayBee this week. Once we got past the 93% humidity on Tuesday, it's been a nice week!

First east-end rafter...

Second east-end rafter...

As seen from the inside...

Third east-end rafter, and the last one on this side.

Three more rafters on the other side, and I'll be done with rafters! Well, I will still have to trim the west-end and east-end rafters, and I will have a bunch of blocking to install, but still--it will be momentous.

Also see:
Roof Rafters 1
Roof Rafters 2
Roof Rafters 3
Roof Rafters 4
Roof Rafters 5
Roof Rafters 6
Roof Rafters 7
Roof Rafters 8
Roof Rafters 9
Roof Rafters 10
Roof Rafters 11
Roof Rafters 12
Roof Rafters 13
Roof Rafters 14
Roof Rafters 15
Roof Rafters 16
Roof Rafters 17
Roof Rafters 18
Roof Rafters 20
Roof Framing Wrap-Up


I have some hanging flower baskets in my yard that have looked very pretty all summer long.

Solar Energy Course

I am currently taking an online course called Solar Energy. By the end, I'm supposed to know enough to design a photovoltaic system for the JayBee.

The course syllabus estimates that the coursework will take roughly eight hours a week to complete. I have already spent more time than that, and I'm only halfway through the material for the first week! I also roped my son into helping me understand some of the practice questions. Maybe not strong harbingers of future success, but at least I am enjoying it so far.

Roof Rafters 18

Are you tired of seeing new posts that start with "Roof Rafters..."? Look at it this way: You cannot possibly be more sick of roof rafters than I am.

Before I could shift gears from the dormers to the roof rafters on the west and east ends of the JayBee, I first removed the ladders and the scaffolding from the living room area...and reveled in the fact that the dormers are done.

Then I turned my attention to end rafters. Aargh...remember these?

I installed the last rafter on the west end of the JayBee, and began installing blocking between the end rafters.

I wish I could say the west end was completely done once the blocking was done on the west end...

...but, alas, I still have to trim the rafter tails. While I was on a roll, though, I started installing blocking on the north side of the JayBee.

And, from the inside looking out.

Also see:
Roof Rafters 1
Roof Rafters 2
Roof Rafters 3
Roof Rafters 4
Roof Rafters 5
Roof Rafters 6
Roof Rafters 7
Roof Rafters 8
Roof Rafters 9
Roof Rafters 10
Roof Rafters 11
Roof Rafters 12
Roof Rafters 13
Roof Rafters 14
Roof Rafters 15
Roof Rafters 16
Roof Rafters 17
Roof Rafters 19
Roof Rafters 20
Roof Framing Wrap-Up


This time of year, caterpillars of all types keep showing up in my work area.

At one point while I was installing blocking, I saw this creature crawling up the wall toward me.

Yikes! What is he, exactly? I knocked him off the wall, down onto the ground. When I later climbed back up into the rafters to install the next block, I thought, "Wouldn't it be funny if that creature has crawled back up here?" Not so funny. Either the same one had, indeed, crawled back up, or there was another one up there. I knocked it to the ground. Later, I felt something on my hand; when I turned to look, there was one crawling on my hand! Still don't know what they are!

When I was putting things away for the day, I noticed this spiderweb inside a cinderblock. Sitting near the table saw, it has caught a lot of fine sawdust. If you look closely, you will see that there are actually two webs stacked in this tube.

I put a new tarp over the JayBee's west end today. Here is George frolicking on the tarp--as he loves to do!

Pantry Cabinet 8

After much experimentation, I decided I will paint the JayBee's kitchen cabinets a light green color. I am mixing a custom color of milk paint, and I have mixed it to be thinner than paint but thicker than a wash--so the wood grain bleeds through a little. I started by painting all the adjustable shelves that sit in the back of the pantry cabinet, and then adding three coats of poly whey. Here is one of the shelves.

See how well the color coordinates with the tiles I will use as a backsplash over the kitchen counter and stove?

I next focused on the insides of the doors because I was anticipating a houseful of company--and I needed a place to get my spices put away. (They had all been sitting on my kitchen table since I brought the pantry cabinet into my house and displaced my spice cabinet.)

In addition to applying all the coats of paint and poly whey, I cut shelf liners to fit each of the various shelves.

I got the insides of the doors done before company arrived--so the spices have a home. Painting the rest of the cabinet will wait for future rainy days.

Also see:
Pantry Cabinet 1
Pantry Cabinet 2
Pantry Cabinet 3
Pantry Cabinet 4
Pantry Cabinet 5
Pantry Cabinet 6
Pantry Cabinet 7
Pantry Cabinet 9

Dormer Wrap Up 2

I installed the nailers along the diagonal valley rafters in the south dormer today. Here's a look at all the nailers (on the right) down the southeast valley rafter.

When I put the sheathing on the outside of the dormers, each valley rafter forms a tiny air pocket where it crosses over the top plate on the wall.

I filled each of those air pockets with insulation while they were more accessible--before applying the sheathing.

Half of the sheathing done on the south dormer...

The south dormer is now done!

Also see:
Dormer Wrap Up 1


For those following the adventures of my cats...

It has not been George's summer. He has crashed to the floor of the JayBee twice after climbing into the rafters. He has been scared out of his wits numerous times when the neighbor's dog randomly comes running through the yard. Yesterday, the DOG ran up the driveway and excitedly circled George--and George did not wake up from his nap! I was up in the JayBee's rafters at the time. I thought that George had to be dead not to wake up with a large dog bouncing and breathing heavily around him. But, then, I saw his paw twitch and I realized he was just sleeping very soundly. He looked like this...

I was afraid the dog would jump on him, so I was yelling at the dog and yelling at the dog's owner. George still didn't wake up. Two or three minutes after all the commotion was completely over and all was quiet, George woke and sat up. He must have then smelled the dog because he ran off to hide!

Finally, last night, George ended up getting sprayed by a skunk. He has enough stink on him that, if you pet him, your hand stinks afterwards. Poor guy. It's tough getting old--and not being as on top of your game as you once were.

Dormer Wrap Up 1

I have been working on the finishing touches on the two dormers. I am installing nailer boards on the four diagonal rafters.

The top edges of the nailers are sloped at a different angle than the top edge of the diagonal rafters--to catch the edge of the roof sheathing I will install on the dormers.

My brother caught me up in the dormer rafters.

I am also installing blocking between the dormer rafters--before installing the plywood sheathing on the outside of the dormers.

The north dormer is now done!

Halfway through installing the blocks on the south dormer...

All the south dormer blocks are now done.

Also see:
Dormer Wrap Up 2