Dry-In: Windows - Day 1-3

With a project this size, you get the hang of a new building skill at just about the same time as you finish the job that required it. These past three days, that skill has been window installation.

The thing is, though, even the first window wasn't difficult to install, per se. We did it wrong, is all: we used too-short nails and forgot to create a gap for sealant along the bottom.

Two lessons learned. But the main one is Lesson 50: Communicate constantly with your work partner--don't assume they know exactly what you think should be happening at a given moment, and double-check that you are both following all the steps correctly. Just keep up a constant patter of checking and double checking and one of you, at least, should catch when you're going wrong!

Dry-In: Weatherproof Barriers - Day 2

The walls are (almost) completely wrapped and taped! And I'll tell you, I am glad to see the back end of this stage of construction. See: my previous comments about the infuriating nature of Tyvek...

As you can see in the photo, I've chosen to extend the house wrap all the way up between the rafters, nearly to the sheathing. The roof overhang will be so short that I wanted the extra protection there. Aside from that, the coverage is pretty much typical--that is, total coverage, even over the window and door openings. (More about those in a moment...)

Dry-In: Weatherproof Barriers - Day 1

After attaching the wheel well sheathing today, Dad and I started installing the Tyvek house wrap. It was windy and by dinnertime it had begun to rain. Not fun work, but necessary. I only wish we'd gotten more done before that rain!

(I gloated a little when I saw the other house under construction in my neighborhood. It had an even smaller proportion of its Tyvek installed by the time the rain started. Ha!)

Floor Box - Day 10-13

DAY 10 (Saturday, January 17) (0.5 hr): We flipped the floor box! YEAH! My sister and parents, my uncle Chuck, and two friends from high school, Sarah and Becca, helped out. Thank you!!! 

I'm afraid I didn't take any pictures during the procedure ("Okay, everybody hold it... hooold it... just a sec... now, smile... got it! Okay, one more") and somehow forgot to take one afterward. Huh... I was pretty foggy that day. I was actually afraid I was coming down with the flu that's going around--my head felt like it was made of clay and I spent the rest of the day half-vegetative watching Netflix--but it passed. So. All good!

Here's a nice picture of the floor when I finally got around to photographing it in all its right-side-up glory (plus the Tyvek that I added on Day 12).