I have pretty much NO carpentry skills and so I'm somewhat winging it, but in the spirit of the Garden Coop.
About 50% of my materials have been salvaged - including some of the walls, which are actually half walls from under a movie set that I picked up at the building materials salvage, SO handy.
7/5
My first step was to dig and level a cinderblock foundation. I have heavy clay soil and a ton of weed stumps. So this actually took for FREAKING ever in the heat and humidity of my first real Deep South Summer - I had to get a pickax. I went with full cinder because I wanted a level surface in the face of the hill and I feel like it will add a modicum of additional security and additional weather proofing.
I've found all sorts of broken stuff in the ground. I imagine, as my house is almost 100 years old, that people used to pile up trash there - it's behind the garage and out of sight-line from the house. It's mostly glass and some ceramic, as well as construction debris (nails/screws) and some occasional signs of fire.
7/27
Next I started assembling (and also modifying) some of the frames I bought from the salvage. I've done this 90% totally alone, so you can see that I wedged a block into that frame to keep it upright - I have that weird only child inventiveness.
8/1
A little more framing....then the new school year started and also it rained for like two weeks.
8/21
Hanging a door by yourself is stupid and takes way too long - don't do this.
8/23
Two windows, both doors, some paint, and a rafter - also the shelf of the egg boxes, so I remember that that's where I want them, also having a shelf is nice. My friend and her husband came over and helped for a bit Sunday night and my wife cooked us all dinner - she gets swarmed by mosquitos even with deep woods off and two themacells running - it's serious - this is also why I'm doing this by myself.
It's rained so much this summer that having a 48 hour dry window in which to paint has been rare. It rained again today, so no painting, but I did get some more of the roof done. PS - the paint color is called Gettysburg...by accident. As I am a yankee carpetbagger (from PA), I find this amusing. Sorry, Georgia.
8/24 - one of my rafters ended up being too skinny, so I have it stuck out on the end - I'm hoping I can work out this situation. The battery on my Fisher Price My First Circular Saw (TM) keeps dying and so I can't even cut through one beam on an overnight charge - I think I need to contact Fisher Price, I mean Ryobi and get a new one.
8/28 - frame almost totally painted (I need to get a few spots with a brush instead of a roller) - all rafters and purlins up. I also added some framing to the nest box. Tomorrow (weather permitting) I have my eye on getting at least some of the roof panels on.
9/3 - roof all on, interior wall panels up, some painted.
9/3 - a little help from the wife. (pre-paint)
9/12 - Siding in place! Feeling pretty good!
9/18 - chickens are outside chickens - run not completed, but at least they're not in the bathroom anymore.
Circular Saw by Fisher Price - Eye Protection by Snapchat.
Also - peepers on July 18th - they are much bigger now. (L-R) Sesame (Buff Orpington), O'Hara (NH Red), Camille (Golden Campine), Mayflower (Barred Plymouth Rock - you can't really see her in this pic) and Takk (EE).
About 50% of my materials have been salvaged - including some of the walls, which are actually half walls from under a movie set that I picked up at the building materials salvage, SO handy.
7/5
My first step was to dig and level a cinderblock foundation. I have heavy clay soil and a ton of weed stumps. So this actually took for FREAKING ever in the heat and humidity of my first real Deep South Summer - I had to get a pickax. I went with full cinder because I wanted a level surface in the face of the hill and I feel like it will add a modicum of additional security and additional weather proofing.
I've found all sorts of broken stuff in the ground. I imagine, as my house is almost 100 years old, that people used to pile up trash there - it's behind the garage and out of sight-line from the house. It's mostly glass and some ceramic, as well as construction debris (nails/screws) and some occasional signs of fire.
7/27
Next I started assembling (and also modifying) some of the frames I bought from the salvage. I've done this 90% totally alone, so you can see that I wedged a block into that frame to keep it upright - I have that weird only child inventiveness.
8/1
A little more framing....then the new school year started and also it rained for like two weeks.
8/21
Hanging a door by yourself is stupid and takes way too long - don't do this.
8/23
Two windows, both doors, some paint, and a rafter - also the shelf of the egg boxes, so I remember that that's where I want them, also having a shelf is nice. My friend and her husband came over and helped for a bit Sunday night and my wife cooked us all dinner - she gets swarmed by mosquitos even with deep woods off and two themacells running - it's serious - this is also why I'm doing this by myself.
It's rained so much this summer that having a 48 hour dry window in which to paint has been rare. It rained again today, so no painting, but I did get some more of the roof done. PS - the paint color is called Gettysburg...by accident. As I am a yankee carpetbagger (from PA), I find this amusing. Sorry, Georgia.
8/24 - one of my rafters ended up being too skinny, so I have it stuck out on the end - I'm hoping I can work out this situation. The battery on my Fisher Price My First Circular Saw (TM) keeps dying and so I can't even cut through one beam on an overnight charge - I think I need to contact Fisher Price, I mean Ryobi and get a new one.
8/28 - frame almost totally painted (I need to get a few spots with a brush instead of a roller) - all rafters and purlins up. I also added some framing to the nest box. Tomorrow (weather permitting) I have my eye on getting at least some of the roof panels on.
9/3 - roof all on, interior wall panels up, some painted.
9/3 - a little help from the wife. (pre-paint)
9/12 - Siding in place! Feeling pretty good!
9/18 - chickens are outside chickens - run not completed, but at least they're not in the bathroom anymore.
Circular Saw by Fisher Price - Eye Protection by Snapchat.
Also - peepers on July 18th - they are much bigger now. (L-R) Sesame (Buff Orpington), O'Hara (NH Red), Camille (Golden Campine), Mayflower (Barred Plymouth Rock - you can't really see her in this pic) and Takk (EE).
