Building New Coop/Barn...Phase 5 Great Barn Build, OCCUPIED! 3/6/16

[1muttsfan]

Windows are very classy. It seems like ventilation is going to be a problem unless you are planning on putting vents up near the peaks, so the door top gap may be for the best. I would almost be tempted to get some quick set and fill the gap along the sides they blocked up, and under the roll up door.

 

[speckledhen]

Windows are very classy. It seems like ventilation is going to be a problem unless you are planning on putting vents up near the peaks, so the door top gap may be for the best. I would almost be tempted to get some quick set and fill the gap along the sides they blocked up, and under the roll up door.

We are going to dig out a little trench next to the outside walls of the building and put a concrete apron/gutter as well as make a threshold for the roll-up door-could use the squarish steel tubing that was left over for the lip of the roll-up to come down on and concrete that into the floor. We'll also secure that siding that goes below the base frame-it cannot be left to flex, has to be backed by something secure.

They left quite a few pieces of those heavy steel framing members that were cut off and the fasteners and we may be able to use those for that. If not, we can use quikcrete. We want to make sure nothing can seep under the walls, period, then we'll put the vapor barrier in and secure it. It poured all day here and DH and I have been stuck inside, him sick, me just exhausted, but we are due for about a week of dry, albeit, colder weather and hope to get the foundation work done before we start on the inside. The windows on the east side can stay open a little all winter long. There are some small gaps at the wall tops and there is a ridge vent, though not sure how the roof insulation affects its ability to actually vent out. Foundation first, though. Off to bed to read and pass out.

 

[1muttsfan]

Kidney stones are not fun. Not at all.

I also have been feeling a little overwhelmed lately, thinking about future projects sure is a nice distractor.

 

[aart]

Whew!

Nice to have the structure up, it looks awesome!

Lots left to do to deal with runoff diversion, check ventilation points and maybe add some.
I'll bet the bubble wrap will need to be cut away from ridge vent? Might ask them about that?

Curious how they blocked up the corners to level,
but wonders if remaining bottom 'beams' need to be supported.....
......and the siding that falls below that beam <scratcheshead> shouldn't touch ground, but maybe gravel will drain enough for it not to be a concern?

Sorry, don't mean to be negative when you're already exhausted and stressed about hubs.....just my engineering eye 'seeing' stuff.
Do/did you plan on moving them in before 'winter'?

Hang in there...breathe deep and take time to enjoy the beauty of the new building amongst the other challenges of the day.

 

[speckledhen]

Whew!

Nice to have the structure up, it looks awesome!

Lots left to do to deal with runoff diversion, check ventilation points and maybe add some.
I'll bet the bubble wrap will need to be cut away from ridge vent? Might ask them about that?

Curious how they blocked up the corners to level,
but wonders if remaining bottom 'beams' need to be supported.....
......and the siding that falls below that beam <scratcheshead> shouldn't touch ground, but maybe gravel will drain enough for it not to be a concern?

Sorry, don't mean to be negative when you're already exhausted and stressed about hubs.....just my engineering eye 'seeing' stuff.
Do/did you plan on moving them in before 'winter'?

Hang in there...breathe deep and take time to enjoy the beauty of the new building amongst the other challenges of the day.

I have no real plans, just wants. Plans get shot all to "H*E*double toothpicks" around here. I'm completely overwhelmed. My sons are not here to help (not sure how much they would anyway) and we have zero family to come do anything for us. It's on me with my hurting arthritic ankle, carpal tunnel and whatever else wants to go out to take up the slack for hubby right now. I do know what needs to be done, but getting it done will be painfully slow at times, one step forward, ten back.

The siding will be backed up but the issue is the side where the entry door is right now. Maybe because I don't have that small slope rocked yet, water poured under that side-we had an absolute MONSOON last night B4 we had any chance to do the foundation work we needed to do, couldn't anyway because of DH being out of commission so I had to just suck it up and know that water was going to intrude and air it out and deal with it. I figured we'd have water intrusion if we had rain before we got it done and rain came immediately, but a dry period is here. The building is wide open and airing out. The long side with my rock wall did great. The side with the garage door needs a threshold most definitely and I have enough steel to do it, off to HD to buy quikcrete to set it in, etc.

The upgraded windows are 36" high x 25 wide. The ones in the order were standard 30x30, score there.

No, you cannot open the roof insulation to my knowledge. I'm not 100% sure how that works and I have no time to find out right now And on top of that, I have to find the time and the will and emotional fortitude to put Deacon down. His comb is back to normal color, but it's curling over and he looks like a zombie. He won't eat unless I bring him something special, makes no move to leave whatever spot he's in. He's dying and I have to do something but right now, I just can't. My b'day sucked big-time. We were too tired to go anywhere anyway. Maybe later in the week we can do something.

 

[speckledhen]

We have the skirt/apron poured on the entry door side. Tomorrow, we work on the back, especially the corner where the framing is on the 4" block. We worked on starting a threshold for the garage door. This steel frame piece is set into the ground, still needs to be completely secured. We'll pour what will appear to be the start of a driveway into the garage door sloping away from the building. We dont have enough bags to do all of it, but we can get the worst parts as well as start on insulating foam/silicone/caulk in places that should be closed up on the corners. Thankfully, DH gets a 10% military discount at Home Depot, which today, paid for the 5 bags of Quikcrete we bought.
Afternoon sun pouring into the back-DH put the concrete mix into the cart and drove it into the building.





Oops, forgot the tentative new inside plan since the entry door was offset.

 

[aart]

Nice floor plan.

He's hauling and mixing concrete with a kidney stone?

 

[speckledhen]

Nice floor plan.

He's hauling and mixing concrete with a kidney stone?

Yes, he's doing it, in spite of the pain.The stone keeps moving from extremely painful places to settle where he can tolerate it. Today, it was somewhat better, but late, it moved and I heard him say to himself, "Not again, no." It shifted. Same as always. That's the way they do. He's had quite a few of them over the last few years, but not as often lately. Has a collection of small ones in a medicine bottle from past times. He also has no discs in places in his back but he limps along and, as he says, "does what needs to be done". Eventually, he won't be able to, which is why this barn, for ease of management in the future. My own ankle was screaming today so I had to put on my Ankle Genie brace while we were doing the concrete mixing. He uses that black tub, does one bag at a time with a garden hoe to stir it up and a shovel to put it into the trench. I can do that myself but if he's on his feet at all, he won't let me do it.

So, all gets done in between his back issues and whatever else is wrong at the moment. Remember, it's only us. We have no help. If we don't do things for ourselves, they will never be done. And we are on military pension and SS, no big bank accounts to draw from to pay people to work for us. This barn was the biggest thing, other than renovation after the house fire, we've ever hired out to have done and we were only able to do it now because my father left my sister and myself a tiny remnant of his IRA. We were shocked there was any in the account since he was 94 years old when he died in July. I had a little of it, but this little bit more pushed us to the total we needed to go ahead with our plans.

I seriously think if we dropped dead up here, it would be months before anyone would come looking-that is, other than Ladyhawk. This working in spite of issues is just a fact of life, not whining or complaining, just is what it is. If I waited until my poor husband was pain-free, I'd die waiting so we trudge on.

ETA: Sorry for the brief, whiny interlude. We were so over-tired from this past few days but it will get better. Still a couple of critical things on the plate for the next month not related to the barn, but they'll be okay. Keep any suggestions coming. Trust me, we've thought of most of this stuff suggested, but some had to wait to see what we had to deal with once the building was plopped in place. I'm going to move the far end of one of the drains now that I know exactly where the roll-up door side of the bldg is and change the slope of the land off that side-water came toward the building there, not because of the drain but just the land and nothing to stop it. Lots to do but it wont happen overnight. By all means, don't stop pointing out things! You may see something we didn't. Some may be fixed, some may not be or may have to be dealt with later.

 

[aart]

I hear ya, am in much the same place, except on my own.
Working thru the old aches and pains when it's tolerable, sometimes severe - sometimes not so much.....but always there.

 

[1muttsfan]

Cyn you guys have done amazing! Everything will fall into place, and you can take whatever time you need, a brief period of wetting will not hurt anything - only long-term moisture is a major concern. And the hot weather is over until next year.

And happy birthday!