Doing site prep and demolition not only lowers the contractors' bids, but also allows me to tightly control how the first and most important phase starts, namely, the foundation. I live at this jobsite, after all. I've carefully marked the centerlines of the piers and hired a laborer to knock out holes where they're on old slab. Pier drilling can then go quickly and smoothly... hopefully.
Jan 31, 2007
Knocking holes in slab
Doing site prep and demolition not only lowers the contractors' bids, but also allows me to tightly control how the first and most important phase starts, namely, the foundation. I live at this jobsite, after all. I've carefully marked the centerlines of the piers and hired a laborer to knock out holes where they're on old slab. Pier drilling can then go quickly and smoothly... hopefully.
Project: room addition
To get the lowest prices from the most qualified people to do decent work in reasonable time, I'm starting the room addition right now, in the dead of winter, even before completing my interior projects. Good thing I already got the building permit. Here's to hoping for dry weather in February!
Jan 26, 2007
Voila! storage shed
This is a Keter Apex 8x6 storage shed purchased from Orchard Supply Hardware for $649 plus tax. It has a ridge skylight and two windows. It's super easy to construct, given a flat and level ground. Assembly requires only a philips screwdriver and about two hours. Just in time for the rain. Trailer transported.
Jan 25, 2007
Shed floor
As luck would have it, the compacted granite pad was short by about an inch. Part of the problem is that stock 2x4 treated wood is actually shorter than eight feet (the required width for the storage shed). It was lapped on the side, but the side board itself wasn't perfectly level. It's best to have the entire shed floor sit on the same material, so I dug out more dirt and hand-compacted another six inches. The visible clue is the cedar 2x4 extension seen at lower right in the photo. Only now is it ready.
Jan 24, 2007
Little brick wall
Although the concrete footing hasn't yet cured (typical working strength in 7 days, design strength in 28 days), it's just firm enough to start the bricks. And the bricks were discovered sitting in the underfloor crawl space, stashed by the previous owner for some reason. They're otherwise useless, so why not build a little retaining wall with them. Too bad it won't be entirely visible -- the shed will hide it on one side, and dirt will cover most of it on the other.
But it came together very well.
But it came together very well.
Crushed granite base
To get a stable, level and hard-packed base for the shed, I decided to use 2 inches of crushed granite. It's cheap but effective. Compaction is with the plate vibrator. Containing it becomes important, so treated 2x4's were staked at the perimeter. They'll stay buried. Cost of renting the machine from Home Depot, with insurance and tax, comes to $90 a day. Labor assistance is important because even lifting it into and out of the trailer requires two strong guys.
Jan 23, 2007
Little footing for little wall
A short retaining wall is needed to hold the soil to the left of the shed. The concrete footing to support it is 14 inches wide, 5.5 inches deep and poured over 2 inches of base rock. The leveled dirt, as well as the soil under the footing, was tamped with a vibratory plate compactor.
Storage shed location
The best spot for the new tool/storage shed is in the rear yard against the side block wall. There's hardly any sun there anyway for plants. It'll be near the mole chaser windmill, maybe creating a barn+windmill image, who knows. Photo shows rough extent of the shed corners with the bricks on the ground.
Jan 20, 2007
Project: bath #2
Bathroom #2 is the larger bathroom at the end of the hallway. It'll be mostly cosmetic work now because the critical items (shower door, window, exhaust and faucet) have been done long ago.
Jan 19, 2007
Desktop with tackboard
Just finished this solid cherry writing surface with fabric-covered wallboard (tackboard). Except for the solid cherry, it's all leftover material. Click on image to start slide show.
Shelf standards are heavy duty double-slotted rails fastened directly to wall studs. Wallboard is 1/2" soundboard covered with commercial-grade fire-retardant upholstery fabric, bordered with sepetir wood, then screwed to wall studs. I should replace the black screws with stainless steel ones. Cherry desk slab is made of three pieces biscuit-glued together, then polished with tung oil.
The lowest rung puts the desktop at 23" AFF (above finish floor), while the highest is about 46" AFF, adjustable in 1.25" increments. I'll probably keep it at 25.5".
Shelf standards are heavy duty double-slotted rails fastened directly to wall studs. Wallboard is 1/2" soundboard covered with commercial-grade fire-retardant upholstery fabric, bordered with sepetir wood, then screwed to wall studs. I should replace the black screws with stainless steel ones. Cherry desk slab is made of three pieces biscuit-glued together, then polished with tung oil.
The lowest rung puts the desktop at 23" AFF (above finish floor), while the highest is about 46" AFF, adjustable in 1.25" increments. I'll probably keep it at 25.5".
Jan 7, 2007
Vertical stakes at Cheesewood
Hopefully four 3/4" diameter landscaping stakes (hollow aluminum wrapped with green plastic), wired together on top, will hold the tree from wind toppling, which has already occurred twice over the four and half years it's been in the ground. All guy wires have been disconnected, but still ready in case of gale-force winds.
Pittosporum Undulatum or Victorian Box or Cheesewood
Pittosporum Undulatum or Victorian Box or Cheesewood
Jan 6, 2007
Trunk diameters, v.2007
Winter time wreaks havoc for my trees. There's poor drainage in some areas. There's clay soil. Then there's occasional high wind. Measurements of truck diameters reveal some interesting facts.
The latest trees (bottom of the list) are showing the fastest growth. These have been the least demanding of conditions. I'm learning how to choose them. In fact, Sandalwood (Carson Myoporum) is nothing less than spectacular. It's been in the ground less than a year, yet it's now my the largest young tree! Probably why it's classified practically as a weed. A minor peculiariarity, however, is that the trunk measures smaller right now (by a fraction) than three months ago. Maybe it's just blockage of rainfall at that location, being not so plump with moisture.
Second most vigorous is the Brisbane Box in the backyard corner. In overall size it has matched the Photinia, which is doing fine but just not thickening as quickly in the trunk. The Lemonwood variegated in the side yard has caught up in size to the backyard Lemonwood. Both the Tenuifolium and Strawberry have gained healthy girth.
Unfortunately, the Victorian Box (or Cheesewood) out in front hasn't changed much. An average spot along the trunk measures the same size as last year! It looks okay though. I think the guy wires helping it from wind blasts are preventing it from "exercising," holding it stagnant. I'll have to do something.
Compare to last year's measurements.
The latest trees (bottom of the list) are showing the fastest growth. These have been the least demanding of conditions. I'm learning how to choose them. In fact, Sandalwood (Carson Myoporum) is nothing less than spectacular. It's been in the ground less than a year, yet it's now my the largest young tree! Probably why it's classified practically as a weed. A minor peculiariarity, however, is that the trunk measures smaller right now (by a fraction) than three months ago. Maybe it's just blockage of rainfall at that location, being not so plump with moisture.
Second most vigorous is the Brisbane Box in the backyard corner. In overall size it has matched the Photinia, which is doing fine but just not thickening as quickly in the trunk. The Lemonwood variegated in the side yard has caught up in size to the backyard Lemonwood. Both the Tenuifolium and Strawberry have gained healthy girth.
| Victorian B. | ||||
| Tenuifolium | ||||
| Photinia | ||||
| Lemonwoodv. | ||||
| Strawberry | ||||
| Lemonwood | ||||
| Brisbane B. | ||||
| Sandalwood |
Unfortunately, the Victorian Box (or Cheesewood) out in front hasn't changed much. An average spot along the trunk measures the same size as last year! It looks okay though. I think the guy wires helping it from wind blasts are preventing it from "exercising," holding it stagnant. I'll have to do something.
Compare to last year's measurements.
Creative wiring
Some electricians may say this type of modification is against code.
It's the conversion of existing switches to a 3-way without exposing any wall studs. All new wiring was made in the attic. The compromise was losing the small light over the sink -- its switchbox is shown at lower right.
However, all connections were made inside standard boxes, all grounding wires have been grounded, and all Romex cables have been properly anchored. It's safe. It works. It's just confusing without a diagram.
It's the conversion of existing switches to a 3-way without exposing any wall studs. All new wiring was made in the attic. The compromise was losing the small light over the sink -- its switchbox is shown at lower right.However, all connections were made inside standard boxes, all grounding wires have been grounded, and all Romex cables have been properly anchored. It's safe. It works. It's just confusing without a diagram.
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