Fixit Time: Part Doo
This afternoon I dutifully visited the local Home Improvement Center. I prefer the local lumberyard right near my house, but they are geared to supplying the professionals and so they are more a wood n' nails kinda joint. So I went to the HIC figuring on getting everything in one shot. Now I should have just done the teardown and *then* bought the stuff. But I figured I had it all planned out and didnt want to make a separate trip on Sunday.
So 320 bucks lighter I walked out with a truckload of stuff. But by the time I had found everything and run herd on 2 full carts in the packed HIC, it was 4pm and I was whupped.
Undaunted, I tore into the poor, innocent cabana.
Now originally, as I noted before, I planned on doing the whole thing in 2x2s and lowering the 4x4 beam by replacing it with stacked and fitted 2x4s. Well the huge HIC doesnt have joist style brackets for 2x2s so it is back to 2x4s. But I did find some l brackets that would do the job but not support the whole weight. So instead I am using 6 2x4 rafters and then using 2x2s in between, rotated so a corner points up to prevent the plastic from bowing. And with no plywood, the plastic will let in some daylight. I am using 2 8' 2X6s as a mount (I know there is a name for it, but it is beyond me) board, notched and fitted under the house rafter eaves. This will give a tighter, critter proof and when sealed, moisture proof junction. Then there the plastic fits in under the eaves, I will use expanded insulating foam coated with sealant to fill the gaps caused the the corrugated shape.
Best laid plans.
So I tear into the thing and as usual, it is more involved than I thought. This house has a perfect record of introducing an "oh shit" moment every time I try to make an improvement. This time it came at the very end of the tear-down. As I pulled away the old eave mounting board (a 2x4 that leaves a 2" gap up under the eave) I and doused with a lot of sawdust. Then I see that the upper wall beam looks like swiss cheese. Aw geeze. Sure enough, a probe of my finger sinks in to the first joint without any effort. When we bought the house that first spring we had a buncha ants appear there. We sprayed them and had the exterminator continue the effort and by year three they were gone. Apparently they were there long enough to do some damage though. I call 'em termites but they could have been moisture ants or carpenter ants or something. Doesnt matter. The work has to get done.
There is a silver lining. The wall is to the utility room addition which isnt part of the main structure. So the wall is only bearing a little weight. I should be able to tear off the siding and then replace the rotten parts. It's just more work than I had planned.
And after all that work...it wont look any different.
So 320 bucks lighter I walked out with a truckload of stuff. But by the time I had found everything and run herd on 2 full carts in the packed HIC, it was 4pm and I was whupped.
Undaunted, I tore into the poor, innocent cabana.
Now originally, as I noted before, I planned on doing the whole thing in 2x2s and lowering the 4x4 beam by replacing it with stacked and fitted 2x4s. Well the huge HIC doesnt have joist style brackets for 2x2s so it is back to 2x4s. But I did find some l brackets that would do the job but not support the whole weight. So instead I am using 6 2x4 rafters and then using 2x2s in between, rotated so a corner points up to prevent the plastic from bowing. And with no plywood, the plastic will let in some daylight. I am using 2 8' 2X6s as a mount (I know there is a name for it, but it is beyond me) board, notched and fitted under the house rafter eaves. This will give a tighter, critter proof and when sealed, moisture proof junction. Then there the plastic fits in under the eaves, I will use expanded insulating foam coated with sealant to fill the gaps caused the the corrugated shape.
Best laid plans.
So I tear into the thing and as usual, it is more involved than I thought. This house has a perfect record of introducing an "oh shit" moment every time I try to make an improvement. This time it came at the very end of the tear-down. As I pulled away the old eave mounting board (a 2x4 that leaves a 2" gap up under the eave) I and doused with a lot of sawdust. Then I see that the upper wall beam looks like swiss cheese. Aw geeze. Sure enough, a probe of my finger sinks in to the first joint without any effort. When we bought the house that first spring we had a buncha ants appear there. We sprayed them and had the exterminator continue the effort and by year three they were gone. Apparently they were there long enough to do some damage though. I call 'em termites but they could have been moisture ants or carpenter ants or something. Doesnt matter. The work has to get done.
There is a silver lining. The wall is to the utility room addition which isnt part of the main structure. So the wall is only bearing a little weight. I should be able to tear off the siding and then replace the rotten parts. It's just more work than I had planned.
And after all that work...it wont look any different.
posted by Z at
6:53 PM
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