Bay Window

Today we will finish up the trim, flashing, and exterior siding on the hitch side of the trailer...

So we didn't get as far along as we had projected. The bay window is a doozy. But it's coming along and super solid.

Steady Days

Another long few days getting the exterior flashing and siding on with attention to every detail. Amy left this evening to pickup some bamboo flooring from someone on Craigslist who had 300 sqft of left overs. We'll only need 128 of it for the floor, but can use the rest for other interior trim and detailing.

Visual Detail

That would explain the nausea.

I'm doing a little research on Copper sulfate, which I think is what the exterior boards on my house are inundated with. The same boards I planed down to use for the interior. This wasn't a great option by way of low-toxicity. On the other hand, it was free. ...funny how that works. Anyhow, more on that later. For now, I want to note some of my findings from Wikipedia.

Mainly, I leared that copper sulfate is an emetic, a vomit inducer. "An emetic is used medically where a substance has been ingested and must be expelled from the body immediately (for this reason, many toxic and easily digestible products such as rat poison contain an emetic). Inducing vomiting can remove the substance before it is absorbed into the body. Ipecac abuse can cause detrimental health effects.

"Salt water and mustard water have been used since ancient times as emetics.[4] Care must be taken with salt, as excessive intake can potentially be harmful.[5][6]

"Copper sulfate was also used in the past as an emetic.[7][8] It is now considered too toxic for this use.[9]"

Furthermore, and noteable since I just had a little bout of pink eye, "Eye contact with copper sulfate can cause conjunctivitis."

After reading the following, I can say: luckily, I still need to urinate often. "After 1-12 grams of copper sulfate are swallowed, such poisoning signs may occur as a metallic taste in the mouth, burning pain in the chest, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, discontinued urination, which leads to yellowing of the skin. In case of copper sulfate poisoning, injury to the brain, stomach, liver, kidneys may also occur."

This makes me very interested in finding a local science student/person who would be interested in taking a little sample of my wood's green dust to determine what it is. Or if someone recoginizes it and knows some context, please leave a comment.

This also makes me realize the care I must take so this material isn't able to reach food sources etc. and even further skin contact.

Still at it still

Drilling out the holes for the light boxes.

Specialty piece I rigged up for nailing wood floor into, set in groove between pieces of "subfloor" (old 6" refrigeration wall)

Ongoing project alone, actually helped a great deal by the Andrews Sisters and the Mills Brothers.

Dessert

Great Day

Lots more of the siding up. Working with Evan today, great fun. Thanks Evan.

The photos show the progress mid-day, not including what we got done up till sundown clipped our activities.

Fenders, Subfloor & Siding

Another huge thank you to the Maach-Rambo's for the other piece of scavenged fridge wall. I cut and installed it today, still needs some pounding, but it's good. Also got the fenders dealt with. Then continued on exterior siding.

Another Siding Day and . . .

Photo shows the southern wall I worked on today.

Also, it's seeming like I have found a place to move, and I may move as early as January. This gave me new energy to get-out-there and move ahead with the trim, flashing, and siding.

I have great appreciation for the people condensed in Copenhagen who are boldly stating the reality of the climate crisis and that western lifestyles cannot go on as before. There is undoubtedly a global movement, and if your news source isn't covering it, look wider. There is so much to learn.

Looking around I often think about how destructive the status quo in this land is, and wonder what impact I can have on encouraging myself and others to have less of an impact.

The Maldives and so many other islands will be submerged by rising ocean waters. Are the actions you take to minimize your impact radical enough? How destructive is the status quo to which you compare your actions?

Scrapping Together

Loose ends and testers propped up visible. Got to find long enough pieces for trim. Cut that and install. Got to get the right screws for the aluminum. Got to finish cutting and nailing up siding. Coming inside at 4pm today. Hands frozen.

More Siding, Less Du Pont, More Rock

I've built up to where the windows that aren't in yet will go. I need to deal with those windows.

Using z bar as a drip edge above each row of siding.

Frigid outside. I'm nailing in beautiful old & wide redwood siding next to the covered citrus trees. Just sort of well yea forging ahead.

The day is coming to a close. It's cold. A long day alone. That's not true. The redwood told me stories all day.

Got sick of looking at it...

How did my house become an advertisement for Du Pont? What have I created?! Much to learn...

Yesterday I did a series of material collections. Big thanks to the Burg's for the bender board I will use as exterior siding and extra butcher block pieces. Big thanks to the Maach-Rambos for the extra fridge wall rigid foam insulation piece I will add to finish my floor insulation. Big thanks to Todd Barricklow for the old-ish model on-demand propane water heater I will experiment with in the coming weeks. And big thanks to the guy from Craigslist who called saying he had a space he rented in Sonoma with some old fence wood he used to use to make picture frames with but will no longer and so has redwood to pass on.

So I really am sick of seeing my house in such a Tyvek state, and though it's been a puzzle to figure out how I want to do the exterior siding (due to a combination of limited blocking and limited materials), I began putting siding up this afternoon. It went quickly and I nearly finished the rear side (west wall) with no windows or doors. The other sides will be more demanding, cutting pieces to butt up into the fenders and windows and doors and all. And I still need to put the Z bar flashing up above the windows and doors and decide how I want the window and door trim to look before hammering ahead. I also am considering future awnings and if I might come up with a system now to avoid modifications/remodels in the future.

Did some patching of the used corrugated aluminum I had, different materials, but just like patching a bike innertube...

Cracking on something somesiding

It's a funny thing working with salvaged materials sometimes. At this point, I'm not sure my visual critic is even on the board anymore. I'm just trying to meet each need with what I have available.