Continuing

I'm finishing up the interior walls and trim. I'm leaving the section between the windows open for shelf space. The windows face NE and NW, making ideal light for a studio. There will be a wrap-around desk in this section.

The final step is to put blocking in the roof, then insulation, then the ceiling. I am going to go with fiberglass insulation due to its performance with moisture. The denim-cotton wouldn't hold up. For the ceiling's center section I am looking online at decorative pressed tin that comes in 2' panels. I am looking for a lightweight wood to use on the sides going up to the center.

The farm cat exploring.

Parked next to the grain silo and the goats.

Interior Walls

It's feeling more and more like a livable space every day. Yesterday Amy finished the masonite interior while I did the interior bay window ceiling. Then we joined forces to get the beginning of the loft framed along with the wet bath / closet. We brought in one bank of the marble counter top--both of us were a bit taken aback--it looked stunning.

Today we plan on finishing the wet bath / closet (we like to call it the wet closet) framing and walls, the loft framing and floor, and then, time willing, begin on installing the bamboo flooring.

Next up: wainscoting.

OPEN HOUSE THIS SUNDAY, AUGUST 8TH, 4pm till dark!

Near Downtown Healdsburg

Inside Work

Amy and I have been putting in long hours, thus the slow-down in posts.

After finished the exterior, we moved onto electrical, plumbing, denim/cotton insulation, and interior vapor barrier. Today we are getting in the interior walls, and it's looking great!

Photos soon.

Second-Hand Pine Acquired!

The team had a day of planning & purchasing under the same bleeding moon. The sun was unbearable, even though it was barely hot, and so our minds went to work on the future of the home: it's looks, it's make-up of materials, it's opening statement, and it's finer details.

We've decided on a light pine ceiling, also to be used in the high loft and low loft floors. We'll install a chocolate colored masonite (tempered hardboard) for the interior walls, with the same light pine for all trim work. The pine was from a local lumber yard, Nu Forest Products--but once it got rained on, it was sold at low cost to Heritage Salvage in Petaluma, where we found it after it had been dried out with stickers. At 40 cents a linear foot for 1" x 6" boards, the price does add up, but it will be a beautiful and important detail in the home.

We've also figured out the details of the exterior flashing, and are ready to buy these 10' metal sticks for the job of keeping the home dry.

Fabric Getting Situated! Still Interior Walls & The Way Things Work

Moving Furniture etc.

Arranging, re-arranging.

Where to put the oven?

The sink?

I had it all planned out. Now I'm feeling it out to find what's what.

Ashley and mom so nice as we re-arrange, and talk about how the sink will get watered.

Some stacking of blocks above legs on top of propane tanks to play pretend.

I've been gifted with some furniture from childhood times.

Camphor chest & oak organizer, now the postcard HQ.

etc. includes "finishing up" with the interior walls,

and cooking with friends,

and

a

lot

of time alone.

Waking Up

So nice looking around.

All Day Interior Walls

Some real progress.

THANKS TO ERIC FOR THE STAPLER.

"studio" WORKSPACE walls

Sometimes, you just get

sick

of looking at it (the rigid foam)

& want to move in.

Thus, today, more-than-one-artist-recommended:

SOUNDBOARD

pinable, and re-pinable

Me standing destructive again? I haven't fully researched the thing. But it went in quite easily, making my move in date sooner than otherwise...

Photos maybe later tonight, now a moonlit walk with ma, who was my wonder-gopher today. Thanks mom.

Also, picked up the ridge cap. It's great.

* * *

Some photos from the day, at night:

Buen dia

All day doing precision cutting for the interior wood walls in the loft. PHewph. Long day. Not sure I want to do this through the house, and am considering some kind of plaster still. Had a nice talk with a plasterer. Doesn't seem like plastering is such a good option...

Gracias a Armando para me ayudando con la electricidad hoy conmigo. Pronto habrá luz... en la noche. Y máquinas de coser...

Thanks to Armando for checking the electric lines with me today. Soon there'll be light... at night. And sewing machines...

This photo shows how I have begun setting in the thin wood in the spaces between the studs. Since I still need to put in a nailer, I have yet to attach the pieces, but at least now they're cut to fit. Once I get the nailers in that'll make the process much quicker.

Here you can see how I've set pieces to the left of each space. These propped up pieces will need special cuts to fit the exact space. More fun... ahead.

Again, none of these are installed yet. I still need to put nailers in. But this give an idea of what's done so far.

Overall, something like this:

Planed

Planed down a heap of the bender board that I used for the exterior of the house. Even though I wore coveralls over my work clothes, that light green powder that the wood was infused with is all over me. It's lovely wood though. Dark redwood. I'm going to make some lap joints in it, as I did with the partially planed redwood fencing that I used for the ceiling in the loft, and use it for the interior walls, between the studs, perhaps doing a light lime wash once installed.

My dad just came by and said it sounded like a lot of work.

Doesn't feel like that. Seems like since there's a clear path, it's well on it's way.

The option of doing plaster has been tantalizing since I began, but it's just not walking on it's own. Though I've done research, no option has seemed to line itself up. I do think it would be possible, but given the particular puzzle I've set up for myself, it's not a simple option. Perhaps I'll learn the skills another day and be able to apply them in another situation.

Anyhow, the potential of doing a commission for another small house has come up. Surprising, and worth considering...

It was another beautiful sunny day here. And the moon came into view as just a little orange sliver.

(Thanks to Greg's planer for all the hard work.)

After planing, I cut lap joints into the boards.

These two photos show an overview and detail of the interior walls I am considering plastering in some kind of way... though see many obstacles... seeing as how the only thing to attach to is rigid foam... pinning in an expanded metal lathe may be possible... could I pin it diagonally into the studs... I'm wondering...

This photo shows my 1/2" of wiggle room.... not much.

All day in the rain

It was Sunday though, so I didn't use any power tools for the sake of the neighbors. I don't know if anyone reads these postings, so if so, the update is: it's raining for the next week and I'm not moving anywhere. That's the forecast.

Plans to move to Santa Rosa fell through, so I'm still on the lookout for somewhere in Santa Rosa with gardening space available and a place for this trailer house. Until then, it's the family driveway. Between the citrus and the figs, can't complain.

I spent the day completely organizing all the materials I have left and moving everything in the garage so my dad can park his car in the garage again, which he's been wanting. I've been lucky that my parents have let me use their driveway for building, and their garage for storing materials. The space has been invaluable.

The hinging roof above the loft is coming along, so my next main thing to figure is the interior walls. I'm interested in doing some kind of plaster or paper slurry. I've found one lead of a guy using plaster doing airstream remodels, link here. I wrote him an email tonight to see if he had any problems with cracking, or suggestions for application. Once that's in, there's nothing keeping me from moving in, again. I'll be able to install the shelving for food storage, put legs on the chopping block, do interior trim, and set up the sewing, drawing, etching, poster-puppet-making landing.

I don't know what I'll do after tax season.