September 7, 2023 – Roof sheeting and interior wall crew progress

We were blessed with another wonderful weather day for working outside.   It was cool and cloudy all day, with the highs only getting into the mid-70’s.   After an inspirational prayer from a local priest, we talked about our tasks for the day.

Joe and I were on the inside wall crew.   Our first job was to build an insulation dam above the living room wall.   This is a barrier that stops the blown in insulation from being blown right out of the house and onto the porch.   We have done this task before, so it was pretty easy to get right at it.   It was also helpful that we had the support of our expert cutting team, also known as Howard and Sandy :-).   You can see Joe in the gap of this picture that needs to be covered.

The first step is to attach nailers to the  trusses.  

Then cut OSB to size and secure.   I was very excited when the cut for the triangular piece on the end of the porch fit on the first try … whoo hoo! (Who said you would never use advanced geometry 🙂 )

While we were working on the East side of the house, the roof sheeting team was overhead on the West side of the house.  They were making great progress, and had a good portion of the West side done by lunch time.

It was a perfect time to make sure that we got our favorite picture done with our hard hats.

We decided to get a little creative this year…. awwww, so cute …

Our next task was to hep to install truss claws.   These clips were installed on the trusses anywhere that it intersected an interior wall.  We used them last year, but it’s something fairly new.   Here’s a description of what they are designed to do:

After that job, Joe installed some Wind Star bracing that ties the end gable to the first two trusses.   According to wind tunnel experiments, these extra braces make a huge difference in avoiding damage during a tornado.

While we were busy completing our tasks, another team installed the rat runs (straight runs of 2×4’s across the length of the house that are used to ensure the gables maintain their 24″ spacing).  Hurricane clips were also installed that tie the trusses to the wall.

By the end of the day, the sheeting team had sheeted and covered the West side of the house, and had started on the East side.   It looks great!

After work today, we were invited to a local Ambucs meeting.   Across the country, the AMBUCS organization has more than 150 chapters in over 30 states. Their mission is to inspire mobility and independence.  In Sullivan, they’ve built numerous wheelchair ramps and provided mobility bikes to those in need.    This group also knows how to cook!   We were treated to a delicious grilled pork chop dinner with corn casserole, cowboy baked beans and dessert.

 

What a wonderful way to end another amazing day.  God is good!