Tag Archives: construction site

Cabin Subflooring

This week the work on the cabin started with lifting the huge girders into place. With just three guys, it was quite the challenge filled with lots of exertion and grunting, but they did it!

Girders
Sliding a girder into place

When all three were up, they began bringing over the 2x8s and installing them. At this point we could really see the footprint that the house will take.

Floor boards
Floor joists installed

Boards are placed
Looks out and in toward the jungle

Side profile
Side profile

All of the wood so far has come from the deconstructed wooden house, so it has been relatively inexpensive. Britton and I were unsure if we should use the underlayment panels so we checked them all out and found that a large majority were in great shape as far as integrity of the wood, but pretty dirty. We sorted out the best pieces and then I powerwashed and painted/sealed them with Kilz.

Panels
Sorting out the old underfloor panels (or building a dance floor?)

Kilz the panels
Painting/sealing them after powerwashing

We did have to buy a couple of panels but just doing this cleaning and recycling of most probably saved $1000 as compared to new.

And the very next day, they began installing them!

Cabin through the trees
Subflooring being installed

We have had a few challenges that we’ve had to work through during this process, but overall it has been remarkably smooth. It has been a change in pace, especially for Britton, to work every day at 7am again, but it seems a little different when it is for a project of our choosing. It is also a little different to be a manager of this project and work with a crew. We must constantly be aware of people’s (including our own) strengths and weaknesses, desires and dreads. Overall, we are learning, growing and of course building a little more every day throughout this project.

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Are We Hillbillies or What?

We are nearing the very end of the house demolition project. However, now that the house is basically just pieces of wood on the ground, everything else about our life is totally disordered. That’s what happens when you live “on-site,” I suppose.

Working in Paradise

Thursday was the craziest with activity and lots of hammer drilling from about 7am to 7pm, so Friday we needed a break (and I think the workers did too)!

But it wasn’t a true break, because I still needed to get laundry done amidst all the chaos that was left behind. I was getting a bit snippy with Britton about my “less than ideal” ability to wash and hang laundry and he stopped me in my tracks and said, “Wait, I need to get a photo of this.” Yep, it is pretty hilarious. And a good reminder to not take things too seriously. Everything will get sorted out….eventually! And if we turn into hillbillies in the process, so be it!

Crazy laundry and turkeys
Crazy acres is the life for me! 🙂

The cool thing about living amidst all the construction progress is that you get to know everyone pretty well. Well enough that when the guys heard that I had never had “pitorro” (which they pronounced pitojo), the next day they brought a bottle of it for us and a bottle for them and we all took shots (a very small one for me) from the same metal cup and said “salud!” Pitorro is like Puerto Rican moonshine and everyone has a different recipe for it. This one tasted pretty good and sweet and was made with tamarind and parcha juice, but it did pack a punch. An only in Puerto Rico experience for sure.

PitorroYou can’t be a true hillbilly until you’re drinking the local moonshine, right? 🙂

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