No pics this day—it’s raining pretty good at the building site. I drove out this morning with some of my workshop tools (drill press and band saw) for the storage unit and to initial the papers for the 7 acres next door. Yeah, we’re buying that lot, too. It’s the only way to assure you’re going to like the neighbors! ;-)
Anyway, after making my drop at the storage unit and picking up the mail, I drove up to the property to take a peek and was surprised to see Don, Adam and young Kyle on the premises. It was raining pretty good and I figured they would have packed it in for the day despite it being just 9:00 AM. They were there to check the materials on site and to hope for a break in the weather. I caught them just as they were about to give up. Don showed me around and pointed out that Rob, the excavator, had already backfilled a good portion of the foundation.
A.G.T. made a comment about the dimensional lumber (2 x 10s) being used for floor joists. If memory serves, Beaver Mountain doesn’t use I-joists. They do have a steel joist system (not a solid girder but the kind with a W through the center of the joist). Using that would have spanned the 28-foot width of the foundation without a center beam, but the cost was more than I cared to pay. The traditional 2 x 10 over a 14-foot span (half the width of the basement) was almost half the price.
Oops, Deb just mailed me some pictures from yesterday! Let me go look at them. Be right back!
Friday, April 14, 2006
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Log Home Update: Part 11
Rafters and floor joists
Whew! Just posting the pictures of what Don and Adam are doing out in PA is making me exhausted. They are really moving along.
Today they started putting the floor joists in place.
Don (on the wall) positions the end of one of the floor joists before nailing it in place.
One half of the floor joists are in place.
Adam dons the tools of the trade.
Trucks in the background are parked on the driveway of the nextdoor lot.
SW corner: The joists are in under the bedroom and bathroom.
NW corner: Joists are in under the kitchen and dining area.
And there was still time to put most of the joists under the second first floor bedroom in the SE corner.
It was an excellent day for working on the hill and Don and Adam made the most of it. From the looks of things, all the joist will be in place by tomorrow (Friday) afternoon.
Today they started putting the floor joists in place.
Don (on the wall) positions the end of one of the floor joists before nailing it in place.
One half of the floor joists are in place.
Adam dons the tools of the trade.
Trucks in the background are parked on the driveway of the nextdoor lot.
SW corner: The joists are in under the bedroom and bathroom.
NW corner: Joists are in under the kitchen and dining area.
And there was still time to put most of the joists under the second first floor bedroom in the SE corner.
It was an excellent day for working on the hill and Don and Adam made the most of it. From the looks of things, all the joist will be in place by tomorrow (Friday) afternoon.
Adirondack Critters
Mark has been keeping the woods camera in operation. Depending upon the bait he has set out there could be ravens, deer, fox, fisher or nothing. Pretty often it’s nothing. This last week he got a fisher coming in on April 9th and the 11th.From the time stamps, it looks like the critter was there 5:25 PM on the 9th, 12:33 AM, 12:58 AM, 6:49 AM, 10:28 AM and 10:35 AM on the 11th. Looks like the fisher is a local and really enjoyed what ever the bait dujour was for this week.
SUNY-ESF has a web site with a description of the (Martes pennanti Erxleben) and its habits.
And this little tidbit makes the appearance of this particular individual very interesting.
We have our own pictures:
Fisher poses for the camera.
Nosing around for food. “It was here last evening.”
“That food’s got to be here somewhere!”
“Phew! Six more hours doesn’t make this stuff smell any better!”
“It’s 10:30 on a sunny morning and that fish is really, really ripe!”
“But, darn it, I’m goin’ to eat it anyway!”
SUNY-ESF has a web site with a description of the (Martes pennanti Erxleben) and its habits.
The fisher prefers mature coniferous and mixed forests with thick overhead cover, and avoids openings such as logged areas, especially in winter. Unlike the marten, the fisher may also use deciduous forests, including dense second-growth stands. Seasonal changes in habitat use may occur, with some fishers leaving high elevations to spend the winter in conifer swamps and lowland conifer forests.That pretty much describes the forest around Mark and my cabins and with several thousand acres of state “Forever Wild” land to the north of my place, there’s plenty of room for the fisher to roam.
The fisher is an opportunistic omnivore, eating large quantities of seeds and fruits such as beechnuts, black cherries, and mountain ash berries when seasonally abundant. However, snowshoe hares, voles, mice, red squirrels, flying squirrels, and shrews make up the bulk of the diet. The fisher hunts by running back and forth over an area, and then rushing and biting prey that it flushes.With a diet like that, I would gladly encourage a fisher to live in the neighborhood. Voles, mice, red squirrels I can do without.
The fisher is most active at twilight, but alternates periods of activity lasting 2-5 hours with bouts of resting or sleeping in temporary dens as it travels throughout a large area. In a 24 hour period, the fisher travels about 1.5-3.0 km (1-2 mi), but may cover 30 km (19 mi), for example when searching for mates. Fishers are active at all times of the year except during severe winter storms when they stay in their dens until the arrival of milder weather.This might explain why the critter on camera appeared at such varied times.
And this little tidbit makes the appearance of this particular individual very interesting.
In March or April, the female bears 1-6 (average 2 or 3) young which at birth are blind and covered with fine, gray fur. The female spends most of her time with the newborn young, leaving them for no more than 2-3 hours each day. As the young mature, the female spends more time foraging, traveling directly to the boundaries of her home range to hunt. By 49 days of age, the eyes of the young open, and they are weaned by about 4 months of age. The young disperse in autumn or early winter.Our visitor is obviously and adult. It was also photographed early in the winter, so it’s range includes my backyard. If it is a female, it might have a den nearby and, perhaps, may be caring for some young. Time to keep the camera set up during June when the little ones would be out and about after their eyes are open. They won’t be weaned until around the end of August.
We have our own pictures:
Fisher poses for the camera.
Nosing around for food. “It was here last evening.”
“That food’s got to be here somewhere!”
“Phew! Six more hours doesn’t make this stuff smell any better!”
“It’s 10:30 on a sunny morning and that fish is really, really ripe!”
“But, darn it, I’m goin’ to eat it anyway!”
Proponents of global warming browbeat dissenters
At least that’s the gist of the story by MIT’s Richard Lindzen in the Wall Street Journal linked to by John Hinderaker over at Power Line. John appropriately calls it a “Climate of Fear.”
John’s lead paragraph brings up an interesting point:
Too many modern “scientists” have become like the alchemists of the Middle Ages—performing incantations and questionable experiments to curry favor with the “Nobility” in order to be granted funding. They have strayed from the path of science and have crossed over to the Dark Side of greed.
John’s lead paragraph brings up an interesting point:
Most people assume that "science" has proved that the earth is getting significantly, and potentially catastrophically, warmer, and that the reason is human activity, specifically the release of carbon dioxide and other "greenhouse" gases. In fact, scientific support for that theory is weak. But it's where the money is: funding for climate research by the U.S. government alone is up more than a billion dollars a year as a result of the alarmism spread by--guess who--the same people, largely, who get the extra billion dollars. There are some contexts in which economic interests make reporters suspicious, and some contexts in which they don't. Why? Beats me. Ask a reporter.Just one more reason to question everything you read and see in the MSM.
Too many modern “scientists” have become like the alchemists of the Middle Ages—performing incantations and questionable experiments to curry favor with the “Nobility” in order to be granted funding. They have strayed from the path of science and have crossed over to the Dark Side of greed.
Log Home Update: Part 10c:
Repost of floor plans
Just in case you’ve not seen the post in which I clumsily drew the floor plans of our log home, allow me to direct your attention to that October 10, 2005 post:
Log Home Plans, Part II: The Design
An update on the projected finish date. In this post I said, “We are hoping to be able to move in by the end of 2006.” Well, Don’s timetable has a move-in date of October 21, 2006 followed by “Hunt Deer.” Deb, Don’s wife, has the same date on her calendar, but it is followed by “Take Cruise.” (She promises they will be back in time to hunt bear and deer.) In either case, the motivation is there! And, so far, everything is progressing according to the timeline. Once the bulk of the materials are delivered next week, we’ll see how things move along.
Log Home Plans, Part II: The Design
An update on the projected finish date. In this post I said, “We are hoping to be able to move in by the end of 2006.” Well, Don’s timetable has a move-in date of October 21, 2006 followed by “Hunt Deer.” Deb, Don’s wife, has the same date on her calendar, but it is followed by “Take Cruise.” (She promises they will be back in time to hunt bear and deer.) In either case, the motivation is there! And, so far, everything is progressing according to the timeline. Once the bulk of the materials are delivered next week, we’ll see how things move along.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Log Home Update: Part 10b:
Construction Begins
Beaver Mtn. delivered one truckload of materials on Tuesday for the construction of the first floor deck. (The balance of materials are due to be delivered on Wednesday, the 19th.) Sill plates, floor joists and subfloor materials are stacked and covered.
Don and Adam started constructing the floor system on Wednesday.
It’s hammer and nail time.
Adam checks the end placement of the huge glu-lam beam that will support the floor joists.
Placing one of the support posts under the beam. Adam is on the ladder while Don makes sure he gets it right.
The "front" end of the glu-lam rests on the door/window header.
(This header is only a temp. A glu-lam had to be ordered at the last minute when we realized it wasn't included in the package. Doh!)
Looking down the length of the beam. Don E-mailed to say the beam actually came in six (6) pieces, each one pretty heavy on its own.
Adam auditions for the circus by walking the wall. Looks like it’s a little more overcast today, but the view is still great.
Looking from the open end of the basement you can see how the beam rests on the header and the location of the three posts down the middle of the basement.
Log Home Update: Part 10a: The Concrete Pour
On Monday, the foundation crew finished up their work with the forms and then they poured the concrete. Don took some pictures of the process and I finally got copies this evening. It looks like it was a beautiful day on the hill with clear skies and views that would last forever. To get the concrete to the back (south) wall and the adjacent corners, and to make pouring concrete into the 8” wide spaces between the forms, they used a pumping crane with a long boom. The hose attached to the crane allowed the crew to “drop” the concrete straight down the void. It looks like they added a layer of nudura barrier material to the exterior walls of the basement. I’m guessing this is to protect the foam during the back-filling process that should have taken place today.
Two concrete trucks plus a crane? Didn’t know there was that much room on site! Notice the filled metal forms for the garage in the foreground.
Pouring concrete from a hose.
Hose from crane drops concrete straight down the void.
No wheelbarrows, ramps or very long chutes needed on this job to reach the distant corners.
The boom on the crane can really reach out but it helps when you can pull right into the basement, too!
Two concrete trucks plus a crane? Didn’t know there was that much room on site! Notice the filled metal forms for the garage in the foreground.
Pouring concrete from a hose.
Hose from crane drops concrete straight down the void.
No wheelbarrows, ramps or very long chutes needed on this job to reach the distant corners.
The boom on the crane can really reach out but it helps when you can pull right into the basement, too!
Illegal Immigration = “Modern” Slavery?
Mostly Cajun posts the following:
Illegal Immigration = “Modern” Slavery?
(And he admits to stealing it from Geoffrey who posted it here. )
The writer takes the oft used “illegal immigrants do jobs no one else will do” and compares it to the pro-slavery argument of the 1850s that ran: "...if it weren't for slaves, who'd pick your cotton and tobacco? Would you pay thrice the price simply to appease your conscience or go to Europe for cheaper goods?"
It’s a valid comparison. Geoffrey then points to those who want to keep the illegal alien in existence for the purposes of exploitation. It’s an interesting and thought provoking article.
Look at the signs being held up during the recent marches and look at the list of organizations acting as sponsers. Geoffrey did: I've noted that the "protests" are organised by "The Usual Suspects" in our society: The American Communist Party, World Workers: Unite!, the AFL-CIO, and the other Socialist-Communist band of brothers who seek to destroy capitalism once and for all. This should give a clue to the people who are being "helped": You are the useful idiots and these people are not on your side.
I might add: What was with the Arabic signs? Just whose support were you trying to get with those little beauties. Also, as a Latino, before you start holding up signs saying this is your land, Europeans go home, etc. you better remember that Spain is in Europe and your ancestors are as much European as the English, Irish, German and the Swede. Hell, even Native tribes came from the Asian continent at one time. In that respect you're correct, "We are all immigrants." Some of us just follow the rule of law better than others.
I'm not going to post much more on this very complex issue, but just a few more thoughts:
Illegal Immigration = “Modern” Slavery?
(And he admits to stealing it from Geoffrey who posted it here. )
The writer takes the oft used “illegal immigrants do jobs no one else will do” and compares it to the pro-slavery argument of the 1850s that ran: "...if it weren't for slaves, who'd pick your cotton and tobacco? Would you pay thrice the price simply to appease your conscience or go to Europe for cheaper goods?"
It’s a valid comparison. Geoffrey then points to those who want to keep the illegal alien in existence for the purposes of exploitation. It’s an interesting and thought provoking article.
Look at the signs being held up during the recent marches and look at the list of organizations acting as sponsers. Geoffrey did: I've noted that the "protests" are organised by "The Usual Suspects" in our society: The American Communist Party, World Workers: Unite!, the AFL-CIO, and the other Socialist-Communist band of brothers who seek to destroy capitalism once and for all. This should give a clue to the people who are being "helped": You are the useful idiots and these people are not on your side.
I might add: What was with the Arabic signs? Just whose support were you trying to get with those little beauties. Also, as a Latino, before you start holding up signs saying this is your land, Europeans go home, etc. you better remember that Spain is in Europe and your ancestors are as much European as the English, Irish, German and the Swede. Hell, even Native tribes came from the Asian continent at one time. In that respect you're correct, "We are all immigrants." Some of us just follow the rule of law better than others.
I'm not going to post much more on this very complex issue, but just a few more thoughts:
- I would like to see everyone follow the law and see that those responsible for doing so enforce it.
- Breaking down the door is not the way to earn the respect of the homeowner giving the party.
- When those breaking the law belong predominently to one ethnic group, the reputation of everyone in that group will be suspect in the eyes of the public.
- Breaking the law to gain entry to the US and then demanding "rights" that usually belong to citizens or those here legally? Sorry, that does NOT make for a logical argument.
Busy Day, April 12
According tot he History Channel’s This Day in History, April 12th has been one very momentous day.
In 1633 Galileo found himself on trial for the second time on the charge of heresy. In 1616 he had faced prosecution for refusing to accept Church orthodoxy that the Earth was the immovable center of the universe. Upon conclusion of that trial he was forbidden from holding or defending his belief that the Earth revolved about the Sun, something scientist had known for centuries. During the 1633 trial, Galileo tried to claim he didn’t hold any belief in the Copernican view but that he wrote about the issue and its evidence as part of the general discussion within the scientific community. The argument didn’t work and in June he found himself pronounced guilty of heresy.
In 1861 Confederate batteries bombarded Fort Sumter in Charleston Bay signaling the start of the Civil War. General P.G.T. Beauregard commanded the Confederate shore batteries that rained over 4,000 rounds upon the small isolated fort during the 34-hour bombardment. U.S. Major Robert Anderson was forced to surrender the fort on April 13.
President Franklin Roosevelt died on April 12, 1944 of a cerebral hemorrhage in Hot Springs, Arkansas. First elected in 1932 at the height of the Great Depression, Roosevelt was re-elected in 1936 on the basis of his “New Deal” legislation, in 1940 when America faced the threat of war, and again in 1944 with the US and its Allies still battling in Europe and the Pacific. He died just three months after the start of his unprecedented fourth term. With the passing of the 22nd Amendment, no president may serve more than two elected terms* in office.
(*The History Channel’s article reads: “two consecutive elected terms”, but that is NOT what the Amendment says. The wording I have in front of me is this: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”)
Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit the Earth in space in 1961. The 27-year old test pilot rode the Vostok 1 spacecraft around the Earth at a maximum altitude of 187 miles. Gagarin was more passenger than pilot on this flight as the entire trip was controlled automatically.
In 1981, the Space Shuttle Columbia was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida and, after completing 36 orbits, set down successfully at Edwards Air Force Base in California, thus becoming the first reusable manned spacecraft to travel into space. (The Enterprise had flown freely after being airlifted by a Boeing 747 back in 1977, so Columbia was the first shuttle to fly.)
In 1633 Galileo found himself on trial for the second time on the charge of heresy. In 1616 he had faced prosecution for refusing to accept Church orthodoxy that the Earth was the immovable center of the universe. Upon conclusion of that trial he was forbidden from holding or defending his belief that the Earth revolved about the Sun, something scientist had known for centuries. During the 1633 trial, Galileo tried to claim he didn’t hold any belief in the Copernican view but that he wrote about the issue and its evidence as part of the general discussion within the scientific community. The argument didn’t work and in June he found himself pronounced guilty of heresy.
Along with the order came the following penalty: "We order that by a public edict the book of Dialogues of Galileo Galilei be prohibited, and We condemn thee to the prison of this Holy Office during Our will and pleasure; and as a salutary penance We enjoin on thee that for the space of three years thou shalt recite once a week the Seven Penitential Psalms."Three hundred years to correct an error. *sigh*
Galileo agreed not to teach the heresy anymore and spent the rest of his life under house arrest. It took more than 300 years for the Church to admit that Galileo was right and to clear his name of heresy.
In 1861 Confederate batteries bombarded Fort Sumter in Charleston Bay signaling the start of the Civil War. General P.G.T. Beauregard commanded the Confederate shore batteries that rained over 4,000 rounds upon the small isolated fort during the 34-hour bombardment. U.S. Major Robert Anderson was forced to surrender the fort on April 13.
President Franklin Roosevelt died on April 12, 1944 of a cerebral hemorrhage in Hot Springs, Arkansas. First elected in 1932 at the height of the Great Depression, Roosevelt was re-elected in 1936 on the basis of his “New Deal” legislation, in 1940 when America faced the threat of war, and again in 1944 with the US and its Allies still battling in Europe and the Pacific. He died just three months after the start of his unprecedented fourth term. With the passing of the 22nd Amendment, no president may serve more than two elected terms* in office.
(*The History Channel’s article reads: “two consecutive elected terms”, but that is NOT what the Amendment says. The wording I have in front of me is this: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.”)
Yuri Gagarin became the first man to orbit the Earth in space in 1961. The 27-year old test pilot rode the Vostok 1 spacecraft around the Earth at a maximum altitude of 187 miles. Gagarin was more passenger than pilot on this flight as the entire trip was controlled automatically.
In 1981, the Space Shuttle Columbia was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida and, after completing 36 orbits, set down successfully at Edwards Air Force Base in California, thus becoming the first reusable manned spacecraft to travel into space. (The Enterprise had flown freely after being airlifted by a Boeing 747 back in 1977, so Columbia was the first shuttle to fly.)
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Animal rights terrorists
Before you make any donations to PETA, Green Peace, HSUS or any other organization that proselytizes for Animal Rights think back on this group and their activities:
Animal rights activists admit dug-up grave case
David Hall and Partners who ran the family business at the Darley Oaks Farm in central England, endured abuse, death threats and firebomb attacks during one of the UK's most sustained harassment campaigns by animal rights groups.Death threats, firebombs, grave robbing…sounds like a sane, reasoned approach to protesting the use of guinea pigs in research.
In the worst incident, in October 2004, the grave of Gladys Hammond, mother-in-law of one of the co-owners who had died in 1997 aged 82, was dug up and her remains stolen.
They have never been found.
Animal rights activists admit dug-up grave case
Laptop theft on the rise in SF
You go to a Starbucks or other hot-spot café in The City by the Bay to do a little work while sipping your latte and you run the risk of having your laptop ripped off.
The cops can’t do much about it since they say they can’t stakeout all the internet cafes and they caution the victims that resistance may be dangerous. One man has already been stabbed for his PowerBook.
Hey, remind me again why concealed carry laws are bad.
"You walk by any Starbucks and you see people with a laptop, it's so tempting for the crooks. They walk in, right on top of the person, and the person has all their attention on the laptop. They snatch it right out from underneath their fingertips.So very civilized, this liberal, tough on gun control, Paris of the West.
"The word is out with crooks in general,'' Lynch said.
San Francisco's Western Addition area has been hard hit this year, with 11 robberies so far. Park Station Capt. John Ehrlich, who oversees the area, said he has met with the community, giving the message that people need to fasten down their computers and back up their data.Read the rest of the story here.
The cops can’t do much about it since they say they can’t stakeout all the internet cafes and they caution the victims that resistance may be dangerous. One man has already been stabbed for his PowerBook.
Hey, remind me again why concealed carry laws are bad.
Illegal incursion across Canadian border thwarted
Our southern border has proven as porous as a sieve as demonstrated by yesterday's marches of illegal aliens in cities across the country. Yet up north, Bob couldn’t make the trek from Aurora, Ontario to St. Louis, MO. Who knew that the Canadian Border Patrol could be so strict?
Oh! Wait. It’s Ontario Fish and Game that won’t let Bob go. You can read what’s going on with bumbling bureaucratic red tape in the Toronto Sun. (And while you’re there, be sure to sign their petition to Free Bob.)
Oh! Wait. It’s Ontario Fish and Game that won’t let Bob go. You can read what’s going on with bumbling bureaucratic red tape in the Toronto Sun. (And while you’re there, be sure to sign their petition to Free Bob.)
Monday, April 10, 2006
Global Warming? What Global Warming?
The Opinion page of the Daily Telegraph contains the following article:
There IS a problem with global warming... it stopped in 1998
By Bob Carter
Hmm, 1998 they say. Two years before the Solar Maximum was predicted to occur. Wonder why Al Gore didn’t mention this the other day? I know what most college-basedscientists researchers are looking for: grant $$$$. Pure and simple. A finding against the possibility of Global Warming means little or no $$$$ coming in.
I better get back up to the mountains to help cut firewood. If the temps aren’t going up, I’m gonna need a whole lot more than I got now when winter comes.
H/t to Instapundit, Glenn Reynolds for bring this to our attention.
There IS a problem with global warming... it stopped in 1998
By Bob Carter
the official temperature records of the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia, that for the years 1998-2005 global average temperature did not increase (there was actually a slight decrease, though not at a rate that differs significantly from zero).
Hmm, 1998 they say. Two years before the Solar Maximum was predicted to occur. Wonder why Al Gore didn’t mention this the other day? I know what most college-based
I better get back up to the mountains to help cut firewood. If the temps aren’t going up, I’m gonna need a whole lot more than I got now when winter comes.
H/t to Instapundit, Glenn Reynolds for bring this to our attention.
More Sh*t Happens
Back in February I wrote about the Trip From Hell (Best Laid Plans or Sh*t Happens), wherein I had a flat tire and then had the entire wheel come off to go rolling passed me down Route 17 in white-out conditions when the entire wheel assembly seems to have given way. I got the truck repaired and then new tire on March 10th. I put that new tire in the spare position under the truck bed figuring I would get three more when I found out what my tax bill was for this year (or this fall if I ended up owing Uncle Sam or NJ too much cash) to complete the set.
Well, the spare that was now on the truck’s driver’s side rear position started acting wonky. It had very little air in it last week so I filled it to the recommended pressure and went off on another jaunt to PA and then the Adirondacks, a trip of approximately 750 Miles. Whenever I stopped I visually inspected the tire and it seemed fine.
This morning I drove to Home Depot to pick up some grass seed to attempt another lawn in the backyard (that’s, another story) and the tire seemed fine when I left he house. Walking out of the store, however I noticed it was nearly a pancake. I figured, what the hell, I’ll slap on the new tire/spare that’s under the truck and go get this one checked out. That’s when I discovered the spare was missing. Someone had stolen the brand new tire from under my truck despite the locking access to the mechanism that lowers it to the ground—and they were kind enough to crank the holder back up into position and replace the lock! It’s going to cost me about $225 for a new rim and a new tire to replace the one that was stolen. Oh, I found out the flat had been patched once before, was leaking around that patch and the dealer didn’t recommend it be tried again. I decided to get a full set of new tires now and use one of the others already on the truck for the spare.
What really bothers me is that I have been in constant control of that truck since I got that new tire. It’s only been on its lonesome one day when Terry and I drove her new car to see the logs stacked in Hancock/Deposit, NY. WHEN did the thief get to steal the tire? And if he could get by the lock, why not the entire truck? It is the same key, after all.
Well, the spare that was now on the truck’s driver’s side rear position started acting wonky. It had very little air in it last week so I filled it to the recommended pressure and went off on another jaunt to PA and then the Adirondacks, a trip of approximately 750 Miles. Whenever I stopped I visually inspected the tire and it seemed fine.
This morning I drove to Home Depot to pick up some grass seed to attempt another lawn in the backyard (that’s, another story) and the tire seemed fine when I left he house. Walking out of the store, however I noticed it was nearly a pancake. I figured, what the hell, I’ll slap on the new tire/spare that’s under the truck and go get this one checked out. That’s when I discovered the spare was missing. Someone had stolen the brand new tire from under my truck despite the locking access to the mechanism that lowers it to the ground—and they were kind enough to crank the holder back up into position and replace the lock! It’s going to cost me about $225 for a new rim and a new tire to replace the one that was stolen. Oh, I found out the flat had been patched once before, was leaking around that patch and the dealer didn’t recommend it be tried again. I decided to get a full set of new tires now and use one of the others already on the truck for the spare.
What really bothers me is that I have been in constant control of that truck since I got that new tire. It’s only been on its lonesome one day when Terry and I drove her new car to see the logs stacked in Hancock/Deposit, NY. WHEN did the thief get to steal the tire? And if he could get by the lock, why not the entire truck? It is the same key, after all.
Log Home Update: Part 9
Don, our GC, tells me the foundation crew will be putting the finishing touches on the forms this morning. This afternoon they will pour the concrete. (Don has promised me pictures.) Tomorrow (Tuesday) or Wednesday morning the metal forms around the garage will be removed. Don will take delivery of the materials for the sill plates and deck on Tuesday and start construction of that on Wednesday.
As you look around the northern PA area in which we are building you can see new construction using prefab concrete panels, concrete block and poured concrete. Block is the material of choice if you’re only doing a crawl space that will require a half dozen courses or so although you see traditionalists using it for full basements as well. People who think they need to rush will use the prefab slabs. You can erect the entire basement in a day with no forms. The problem Don brought up was how it ties to the footings and the joints where the slabs abut one another.
I guess the greatest advantages of the system we are using for the basement foundation is the speed with which it goes up, the added insulation the foam provides, The wall can be tied to the footing using long pieces of rebar set in the footing, the continuous wall strength (no seams or joints along the entire horizontal length), and the speed with which you can get right to work after the concrete is poured (the foam forms don’t get stripped as they are part of the wall system). The insulation value is important in an area where there is going to be living space. We’ll have radiant floor heating in the basement and don’t want to lose the warmth through the walls.
Using concrete block (cinderblock) would have taken much longer and every course and every joint is an adventure. You constantly have to check for level and plumb, cut block to fit, mix concrete (can’t keep it around to do the whole job), etc. Even using the “panelized” concrete (prefab) slabs that can be poured elsewhere and erected on site would have required a crane to hoist them in place and would have left joints where the panels come together. And they don’t have as strong a tie-in to the footings. Neither system would have the added insulation of the foam blocks we are using on this project. The cost is very competitive, too.
I’m told that there are plastic strips in the foam block into which you can screw. That’s where the vertical metal supports are attached. This makes it very easy to attach furring strips to finish off the basement. I’ll have to pick Don’s brain on this as I intend to do the finishing of the basement on my own. I just ask that he erect the partition walls for the bathroom and the workshop once the floor is poured.
As you look around the northern PA area in which we are building you can see new construction using prefab concrete panels, concrete block and poured concrete. Block is the material of choice if you’re only doing a crawl space that will require a half dozen courses or so although you see traditionalists using it for full basements as well. People who think they need to rush will use the prefab slabs. You can erect the entire basement in a day with no forms. The problem Don brought up was how it ties to the footings and the joints where the slabs abut one another.
I guess the greatest advantages of the system we are using for the basement foundation is the speed with which it goes up, the added insulation the foam provides, The wall can be tied to the footing using long pieces of rebar set in the footing, the continuous wall strength (no seams or joints along the entire horizontal length), and the speed with which you can get right to work after the concrete is poured (the foam forms don’t get stripped as they are part of the wall system). The insulation value is important in an area where there is going to be living space. We’ll have radiant floor heating in the basement and don’t want to lose the warmth through the walls.
Using concrete block (cinderblock) would have taken much longer and every course and every joint is an adventure. You constantly have to check for level and plumb, cut block to fit, mix concrete (can’t keep it around to do the whole job), etc. Even using the “panelized” concrete (prefab) slabs that can be poured elsewhere and erected on site would have required a crane to hoist them in place and would have left joints where the panels come together. And they don’t have as strong a tie-in to the footings. Neither system would have the added insulation of the foam blocks we are using on this project. The cost is very competitive, too.
I’m told that there are plastic strips in the foam block into which you can screw. That’s where the vertical metal supports are attached. This makes it very easy to attach furring strips to finish off the basement. I’ll have to pick Don’s brain on this as I intend to do the finishing of the basement on my own. I just ask that he erect the partition walls for the bathroom and the workshop once the floor is poured.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Log Home Update: Part 8b
The Foundation
(Because there are so many pictures!)
From behind the garage you can see the opening for the walk-out as well as the utility room (on the right), one of the Bilco window openings and the basement’s bathroom window opening.
Looking in through the basement doors windows toward the utility room. Notice, again the bracing and scaffolding along the walls. Pea gravel has already been spread inside the basement. This makes for a nicer working surface. The soil is heavy red clay and can really stick to your boots. Once the house is underway, foam pads will be placed flat atop the gravel. The PEX tubing for the radiant floor heating will go on top of that and finally five inches of concrete will be poured to form the floor.
Looking at the interior of the west wall you can see the cut-outs for the windows. The braces against the wall are channeled metal. The channels are wide enough to hold the blue braces that also support the scaffolds. Wit 9-foot ceilings specified for the basement, these walls are nearly 9-and-one-half feet high. It really gives you a feeling for the volume of the area.
From behind the garage you can see the opening for the walk-out as well as the utility room (on the right), one of the Bilco window openings and the basement’s bathroom window opening.
Looking in through the basement doors windows toward the utility room. Notice, again the bracing and scaffolding along the walls. Pea gravel has already been spread inside the basement. This makes for a nicer working surface. The soil is heavy red clay and can really stick to your boots. Once the house is underway, foam pads will be placed flat atop the gravel. The PEX tubing for the radiant floor heating will go on top of that and finally five inches of concrete will be poured to form the floor.
Looking at the interior of the west wall you can see the cut-outs for the windows. The braces against the wall are channeled metal. The channels are wide enough to hold the blue braces that also support the scaffolds. Wit 9-foot ceilings specified for the basement, these walls are nearly 9-and-one-half feet high. It really gives you a feeling for the volume of the area.
Log Home Update: Part 8a
The Foundation
I drove out to see Don, our General Contractor, today and to look at the progress being made. The crew that is putting in the foundation has nearly completed the task of setting up the forms to get ready for the pouring of concrete that takes place Monday afternoon. They have only a little exterior bracing to install and a few little tweaks here and there.
The main portion of the walk-out basement will have 8-inch thick poured concrete walls sandwiched between 2-inch thick styrafoam sheets. The forms come with ties already installed and look like very large Legos with the tops and ends removed. These blocks get glued to one another but also lock together with “teeth”—for want of a better word. Doors and windows are cut in and capped with pressure treated 2x lumber. Holes are also cut for water pipes and electrical wires and these are filled with PVC pipe. Only three windows (2 Bilco windows for emergency exits and the one bathroom window) had to be let in. The walk out portion will be stick framed for two French doors and two windows.
Of course I took pictures.
Here you can see the opening for the walk-out wall. One French door will be flanked by two large windows that go nearly all the way from the ground to the top of the door.
This picture shows the transition from the foam of the basement to the shorter frost wall that will be the base of the garage. The metal plates on the left are for the garage. The wall on the right is the main part of the basement and the short wall directly in front is that of the utility room which lies beneath the main entrance to the foyer and laundry room.
This view is from the east end of the house. You are looking over the garage to the utility room and main basement. The garage’s foundation is a 40” frost wall, most of which will be below grade.
From the southwest corner you can see the bracing and scaffolding used on the inside of the wall.
Looking along the west wall you can see the three window openings that have been cut into the forms as well as the PVC pipe that will be the channel for the electrical service.
Looking into the wall you can see the mesh that serves as a tie between the two styrafoam panels and the rebar that is laid in to strengthen the entire system
The main portion of the walk-out basement will have 8-inch thick poured concrete walls sandwiched between 2-inch thick styrafoam sheets. The forms come with ties already installed and look like very large Legos with the tops and ends removed. These blocks get glued to one another but also lock together with “teeth”—for want of a better word. Doors and windows are cut in and capped with pressure treated 2x lumber. Holes are also cut for water pipes and electrical wires and these are filled with PVC pipe. Only three windows (2 Bilco windows for emergency exits and the one bathroom window) had to be let in. The walk out portion will be stick framed for two French doors and two windows.
Of course I took pictures.
Here you can see the opening for the walk-out wall. One French door will be flanked by two large windows that go nearly all the way from the ground to the top of the door.
This picture shows the transition from the foam of the basement to the shorter frost wall that will be the base of the garage. The metal plates on the left are for the garage. The wall on the right is the main part of the basement and the short wall directly in front is that of the utility room which lies beneath the main entrance to the foyer and laundry room.
This view is from the east end of the house. You are looking over the garage to the utility room and main basement. The garage’s foundation is a 40” frost wall, most of which will be below grade.
From the southwest corner you can see the bracing and scaffolding used on the inside of the wall.
Looking along the west wall you can see the three window openings that have been cut into the forms as well as the PVC pipe that will be the channel for the electrical service.
Looking into the wall you can see the mesh that serves as a tie between the two styrafoam panels and the rebar that is laid in to strengthen the entire system
Friday, April 07, 2006
Cleaner air may be contributing to “Global Warming”
Or maybe it’s just a brighter sun
Or at least that’s what this report presented by the BBC says. Seems dirty air of the ‘50s. ‘60s and ‘70s reflected sunlight back into space lowering the amount of sunlight reaching the surface of the globe. The greenhouse effect caused some of the heat produced by the sunlight that did make it through and that action countered the reflection of sunlight. Now that things are cleaner, the “extra” sunlight is having a greater impact.
Then there’s this report, from 1998, that says any warming we are experiencing is due to increased energy output from the sun.
(Both articles found on today’s Drudge Report.)
Sunspot activity runs on an 11-year cycle.
The last Solar Maximum was predicted for 2000 (according to this article). Peaks are not single spikes. Rather they may have as many high points as a range of mountains.
The last Solar Minimum occurred in 2005 yet it was fraught with solar activity in August and September.
Sun's String of Fury Continues as 7th Major Flare Erupts
When it comes to nature, the environment, and climate, scientists are very, very good at counting things that have happened. Sometimes they can even tell you why they happened. They aren’t so hot when it comes to making predictions when the variables number in the dozens.
Then there’s this report, from 1998, that says any warming we are experiencing is due to increased energy output from the sun.
(Both articles found on today’s Drudge Report.)
Sunspot activity runs on an 11-year cycle.
The last Solar Maximum was predicted for 2000 (according to this article). Peaks are not single spikes. Rather they may have as many high points as a range of mountains.
The last Solar Minimum occurred in 2005 yet it was fraught with solar activity in August and September.
Sun's String of Fury Continues as 7th Major Flare Erupts
When it comes to nature, the environment, and climate, scientists are very, very good at counting things that have happened. Sometimes they can even tell you why they happened. They aren’t so hot when it comes to making predictions when the variables number in the dozens.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Log Home Update: Part 7b
Dry Stacking the Logs
Standing on the deck, we can look through a pair of French doors to see:
In the rear we have two bedrooms. As you move forward on the left will be the bathroom, kitchen (off screen) and dining room (also off screen). In fron tof the bedroom on the left will be a stairway leading upstairs to the loft, Master Bedroom and bath. (A set of stairs will also lead down to the full basement.) In front of that will be the entrance from the foyer and the living room with fireplace (both just off the screen).
Stepping inside:
Standing in the dining room and looking down the west wall. Way in the back is a bedroom, In front of that is the 1st floor bathroom then the kitchen. The opening on the right is out to a covered porch.
The ends of the logs show part of the numbering system used by Beaver Mountain Log Homes to identify each log for easy assembly at the home site.
Looking diagonally through the house from NW corner to SE corner.
The larger pieces on the floor are the next two rows of logs that would go above the windows and doors shown in these pictures.
Standing in the dining room and looking across to the living room area. The zero clearance wood-burning fireplace will be located in the corner. The window looks out to the entrance and driveway. The door on the left leads to the deck.
We stand in the area that will be our Dining Room
In the rear we have two bedrooms. As you move forward on the left will be the bathroom, kitchen (off screen) and dining room (also off screen). In fron tof the bedroom on the left will be a stairway leading upstairs to the loft, Master Bedroom and bath. (A set of stairs will also lead down to the full basement.) In front of that will be the entrance from the foyer and the living room with fireplace (both just off the screen).
Stepping inside:
Standing in the dining room and looking down the west wall. Way in the back is a bedroom, In front of that is the 1st floor bathroom then the kitchen. The opening on the right is out to a covered porch.
The ends of the logs show part of the numbering system used by Beaver Mountain Log Homes to identify each log for easy assembly at the home site.
Looking diagonally through the house from NW corner to SE corner.
The larger pieces on the floor are the next two rows of logs that would go above the windows and doors shown in these pictures.
Standing in the dining room and looking across to the living room area. The zero clearance wood-burning fireplace will be located in the corner. The window looks out to the entrance and driveway. The door on the left leads to the deck.
We stand in the area that will be our Dining Room
Log Home Update: Part 7a
Dry stacked first floor.
Terry and I drove out to Hancock/Deposit, NY this morning to see the dry stacking of our log home. When Beaver Mountain mills the logs for your home, they then dry stack them to see how they look. They invite the purchaser to see and comment on what will soon be their new home.
We arrived at 9:00 AM as scheduled and were warmly greeted by Mike, Kristi, Joann and Rick. Mike and Rick guided us down to the workshop floor where the staff had already stacked 9 courses of logs to reach the top of the door and window sills.
Looking over the rear wall to the NE corner where the fireplace will be. The large opening in the far wall will be a pair of French doors leading out onto the deck. The opening on the right wall (east) is the entrance from the foyer.
Looking down at the SE corner of the house. The window opening will be in one of two 14' x 14' bedrooms.
Moving to the opposite end of the building:
Standing on the deck and looking through the french doors. In the rear we have two bedrooms. As you move forward on the left will be the bathroom, kitchen (off screen) and dining room (also off screen). In fron tof the bedroom on the left will be a stairway leading upstairs to the loft, Master Bedroom and bath. (A set of stairs will also lead down to the full basement.) In front of that will be the entrance from the foyer and the living room with fireplace (both just off the screen).
Standing on the deck, the NE corner of the home is solid wood. You can really appreciate the beauty of the white pine used in milling the 8" x 8" logs being used in our home. Notice the butt-and-pass corners we opted for.
We'll step inside in Part 2.
We arrived at 9:00 AM as scheduled and were warmly greeted by Mike, Kristi, Joann and Rick. Mike and Rick guided us down to the workshop floor where the staff had already stacked 9 courses of logs to reach the top of the door and window sills.
Looking over the rear wall to the NE corner where the fireplace will be. The large opening in the far wall will be a pair of French doors leading out onto the deck. The opening on the right wall (east) is the entrance from the foyer.
Looking down at the SE corner of the house. The window opening will be in one of two 14' x 14' bedrooms.
Moving to the opposite end of the building:
Standing on the deck and looking through the french doors. In the rear we have two bedrooms. As you move forward on the left will be the bathroom, kitchen (off screen) and dining room (also off screen). In fron tof the bedroom on the left will be a stairway leading upstairs to the loft, Master Bedroom and bath. (A set of stairs will also lead down to the full basement.) In front of that will be the entrance from the foyer and the living room with fireplace (both just off the screen).
Standing on the deck, the NE corner of the home is solid wood. You can really appreciate the beauty of the white pine used in milling the 8" x 8" logs being used in our home. Notice the butt-and-pass corners we opted for.
We'll step inside in Part 2.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)