Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Cabin Building - Day 86 C-c-c-c-cold

It snowed on Saturday and Sunday, so we have about 3-4 more inches. At least it was a good test of the roof pitch... only mild accumulation on the upper rafters and completely clear on the lower rafters. Snow-shed will be even more improved when it isn't just naked sheathing up there. At least we only got a little bit of snow in through the upstairs end walls where it's still open, and a little downstairs where it blew in through the window and door holes. We'll have to staple some Visqueen up over those until we get some caulk and get them installed.

It's -20F today... at noon.  Needless to say we aren't getting much done at the cabin.  Yesterday G started fully nailing all the sheathing per manufacturer schedule. I started sweeping, shoveling and chipping ice from inside the cabin... that didn't get too far since the temps were dropping fast with this cold front coming in.

When I went out to start the truck this morning, all the breath got sucked out of my lungs and my nostrils immediately froze together, so I officially gave G the day off today to rest and recuperate, and bundled up to head down to the cabin to do some more clean up. In the two hours before I started getting too cold, I did manage to get most of the snow out of the downstairs except under the stove, around the stack of remaining sheathing and under the doors (stored in the pantry) because I couldn't move those wearing my big ol' arctic mittens even if they weren't too heavy for me to lift by myself. I also couldn't chip ice because I couldn't grip the scrapper in my mitties either. Seriously, it is so cold that even the dog's feet were freezing... she'd run around in the snow for awhile and then come sit on the black tarp in the sunbeam by the south window on her rump with her back feet raised up off the floor looking at me pathetically.

Good thing that this cold front is supposed to pass through by Thursday and we'll be returning to our regularly scheduled programming of highs around 15F with lows of 0F.

On a positive note, the sky is crystal clear and it's very sunny. Unfortunately, I can't take pics for you because the camera will only power on for a split-second at these temps LOL. But it's definitely nice and bright inside the cabin with those two 4'x3' windows on the south wall... so bright even that I was completely blinded whilst trying to brush the snow out of the soffit cavity above them!

If the weather can just hold out until we get the end walls framed and sheathed, all the nailing completed, the rafter tails blocked in, and all the ice and snow out then we can head into Fairbanks to pick up the caulk, expanding foam, and insulation blower. Once we can get the exterior air-sealed and the interior insulated, most of the remaining work that can be done this winter will be indoors with the lovely woodstove to keep us toasty!

At least I did manage to measure the "as-built" opening for the staircase so I can spend the rest of the day tweaking the SketchUp model so we can get those built and installed before we start the drywall upstairs. No more daredevil dogs on ladders, extreme rescue measures, and annoying whining freak outs :)

7 comments:

Dan Lynch said...

Thanks as always for the update, PC.

So close to getting it closed in ......

Marybeth said...

Good Luck!!! I hope the weather warms up long enough for you to get settled in the cabin soon. I know being this close there's no way you want to spend all winter in the tent when that nice roomy cabin is so close.

John said...

Thanks for the update. Hope you finish soon and can enjoy the cabin!!

Linda Foley said...

Closer and closer! Getting there...

HermitJim said...

Dang...I'm getting all excited for ya! Feel as if I was there! Except, of course, I'm a lot warmer here!

Quinton said...

It's almost a week since the last post. We're getting worried.

Dan Lynch said...

If she's not posting, that means she's busy and there may not be anything photogenic to post. Erecting the structure is fast, exciting, and makes for good pics, finish work is slow, time consuming, and there's not much to take pictures of. Let's hope they are getting it buttoned up and starting to move in.

But I know what you mean -- I start to worry, too, when there is no update. After reading their blog, I feel like I know them.