Into the gaping jaws of...my garage

Well, the last couple weeks have mainly been filled with more planning, and ordering materials, and talking to contractors about what I need done.

Last week Matt came up, and we took a bunch of measurements for me to be able to sit down at home, and do some more planning. Figuring out how many of this part, and that part, I would be needing to order. Then there are holes that need to be drilled in the plates on the front of the overhang, so that the Trex boards that will support the facade can be attached. We were going to do that the second night he was coming up, and then I got a call from Bill at Lowe's. My garage door was in, and they could deliver it as soon as I wanted. Well, the opening to my garage, was covered by a number of plastic sheets. Ok, change of plans, we needed to get an opening cut through the plastic, and then secure the plastic so it wouldn't blow around in the wind and tear.

We went out, and detached all the remaining bracing and wood that was attached to the garage door opening. Then we cut slits in the plastic so we could fold it into the opening. We pulled it in and back onto the inside of the walls. Then we reattached some of the wood that we had taken off, and used it to secure the plastic.

My house looking like some strange plastic creature with a gaping mouth, and one big tooth on top!

Opening this up did a few things. Now we didn't have to walk all the way to the front door to get things in and out of the house. The garage door (in its boxes) would be able to be set in the garage out of the weather. Air can move through the house to help keep the humidity from building up quite so badly.

Last Saturday, they were supposed to deliver my door in the afternoon. Well, when it was well into the afternoon and I hadn't heard from them I decided to call. They were going to check on how long it would be, and then call me back. When I didn't hear from them in a while, I called back. They called the driver, and found out they were about 15 minutes away from the property. I explained that I was not out there, and had been expecting to be called, so I could be out there to meet them. Well, I got out there as quick as I could. When I got there, the two delivery men, were sitting on the step from the garage into the utility room, appreciating the fact that even with no AC it was much more comfortable in there, than outside. They got the parts for the garage door unloaded into the garage and then left. Now I had a garage door waiting to be installed.

Earlier this week, Bill from Lowe's called to let me know that the Hardie panel that will be used for siding, was in. He wanted to know if I wanted that delivered right away. I told him that I wanted to wait for more of the order to be ready for delivery. It means fewer trips for them, and fewer times that I need to be out there waiting for a delivery.

Yesterday, Bill told me that my Trex was in. That will be used for furring strips on the walls, and for trim work on the outside of them.

Last night, Matt and my dad came up, and we went out to put holes in the steel. Dad got set to put big holes in the plates on the front of the overhang, and I got set inside to perforate the roof deck, so that any water that is up in there could drain out.

Dad is making some large holes, where some large bolts will go.

Each place where there is a plate on the front of the joists, we will make a hole in the plate, and make a corresponding hole in the steel angle that sits above.

Holes in steel plate, and a wasp nest.

While dad was outside fighting the torque from the large drill, the drill was making horrible noises, which reverberated through the inside. I was inside up on my scaffold, putting small holes in each valley in the roof deck.

There are a bunch of holes to drill.

I had a couple of them that had some drops of water come out as I was drilling. The bit was getting quite hot, and in addition to throwing bits of hot galvanized steel on my arms and shirt, it was spattering me with hot water. Then I got to one, where it continued dripping out after I had the hole drilled. I got a towel to absorb most of the water. I drilled a couple more, and then I ran into this.

I guess drilling some drainage holes before we seal things up was a good idea.

This one drained quite a bit, and I ended up getting a cup to catch most of the water so it didn't just form a puddle on the floor.

Bill called me today to let me know that the rest of my order was in, except the front door. He was expecting that to show up Friday. We setup for a morning delivery on Saturday. Then I got a call from Lowe's this evening, letting me know that the front door had arrived. So once I have all this delivered, I need to line things up to get the doors installed. I need to get some of the Trex on the walls in preparation for them putting in my retaining walls. I am hoping they will be able to start on those fairly soon.