AZ construction | FindPenguins

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Trip start
November 30, 2023
AZ construction Traveler
Drive CB to Flying Diamond
November 30, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 8 °C
I have a bad cold going and I can't figure out if it was the fumes from the window cleaner or the cold I got from Ethan or as I would later surmise possibly valley fever, a fungal based disease from the soil that attacks your lungs, that I might have picked up from doing the first piece of the dirt work without a face mask.

I'm pretty bad off and very cold and chilled, but the next day I find out there's a snow storm coming that I don't want to drive through. Since I feel halfway well enough I go ahead and load up the trailer.

Mid next day I'm on my way to Arizona again, this time with all my tools and everything I need to get the building going. The design has been revised, the site has been chosen, and most parts have been ordered. So I can go ahead everything is lined up.

As I usually do, I like to drive at night. This time is no exception and I'm making great headway, I take a quick nap in the back of the Honda and I keep driving when I wake up which was only 45 minutes later, another nap around 3am and I'm able to get all the way to the airpark by middle of the next day. It's much easier to pull the trailer than I thought. Of course I didn't overload it and left the Montesa at home.Read more
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AZ construction Traveler
Dirtwork, camp serenity
December 4, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C
Another post that covers 5 days.

As I'm spending time on my land I'm realizing just how incredibly peaceful it is over here. It's not just that it's silent, it's also a certain vibe of being in nature, being safe in my own spot. It's also very nice and sunny during the day and warm. The nights are cold but I'm snug as a bug in my bag. It feels good to be here even though I am not doing all the activities sportswise that I normally do. But I still have that cold. So I am content to just settle in do a few little things take a rest do a couple more and move the needle forward very gently. This is not at all my style, this is completely new.

There are so many details that still need to be taken care of for getting this build off the ground. A few more trips to the supply stores, a few more changes of the items, and a lot of driving around picking up this small thing and that small thing. All in all it is not very efficient because of the distances to drive and because I keep thinking of new tools and supplies.

My cold is hardly going away, my energy levels are okay for short verse but I can definitely feel a deep loss of energy and I'm not sure how it's going to go for building this thing. Whatever is inhabiting me is definitely having a field day and my body is having a hard time kicking it. I am sleeping 11 hours a night 5 days in a row.

I had to go all the way to the other part of town to pick up windows. Today is one of those days we're absolutely nothing comes together, half of an order, the wrong order, the post office refusing my return box, and my best friends losing one of their closest most intimate best friend.

The latter puts everything into perspective. I was fine with the difficult day, just muddling through. Patty passed away very suddenly this morning. And it's absolutely devastating to Chuck and Kathy. She was very close to them both socially and in business. It is yet another reminder of how suddenly we can no longer be here. It's easy to say carpe diem and it's defined differently for each of us. Being in the present and enjoying every moment no matter what you are actually engaged in is for me the best I can do. It's not necessarily about the best trip or the best activity all the time. It's more subtle.

And it's not always sunshine it can rain pretty darn good too.Read more
TravelerPeace Health and safety, #1. You have 2/3, but you are still hanging on their. I've been sleeping a lot to. Just chillin and letting my body relax after so many days on the road. This cold is just the product of all that you've been going through. Soon, the cold will be gone and your new home all set.
12/5/23Reply
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AZ construction Traveler
Construction started
December 9, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C
It took a while to get construction going because I had to wait for the deliveries from Lowe's with all of the lumber and rebar for forming the slab. Once the delivery came I started building two walls right away and put them aside. The next day I formed for the slab and put the rebar in. On Friday the concrete truck came and I poured the entire slab by myself and finished her up with a broom finish.

It came out better than most slabs I've seen. On Saturday it was off to the races for framing and I stood all four walls and have a little bit left to go tomorrow when Chuck is coming to help me.Read more
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AZ construction Traveler
Chuck visit and help
December 10, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 11 °C
Chuck came to help today and of course we had a good time talking as well. We actually got the window in and did the rest of the framing. Now it's onwards with the sheathing and getting the roof rafters on.Read more
TravelerFantastic! It's beginning to look real
12/11/23Reply
TravelerHa, it's real alright! I'm in a very happy place over here.
12/11/23Reply
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AZ construction Traveler
Day three of framing
December 11, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
Another good day that started at dawn and went until it got dark enough that I couldn't see anymore. I got almost all the sheathing done that includes a 1-in layer of foam for insulation.

Somewhere late in the afternoon I managed to shoot a nail through the wall into the fat of my belly . It only went in 3/4 of an inch and I think that's all it hit, so I cleaned it up and we'll see if that will do it.

I am super motivated to get the roof on tomorrow or at least a portion of it because I am going to do the flip top for a small section of it. That will require a little extra engineering and probably a trip to the store which I will do Wednesday morning on the way back from a dinner and stay over at Chuck and Kathy's.Read more
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AZ construction Traveler
The open roof concept
December 12, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C
So I slept in till 8:30 I couldn't believe it, when I woke up there was no sunshine because it was cloudy and the whole thing felt just different. I was very sluggish and could not get going. It probably had to do with getting hit in the belly by the nail the day before.

I didn't feel like going for a bike ride and pretty much it took a few hours to kind of get rolling again but I got some things done. No roof today though.

When you look at the picture this is definitely the Wouter house Eric was mentioning. Open skies and you can see all the stars, of course once the flip top roof gets installed it'll always remain that way on demand, just open the roof!

I did lay out all of the inside flooring and got the rest of the sheathing patched up. Now I can stand up high inside and reach everything to build the roof.

Had a fantastic dinner with Chuck and Kathy, really fun for my birthday and they totally styled me. It's so nice to visit with them. They are a class act.Read more
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AZ construction Traveler
Day 5 started on the roof
December 13, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 9 °C
Today I got the sheathing finished all the way and I started on the roof. The design for the fliptop roof got modified to a small sideways section and it's going to take a little extra engineering and probably some extra time to get that all dialed in.

I took a late night trip to Lowe's to get some items returned as well as pick up the correct door.Read more
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AZ construction Traveler
Day 6 roof framing and extras
December 14, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 8 °C
Got some more roof framing done, the roof is more complicated than anticipated. I am using asphalt under coating below a cap sheet, it's a first for me. I had a hard time getting a small metal roof order and this looked promising.

But since I am using a radiant barrier sheathing it doesn't make sense to put black tar on the shiny barrier. So I re-engineered it with a second layer and down strips underneath for airflow. I changed our the 2 inch foam for 1 inch so I stay under 12ft.

That required another trip in the evening to Lowe's to bring back more things and also pick up more things. The trailer is turning out to be very useful.

I got a few hours of roof work done in the morning, but then it got to be a little too heavy and too much for me. So I shifted to some of the other items that needed to get done such as the house wrap.

I did manage to wack a staple right through my left index finger which was a surprise and used up some more of my first aid kit.Read more
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AZ construction Traveler
Day 7 more roof and extras
December 15, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 12 °C
It's hard to believe but exactly a week ago I was standing in the concrete mud pouring the slab.

I got almost all the materials for the roof and the first thing I do is stacking the roof so that I don't have to take things up as I go because I will run out of the hole to be able to get it up there. I get that done before 10:00 a.m. and it was a good physical workout. It's been hard because my skinny arms are having a time of it. I don't have to strength that I used to. But I'm still plugging along and I don't stop. All day long I do something that makes pr so I need to make another run tonight to the store.

Again I switched to other items that's needed to be taken care of such as installing the mandoor and I might as well get started on the corner trim and trimming out windows and doors.

Even though the roof is not yet on it's nice to make progress on other items as well.Read more
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AZ construction Traveler
Day 8 Roof done
December 16, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C
Today will be the day that I get all of the framing done on the roof. I finally have all the pieces that I need. And indeed, I get all of the sheets on the spacers and the second layer of sheets on top, it actually feels pretty sturdy now.

The first thing in the day I took care off is the hinge which was a three-part beam system with hinges in between that required putting it all together in a very specific sequence otherwise it wouldn't work. I had to put the through bolts in from the back side of the third board and slide the entire roof on to the screws and bolt it together, then I could nail it for additional strength. At some point I will be happy that I did this but right now it took an extra 2 days in the timeline.

At the end of the day I cleaned up everything and I set up the new shower system and took a shower in the corner using the drain. It's a lot warmer to do it this way.

Then I sat upstairs working on some texts connecting with people. And it was amazing just how toasty it is even with the garage door still missing.

The space is totally adequate for one person to be able to hang out , sleep, make food and take care of hygiene. Therefore it is a perfectly adequate tiny home even though it is still under 200 ft² and therefore is disqualified as such. It is amazing that people have to limit things in order to make sense of it. Wouldn't it make more sense to just leave the rules wide open and let people decide for themselves how they want to do it? To each his own creativity.Read more
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AZ construction Traveler
Sunday easy day.
December 17, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C
Not allowed to work on Sunday so I do a decent cleanup. All the loose cut offs get stacked, things get trashed out in neat piles that I can dispose off.

Then I sit in the sun on my chair and I can feel the fatigue setting into my body I can barely move.

I do manage to get on the bicycle and I get an hour back right in on the gravel roads behind the house. What a great area for exercise right out my door.

Chuck and Kathy are having a tamale party, we had a nice dinner and I got to meet a few of their old friends again for a nice conversation.

It was a good rest day, I needed it.Read more
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AZ construction Traveler
Day 10 getting dried in
December 18, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
I stayed over and in the morning I had a great talk with Chuck over a cup of coffee. Since I don't drink much coffee at the moment it gave me a good jolt and I ran out the door to Home Depot, purchased a few lumber items that I actually managed to squeeze into the car and I am off to the job site.

I get there at 8:00 a.m. and I am full of energy from my rest day and get onto the roof doing the last pickup framing items and spread the asphalt-based tar in two coats. I let it dry and within a couple of hours I am able to start rolling out the cap sheet.

This stuff is so heavy you can barely carry one roll. It took three rolls to get the job done in seven rows. It's super sticky and it will do a good job it seems. I've never used this product before but it's perfect for a near flat roof.

There's rain coming the day after tomorrow so I will be here to test how well it works.

Two neighbors, Dana and Melissa came by with Christmas cookies, it will be nice to live in this neighborhood of close knit aviators. Eventually after all my travel in the next few years I will build a house that I can settle down in. There will be a hanger and an airplane as well.

I'm still buzzing with energy so I set off to Home Depot again and purchase another batch of items that I will use on Wednesday during the rainy day to trim out the inside walls.

I climb on top of the roof in the evening, there aren't too many stars out but it sure is an amazing platform from where to gaze at the Tucson lights in the distance. I can imagine hanging out here in the warm summer evenings.Read more
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AZ construction Traveler
Day 11 fascia
December 19, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C
I spent the morning and a good portion of the afternoon installing the fascia which was quite tricky and I had to do it laying down holding the board up and sliding it under the drip edge. I caulked all those pieces and they are ready for the new paint color cuz I'm not really fond of this deep green.

I'm writing this later and I'm not sure what I did after that task but I'm sure I had some productive thing I was working on.Read more
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AZ construction Traveler
Day 12 inside trim
December 20, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 12 °C
I began on the bottom so that I could arrange all my tools and get everything from the outside to the inside before leaving for Colorado for the Christmas holiday. I feel that trip is not like I'm going home but like I'm going on the skiing vacation.

I wrestled all the floppy trim sheets into place and nailed them off. No time yet to caulk the joints and nail holes. I continued after dinner and built the kitchen shelves. It feels quite good to have that part set up.

The garage door was the last item to install to close the shed of from the outside. Unfortunately, they came damaged. I did install them anyway. But I will need to take them down, bring them back to Lowe's and get a new door from another store an hour further away. So it goes.

A chunk of my stuff is now inside and I'm ready for clean up tomorrow.Read more
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AZ construction Traveler
Day 13 clean up, pack up
December 21, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 17 °C
It just doesn't feel productive to clean and pack everything up. But it is one of those essential tasks that make things look like they are at least semi finished.
Today was a big day for that and I managed to make two piles that I covered with tarps and they're looking neat.

In the middle of the day instead of going for a longer bike ride I managed to trim two of the very large mesquites to the west they look so much better when they're all trimmed up.

Then I did go for that bike ride and I had a very enjoyable hour and a half on the gravel roads behind the house, or should I say shed or maybe cabin? I have to admit that building without a permit and also without authorization which is not required when you don't need a permit does make you feel like you're doing something that isn't right.

The gift from Kathy of these chunks of incredible energy has been much appreciated it really allowed me to power through some of the tiring spots.

I'm not one to marvel at my own work but I have to admit it was just 14 days ago that I went to sleep not knowing how the slab pour would go. I was just sitting there with forms and rebar ready to receive concrete and doing it by myself since I was too stubborn to get help or a bull float.

I didn't hesitate to jump in the car, hook up the trailer and set uoff right away for Colorado and anticipating a night drive with moments of slumber in the back of the car as I usually do.Read more
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Trip end
December 22, 2023