Thursday, March 27, 2014

23rd Posting - Ceiling and Insulation, and Gutters on the Front!

It was a long, cold, snowy winter at my cabin. The road was impassable much of the time. In the eight years I've had the land, we have not had anything like this winter. It was hard on the roads too!
However, by March I was able to spend several days working on the cabin, mostly the interior. I insulated cracks around the windows and installed trim boards.
My brother Merrill helped for a day with the ceiling. We started by putting plastic up so there would be a 1" dead space between the insulation and the roof.
Then we put up 1 1/2" foam board, with silver foil finish, instead of sheetrock. This adds insulation value and makes a unique, shiny finish for the ceiling!
My sister Valerie, her husband Craig, and their two boys Josh & Elgin, helped a day during the big insulation process. We blew in insulation above a row of foam boards, screwed up the next row of foam board and blew that full until the main part of the ceiling was finished. That left a small gap on three sides that needed to be finished manually. But most of the ceiling is up and I like the effect. To finish it, I will get some wide lath-type boards to secure the seems.
I decided to splurge and have Gus the Gutterman come out and put gutters on the front of the cabin. It is so nice. Now, instead of making a muddy mess in front of the cabin, the water drains into a big barrel.

Putting up the plastic barrier to make the one inch of dead air space.

My brother Merrill puts up the first foam board.

Valerie captures me blowing the insulation into the ceiling above the foam boards.

Josh and Craig keep the hopper filled with insulation.

Craig, Josh, and Elgin work the hopper.

 I'm not sure I didn't get more insulation on me than up above the ceiling!

My shiny, new ceiling! (with Solatube in the center for additional light)

Gus the Gutterman braved the mud and roads to put up gutters for me.

Tony and Tim put on the finishing touches.

Tony attaches the downspout so the water goes into my rain barrel!

Mid-April I got more work done on the ceiling and upper walls. 
The silver foil makes it a LOT lighter in the cabin!