Monday, August 31, 2015

I am floored.

 
The perfectly beautiful, totally imperfect ship lap flooring
 We are definitely movin' on up, not to the East side but to the North. The second story of our grain bin house is being laid as I blog and it feels wonderful; as if-maybe-we'll be able to move in here before the first Illinois blizzard hits. We've given up the idea that we will be in before the first frost, unless of course first frost is delayed past its usual date of Oct 15 and extended to Nov. 15-but we're OK with that. It's easy to be OK with delays when the weather is sweet and the camper is not freezing. We'll see how positive our attitude remains when we have to break ice out of our coffee cups in the early am.

Our second floor is being built with reclaimed wood just like our floor beams and joists were. At a cost of roughly $500 we brought home Shiplap Flooring  from who knows where; old barns, old homes, old chicken coops even, through our "supplier" just down the road from us.  Each piece of wood is unique in its composition, size, amount of nail/screw damage etc. I'm painting the underneath portion of each board a flat white for deeply considered reasons; it was the cheapest at the hardware store.


To wash or not to wash that is the question

I am hopeful the flat of the white will pose a fine juxtaposition to the shimmer of the floor joists polyurethane. ("Juxtaposition" in a grain bin house--how pompass am I?)

Painting them proved a challenge as many were sporting decades of dirt. The first few boards I cleaned with a dry wire brush and then gave them two coats of paint. Then I got the bright idea that I should wash the boards. What a mistake. The more I washed the more dirt seemed to just ooze up through the grains. When I thought the boards were dry enough to paint after washing ...I did so but they held on to the water more than I thought and the dirt then melded in with the paint leaving rusty colored streaks. So those boards had to dry another few days and get another coat of paint.



Against the wall; the floor boards that were washed, then painted, a big mess.
 
I have to keep reminding myself, this is a recycled home with recycled materials. Nothing will or should look perfect.

It was indeed exciting to see Keith screw in the first floorboard. With son Jason helping to cut boards to length and then lift them up through the joists, it didn't take long to get about a third of the floor completed.

The first few boards of the second floor going down


Help from above...always good




View of ship lap floor boards from the first floor

Even more thrilling was walking up the steps, curved ones to the left of the landing, straight ones to the right and onto the actual second floor. It is now easier to visualize how the three small rooms up there might look. We've already decided to make our own bedroom smaller and the library area bigger.

We read more than we sleep.



Straight steps leading to the right of the landing







 
Curved steps to the left of the landing

25 comments:

  1. Wow, looking good and yes, keep it up with the help from above xxx How's college going? Are you back yet?

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    1. Just went back this week and now driving 1.5 hrs one way! But fortunately all my classes are crammed into Tuesdays and Thursdays but winter is coming and I am starting to fret...yes I am. Our little camper has no insulation, among other multiple faults.

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  2. OMG, that is coming along beatuifully! And I second the "make the bedroom smaller & the library larger".

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    1. Because really...are not bedrooms the biggest waste of space ever ?!?!

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  3. Donna Marie! Mom and Dad would love this awesome just awesome tell Keith good job!!

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    1. Hey wait. I helped too. But does anyone take my picture when I am painting or sanding or running for supplies or cleaning up or organizing or..or..or...? Of course not. I won't let them.

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  4. Wow, that is going along SO nicely. It's going to be amazing when you're finished. And as has mentioned above, definitely, smaller bedroom, larger library. ;-)

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    1. Bedroom schmedroom. I have no idea what that means but thanks for checking in 1st man!

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  5. It looks great. I love the white peeking through. I'm so excited watching this, I can only imagine how thrilled you are with the progress!

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    1. We are thrilled and then scared it won't be done enough before winter, and then thrilled and then scared and I cannot believe they do not sell Valium over the counter anymore.

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  6. Does Keith own a shirt? Just asking. He never seems to have one on.

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    1. No Lynda he does not. When we downsized our lives we knew we had to sacrifice some luxuries. He gave up shirts while I gave up pants. Just one more reason he is in more pictures than I am.

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    2. You gave up PANTS!? I take back my request for a pic of your working - at ANYthing! *har*

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  7. Fingers crossed that some space will be made available in the new digs, for winter. Even if its not all done, just enough to curl up near the heater! :)

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    1. At this point we are SO SO SO tired of the camper we will sleep within the wall frames, upright like vampires if we have too.

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  8. Donna this is just wonderful. And I hear you on painting reclaimed boards. Have done that. Not only did the ones I washed make them soak up more paint, but the grain got raised and needed to be sanded down. Should have just brushed/painted like your first batch. The pics show that there is much more space in the GBH than I imagined. Have you calculated the square footage total? Gosh I hope you have a looooooong warm Indian summer this year so you can board the ship, uh I mean *wink*, move into the GBH before winter. Hey, MAKE SOMEONE TAKE A PIC OF YOU WORKING else we know you're just making that part up. *heh*

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    1. Oh sure NOW you tell me! But then again at least I know better for next time. After the boards are up and in place they look better and any guest who comes and make a derogatory comment will be handed a paint brush. :)

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  9. fantastic blog keep up the good work!
    all the best,
    Fast-SoS

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    1. OK FAST SOS who are you? What do you want? Are your real? want to sell me something? Well forget it. We are broke. Get it ? The POOR farm.

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  10. fantastic blog keep up the good work!
    all the best,
    Fast-SoS

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  11. Glad to see that the GBH is starting to get flooring - that will be important to keep the drafts and snow drifts to a minimum! Painting the ceiling sides of the boards was smart, makes the downstairs space look brighter and bigger. Now, get busy girl- winter is a comin'

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    1. I know I know! We set an original move in date of Oct 1 but have backed it up until Oct 17 as we will be doing all the drywall ourselves. The lows are still above freezing then so we believe we can do it! If not we have a backup plan to stay at a sons house if the snow hits early.

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  12. OK - now I'm all caught up on your progress, since I couldn't sit in on your workshop about the house on Saturday! Wow! I can't wait to visit it and pick your brains as we keep planning our place. I love, love, love that you painted the underside of the floor boards white. The contrast is beautiful, and as another person commented, it will brighten up the first floor. Your idea for stained glass in that center hole of the roof is great - I know someone who makes stained glass, btw. And about the bedroom and library - why not just make it one big room. Books around the walls, bed in the middle? Leaving a space for a closet and dresser, of course. Just a thought. Sufficient library space is something I'm having to work out, too, all while having a permaculture-friendly house that is easy to heat and cool....

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    1. Would love to know the name of your stained glass person Cheryl! And yes we did think of one big room upstairs but we needed a private (tiny) space for me to write when Keith is asleep and the library will hold small fold out bed for a grandchild. Today we put up walls !!

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