Weather Treated Boards
I’ve been playing around on the tractor quite a bit lately, but I knew it would soon be time to get back to work. The shed still needs sheeting to cover the back portion, but that will have to wait. My priority at this point is to get the plywood on the roof covered with a layer of tar paper, which will protect the wood from the elements. After the tar paper, I can take my time and save up for some shingles to finish the project.
For now, the name of the game is to attach the weather treated boards to the top of the building, in place of fascia boards. I’ll then attach the drip edge to cover these boards, and only then can I lay down the tar paper. I’ve decided to use weather treated boards since I’ve seen so many buildings in my short time that require work in this area. Once water passes beyond the outer board, it will start eating away at the roof and internal supports. I’ve got a mind to stop this decay before it ever gets a chance to gain a foot-hold.
Paint
In an effort to save myself some work, I decided to paint the boards before cutting and attaching them to the second story. This should save quite a bit of time moving around a heavy ladder, and standing 20 feet in the air with a bucket and brush. I will still need to climb the ladder, but only to seal up the area where the two boards join. I’ll be sure to give this area several heavy coats in an effort to completely fill the crack, and prevent all water from entering.
When I opened the paint can, I was a bit surprised by the color that presented itself to me. I was expecting a dark brown, but what I saw was a pinkish purple. Since I’ve had my fair share of time with a brush in my hand, I knew the paint would likely dry in a different color then shown, but I couldn’t help but worry about what my family or neighbors would think if my new shed had purple trim. Thank goodness it did dry brown, and I was able to put those worries to rest.
Drip Edge and Fascia
Hanging the boards was real exercise in teaching myself how to do something I had never tried before. The first interesting lesson was finding the correct angles to cut the boards at. My simple answer to this problem was by finding a small piece of wood that had a square corner. I placed one edge of the board onto the base below, letting the other edge extend past the roof. I then used a pencil to mark the angle of the roof. The next step involved lining up my mark with the board, and tracing the opposite edge that was previously flat against the board below.
Once I had that mastered, I began the second phase of learning: attaching a lopsided board to the side of a building while balancing on a board less then two feet wide. I devised a rope system to hold one end of the board in it’s desired area while I was able to line the other end up to it’s correct placement. Once I figured out this rope system, life got a whole lot easier, and I actually made some progress.
Front of Shed
So here is where I left off last night, after moving the scaffolding to the rear of the building. It’s starting to look pretty cool, and I can’t wait to see the whole structure complete with trim, and dual opening doors. It will be nice to be able to work in my flat bottomed workshop rather then constantly looking over the edge of the scaffolding, but I’m sure once this shed is complete, my work will just be beginning. I can already hear whispers from Saint Nick and the elves already planning their winter run…….
