Little house in the prairie.

 There is a local farmer out here who hired me to frame his house.  After I framed it he wanted me to shingle it.  

I started in Mid August 2020 and finished shingling in Mid Jan 2021.  I had very little help.  The only way I could do this almost all by myself is because he had a man-lift that he let me use.

 2020

We left to AZ back in 2019.  We came back in March 2020 and I have been going like a mad man ever since.  I got the addition framed and the exterior done.  Then I got hired to frame a guys house here in Simla.  Below are the pictures.

I tore off the old roof and put up new rafters.

Here is how the addition turned out.  I framed it all myself, installed the windows.  Shingled it, and painted it.  I had to make my own wood scaffolding because the addition in the back is 2 story.

Here is the most recent photo of my addition.  I have done everything myself up to this point. 

It has been a long, miserable, wet winter.  As you can now see the foundation is poured, forms are stripped and the foundation is back-filled.  It took me forever to get the floor up to grade and compacted.  

New bathroom will go here.

 I got the fill all compacted and leveled out.

 I laid down 2in rigid foam insulation too keep the floor from feeling to cold.  I hope it works.  I put grade stakes in the middle of the floor and established a wet screed.  Then I screeded from each side.  This time my screed board was only about 8' long.  It was a much better way than using a longer screed like when I poured my garage.

7 cubic yards in 1 day.  I had two helpers and myself.  It almost killed me but at the end of the day the slab is done and I am extremely satisfied by the outcome.  The only way I could have gotten a smoother finish would have been to rent one of those helicopter trowels.  The floor is going to be getting tile so the concrete finish isn't that critical.

Home made Lumber forms for Concrete Foundation

I have built lumber forms for my foundation for the sunroom on the front of the house.  Since it is winter I am afraid of laying blocks in freezing temperatures and having the wet mortar freeze over night.  I decided to form this foundation and pour it when I have a few sunny days this winter.  I plan on stripping the forms and using the lumber again in my walls and roof when I frame the addition.

Footers for addition

Wainscoating

I did a little wainscoting job at my brother's house.  We did the carpentry and then his wife came back and caulked and painted it all and made it look superb.  The materials were super cheap but all the labor we put in made it look great.