We spent the morning checking and rechecking the measurements for the porch roof using what we like to call “the dumb guy way” which is mocking everything up at full size to check for errors. The porch roof is tricky because even though it’s not technically part of the tiny house it’s almost touching and needs to be low enough that the upper edge can sneak under a roof to wall flashing that will tuck under our gable flashing but at the same time high enough that our French doors can still open. Between both of those parameters there is just barely enough slope so we wanted to see it full-size just to make sure.
Drawing in hand our next step was to start processing some incredible reclaimed Douglas Fir that I bought at the Rebuilding Center a couple years ago
I have the bad habit of not being able to say no to a great deal on wood which invariably results in every corner of the yard being filled with beams and planks. I bought these completely clear and straight tight grain beams the second I saw them and when I came back to pick them up there was a new stack of 25 foot long full dimension 2×9 rafters that had come out of an old warehouse that I just couldn’t leave behind. It was after arriving home 600 dollars poorer than I left that I was informed that I am not allowed to go to the Rebuilding Center unsupervised anymore.
Fast forward two years and the tarps are finally coming off and we are processing this gorgeous old wood into the frame for the porch roof.
Breaking down these boards is right at the limits of what my health and my tools can handle. Douglas Fir is a surprisingly tough and tool dulling wood for a softwood, and the only weapons we have to tame it are a homeowner grade table saw a battery powered circular saw and my beastly antique Parks planer.
We decided to plane the beams down first because the rafters were previously used as concrete forms and I’m not exactly looking forward to seeing what the light crust of concrete does to my expensive carbide tipped blades!
– Brian
