Slowly making progress towards getting the porch roof up. After months of careful planning we finally test fitted the fascia boards. This is a bit of a hold your breath moment because over a month ago we had to cut the roof sheeting overhang exactly to fit all of the various layers of rain screen, house wrap, flashing, siding, and trim so everything meets perfectly at the outside edge.
With the fascia boards test fitted we were able to mark for and cut out the notch needed to make room for the porch roof attachment at the low-end of the building. Then we cut a drip groove on the bottom of the boards with the table saw.
After that we commandeered the empty parking lot across the street for the flamethrower treatment. Hardly the traditional Japanese version, our technique is a very light burn followed by a heavy brushing and two coats of Timber Pro. I’m sure the real Japanese technique holds up well but we’ve both seen too much of this stuff fail on tiny houses to be confident taking anyone’s advice at this point. We feel pretty good about our plan but only time will tell how it actually weathers. One nice thing about this technique is that it results in a slightly brownish finish which seems just a bit more elegant than straight up black.
Today’s biggest nerve-racking task was locating the hinges for the porch roof. Our deck situation incorporates a fixed separate deck but a porch roof that is attached to the tiny house. This necessitates a flexible joint between the two, hence the hinges. It’s a good strategy but it only works if the alignment is dead perfect and the hinges are set deep in the framing members with structural screws.
For vertical alignment I pulled a string tight enough to play a tune on, and horizontal was a combination of measuring and prayer. With the rain screen detail and the siding and trim build up you’re never 100% sure that you’re right on the stud, so I drilled the pilot holes with a 12 inch long drill bit just so I could check from the inside!
– Brian
