~ 1999 ~
Standing Seam Roof – Part III [Final]
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 Just in time for Christmas After waiting nearly a month, the roof was finally completed this week. Matt and Luke did a wonderful job and I’m sure they...
Standing Seam Roof – Part II
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 It’s Getting Closer It’s getting closer to Christmas, it’s getting closer to Winter, it’s getting closer to Y2K and it’s getting...
The Biosphere and The Leonids
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 I vowed last year after only seeing a few Leonid meteors before fog set in, that this year would be different. So, Jo and I planned a trip to Arizona for a...
Standing Seam Roof – Part I
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 Up on the Roof In the immortal words of the Drifters “Going up where the air is fresh and sweet…” This was the week the roof got a face lift,...
Good to be Back
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 First I would like to thank all of you who sent messages wishing and praying for Jo’s speedy recovery. I guess they have helped. Jo is doing fine and...
Good-Bye for a While
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 The trees started to turn this week with the maples producing the best color. The season’s peak will probably be next week the way it looks. The week was...
Installing Septic and Cistern Tanks
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 It really does roll down hill This week’s news was highlighted by the installation of the septic and cistern systems. When we first bought our land, it...
Installing the Cupola
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 I’ve Got to Vent! One of the energy saving features of the house is the ventilation system that will be used during the summer months. Yes, there will be...
Building the Cupola
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 Oh Deer! This last week was shortened by one day due to the Labor Day Weekend. I arrived on Tuesday to a much cooler weather regime. It’s amazing how...
Raising Trusses with a Crane – Brilliant Idea!
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 Just Truss Me I met with the president of a local roofing and house construction company on Monday who seemed really interested in the work that I was doing. I...
Attempting to Raise Trusses with Gin Pole
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 The week was shortened a bit by rain on Monday. The rest of the week was the same old pattern. There was dense fog until about 10 AM and then the heat,...
Building the Second Floor Frame
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 Sliver Me Timbers! Aye Mateys! This past week was pretty much devoted to raising the 6 x 6 timbers into place to support the trusses. I started by cutting and...
Where to put 32 Trusses?
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 One of the few items farmed out for construction are the roof trusses. If I put my mind and muscle to it, I suppose I could have built the roof from scratch...
Installing the Second Floor
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 Build It and They Will Come Now that my master plan is complete you might as well know that I’m really not building a 16 sided cordwood house. It is a...
Second Floor Joist Installation
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 Surely You Joist, Things are Getting Batty Up Here! But don’t call me Shirley! Well, it’s been another week of excessive heat. I won’t go...
I’ve Seen Fire and Rain
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 This week was highlighted by the weather, again. A frontal boundary decided to camp out over Southeastern Minnesota for about four days. During that period,...
All Hands on Deck
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 The majority of the week was spent building the joists to support the walk-around deck. The joists are constructed out of 2 x 8’s attached to 2 x...
Girders Done
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 We’re Not in Kansas Anymore It’s a little difficult to see in the photo on the right, but this is a wall cloud produced by a mesoscale thunderstorm...
Up go the Floor Support Beams
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 Hello and welcome to the “Fun with Girders Show”! The delivery of the 2″ x 10″ x 20′ pressure treated boards arrived on Wednesday...
Up go the First Floor Outer Beams
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 Just Beaming Along This week ended a day short for me as I could not pass up my favorite event of the year – The Midwest Renewable Energy Fair in...
First Floor Posts Erected
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 I guess I’ll never be happy. Either it’s raining or the deer flies are out. I don’t know why they call them deer flies I’ve never seen...
Building the Footings – Part III
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 As I write this, it’s late in the evening at beautiful Day Creek. I may not have indoor plumbing, but I’ve got power and a phone line. The...
Building the Footings – Part II
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 As in previous weeks, my time spent at the building site was short and fleeting. Weekends just are not enough time to get much done. Fortunately, this will be...
Building the Footings – Part I
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 Sorry for the delay in keeping you updated. Since April, things have been very busy. Tri-County power should have a temporary line brought in by the middle of...
Building a Model of the House
1999 by Alan Stankevitz | Jan 26, 2017 Over the last number of months, there’s been a lot of thinking, dreaming and rethinking going on. As things look now, I’m leaning towards using...