~ DayCreek Journal~
Building the Window Frames
It’s been a few weeks since I last wrote and I’ve been busy building window frames. As stated earlier, the cordwood house is being constructed using Cliff Shockey’s double wall...
MREA Solar Space Heating Workshop
For those of you who live in the Midwest, I cannot stress enough how fortunate we are to have the MREA (Midwest Renewable Energy Association) in our own backyard. I’ve been a member for four...
Window Shopping is a Pane
Following in tradition with other cordwood builders, last week I journeyed into the unknown searching for the ultimate deal on windows. The goal was to find some good quality windows that were...
Electrical Design
Before any of the walls go up and even before the slab is poured, the utility designs must be completed. Over the last week, I’ve been tackling the electrical diagrams for the house. I would...
Rainwater Collection System
Rainwater Collection System Water is a precious resource that we quite often take for granted. Like most everyone else, we had not taken it into consideration until we started planning the house....
A Hybrid Heating Solution
Putting It All Together The most trouble that I’ve had with the design has been designing the backup system. There are a number of ways to heat a house. I frequently had to tell myself to keep...
Backup Heating Systems
Heating System – Backup The backup system will incorporate some form of a wood fired stove and a propane or electric boiler. The reason for this is twofold: (1) the sun doesn’t always...
Solar Heating Design
Heating System – Solar I never realized how many options there were to heating a house. The house will be heated using radiant floor heat and solar hot water collectors. That is a fact. Where...
Solar Collector Purchase
Taking the Next Step A few years ago I attended a hydronic heating presentation (at the Midwest Renewable Energy Fair) hosted by Steve Krug, owner of Next Step Energy Systems. Steve’s...
Board with Y2K
A weekly event of mine is scanning the La Crosse area newspaper classified section for any good deals on building materials for the house. Two weeks ago, an ad was placed for barn board. I became...
![Standing Seam Roof – Part III [Final]](https://i0.wp.com/daycreek.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/dc1212b.jpg?fit=300%2C213&ssl=1)
Standing Seam Roof – Part III [Final]
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 are glad it’s done too. It was...
Standing Seam Roof – Part II
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 closer to the roof being...
The Biosphere and The Leonids
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 “vacation”. This vacation...
Standing Seam Roof – Part I
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, or at least a partial face lift. The...
Good to be Back
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 this week I was able to head up north for...
Good-Bye for a While
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 rather cool with nights in the upper...
Installing Septic and Cistern Tanks
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 was contingent upon passing a perc test...
Installing the Cupola
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 days that we will need air...
Building the Cupola
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 summer just abruptly ended and now fall...
Raising Trusses with a Crane – Brilliant Idea!
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 told him my story about how I needed...
Attempting to Raise Trusses with Gin Pole
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, humidity and lack of wind made things quite...
Building the Second Floor Frame
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 raising the post and beams to build...
Where to put 32 Trusses?
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 but I decided to cheat a little. I...
Installing the Second Floor
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 landing pad for the aliens from the...
Second Floor Joist Installation
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 into the gory details, but I will...
I’ve Seen Fire and Rain
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, the area was plagued by numerous...
All Hands on Deck
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 10’s. The 2 x 10’s are secured to...
Girders Done
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 that passed to the North last...
Up go the Floor Support Beams
Hello and welcome to the “Fun with Girders Show”! The delivery of the 2″ x 10″ x 20′ pressure treated boards arrived on Wednesday afternoon. A total of 64 of these...
Up go the First Floor Outer Beams
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 Amherst, Wisconsin. But before I get to that,...