Making Progress

We are making some progress!!
What we thought would take a week turned into a month long process, but we are mostly done with our immense porch.
It is 12 feet wide and the full 36 feet width of the lodge.
One of the reasons we built it so big, was so that it would be in scale with the rest of the house.
The second reason is that most porches, in my experience, aren't big enough to do what a porch should do.
Our current 8 foot wide dining room isn't big enough to get around the table while everyone is seated, so I figured 8 foot wouldn't be wide enough for seating around a picinic table either, without someone falling off the porch in the process.
We situated the lodge so that the front side is the non weather side, and will be the cool side of the house as well. So in the summer, it will be a fine place for dinner on a hot day. In the winter, it will be the best place to stack an abundance of firewood in a handy out of the weather spot.
By the time we gather a dozen people or so on the porch for a good ol' fashioned pea shelling on a sweet evening, I think we will be happy to have such a a good large porch.
I think a porch adds such an inviting homey character to a house, and in this case, changed the perspective on the exterior immensely.  We are really excited a the dramatic change.  I especially like how well the log gable in the front turned out.  Good job honey!

Now we are working on a front door and some wood heat as it has suddenly turned cold: 20 degrees this morning !! BRRR.

A Porch Lends Perspective

We have been anticipating beginning work on the front porch for a LONG time. I think the gable on the porch will add balance to the seemingly really tall box that we have built for our home.

The gable will also allow the rain and snow to drop off away from the steps and entrance, however, it added difficulty to the construction process. We are still working out how the angles work with the roof metal. We began the porch process with Brian's dad, Stan, leveling off the sill log so that we could then bolt on a ledger board.

Brian used our friend's excavator to hoist the beefy columns into place, as well as the horizontal logs which lay on top of the columns.

             Rose, Joe and John helped nail the joist hangers into place, using a palm nailer, a very cool tool!

All the boys worked together to peel the rafters, and various helpers to get them into place.
For the moment, we have plywood laid down for a deck, but a stack of 2x6 doug fir sits next to the porch awaiting installation as the real decking.

As it usually happens, we allotted much less time for this project than we actually needed.
What we thought would take a week has lasted three weeks so far...and we are not done yet.

We did, however, feel like this is home enough to have an afternoon of fellowship and paintball, so we invited over a few families Sunday and had a potluck. This was the first hospitality event not associated with a work crew we have had at the lodge.
The soup, bread and pies were a huge hit.
The chill in the air and no indoor heat was a challenge, and our pink curtain with a tarp over the top made for what one 8 year old called "a very interesting door."
All in all, it was a success,
making us hunger for the days ahead of fellowship in our lodge.
Once the porch is done, we will tackle the wood stove and hearth, as well as a front door, then all will be warm and cozy.
I can almost taste and see it now.

Getting the porch started, multigenerationally.

Brian and Julianne celebrating 19 years of wedded bliss.

another blessing; expecting baby #8 around Christmas!

Quality Control Inspector, Bethany

 

Brian's dad, Stan (Grampy), flattening the sill log for the front porch ledger

 

Working together getting the porch joists set.

We had tons of fun at this stage, when there were  a lot more safe ways for the younger children to help.  They have been itching to use power tools and wear their tool belts for some time now.

We are so blessed to have grandparents come and help, 

work alongside the children, 

and be a part of our huge multigenerational project.

The Family at Work

Ma and Rose finishing up the chinking on the outside

Joe and Jim sand the chinking splatters

Jim... working hard!!

 

Dad, Rose, & John setting joists for the front porch

 

The boys peeling logs for the rafters to be used on the front porch.

What a joy to work together,

experience this once in a lifetime project together, 

and have the memories that we did it to last us all our lives!