Home Building Diary

Hurricane ties, rafter ends, doughnuts, and a thunderstorm

June 24th, 2006

It’s friday, so I started the day by picking up some pecan buns and doughnuts from the Corner Bakery. Yum. Then I bought more Simpson Strong-Tie connectors from the local building supply.

I spent the morning nailing in hurricane ties, rafter-ridge straps and other metal connectors that will (hopefully) help hold the house together if a hurricane hits our stretch of the coast. They’re a bit of a pain because the nailing often has to happen in tight spaces. Such is life.

Marshall had to figure out how to trim the ends of the rafters. Not easy two stories up. He finally tried some cool scaffolding-thingees that hang right on the stud wall, which were supplied by my very helpful neighbor John. The metal platform brackets are placed on the outside of the wall and bolts extend past the studs to a 2×4 on the inside of the wall. Works like a charm — very stable and sturdy.

A massive thunderstorm put an end to our workday early in the afternoon. Photos of the storm approaching:

Next week — the roof goes on, one way or another.

Entry Filed under: construction