Day Twenty-nine and Thirty

Day Twenty-Eight and Twenty-nine | Cabinet

One by one we're wrapping up doors and boxes! We've spent the last two days installing hardware, and the drawers have entered the construction phase. Once we have cabinet doors finished, we will be able to begin installing them and sending them to site for a final coat of paint. We put a door on one of the cabinets today; something which provided a great deal of comfort in its success!

Day Twenty-six and Twenty-Seven

Keeping everything organized has been a big issue, so today we went through and labeled all of the doors and cabinets. Adrian would like to put the final coats of paint (which I hear may be green) on on site, before installation. This will prevent doors from getting dings in transit.

Day Twenty-five | Cabinet

We continued to work on sanding and priming the in-pouring of cabinet boxes and doors. We've started to develop a method for controlling the wheatboard fuzz, but are still finding that we have to sand and touch up prime a number of times. The Safeseal primer and sealant are excellent because they emit only a minimal oder, but it is unclear as to whether they every really dry; they seem perpetually tacky.

Day Twenty-three and Twenty-four

Now that we have our cabinets and doors rolling out of construction and into sanding, they're really starting to come along. We continue to putty and sand the faces and edges of doors and cabinets as they are constructed, and we now have a large number sealed and primed as well. For whatever reason the sealer and primer raise the grain in the wheatboard, so we've had to sand and prime each a number of times .

Day Twenty-one and Twenty-two

The past couple of days were spent puttying the edges and holes of doors and cabinets. It is important that the hand-holds, in particular, are very smooth, as the users will interact directly with them. While wheatboard is a fantastic new product, it is also one which we have had to approach with some unfamiliarity. While it has the potential to outperform MDF, it has proven to be a bit less durable. We have encountered problems with its layered property and its tendency to "fuzz." Even so, working with it is turning out to be a very interesting learning experience!

Day Twenty | Cabinet

We devoted most of today to the continued experimentation of Wheatboard construction. Playing with different methods of construction and joinery, we were able to get a better feel for the material and its interesting properties. Unlike wood or MDF, this material is completely new to us and seems to require stronger joinery. It even responds differently to glue and putty, than does MDF.

Day Nineteen | Roof

After many long (and early) days of roofing, it has finally reached completion. Trying to beat the heat, this task begins at 6AM, carrying on into the heat of the early afternoon. We were fortunate to have a predominantly flat roof to work with, so we no longer had to use the harness. I am not all too familiar with other forms of roofing, but I was pleased with the ease of installation with this roof system. Even for beginners, I feel like we all had a clear understanding of its installation.

Day Seventeen and Eighteen

Today I focused primarily on the installation of drip edge, which will enable us to continue with roof installation. After working through the difference between drip edge and drip molding (several sheets of drip molding later,) I was clipped to a harness, suspended from the ridge cap of the gabled roof over the nurse's suite and kitchen, to install drip edge. Working with my group, we realized that the gabled roof over the nurse's suite had a gap at the ridge cap of at least two feet- far exceeding code. Having discovered this, we ripped up the waterproofing and installed plywood over the excessive gap. With new waterproofing in place, it is now ready for the roofing system.

Day Fifteen and Sixteen | Roof

I've spent the last two days bathed in sunblock on the hottest part of the site; the roof. We're installing a custom aluminum roof system on all parts of the house, with the exception of the green roof area (over the entryway.) This system is comprised of long strips of interlocking metal which run from ridge to base of the roof plane. While they were custom cut, we are responsible for cutting and bending tabs at the end of each sheet to enable their secure installation. After overcoming my fear of walking on a gabled roof, I began to enjoy my assigned task. Working with a small group, we removed exhaust pipes. We then began on the highest flat roof plane, which stands over the entry to the nurse's suite.

Day Thirteen and Fourteen | Roof

I've spent the last two days bathed in sunblock on the hottest part of the site; the roof. We're installing a custom aluminum roof system on all parts of the house, with the exception of the green roof area (over the entryway.) This system is comprised of long strips of interlocking metal which run from ridge to base of the roof plane. While they were custom cut, we are responsible for cutting and bending tabs at the end of each sheet to enable their secure installation. After overcoming my fear of walking on a gabled roof, I began to enjoy my assigned task. Working with a small group, we removed exhaust pipes. We then began on the highest flat roof plane, which stands over the entry to the nurse's suite.

Day Thirteen

Today Adrian and I met with Dawn Hintgen and Paul Toma at Common Ground Building Supply. After explaining My Sister's House, we discussed the future of the cabinet construction, including material, sealant, primer, paint, etc. We were introduced to such products as Paperstone, Plyboo, and other incredible material options., which would be great alternatives to our means of counter top construction. While I had familiarized myself with these products through literature and research, I was thrilled to see and interact with them in person. Common Ground has certainly been a great resource for this project!

Day Twelve | Cabinet

Today we began exploration with means of cabinet construction and finish. We practiced butt joints and rabbit joints, as well as ways of cutting and sanding the Wheatboard to achieve the desired look and quality necessary. We look forward to meeting with Common Ground to learn more about means of finishing Wheatboard, as well as other possible green products for the house.

Day Ten and Eleven | Roadtrip

Thanks to the kind support and generosity of Common Ground Green Building Supply, we were able to obtain enough Wheatboard to replace MDF in the construction of our cabinets. Wheatboard is manufactured within 500 miles of our site, formaldehyde free, and made of rapidly renewable resources (wheat), therefore a perfectly compliant with a number of LEED credits. More information about Wheatboard can be found on the Environ website; we are using Microstrand.

After talking with Common Ground, we arranged for myself and another student to pick up Wheatboard, enabling us to begin construction on the cabinet units.

Day Nine| Countertop

Today I helped pick up on continued contertop construction. We used a new system to prevent the pieces from falling or bowing while drying. It utilizes a system of fences and pressure from clamps and 2x4s to compress the slabs.

Day Eight | Product

As of today I've switched gears and began working on product construction. This takes place in a shop in the UNCG Gateway Research Park, which is an off-site location to aid with ASHRAE standards in our LEED certification. We are constructing counter tops of reclaimed Baltic birch and preparing for construction of cabinets for the suites and kitchen.

Day Seven | Blocking and Rafters

I've used today to jump into the project wherever necessary, which has landed me with a number of different tasks. Not only did I help finish installation of critter mesh, but I found myself helping with more blocking in the suites, stringing lights to aid in construction, and helping with rafter construction.

Day Five and Six | Furring and Critter Mesh

Our group has finally reached completion of furring in the matron's suite. I also assisted with furring in the kitchen, which I considered far more enjoyable. While the higher ceilings were intimidating, using a full length of a furring strip is much less complicated than cutting and mounting small lengths. In tandem with furring, I was assigned the daunting task of climbing the rafters to install critter mesh. One layer of stiff, large mesh is layered with thin, small mesh and stapled over openings where the roof meets the rafters. This prevents unwanted tenants, such as squirrels and birds. We also spent time framing windows in the Matron's suite; we hope to begin window installation in the next couple of weeks.