Blog

Pasta shed in progress.

Now this is one you don’t see every day! Our friends Farmer Sam and Fiddler Dan out in Fly, Tennessee needed a new building. This 12 by 24 structure is to be used for pasta making and as cool storage for cut flowers. The cool side is heavily insulated and the pasta side is finished with cedar on the walls and pine on the ceiling. We were able to use a lot of leftover materials from their recent house build, and the exterior actually matches the house. More pictures to come of the finished product.

Who does Deckman call? Deckman!

In early May of this year an F3 tornado passed over Deckman’s secret lair here in Columbia, Tennessee. Fortunately Deckman, Deckwoman, Deckboy, and even Deckcat were all okay, but the damage was considerable. Our 16 foot by 56 foot back deck received some of the worst of it, thanks to a direct hit from a 41 inch diameter pine tree.

The old deck was completely removed and replaced by an even larger one. Instead of pressure treated decking we used western red cedar. RDI metal railings completed the transformation. There is still a little work to be done, including adding a privacy fence at one end, but the bulk of the work is completed. The final step will be treating and then sealing the cedar.

Branching out.

In an effort to better utilize several house plans that I’ve designed (some built, some not), I will be listing a few plans for sale online. I will probably go through an established site. Currently I am in the process of selecting a site and further preparing the plans. More information to come!

Injured – back in a month.

Last Saturday I hurt myself on the job. Nothing life threatening, but I will be out of commission for about a month. Hopefully I will not go crazy. I will try to use the time productively – catching up on accounting, designing the next houses, and purchasing the materials I need to finish both houses.

Some quick and dirty pictures.

Yes I am making progress. I am even taking some pictures of said progress. I am just not posting them online, until now. Both houses have siding, paint, decks, and most of the outside stuff done. The gray one (1150) is nearly done on the inside. It just lacks floors, doors, appliances, and some trim. The HVAC and septic systems as well as gutters need to be installed, final grading needs to happen, and of course the driveway needs to be put in. I’ll also clear out some trees and underbrush from the front yard. The blue house (1160) on the other hand is still just a shell.

Hopefully 1150 will be ready for listing by the end of this month. It looks like we are starting with some challenging weather, which will make painting tough, but there look to be some windows of decent weather. I am excited to be so close and with how the house is looking. It should make a special home for somebody. Progress has been made since some of these pictures were taken, and I will get some of the bedrooms this week.

Quickly building houses, slowly writing blog posts.

Well, it’s been a while since my last update, but that isn’t because nothing is going on. Quite the contrary in fact. Two houses are framed and roofed! It is certainly nice to have the most challenging/intense/stressful/tiring/lots more adjectives part of the construction process behind me. Most elements of the builds have gone well so far, besides the inevitable delays. I enjoyed clearing the land and getting ready for the foundation. Digging and pouring footers went well. The block for both houses went up in a day. There framers finished one house in four days and the other in five. The roofers did both houses in a day. I started the siding on one house last week. This week I am in Michigan with my family. Next week it will be full speed ahead on the siding.

Summer has been hot, but the having the long days really helps. There have been some challenges with materials availability that have caused a little frustration. Nothing that has been to big an issue though. Prices are way up on all lumber, and that is tough. Overall though I am very happy with how things are going, and how the near future looks as well.