Pre-Fab Part II, The Media Edition
The biggest event of the week was the delivery of our second set of pre-fabricated straw bale walls. We had already done this once to great results so we invited a bunch of members of the local media to stop by this time and watch the event. Since we had developed a good technique the first time, we only improved up the system and things moved really quickly. It was nice to have an audience on hand to capture our hard work and hopefully share it with an even larder audience in the community. The photo ops were numerous so we’ll hopefully garner some good media attention for something that we are all very proud to be involved in.
Earlier in the week however, we encountered some inclement weather that unfortunately put a stop to our hammers. Climbing the roof trusses was slippery business and extension cords don’t mix with water as well as cement lime plaster. We are shooting to have the grand roof raising next Friday so next week will probably end up being a pretty busy one. We managed to insert all the blocking for the strapping and get the lookouts in place for the fascia which involved a lot of thought and adjustment since the roof trusses are not perfectly square, and the roof changes pitch and flares out by two feet towards the ridge. It was tricky business but in the end everything worked out and as an extra perk, those who spent time up in the trusses felt like they could conquer any jungle gym.
Since our earth bag foundation for our curved south wall was completed, we also began the framing that will hold the hempcrete insulation and five windows above. To make the curve, small sections were framed and installed on the bags at different angles. Two 2X4 walls are necessary as the hempcrete, and slip straw in the straight wall sections on either side of the curve, is 11′ thick. It was a pretty intricate job especially to keep it all square and level as each piece was braced in place.
A bit of a slow week because of the rain but spirits remain high and we all look forward to sunny skies next week to play some catch up and be ready for the big day on Friday!