Building Your Dream Home

	This is our grandson operating the drill. These screws are used every couple of feet to secure the logs - they are quite long and it is a challenge to hold the drill straight while it is running.		We installed 2x4's in the window and door openings as soon as we reached the top log for the opening. This was to keep the walls plumb especially when the wall was a short length.
	This picture was taken after all of the walls had reached the top of door and window height. The next row will tie all of the openings together.		This is the beginning of the top rows. I am applying the caulking that was used on all of the logs before they were locked in place with the screws. The caulk gun was not electric and it was tiring.
	I included this one to give you an idea of the effort involved in making sure the logs are straight. This was an easy one. We didn't get a picture of my son straightening the one on the end of the house (he was on an unsecured ladder when he lost his footing - the hook was all that kept him from falling about 10 ft.).		Sometimes you just had to sit on the top log to finish the job.
	After all of the logs were installed, we began putting up the interior walls. This was a piece of cake as long as we didn't make an error on the layout (which we did a couple of times).		The trusses have arrived - now the fun begins. We had a crew of 5. My son, 2 grandsons, a young friend, and my husband who wasn't able to do anything but be a spotter for trouble.
	My son is so proud to have this first group of trusses up and braced. It was easier than we had expected. The whole process was done by hand and worked smoothly. It was just after this that the 70mph winds came through and destroyed all of our hard work. The wind came from the south and simply blew all of the trusses over on top of the house.		This picture was taken the same day and shows the 2x4's that were used to erect the trusses and keep them in place while they were secured.
	My son is raising the 2nd scissor truss in this picture. This is the large open living area with the vaulted ceiling. This is only the 2nd truss he put up after having to raise all of the ones before for the second time. He is walking on a 4" wide cedar beam that the catwalk will be attached to.		My son is installing a cedar trim between the top log and the trusses. There will also be vents installed just above this board. He has also set in place the porch posts. You really need to enlarge this picture to see them. They are cedar trees from our property and he intentionally placed them to look like they lean and to be rugged.
	My son is building the framework for the 2' eaves on each end of the house. This was the scariest job on the roof. Notice the porch rafters are in place.		The decking for the eaves and the porch roof was 5/8" Tgroove siding. The only help he had lifting it was the front end loader on his tractor which my grandson operated. This stuff is really heavy.
	I thought this was the most dangerous part at the time - my son is installing 2'x8' sheets of 5/8" decking with nothing to stand on except the trusses.		All of the decking is on - now boards for the metal roof have to be put on. These are 2x4"s that run the length of the roof every 2' from the bottom to the peak. They have to be straight so the roofing can be applied easily.
	This turned out to be the most dangerous part. The roofing was in 19' lengths and were 3' wide. As it happened, the windy season was still with us and one day one of those panels got caught by a gust of wind and ended up in the yard. No one was hurt but everyone decided that was it for that day.		As you can see from this picture, the siding has not been installed on the gable ends. We were so concerned about getting the house in the dry that we decided to wait until after the roof was on to install the siding. The felt kept out the rain until then.
	This picture shows the gable end after the siding has been installed. The ladder is fully extended at 19'. My son says the scariest job was installing the vents in the peak of the gable. Installation was done after this picture was taken.		I included this picture to show the interior after the roof was on. The ladder is where the stairs will eventually be installed.
	The roofing is almost completed in this picture and my son was really relieved to have this behind him.		We are basically in the dry in this picture. There is some edging and the guttering to be installed before the roofing is finished (the company shipped the wrong ones). The doors and windows are next and should go pretty fast.