Carport Repair Logistics

One of the best homestead investments we've made has been our small portable sawmill. I first showed it to you in this post. We found it on Craigslist and got it for building the barn. If we'd had to buy all the lumber for that barn, we'd probably still be working on it, because that's how it is with pay-as-you-go. That lumber mill helped us get the job done and has more than paid for itself.

Originally the mill was set up in the driveway. That meant dragging pine logs up from the woods to mill them there. Eventually, we moved the sawmill down into the woods. It made more sense to haul cut lumber rather than uncut logs, not to mention leaving all the waste slabs and sawdust in the woods and out of sight. The downside was that our outbuildings, fences, and gates made it more round-about to take the tractor down into the woods and back. Even before Dan decided what to do about the carport, he was thinking about an easier way to transport the lumber to the project site. After running through several ideas, we decided to change the chicken yard fencing and install a tractor gate like this...

The chicken yard used to extend all the way to the workshop.

New gate and tractor path.

Now that he's ready to start on the carport, we've been discussing whether to make changes. We had talked about adding an outdoor cooking area and also thought it would be useful to store Dan's log splitter there since that's where the firewood is stored. He proposed extending the roof a bit on the left side.

With all that in mind, he began to mill the posts and beams.

Milling one of our plentiful pines.

As he mills, he brings it up from the woods and stores it in the workshop until needed.

To be continued . . . . .

Carport Repair Logistics © January 2019

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Carport Question: Fix It or Nix It?

Our old carport is the first project listed on my "Project Plans for the New Year" post.

Currently, it's being used for firewood storage, but we've often discussed a multitude of possibilities for it. Unfortunately, it isn't in the best shape.

We're not sure when it was built, likely about the same time as our pantry. The construction techniques, materials, and problems certainly point to the same builder.

The siding falling off in the above photo is minor. The real problem had to do with the roof.

This is the side that gets the brunt of stormy weather.

Between an inadequate roof overhang and roofing nails exposed to the weather, the windward side of the carport was in pretty bad shape. Girders and ends of roof rafters were all rotted out.

Was it the same on the leeward side? Dan removed the composite fascia board and found everything to be pretty sound.

Pounding on the girders, however, made the whole building wobble! That wasn't a surprise, really, considering that the posts are simply set on top of the carport's brick foundation.

Because the knee braces are primarily ornamental, the builder's fix to stabilize the structure was to brace it like this...

Between that and the plywood ceiling, the old carport has managed to stay standing for who knows how many years.

The last thing Dan did was to take a peek through the front gable vent cover to get a look at the rafters. Except for the rotted ends on the one side they were in good shape.

Based on all of the above, Dan decided to work with the existing structure rather than tear it down and build a new one. First step? Mill the lumber.

Carport Question: Fix It or Nix It? © Jan 2019

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/

Project Plans for the New Year

Every January 1st Dan and I set goals for the upcoming year. In the beginning, this was because we had so much to do that we had to prioritize and choose. Now, there is still a lot to do, but our longterm project list isn't so long and overwhelming. Much of what we do are routine seasonal activities: planting, harvesting, firewood, etc. Some of it is maintenance and repair. Those kinds of things don't make it to our annual goal list. What does, are major building projects, repairs, upgrades, and other improvements that will help us toward our goal of greater self-reliance. Here's our list for 2019.

1. Carport.

The carport has been a multipurpose building since we bought the place. It's been used for my car, storage, tool shed, and Dan's workshop. Once the barn was finished, it became our firewood storage. Unfortunately, the poor thing has been on the verge of falling down for a while now; the roof is pretty much shot and the girders need fixing. So this is project number one, with the first step being to decide whether it's repairable or needs to be torn down. It's definitely useful for firewood storage, plus it would be nice if we could create a small outdoor kitchen there.

2. Drainage. Rain runoff from our houses' largest roof surface drains into the driveway, runs down the driveway, and creates one huge puddle between the house and the barn.

The carport question is bringing it to the forefront because the water drains into the carport! Dan's previous fixes have only temporarily resolved it, and since we've had an exceptionally rainy winter so far the problem is continually before us. We're working on a more permanent solution to the problem, so expect more on that soon.

While the ducks love the big puddles, it's a nuisance for everyone else.

Those are the projects we'll address first. Two other things we'd like to make a reality are:

Poultry yard. Dan's not been happy with the chicken yard for a while, especially since we've had to keep them off pasture while we are planting and soil building. So we've been discussing options. Besides building more grazing beds, he'd like to build a house with a permanent "pond" for our Muscovies.

Solar project. We've dabbled some with solar projects, all useful, but small. My next project is a bit more ambitious, but one that I think is important. I want a solar back-up for an extra fridge and the freezer. If we lose the grid for even a couple of days in the heat of summer, there is the potential to lose a lot of food. We try to eat mostly fresh and I can a lot, but I usually have a surplus of milk and eggs in summer that I wouldn't want to lose. The freezer is important for quite a bit of our meat, also extra produce for winter freezer canning. Protecting these perishables during a power outage is important. I should have more on this project sometime later this year.

Between these and our seasonal projects, we are looking forward to a busy but productive year. So how about you? Do you have a list of goals for 2019?

Project Plans for the New Year © January 2019

by Leigh at http://www.5acresandadream.com/