Living Offgrid Affordably 9: Finally, Something Goes Up

Reader Contribution by Jeff Chaney
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 After our last session, The Floor Goes In, we are tickled to have a flat and level platform to work from. The building inspector is happy and we know when to call him next. I should have expected some controversy, considering the fact that the government debates what the meaning of the word “is” is! One must remember that building codes exist to prevent unscrupulous builders from constructing and selling subpar unsafe structures. We had no intention of ever selling, and did not feel that we needed protected from ourselves. I would greatly exceed safety requirements because this entire exercise must be sustainable.

I continued with 2×6 pine framing lumber for the outside walls, building them in 10 foot sections for the front and rear walls, 12 foot sections for the sides. Construction was carried out per the “bible” instructions, using 93 inch studs with double plates. Extreme care must be taken when planning and laying out locations of windows and doors. The age old advice to “measure twice, cut once” I sometimes took to extremes, measuring three or four times. Lumber waste is unacceptable!

Each section was laid out on the floor, pre-drilled, then screwed together. Stud braces were installed, yielding a complete wall section laying on the floor. I simply slid the section into position, then stood it up and screwed it into place, having pre-drilled the sill plates and end studs. This single-handed operation is a little tricky, but highly successful. 

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