First Day with Full Crew

A dependable and honest tradesman is a treasure to keep a lifetime and the architect has his carpenter that he has known for a decade. While he speaks of his skills with a hammer he is also a musician and a trained luthier (a designer and builder of wood stringed instruments). We approached Andre and he offered to provide a working crew for this roofing job and that they could arrange travel from Oxford Mills to the County after Thanksgiving weekend. The additional men were Rock and his son, Steen.

Andre, Rock and Steen our burley roofing construction team arrived and parked their vehicles and toured the site. The Architect led them to the mini-house that would be their temporary dining room and bunkhouse. He led a meeting to determine the approach this roof would take.

The Architect then decided to set the new crew of Andre, Rock and Steen onto the smaller lower roof that is often referred to as the architect's studio. Soon the team began constructing our 'Wrightian' carport first invented by the famous twentieth century architect, Frank Lloyd Wright - it is a relatively small compact structure that will provide shelter for a vehicle and minimal storage. The architect and the artist went to work with the completion of the building of the cripple walls providing the correct pitch to give drainage to the upper roof.

At sundown a number of trusses were set over the northeast corner and the dramatic effect very much enjoyed by the architect and his wife.

After three days of 'constructive' construction but a promise of inclement weather, we closed up the work for a few days until the next forecast of sunny days to come soon.

Trussty Work of the Architect and the Artist

The two day operation with the architect and the artist provided many amusing photo opportunities and here are just a few. The architect remained deep in concentration while drilling. There is no time to waste here before the snow flies. The artist provides a bow to the camera and the sills wait for positioning that will come later in the roof construction.

All of the crew took time with their families for Thanksgiving weekend at home but returned the following week in larger numbers to take on the challenge of building the roof. Meet them in the next blog.

Truss Delivery Dangling in the Air No More

The architect's roof design is a unique one and is categorized as a flat roof but in fact, in North America, no roofs are actually flat at all. In order to ensure proper draineage roofs will have simple to elaborate angles to catch rainwater. We, in the County, experience dry weather in the dog days of August so it is an advantage to retrieve rainwater for use in a traditional kitchen herb garden.

So it came to pass that the architect designed initially a tilted roof rising to the north. Days before our truss delivery he began to struggle to redesign (in the dark hours of early morning) a more attractively tilted roof design. The roof lines of the main building section jut out extensively to the east and west rising in a dramatic winged fashion. Both wings meet centrally in a 'v' formation in the central north side to allow for rainwater descent.

After many delays, postponements and telephone communications regarding specifications, a new improved and fresh delivery date was offered to us. We held our breath until the delivery truck tires met our gravel road.

On October 8 the Architect and Mile Murtanovski a local artist who lives nearby at Small Pond Arts, an artists' community, were waiting together for the delivery of the trusses. Together they received the delivery and carefully placed with poetic grace the respective trusses as they would be needed by carpenters planning to arrive after the long weekend. Mile provided a keen eye, a quick step and another pair of capable hands to guarantee a safe truss delivery.

Throughout that two day period that they worked together, they carefully placed the cripple walls (short suspensions on the original sills at heights appropriate to the angle of the roofline) at the studio roof and around the main building as well.

The Architect's wife switched into a new role as camp cook after her arrival in the mini-house. Equipped with recipes, a full pantry and a wood stove she provided meals and coffee breaks for the 6 person crew. The mini-house has a carefully designed but compact kitchen so no recruits needed for kitchen staff-please and thank you. Once she learned the operation of its fine wood stove, the cook began to make simple wholesome meals and enjoyed its pleasant operation. There is nothing like the smell of a wood burning stove on a cool autumn night to say nothing for the appealing aroma of breakfast in the early morning.

Camille and Will Stop In at Headwater Farms

On the second weekend into the sill laying job, Camille our daughter along with her fiancee Will, came to join us at the farm. They had recently sold their home and were in temporary digs at her Dad's so happy to get away for a weekend to a simpler life in the County.

Once the pair arrived with their camping gear and settled into a camp lunch, we soon saw Will volunteering as the architect's helper in sill construction. Here they are shirted and shirtless as they break for a picture by the architect's wife.

While Bob and Will worked on sill plate construction, Camille and her Mom headed down the road in their little Cooper to enjoy the southeast side of the County heading to Fifth Town Cheese Company, stopping in at Rose House, visiting a sculptor's studio and finally enjoying a wine tasting at County Cidery.

On the following day, the pair headed for West Lake Road with a box of watercolours and rendered a view of rolling hills and a freshly cut hayfield. What a glorious weekend.

The young couple Sunday visiting the shops in Picton before returning to the to the Gatineau.

Thanks for helping with our project, Will. Perhaps there will be more farmwork in the future for this young couple. They'll be always welcome at Headwater Farms.

Laying the Sills in Place

Once the masonry wall's full eight was completed, the architect set to work explaining to his wife that sill platess had to be bolted with rebar at the roofline to assure that the roof had something to latch onto.

Mid August Bob began this work in a one-man job fashion. It was the kind of solitary job that the architect rather enjoyed. After having taken the ladder up to the second storey, the air fresh, clean, the vista wide and expansive with not a sign of human habitation, he would hammer away.

We were privileged to have company for one weekend in August that made the task go that much better. Anytime friends or family drop by, there is a risk of temporary employment so beware.

Masonry Walls Reach Full Height

Later in August, Frank and Patrick our mason team reached the conclusion of the masonry walls on the second storey and the carport.

The task of cleaning all unused blocks and broken debris fell to the architect and his wife while visiting on weekends in September. We accepted the job with a gaelic shrug and enjoyed the results knowing the job site would be safer for the roofing crew that followed.

Smokey was seen also to be musing over the finished work with some satisfaction.

Masonry Reaches the Second Storey in August

With the local father and son mason team of Frank and Patrick, the walls ascended to the second storey after delivery of the hollow core slabs the end of July.

Here one sees the delivery of large palettes of masonry block being placed on the hollow core slab floor of the second storey. The masons would be able to proceed now with wall construction in an easier fashion.

While our home's walls were rising, the ultraviolet rays beating down on our tent at Twin Oaks campsite not far from the construction site took a heavy tole and serious applications of ducktape patchwork provided very little adhesion to our sorry little vestibule.

The southside of the farmhouse had an especially dramatic appearance with large solar window openings.