As promised, here are some daytime shots.

Mini split AC install and lines covered:


Full edge-to-edge shot of the finished ceiling:


Here's the front with most of the trim:


I'll probably make it back out in two weeks. I may reassess my priorities since I'll likely be solo and the barn door installation is a two-person job. My March trip got pre-empted by a conference in DC. I may prioritize building a deck on the front because the ground is sloped, uneven, and very rocky, which makes using a ladder to paint or do anything else tends to be precarious. That's why some of the front is unpainted. I'll get to that when I can work on a flat surface.

Had to go to Austin this morning and decided to stop by the cabin on the way back and do some work. I started tackling the barn doors. I have a multi-day planned trip out next weekend so I should be able to finish them, but once I get the HardiTrim on the exterior and sheathing on the interior they will probably be too heavy for me to safely handle and install by myself.

One more piece of visible progress this weekend - window trim:


One of the barn doors is installed, but I had a miscalculation issue with the doors and have to do some modification to the second door. Hopefully I can get that done Sunday and get pics up. Also on the agenda are hanging the ceiling fan and most likely getting the floor installed.

jt2hunt said:

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I don't see pictures of your miscalculations!

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So ...

I have a small project notebook I use to write down calculations, measurements, etc. so I don't have to remember them, re-measure, etc. At some point I wrote down an incorrect measurement for the barn doors. Everything about those doors was based on that measurement. It was wrong. Very wrong. like 8-5/8 inches wrong.



What I was going to do was make them asymmetrical because a narrower right side door would overhang the edge of the building less, but after I installed the left side door, I realized it made more sense if the left door overlapped, not the right, as was in the original configuration. Having to resize the door gave me a chance to fix it, so I decided to resize both doors.

This involved removing the exterior trim, interior side sheathing, and mending plates and screws at the corners, then prying off the frame stile and cutting the frame rails and insulation. After that, I reinstalled the frame stile and interior sheathing, trimmed the sheathing on both sides and reinstalled the trim. I used a flush trim router bit for a perfect fit of the sheathing.







I still need to add door stop trim inside so the doors don't swing too far in and cane bolts to secure them, but they turned out nice. I'm still mad I lost an entire day screwing around with this. It is the first significant mistake on this project that resulted in work having to be done twice.

Adding insult to injury, I installed the ceiling fan that was originally in the cabin this evening ... and it doesn't work. Shame on me for not testing it before it was removed on the first day of the project a year ago.

Dr. Doctor said:

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At least you made it too big and not too small. That means another trip to the store to get new materials.

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Yes, too big was definitely my saving grace, since Temple is a 90-minute round-trip drive.

Quote:

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BTW, are you doing the work all by yourself (solo) or do you have any help with this?

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Completely solo except for the roof and two times I got assistance for roughly 30 minutes.

Quote:

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Also, you should totally not finish painting it, so it would look like the shed on the side of HWY 6, heading to Houston from CS. I remember when they started building it and it has stood the test of time half built and half painted.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ajEv8bpxGcuMRw518

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Ha ha ... this is the cabin next to mine:

Well, the floor did not get done because I lost an entire day on the barn doors and ceiling fan. Nonetheless, I took time today to sheath the subfloor to give me a good surface to work on. This only took about 2,400 crown staples.

What's this ... a mid-week update?!? We're getting into event season when I can't be on property on weekends unless I pay to attend the scheduled event(s) and get permission from the event organizers.

First order of business was pre-painting trim boards. Next up was taking down the giant 68" ceiling fan that didn't work (that I put back up last time out). I replaced it with a 48" version and used the provided 6" downrod instead of an 18" down rod. The combination of a smaller fan and shorter downrod minimizes the strobing effect when the lights hit the moving fan.


Next up: Flooring. I worked until 2:00 AM to get this done because we are expecting rain, and everything had to come back inside the cabin. I started with 6 mil vapor barrier over 1/4" OSB.






Order of business for Thursday is:

• Sleep in
• Go to IKEA in Round Rock for cabinets and countertop
• Cut and install trim
• Mount TV

I really think by the time I head home on Friday the inside of this cabin is going to be really close to finished.

I think the real question here is what is your venmo and how much are you charging to airbnb this bad-boy out for the weekend? I'll bring the bourbon LOL!

seriously, this project has been fun to follow! turning out nice!

Got back this evening after the better part of three days of tedious, yet transformative work on the cabin. I also spent the first night in it since the early days of a futon and a portable AC that routinely lost the battle against the sun.

After getting the flooring down, I got the trim installed and made the trip to Round Rock to pick up the base cabinets, countertop, and some other things. Once I got the doors on the upper cabinets, it started looking less like a garage.



That middle cabinet will be a drawer base. I only got one of the drawers assembled and installed before I had to leave. The space against the wall is for a mini fridge.

Now for the big reveal ...

No, I didn't get the TV mounted, either, but I didn't have the backsplash on my to-do list, so I'll call it even. There have been a few times I came home feeling like I made monumental progress, and this is one of them. I still have to finish the loft, then go through and do caulking and touch-up paint, and install the sink, but the inside is livable. Even though I slept on the floor, it was a good experience and the AC is so efficient I actually woke up from being cold. This week's progress feels really, really good.

I took time to remove things that could come home or no longer needed to be in the cabin, and this is a video to show you the whole space in one shot. With the exception of a couple saw horses left outside, this shot is not sanitized. That's really all there is left in there.
https://i.imgur.com/4QqSKRb.mp4

TLDR version:

Made a day trip out today to take some more furnishings out and finish a few things. Big ticket was the kitchenette. I finished the drawers, installed the sink and faucet, and installed the fridge and microwave. I also got the TV mounted and installed the headboard for the bed. The headboard also serves as side tables, which is why it is so much wider than the bed will be. I'm not sure there will be enough room for the loveseat at the end of the bed, but we'll find out next time I go out.

Just ordered my deck materials, which marks the end of major expenditures on the project. Construction of the deck will begin on May 16th. I initially planned 5-foot decks on the front and back of the building at a cost of $1400-1500. I ultimately decided to go with 6-foot decks on the front and back with a 3-foot deck connecting them on one side. Doing so only added a little more than $500 to the cost, which I think is reasonable, given the benefit of the large size and connection.

It looks like when all is said and done, the project will come in right around $17K, including furnishings.