Gulf Island Building.

**BigJim** · 05-07-2012, 09:44 AM

My stars, you are tougher than nails Keith, that would be hard for a 30 year old, just unreal.

cocobolo · 05-07-2012, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jiju1943

My stars, you are tougher than nails Keith, that would be hard for a 30 year old, just unreal.

Not really Jim, just stubborn.

There's still quite a bit of the decking wood left to cut, treat and stain, but hopefully I might have it in place by this evening. Off to an early start this morning.

cocobolo · 05-09-2012, 08:27 PM

What's that they say...the best laid plans of mice and men...?

The bridge deck got set aside while I made two trips over to town. One for an 830 pound load of masonry stuff, and the next load was landscape ties. I didn't realize the masonry would be quite so heavy...a bit much for the old Lumina to manage all the way from Coombs.

However it's all here now and safely onshore.

But first a couple of quick pics of last nights' sunset.

cocobolo · 05-09-2012, 08:30 PM

I picked up a variety of masonry products so I could get a few things finished up.

There will now be a set of stairs/steps going from the deck on the cabin down to the Japanese garden.

The four pier blocks are now set closely in place ready to be framed, most of the lumber for which I do not have...that will be another trip.

cocobolo · 05-09-2012, 08:33 PM

As you can see from the above pic, it's a little steep going down that bank.

I got 15 landscape ties to make some sort of retaining wall around the big fir stump. Hopefully, that will make a good spot to get some more of the rhodos in the ground.

cocobolo · 05-09-2012, 08:40 PM

You never quite know what you will find at the building material re-cyclers, but they do have a good selection of masonry products. The only trouble is that the supply is always changing and you need to get everything of the same item at one time, or risk not being able to find it next trip.

Well, I didn't do that with the pavers and the small red bricks, because I wasn't yet sure just how it was all to be laid out...but the test results were pretty good, so now I need another 250 of the small blocks and maybe 80 of the pavers.

That amounts to about 2,300 lbs. which translates to three trips.

This is roughly how the pavers and red bricks will be going in.

cocobolo · 05-09-2012, 08:42 PM

Also picked up a few of the split face blocks to use as a low level retaining wall at one of the garden beds.

cocobolo · 05-10-2012, 10:55 PM

Nice day today - still cold - but got the staining finished on the bridge deck pieces and managed to get a few nailed on.

Before that was started, I tacked some 15 lb. roofing felt on to the bridge timbers as added protection.

cocobolo · 05-10-2012, 10:57 PM

I have tried to work out what the spaces need to be between the deck boards, so that they come out evenly. Bit of a long shot, but I'm trying 7/32" and thicknessed a board to that size to use as a spacer.

cocobolo · 05-10-2012, 10:59 PM

Whether or not that will work out remains to be seen. The drill I was using to pre drill the nail holes ran out of juice after the first half a dozen pieces.

The rest are sitting there loosely.

cocobolo · 05-10-2012, 11:01 PM

One of the bamboos, a sasa palmata, is showing it's first new shoot of the year.

Double · 05-11-2012, 10:57 AM

Looking great, I like the roofing felt, seems like a good solution.

Bud Cline · 05-11-2012, 05:02 PM

Keith,

I have run out of adjectives to use to describe your work. The word "amazing" just doesn't seem to be suitable any longer.

cocobolo · 05-12-2012, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Double

Looking great, I like the roofing felt, seems like a good solution.

Welcome to the thread Double.

And yes, the roofing felt trick really does make a difference. I first used this idea about the mid '80's on a deck where the customer had a six year old house and the deck frame had rotted away already.

He couldn't afford P.T. wood at the time, so we had him treat the contact edges before we added the decking, and then added strips of the felt to the entire frame. It's a cheap solution which about doubles the life of such a deck.

cocobolo · 05-12-2012, 01:04 AM

The promised sunny days are here at last! Gorgeous today, but still cool.

Another trip to town today for a variety of stuff. First down to Ladysmith for propane, then to Rona for some 2 x 6's and dek blocks. Got the 2 x 6's, forgot the dek blocks!

Then back up to Coombs to get the remaining 250 red bricks I needed for the J garden pathways. I was concerned that they might run out, and they have nearly done so. They have lots of the grey pavers, so another trip for them later.

Anyway, it was one trip back to the marina to load the propane and 2 x 6's.

Another trip back after I got the red bricks and got them loaded. Then I decided I really did need the dek blocks, so back to Rona and got them. Now I have no excuse not to be able to do the back steps. Except that everything is still out on the sailboat, and we have no high tides to get anything up to the float. So it will be paddling the canoe out, loading a few hundred pounds at a time and lugging it from where ever the canoe will come in to.

Anyone know where I can get a deal on some foam bricks?