Well, it has been a year since we put on the roof and the building has been waiting for us while we worked on landscaping, garden, taking care of family matters and just plain everyday chores.
We have attached 2X4s to the outside so we could place the windows in their frames and the side cross pieces are what we will attach the tin siding to. This also establishes the floor grade so we know where the top of the floor will be. I beleive in most places there will always be a change in elevation from one end of the building to the other, even when it looks like the ground is level. That is why when you first stake out a building you need to pull a string with a string level to get an idea of the difference in height between one corner to the next.
To frame the windows we used 2X8s. This is calculated by adding all of the componants that make up the thickness of the wall: 4X4 + 2X4s on the inside and the outside+ the tin and trim on the outside+ plywood, tar paper, lathe & plaster on the inside. We then fit the windows inside of this frame and put trim up on the inside and the out side to hold the window in place . The bottom of this frame needs to slant down as to not let water collect on the sill. We then caulked around the trim to create a water tight seal.
We planted rye grass to green up the place. You can buy a bag for a 50 lb bag for about $15 and it goes a long way. Rye will only grow in cool weather and it does need some rain. By the time it gets above 80 degrees or so it will be gone. If it is a wet year and it goes to seed, it will return next fall. Otherwise it needs to be planted again.
