Deck Building, Day 2

Our original plan was that Ronnie (the carpenter we have hired to help us build the deck) was supposed to come over today.  But as things happen, something came up with another of his jobs and he was not able to make it today.  So Mountain Man and I, along with our good friend and neighbor Charlie, decided to work anyway.

Here is the beginning point this morning...

 ...and this is what we accomplished!  

We are extremely pleased that we installed the remaining 3 posts for the first 8 foot section of the deck, including the girders, (the first picture of what was accomplished) and some of the joists (the second picture).  This was very important, because we needed those posts up in order to properly measure out the 8 feet for exact location of the next 6 holes we need to dig for the footers for the rest of posts.  This way we can pour the concrete and have enough time for it to set so we can build again on Saturday.  

I did manage to earn the honor of being the first person injured (well, Charlie did cut his finger last Saturday) when a piece of wood hit me in the head.  It was late in the day, and we were all getting tired (should have been an indicator it is time to stop, but we really wanted to get all the posts up).  I should have known to move when Mountain Man was up on a ladder hitting the bracket that would hold the last girders we had to install, to straighten it out a bit, but I didn't think about it. Nor did anyone else.  As he whacked away, the wood acting like spacers in the bracket popped out, one tumbling right onto my head.  They were pieces of pressure treated 2x8's, about 6 inches long.  Not too heavy by themselves, but when falling from 10 feet high, it's heavy.  It hurt like heck, and I tried not to cry, but when I took my gloved hand off my head, and saw it was bleeding, I cried.  Fortunately, it was not gushing blood, and I put ice on it, but I have a nice knot to show for it, and a nice throb there, but I'm going to be OK.   

The best part about today was that Mountain Man and I realized we could build the rest of this deck all by ourselves if we had to.  Charlie was extremely helpful with tips of how to do some things, and made the job seem very doable and logical.  But we prefer to have help, both for the muscle and the experience.  But we sure are proud of ourselves, and I know that every time we step on this deck we will know that "we did it"!

Stay tuned for more deck building progress!

Thanks for reading my blog, you are the best f/f/r/s/f's, see you tomorrow,
Lise