6 weeks.

Another fine week with almost perfect weather in La Paz. The produce distributors have finally caught up with demand in La Paz that had left the town without a lot of the items they normally stock since the holidays.

I got our roofing materials this week at the local hardware store.

I had to let the boards air for a few days, lucky for me I had enough dried lumber stockpiled to get started on the roof framing.

I think it is worth mentioning that most of the lumber here is 1"X8"X9 foot eucalyptus, cut with a chainsaw into 3 board cants still attached on one end and packed with mud on the other end. These boards have to be cut or split apart and stacked to dry before you can use them. There is no dimensional lumber here, so if you want 2 X 6s you need to strip out two 1 X 6s and sister them together. The locals use poles to construct roofing members and there is no such thing as wood framing with cut lumber.



 

The roof tin looks good but it is really thin and ofcourse I'll have to change the color to :



This.



 The first thing was to install a ledger board with a 2 inch cleat. This way I can tie into the existing building without increasing the wall load and still match the pitch of the roof for a good smooth transition.

Then the sill plates go on top of the block walls and get bolted down with the anchors embedded in cement.

On top of the sill plates the framing for the gable end goes in. This framing is a little different  from the field trusses because it's on the end of the building and will have to be closed in, in this case with clapboards.

The short list in the next couple of weeks :

      Finish the roof on this section of the addition.

      Build and install a slow sand water filter.

      Build and install arched window and door.

      Mix and pour the cement for the bedroom floor.

      Install hot water heater and related plumbing.

      Electrical hookup.