August 25th - Bora Care Your Troubles Away......

The weather held today as Greenbay and I went through stacks of logs. We have to figure out which log sections will be replaced and what we intend to use for replacement logs. Since we will be cutting larger openings in the walls for more doors and windows and opening up a section of the south wall for the fireplace, we will have some extra sections of logs to use for replacing rotten lower logs on some walls. Some original log floor joists that came out of the old cabin in Rico are about the right diameter to use for building some replacement. These I had replaced a number of years ago because the ends had rotted away. 10 years later now they will come in handy. I get made fun of a lot for hanging onto things for so many years, so now it’s a delight to be able to use something most people would have tossed in the landfill or cut up for firewood.

We have spent the entire day moving and spraying logs with the Bora-Care. It has to be mixed with water and looks like a thick Karo syrup in one gallon jugs. I have a 1 gallon pressurized sprayer for applying the product. There is no smell, but it has a sticky consistency. My heavy rubber gloves have done their job. By the end of the day my jeans are covered with a dirty sticky coating. Luckily I am wearing my old boots, which have had the soles peel away from the leathers; they’re still kicking and are also now coated. At the end of the day, 3 complete walls have had each log sprayed on the ends and all 4 sides. Our spray rack is an old trailer house framework that works perfect for the job. What a tedious process. I have moved these logs so many times now, my back and shoulders ache.

Greenbay has taken the material handler and we have loaded the north and south wall log bundles and delivered them on to the new floor for staging next week. We will hopefully have this cabin up and be ready for the 2nd floor soon. There are close to 100 separate log pieces and each has to go back into its original place and if rotten, we have to build a new one including dovetailing the corner.

Joe has gone to Telluride to pick up more material and fill a list we have been compiling all week. DD has completed more exterior framing in the dining area.

Today the soil engineer showed up after Fabian dug a deep trench in front of the cabin. He has to view soil conditions down in the hole. He explains that the lots are simply too small in Rico and every single lot in Rico has challenges for installing the system. Only one possible way to do it and that’s dig a huge hole, literally the whole front yard for the septic tank and leach field to be installed. Although Rico has a sewer system in its future, I made the decision to go ahead and have the septic system installed as it’s no telling how long it will take the town of Rico to get thru all the red tape involved, build the sewage plant and then install sewer lines all over town. It was also required to have the septic system engineered to get our building permit. Luckily we were able to get the permit 2 months ago after another engineer had sent a letter stating that a system could be installed.

With a short season for digging, most everyone feels like it may be 5 years before we ever see the lines in front of the house. With the building season fast coming to a close, it will be a good time to do the digging. Nearly every square foot of the lot has been dug up in some form…the huge hole that has to be dug will have dirt piled in the street as we have no room for any more…more work for Fabian.

technorati tags:Rico, Colorado, Bora+Care, Log+cabin