Sunday...Twas a Funday

Setting the time-lapse camera.

Solid progress this weekend!

Ok, so we didn't get eeeverything done that I listed last time, but it was damn close to my over ambitious expectations. The only thing we did not get to was the insulation. I made the call at Lowe's that morning. I started to really digest what I had written so easily on paper the night before. Setting up the time-lapse camera, reinforcing the deck, applying the water seal, centering and attaching the framing with brackets, AND cutting, fitting, and attaching a "floor" to the framing that hung over the sides of the trailers. Yep. It was gonna take a while.



So we didn't buy any insulation, which was nice since transporting that on top of everything else would have been cumbersome. As soon as we got there, I began setting up the time-lapse camera. I definitely needed to consult the manual more than once, and even now I'm not sure if it's going to work. I sure hope so! How cool will that be! A time lapse! One of my favorite things. :)

Gotta....get it...juuustt...riiiiiiiiiight

Next, we immediately set to reinforcing the deck. We purchased a couple 2x6 pressure treated boards, placed them perpendicular to the deck boards, and screwed them in....REAL GOOD. That will provide additional strength to the deck, which is never a bad thing.



After that, we applied the rubber seal that will serve as a water barrier between trailer deck and the subfloor.  It's called Water & Ice, and is usually used in roofing applications, but the point is to keep water out- and that's what it's going to do. Another bonus, this material will snug up around screws, where as traditional metal flashing will begin to peel back and wear down around the screw as the trailer moves, leaving vulnerable areas for water.  Yes, we are applying adhesive side toward the water source, but with all the framing, a bajillion screws from brackets, and the foam insulation that will soon be in place- that stuff aint movin'.

Then came centering and securing the framing. Thanks to yet another wonderful neighbor on my Dad's block- Rick - we had two drills (with cords) allowing us to work uninterrupted as we began the thorough bracket job. Centering didn't take long, and with two people working at the brackets, that didn't take much time either. 




The last job was the one we were both a little apprehensive about. We needed to cut and fit pieces of 3/4 in treated OSB to create a bottom plate for the framing that hung over the trailer deck. As I started measuring, I realized the break lights were jutting into the plane that would soon need to be floor. We had to make specific cuts to fit exactly around each break-light. It was meticulous and slow going, but we did quite well!

Not gonna lie, we shared a few sets of enthusiastic high-fives (like a pair of nerds) after we had finished. hehe
No, we didn't get to the insulation, but in one weekend- we got a SOLID start.

Oh! And the 5 Day Water Challenge has concluded- SEVEN days later. That's right, we went another two days, and even then- we had 2.5 water bricks left!! Needless to say, we won't struggle with the new water habits- not even the heat-it-as-you-need-it aspect. It was definitely an eye opener; I learned just how little water you really need to get a job done. I also learned some good tricks- like washing my breakfast and lunch dishes right at work! 

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Look at that snug fit!