"This has 'BAD IDEA' written all over it."

Introducing the Honda Civic:  The ‘Do-Everything-Machine.’  I’ve been hauling some awkward and heavy loads on the roof rack of my Honda Civic over the last couple days.  Today I showed up at the sheet metal dealer with a reinforced, 4x8 sheet of plywood strapped to the rack in hopes of picking up three 4x10 sheets of 26 gauge, galvanized flashing, which I have plans to use for an underbelly on the trailer.  I asked them if they thought I was crazy for thinking I could make it home safely with that set up…there was a long pause.  Several workers came out to gawk and shake their heads while I was tying down the flimsy, humongous sheets.  One fellow outright said, “This has ‘BAD IDEA’ written all over it.”  All the nay-saying shook my confidence, but in the end I drove off chuckling about the whole experience.  They’re use to seeing big contractor trucks show up to receive their material, not some young feller with a sedan rigged with a Yakima rack.  I can't wait to see their faces when they see me hauling my tiny house down the road with my Honda Civic ;-)

I more than maxed out my roof rack carrying four, 4x8 sheets of ¾ inch underlay (plywood flooring) back from Sustainable Northwest Wood.  The material originated from southern Oregon forests and is Forest Stewardship Council certified.  It is also formaldehyde free, a toxic compound found in some plywood glue that negatively impacts indoor air quality as it off-gasses.

I picked up a load of FSC 2x4 studs from the same folks yesterday.  All the boards were stamped ‘Idaho Forest.’  When I inquired why they couldn’t source that material from Oregon hills, they said that OR state logging regulations are rigid and favor the clear cutting practices of big timber companies.  I’ll have to look into that because that’s a serious bummer.  While I was at the lumberyard, I inquired about the "restoration juniper" lumber that they source from eastern Oregon.  Removing juniper is a strategy for rehabilitating the parched sage and grassland ecosystems.  The wood itself is very rot resistant and seems to be used in place of cedar for many applications.  Perhaps I’ll use some on my home!  

In other news I think I’m narrowing down the fasteners I need for securing my foundation to the trailer frame.  Hope to obtain them from Portland Fasteners tomorrow.  On nicer days I’ve been painting the underside of the trailer with Rustoleum because Eagle Trailer Manufacturing did such a poor paint job.  It’s a pain in the butt, and I don’t recommend that company for the reasons I cited in a previous blog post. 

Spring is coming on full bore.  It’s nice to be working outside among sunshine, birdsong, and lengthening days.