Slow Siding, More Windows

Ken and I have been slowly and steadily cutting siding and moulding to fit the windows.  It's looking great but it's a long process of placing panels, marking, measuring, cutting, replacing, marking, measuring, and fastening.  The placing and replacing of panels has lead to an excess of tentative screw holes, which undermines the integrity of the vapor barrier.   The process leaves me wishing that I had somehow created a more standard, predictable design with more straightforward assembly.  Without Ken's remarkable mind for visualizing the process several steps in advance my progress would be unfortunately slow.  The challenge is that the ridges of the siding align differently with the moulding around each window opening.  Sometimes we have to flatten part of the ridge if it conflicts with the moulding.  Once we had to cut a panel, shorten the distance between the ribs, and make the moulding for that window wider than the rest of the trim pieces.  Each siding panel seems to present a unique problem to solve and require some jerry-rigging (poor jerry) to accomplish the task.

We also finished installing all the windows...and there are a lot of them!  But all the light inside feels great.  I hope the larger ones don't crack with road vibration during the moving process.  Eek!  The trimmed out windows with the barn siding look pretty slick.

With the completion of the siding within sight, my attention is beginning to turn to the overwhelming details of finishing the interior, and especially piping in utilities and appliances.  What method should I use to heat the space?  What sort of range/oven should I get?  How should I wire the house?  Do I plan for solar now?  How many lights and sockets should I have and where?  Shower?  Plumbing?  Refrigerator?  I will continue to strive for simplicity and flexibility as I answer these questions.  Function is most important now; Efficiency and aesthetics can come later when I have some experience in the space and more knowledge.

With a kick in the pants from Laurel, I installed a loft awhile ago.  Due to an error in my design, I had to compress the height of the loft a few inches, which increased the headroom of the living space below.  It's fun visiting the loft and looking out the window that I designed in, especially when it's raining.

I've also finished installing the earthquake tie downs in each corner of the building.  These engineered brackets bolt the 2x4 frame to the steel frame of the trailer.