The logs arrived and 10 days later Eric and I had the walls built.

We thought rather highly of ourselves.

We thought we were the best team to ever work side by side together.

We thought we’d be moved in to our new log home in just a few more weeks.

That was two months ago!

The framing and the roof structure has slowed us down to be sure, but today with Richard and Dagny by our sides, the final gable end was built and positioned.

I actually have a video of Eric and Richard placing this gable end on the log home sill, which will be available soon on YouTube. (I can’t upload it from here as I’m at the lake and on dial-up.) It is actually kinda cool to see it being built and lifted into place.

Not shown in this photo is the 20′ ridge beam holding this final piece of the puzzle roof in place. All that is left to do now, before sheeting and shingling, is to hang rafters from the center-front ridge to the side rafters.

The roof line is starting to make sense to all of us who just don’t see in three dimensions by looking at architectural plans of front, side and slices.

We began planing and building our log home in April 2008. It is now nearly October and we are just getting the roof on.

So what’s the hold up?

Our team is only two strong and when it comes right down to brass tacks, our team is only one strong, with a helper. Eric and his helper. A girl. Me.

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Before I get too far into this post I need to clarify one point. We have had good friends coming in to help us build this log home, giving their time and expertise freely and consistently offering to lend a hand. Our team is in fact, much more than 1 + girl - but we are the primary builders here, this is our work and responsibility, and our friends have very busy lives already.

Because they are our friends we know precisely how busy they are and try not to call upon them too often.

Our two dearest helpers (Richard and Dagny Musclow) are already running two very successful businesses (plus one start-up on the side) and have their own home and rental home maintenance to attend to. Nonetheless they have been at our building site weekend after weekend hoisting and heaving, planning and getting dirty alongside us.

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Back to the Builder and A Girl Story…

Somewhere in a city Chapters book store there is a new release on how to build a home without killing your husband, or how to survive a home building project and stay married, or something along those lines. My sister saw it and I heard it referenced somewhere else as well. If you know the title, please send it to me in a comment below.

The point is: this book is about husband, and wife, and a contractor.

The summary is: keeping your marriage alive when all you do is fight over the construction crew, materials, and color of a fresh home build or renovation.

My point is: Good grief! What is a marriage based on if you are going to fight with your spouse every day over such issues and you need to buy a book on how to get through the joyful experience of designing and building your own home? Especially when you have a contractor or builder managing all the nitty-gritty details!

I thought all that, two months ago.

Today a different take on the ‘joy’ of building a home with your mate.

Now I’m not saying my marriage is any different than the next one, but I am rather shocked that through the first five months of standing by and working alongside my husband not one harsh word has been spoken or major disagreement launched.

And I have laid Pex tubing till my fingers bled.
And I have hoisted my end of log, after log, weighing over 300 pounds each.
And I have moved countless sheets of plywood over my head.
And I have manouvered 20′ 2×12s from ground to floor to sill.
And I have stood in uncompromising positions (and unattractive positions for that matter) in dangerous places, during this build.
And I have also invested an entire summer, hours, days, weeks, weekends, months - of time, often sun up till sun down, on a project that I had no interest in. (”Let’s just buy a house with our rebuild fund.”)

But I’ve also learned to say “no” and that is where the trouble started.

“No, I’m not doing that.”
“No, I can’t lift that over my head.”
“No, I won’t just jump up on the rim of the house and hold that heavy wall in place while you secure it.”

This onset of ‘no’ and ‘can not’ adds a different air to the build and it isn’t the chilly October winds coming in. I’m starting to wonder if that book my sister saw might have some value after all…

As soon as I learned to say ‘no’ trouble ensued.

We’re on the toughest part of the build - the roof - and there are just some things that I cannot do - psychologically or physically.

I can not. Period.

On the very first mention of “I cannot…” my husband grew short with me and I shot it right back at him. So you see our marriage is no different than any other.

Eric is actually a very patient man. Most of the time he explains what needs to be done and how we’re going to tackle it. Sometimes the explanations make zero sense to me - remember that five months ago I had no idea how a rafter was any different than a joist, they were just lumber after all.

As he twisted his German head around to glare at me I simply placed my hands on my child rearing hips and yelled back, “Hello! You’re building this house with a girl! A GIR-r-R-R-L.”

I forgot to add in “…and a 45 year old girl at that!”

I guess he thought that since I could carry my end of a 300 pound log and was a tireless worker that I was just another guy…

If I haven’t said it enough yet, this roof and all the angles upon it have slowed us down considerably and sucked the wind out of our sails. With one large shed dormer, one normal window dormer (which will accommodate a reading nook for Veronica), one hanging window dormer (for balance and light), one large roof system over the center hall, and the 12/12 pitch roof for the remaining areas - this is the most frustrating part of the build to date.

The only saving grace to this roof style and all of the quirks that come with it, is that it will be a work of art when completed and increase the resale value of our home should we ever decide to leave.

Meanwhile, Back At The Ranch…Work Presumes

It is a small wall, but an integral part of the roof. Transitioning the 8 foot high ceiling in the loft to the slanted cathedral ceiling over the kitchen, the vertical 2 x 6 lumber shown in the image below will eventually be covered in siding from Freymond’s Lumber on the outside and either tongue and groove or drywall on the inside.

Building your own log home sounds romantic when you start planning but be sure to plan within your skill set. Although Eric is very handy and very smart - having never built a roof like this has stetched him beyond past experience. In retrospect I might have chosen a simpler design when I started laying out the floors and exterior look of this home.

Our architect, who is gifted in his work and extremely patient, replied to my query of structure and angles, “Larry, how am I supposed to build this roof?” with “You are supposed to hire a builder.”

Thankfully Larry didn’t end the conversation there. He did walk me through a large part of it even though I was hoping for more detail in the plans. At the end of the day I had to take everything Larry taught me and explain it to Eric - no small feat for a woman who is more of a computer geek, artist, decorator, cook - anything really - than a builder!

If we hadn’t been underinsured (no one’s fault but mine), we would have hired a builder - and we’d be in our new home already!

The busy roof design captivated our hearts when we dreamt it, thought about living under it, envisioned the home below it - but in the end it has sucked the life right out of us, chewed up our hearts and spat them out on the ground below.

These colors are ’so last year’ if you’re a decorating guru who follows the trends or match your own home decor to magazine clips and articles. In fact, they’re nearly 2 years old as the modified image below is a snippet from Canadian Home and Country April 2007.

Before the fire, in my last home, I was more about earthy tones - browns and coppers, with a venetian red bedroom that was to die for. Since I’m starting from absolute scratch with this log home, changing the color palette won’t be hard.

Are these colors ’so last year’?

Not if you were raised on the east coast. These are the colors of weathered cape cottages, November evening skies, and the ocean’s edge as it splashes on rocky shores. Something about them just says “home,” and “peace”.

The color palette provides calm in a busy, stressed world, while having enough style to make a statement, “kick off your shoes and stay a while”. They also pull me out of the kitchy, traditional log cabin decorating style that seems so overdone these days - but keep me within the country style of decor. Every room will have a personality of its very own - but these colors will weave their way into each room as scattered accents.

Will they match the striking black and white toile plate set we own? The stainless appliances? The white washed walls? Sure they will, with the right arrangement and accessories - I can’t wait to show you the finished product, but to do so I’ve got to get away from my computer and back to building this log home of ours!

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The article mentioned above showcases 2006’s annual country home show in Toronto, a show that takes in over 30,000 people interested in home decor and country style, over a weekend. This year one of our small local shops have been invited to attend - The Old Tin Shed, a bustling theme store located in Bird’s Creek, Ontario that does country decor proud.

Could I sum up The Old Tin Shed in a paragraph? No. You have to go there to experience the charm of this destination for yourself. Or, if you’re in Toronto, get yourself to the Home and Country show this fall and visit The Old Tin Shed’s corner. The Old Tin Shed’s web page of country shop photos is at http://www.theoldtinshed.com/tourtheshop.html if you just can’t wait to see what makes this primitive country store so unique.