Roof Construction Continues-August 25-28

Construction on the roof continued this week and last. The idea that a new roof will be on this building in the near future is amazing! We are so happy with the pace of the project and once the new roof is on...we are nearing completion of Phase 1!!

This week, a crane was used to lift the very heavy stainless steel pieces into place on the roof. These pieces will be placed along the rake (top of gable wall) walls and around the top of the adobe walls. On the east and west side some of this stainless steel is 66 feet long! This stainless steel will be locked into the all-thread steel rods which were drilled earlier into the walls of the adobe building. This will serve to tie the entire roof system together and prepare the roof for the eventual placement of roof sheathing and then shingles.

The following pictures show DCU foreman, Chris Barazza, cinching the stainless steel piece down to be lifted onto the roof. The stainless steel is then lifted onto the roof (Photos 2 and 3) and put into place (Photo 4 and 5).

August 11-14, Adobe Walls and Roof

This week the first coats of the lime wash were put on the east side of the building. In Photo #1, DCU worker, Pancho Villa, paints on the thin lime wash. There will be approximately 3-4 coats applied to the exterior wall.

See the extraordinary results on the west side of the building , which is almost complete (see Photo #2).

Photo #3 shows the new adobe bricks installed on the south gable end wall covered with lime wash.

The cracks in the upper east wall in the balcony are being repaired as well (see Photo #4) and will also receive the lime wash.

On the main roof, the 70 new rafters are in place and 70 pieces of steel have been attached to the rafters to strengthen the wood. On the cocina roof, 80% of the first layer of wood shingles have been installed. Along with shingle installation, the north exterior wall of the cocina (the new wall) is being tied to the north exterior wall of the main house (an original wall) to further stabilize the building. DCU foreman, Chris Barraza, is diligently working on this part of the stabilization and hopefully next week's pictures will be able to show how the walls are actually tied together. Stay tuned! -JK

July 28-31 Roof Work Continues-- Lime Wash Applied.

Cedar shingles continue to be installed on the cocina roof as seen in Photo #1



(interior shot of cocina which shows the partially covered roof), however, even more exciting is the lime wash which is being applied to the exterior of the building. The repaired cracks get a coat of mud plaster, then a coat of lime wash. Another two coats of lime wash is applied over the entire surface. The new walls of the cocina will get 3 coats of lime wash (Photo #2 shows the lime wash applied to the exterior of the cocina). Looks great!





On the main roof, all the 3 x 8 rafters are installed (Photo #3 ).




Each rafter is braced by structural steel to further reinforce the rafter (Photo #4 and #5)









and will be bolted to the stainless steel rods which were drilled earlier into the adobe walls. -JK