Doors closing flush at the Women Build site hinges on my ability to screw in hinges correctly.
Ha. I thought that was funny.
On my third Saturday of work out at the Habitat for Humanity Women Build, I was a jack of all trades.
I began the morning sanding down door molding so other women could come behind me and touch up paint. The job was done quickly and then I was looking for something else to do.
Reggie, the assistant to the top guy on site, then assigned me and another woman to door hinges in a back room of the house. We were to use a tapered tool and scrape down the inset area on the face of the door where a hinge sits. The hinge won't screw in flush and a door won't close flush if dried paint is caked in the inset. Essentially, our job was to off scrape dried paint. When that was done, we screwed on the hinges.
A little bit of trivia for you - door hinges are identified as male and female for the number of door pin holes they have. Male hinges have two; female hinges have three.
The other woman I was working with, Susan, and I agreed it had to have been a male inventor or contractor who thought up the male/female thing.
Male hinges are screwed in to doors while female hinges are screwed in to door moldings.
So, I tackled the paint scraping job and spent the majority of my day doing that. This detail had never occurred to me. But once I began the work, it made perfect sense. Without removing the dried paint from the hinge insets, the actual hinge sat at an awkward angle or did not fit inside the inset at all.
It's the little details that pay off. I understand that now.
By lunchtime, all hinge insets had been scraped so Reggie and I moved on to installing a metal rack in the laundry room. The factory rack had to be cut down so he and I measured it and marked where I would cut ... with a hacksaw. That's right, a hacksaw. With all the wonderful construction technology these days, I wondered why there wasn't a saw that could cut through the rack in a matter of seconds. Maybe there is and it just wasn't available Saturday.
Whatever the case, I spent a good 10 minutes laboring over the hacksaw as it painstakingly made progress through the solid metal rungs. My right arm will no doubt be sore tomorrow.
It was finally cut to size and Reggie and I measured and marked the wall for where the rack's supports would go. And that's when the highlight of my day came - I got to use the power drill. It was awesome. I drilled holes through the sheet rock then pushed in plastic supports the rack would snap into.
The power drill is the tool to have. I would buy one tomorrow except it would sit somewhere collecting dust ... other than the times I would turn it on just so I could.
March 15 is my last work day at the Women Build house and I'm told March 30 is the dedication. Keep checking the Aiken Standard for updates.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Second Saturday of Work - 2/16
"Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door." - Coco Chanel
When I arrived at the Women Build site Saturday, the outside of the house had not changed much since I left it last in January. The inside had. When I left on my first Saturday of real work on the house, all that was on the walls was sheet rock. Now there was mudding and interior paint. Everything is really starting to come together.
The flooring has not been laid yet and cabinets have not been installed, but it is easy to imagine those things there.
There were less people on the site than the last time I had been there and I preferred it. We weren't bumping and running into each other so much and there were no good-natured squabbles over who got to use tools.
I was put to work painting doors with another volunteer, Kim. We were lucky. We got a mini paint roller. Another woman painting doors in a back room only had a brush. Other women were painting window and door trim.
We used the brush to paint the door's inset panels and used the roller on the rest. Kim and I soon fell into a natural rhythm which worked out very well for us the whole day. By the time she had finished using the brush, I would need it. By the time she had finished with the roller and was starting on another door, I would need the roller.
We were instructed to spread the paint thin and to avoid drips and runs at all cost. We did an excellent job if I do say so myself.
So, I spread the paint thin and was worried when the door looked blotchy. That was when I discovered I am a perfectionist when it comes to painting. I pressed down on that roller and spread that paint until the whole door was an even shade of white. It had to be even. I couldn't have it looking blotchy. Who knew if workers on another weekend would come behind us and put a second coat of paint on everything?
I think it was after the third or fourth door when we learned they would be. So those concerns were laid to rest. And we learned after lunch that when the paint dries, the color evens out.
(Speaking of lunch, I must digress here to note that I know everyone appreciates the various church groups and clubs that take turns providing lunch to the site every Friday and Saturday. This Saturday was the Ladies Club of Cedar Creek, I believe. I thank them. The food was great and they were so kind and courteous even when I inadvertently knocked over an entire platter of homemade brownies into the dirt. We were able to salvage some and they were still delicious.)
By the time the day's work came to an end, Kim and I had painted seven doors between the two of us. That's not counting the number of doors the other volunteer painted in another room
Work progressed smoothly and quite uneventfully.
Keeping looking in the Aiken Standard for new posts to my Women Build blog.
When I arrived at the Women Build site Saturday, the outside of the house had not changed much since I left it last in January. The inside had. When I left on my first Saturday of real work on the house, all that was on the walls was sheet rock. Now there was mudding and interior paint. Everything is really starting to come together.
The flooring has not been laid yet and cabinets have not been installed, but it is easy to imagine those things there.
There were less people on the site than the last time I had been there and I preferred it. We weren't bumping and running into each other so much and there were no good-natured squabbles over who got to use tools.
I was put to work painting doors with another volunteer, Kim. We were lucky. We got a mini paint roller. Another woman painting doors in a back room only had a brush. Other women were painting window and door trim.
We used the brush to paint the door's inset panels and used the roller on the rest. Kim and I soon fell into a natural rhythm which worked out very well for us the whole day. By the time she had finished using the brush, I would need it. By the time she had finished with the roller and was starting on another door, I would need the roller.
We were instructed to spread the paint thin and to avoid drips and runs at all cost. We did an excellent job if I do say so myself.
So, I spread the paint thin and was worried when the door looked blotchy. That was when I discovered I am a perfectionist when it comes to painting. I pressed down on that roller and spread that paint until the whole door was an even shade of white. It had to be even. I couldn't have it looking blotchy. Who knew if workers on another weekend would come behind us and put a second coat of paint on everything?
I think it was after the third or fourth door when we learned they would be. So those concerns were laid to rest. And we learned after lunch that when the paint dries, the color evens out.
(Speaking of lunch, I must digress here to note that I know everyone appreciates the various church groups and clubs that take turns providing lunch to the site every Friday and Saturday. This Saturday was the Ladies Club of Cedar Creek, I believe. I thank them. The food was great and they were so kind and courteous even when I inadvertently knocked over an entire platter of homemade brownies into the dirt. We were able to salvage some and they were still delicious.)
By the time the day's work came to an end, Kim and I had painted seven doors between the two of us. That's not counting the number of doors the other volunteer painted in another room
Work progressed smoothly and quite uneventfully.
Keeping looking in the Aiken Standard for new posts to my Women Build blog.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
First Saturday of Actual Work - 1/12
Phrases heard Saturday:
"This had to have been invented by a woman."
"We're at the 'whatever' point."
"I can't find a stud to save my life."
"Who knew they had that?" (a foot controlled lever-type apparatus that lifts sheet rock off the floor to make room for molding)
My shoulder muscles are hurting now even as I type this and it hasn't even been 12 hours since I left the Women Build site on Florence Avenue.
Much has happened at the house since I last posted a blog back in November 2007. When I last saw it at the groundbreaking ceremony, it was a muddy plot of land. When I drove up this morning, an actual house stood there. A house complete with doors, windows, a front porch and sectioned rooms.
Work started where the last crew had left off — sheet rock. Some had already been nailed up, featuring nice, straight pencil lines marking where studs are. Remember, you always want to nail sheet rock into a stead. Always. Otherwise, the sheet rock could buckle and collapse over time.
I don't know why we didn't draw those same nice, straight lines on our sheet rock in line with studs. I guess it just never occured to us. So, for the first 4 hours of the work day, the women and I were doing our best to line up nails up and down the sheet rock by sight only — gauging where they would need to go by what other nails were in place. We would hit a stud, I would say, 80% of the time. The other 20% was extremely frustrating and finding the stud after the failed attempt was that much harder.
When a wall was completed, nail heads more resembled the erratic pattern of smashed bugs on a windshield than anything else. (Sheet rock nails are supposed to go in 16 inches apart. Guess how often that precise measurement was taken? Right. Never. Our hammers were about one foot so we judged measurements by them.)
I hammered with two other women while two others measured and cut sheet rock. I hammered alllll day .... Not only are my shoulders sore, but my knees are scraped raw from kneeling on the subflooring to nail even though I was wearing pants and my right thumb is developing a blister even though I was wearing gloves.
I soon learned that I couldn't pick up sheet rock nails with a gloved hand so I tucked the left one away and kept my right on. The fingernails on my left hand suffered. They were the grimiest, most chipped nails I've probably had in my entire life. I loved it. I was getting down and dirty.
I have to admit I was anxious the morning of, afraid I had completely forgotten what I learned in the Lowe's training classes. But then it all came back to me, thankfully.
Hammering I had experience with. Using a motorized "saw" to cut through sheet rock I did not. But I learned how to use that bad boy Saturday ... and got a mouthful of sheet rock dust for my efforts.
Keeping looking in the Aiken Standard for new posts to my Women Build blog.
"This had to have been invented by a woman."
"We're at the 'whatever' point."
"I can't find a stud to save my life."
"Who knew they had that?" (a foot controlled lever-type apparatus that lifts sheet rock off the floor to make room for molding)
My shoulder muscles are hurting now even as I type this and it hasn't even been 12 hours since I left the Women Build site on Florence Avenue.
Much has happened at the house since I last posted a blog back in November 2007. When I last saw it at the groundbreaking ceremony, it was a muddy plot of land. When I drove up this morning, an actual house stood there. A house complete with doors, windows, a front porch and sectioned rooms.
Work started where the last crew had left off — sheet rock. Some had already been nailed up, featuring nice, straight pencil lines marking where studs are. Remember, you always want to nail sheet rock into a stead. Always. Otherwise, the sheet rock could buckle and collapse over time.
I don't know why we didn't draw those same nice, straight lines on our sheet rock in line with studs. I guess it just never occured to us. So, for the first 4 hours of the work day, the women and I were doing our best to line up nails up and down the sheet rock by sight only — gauging where they would need to go by what other nails were in place. We would hit a stud, I would say, 80% of the time. The other 20% was extremely frustrating and finding the stud after the failed attempt was that much harder.
When a wall was completed, nail heads more resembled the erratic pattern of smashed bugs on a windshield than anything else. (Sheet rock nails are supposed to go in 16 inches apart. Guess how often that precise measurement was taken? Right. Never. Our hammers were about one foot so we judged measurements by them.)
I hammered with two other women while two others measured and cut sheet rock. I hammered alllll day .... Not only are my shoulders sore, but my knees are scraped raw from kneeling on the subflooring to nail even though I was wearing pants and my right thumb is developing a blister even though I was wearing gloves.
I soon learned that I couldn't pick up sheet rock nails with a gloved hand so I tucked the left one away and kept my right on. The fingernails on my left hand suffered. They were the grimiest, most chipped nails I've probably had in my entire life. I loved it. I was getting down and dirty.
I have to admit I was anxious the morning of, afraid I had completely forgotten what I learned in the Lowe's training classes. But then it all came back to me, thankfully.
Hammering I had experience with. Using a motorized "saw" to cut through sheet rock I did not. But I learned how to use that bad boy Saturday ... and got a mouthful of sheet rock dust for my efforts.
Keeping looking in the Aiken Standard for new posts to my Women Build blog.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Groundbreaking
"Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm. As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands -- one for helping yourself, the other for helping others." - Audrey Hepburn
On Sunday officials with Aiken County Habitat for Humanity, Lowe's, community leaders and the Aiken Junior Women's Club ceremoniously broke ground on Lancaster Street for the third Women's Build house. The homeowners -- Jennifer, Elijah and Elijah Jr. -- were there.
By the way, thanks Junior Women's Club, for taking on the sponsorship duties for this house.
As I stood among the crowd, listening to what inspirational things the aforementioned people were saying, I tried to picture in my mind's eye what a house would look like on what is now just a lot of sand. I could clearly see the framing walls up and maybe some drywall, but my imagination stopped there. I couldn't see the finished project in my mind.
I guess it hasn't struck me yet ... that I am going to help build a HOUSE for a family. I will build a house. A house. No, it still isn't sinking in.
To three people, this house will be the answer to their prayers. They will sleep, eat and laugh there. They won't have to worry about the ceiling or walls caving in or their floor giving out. All of these things I take for granted. I don't understand what it's like to fret over the safety of any place I've lived, the health risks that it might pose. I'm thankful I haven't, but others are not so lucky.
I'm glad to be doing this even if the long-lasting gratification of what I will be doing hasn't been fully realized.
Jennifer, Elijah and Elijah Jr., I can't wait to get started. I look forward to working with you and I appreciate the opportunity I've been given to help make your lives a little brighter.
On Sunday officials with Aiken County Habitat for Humanity, Lowe's, community leaders and the Aiken Junior Women's Club ceremoniously broke ground on Lancaster Street for the third Women's Build house. The homeowners -- Jennifer, Elijah and Elijah Jr. -- were there.
By the way, thanks Junior Women's Club, for taking on the sponsorship duties for this house.
As I stood among the crowd, listening to what inspirational things the aforementioned people were saying, I tried to picture in my mind's eye what a house would look like on what is now just a lot of sand. I could clearly see the framing walls up and maybe some drywall, but my imagination stopped there. I couldn't see the finished project in my mind.
I guess it hasn't struck me yet ... that I am going to help build a HOUSE for a family. I will build a house. A house. No, it still isn't sinking in.
To three people, this house will be the answer to their prayers. They will sleep, eat and laugh there. They won't have to worry about the ceiling or walls caving in or their floor giving out. All of these things I take for granted. I don't understand what it's like to fret over the safety of any place I've lived, the health risks that it might pose. I'm thankful I haven't, but others are not so lucky.
I'm glad to be doing this even if the long-lasting gratification of what I will be doing hasn't been fully realized.
Jennifer, Elijah and Elijah Jr., I can't wait to get started. I look forward to working with you and I appreciate the opportunity I've been given to help make your lives a little brighter.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Sixth Saturday - Trim and Painting
"A man paints with his brains and not with his hands." - Michelangelo
I missed the introduction to trim because I was late getting to class. I had scheduled a canoe ride at Aiken State Park for Saturday, which conflicted with the Lowe's class. I thought I knew how to get to the park, but it turns out I was wrong. By the time I realized I was going the wrong way, the canoes had already shoved off. I turned out and drove to Lowe's instead.
What can be said about painting? It's easy, but it's easy to get wrong too if you forget a few steps. First, after the wall has been sanded smooth where joint compound and tape has been applied, wipe down the wall with either a dry paintbrush or damp cloth. If you don't, your paint finish won't be smooth at all because all that dust will be trapped beneath the layers of paint.
Second, prime first. This we did not do to save ourselves a step in the class. But you always, always want to prime first. The joint compound and tape could easily be seen through our first coat of paint, which, as Robin said, is why so many customers begrudgingly stomp back into Lowe's after buying only a can of paint and not primer.
Third (and I picked up on this in the last class) always wash new rollers before you paint with them. If you don't, the roller material (I don't know if it's fur or what) will stick to your wall with the paint.
Our wall Saturday was this putrid pink color, what Robin affectionately called Pepto-Bismol. I can handle pink, but only in small doses. This was a large dose.
After using painter's tape to protest our crisp, white trim, we were given a roller, a paintbrush and two painting tools that help with your paint line along trim then in corners. The one I picked up had two rollers on the bottom and after dipping it in the paint you drag it straight along the trim line. It gave nice coverage. I liked it.
That was our last training class. The next time I see these ladies who have become part of my Saturday routine, it will be at the job site when we break ground on the house.
Keep checking this blog for my write-up of the Habitat for Humanity house groundbreaking.
I missed the introduction to trim because I was late getting to class. I had scheduled a canoe ride at Aiken State Park for Saturday, which conflicted with the Lowe's class. I thought I knew how to get to the park, but it turns out I was wrong. By the time I realized I was going the wrong way, the canoes had already shoved off. I turned out and drove to Lowe's instead.
What can be said about painting? It's easy, but it's easy to get wrong too if you forget a few steps. First, after the wall has been sanded smooth where joint compound and tape has been applied, wipe down the wall with either a dry paintbrush or damp cloth. If you don't, your paint finish won't be smooth at all because all that dust will be trapped beneath the layers of paint.
Second, prime first. This we did not do to save ourselves a step in the class. But you always, always want to prime first. The joint compound and tape could easily be seen through our first coat of paint, which, as Robin said, is why so many customers begrudgingly stomp back into Lowe's after buying only a can of paint and not primer.
Third (and I picked up on this in the last class) always wash new rollers before you paint with them. If you don't, the roller material (I don't know if it's fur or what) will stick to your wall with the paint.
Our wall Saturday was this putrid pink color, what Robin affectionately called Pepto-Bismol. I can handle pink, but only in small doses. This was a large dose.
After using painter's tape to protest our crisp, white trim, we were given a roller, a paintbrush and two painting tools that help with your paint line along trim then in corners. The one I picked up had two rollers on the bottom and after dipping it in the paint you drag it straight along the trim line. It gave nice coverage. I liked it.
That was our last training class. The next time I see these ladies who have become part of my Saturday routine, it will be at the job site when we break ground on the house.
Keep checking this blog for my write-up of the Habitat for Humanity house groundbreaking.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Fifth Saturday - Insulation and sheet rock
I'm not scratching. That's a good thing. A very good thing.
The fifth Women Build class at Lowe's covered insulation and sheet rock. We were advised by e-mail to wear a long-sleeved T-shirt to class because insulation is made of fiberglass and, if it comes in contact with skin, can cause some serious itch-age.
Everyone was glad for the suggestion not only because of the irritating material we were dealing with and because it was COLD Saturday morning! We were also told to dust baby powder on our skin to help shield it. I didn't do that. I'm not even a fan of sunscreen ... which is why I'll probably look 60 when I'm 40.
The one, brief period I touched the insulation (I held a tape measurer over it) I pulled the sleeve of my shirt over my fingers. It worked.
Gary rolled out the bale of insulation and instructed us to put it up, which was extremely easy. You measure it to fit, cut it with a boxer cutter and pat it in. Then we folded over the paper flaps on either side and using a staple gun, secured the insulation to the studs.
But there is one very important detail you can't miss: the paper side of insulation faces the interior of the house. Otherwise, insulation is worthless. Under a microscope, Gary said, insulation looks like a bunch of tiny cups threaded together. The cups trap and hold air, which helps warm and cool a house.
Sheet rock was nearly as simple. For our small wall, we cut two rectangles: one for the top of the wall and one for the bottom. Sheet rock is always "laid down;" never "stood up." Let me rephrase that. Sheet rock SHOULD always be laid down. Sometimes it isn't. The reason sheet rock is laid horizontally along a wall is so joints always meet on a stud. If it's laid vertically, that won't always happen and later on, the wall or ceiling could buckle.
The fifth Women Build class at Lowe's covered insulation and sheet rock. We were advised by e-mail to wear a long-sleeved T-shirt to class because insulation is made of fiberglass and, if it comes in contact with skin, can cause some serious itch-age.
Everyone was glad for the suggestion not only because of the irritating material we were dealing with and because it was COLD Saturday morning! We were also told to dust baby powder on our skin to help shield it. I didn't do that. I'm not even a fan of sunscreen ... which is why I'll probably look 60 when I'm 40.
The one, brief period I touched the insulation (I held a tape measurer over it) I pulled the sleeve of my shirt over my fingers. It worked.
Gary rolled out the bale of insulation and instructed us to put it up, which was extremely easy. You measure it to fit, cut it with a boxer cutter and pat it in. Then we folded over the paper flaps on either side and using a staple gun, secured the insulation to the studs.
But there is one very important detail you can't miss: the paper side of insulation faces the interior of the house. Otherwise, insulation is worthless. Under a microscope, Gary said, insulation looks like a bunch of tiny cups threaded together. The cups trap and hold air, which helps warm and cool a house.
Sheet rock was nearly as simple. For our small wall, we cut two rectangles: one for the top of the wall and one for the bottom. Sheet rock is always "laid down;" never "stood up." Let me rephrase that. Sheet rock SHOULD always be laid down. Sometimes it isn't. The reason sheet rock is laid horizontally along a wall is so joints always meet on a stud. If it's laid vertically, that won't always happen and later on, the wall or ceiling could buckle.
When nailing in sheet rock, you always want to "dimple" the nail. This means driving it in far enough to make a dent. When joint compound mud is later wiped over it, the area will be smooth as the mud will fill the indentation.
Please join us Monday, Oct. 15 at O'Charley's from 6-9 p.m. on Whiskey Road for Celebrity Waiter Night benefitting Habitat's Women Build. Meals are $25, the cost of which will be split between O'Charley's and Habitat. But 100% of your tips will go to Habitat. Be sure to look for me there.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Third Saturday — Siding
"The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists." - Charles Dickens
"Siding is so easy," Gary said Saturday, "that I'm going to let women do it."
A chorus of "boo" rose up from the gathering of women at Lowe's. A pair of work gloves flew over the top of everyone's heads and struck Gary's chest.
We were installing siding over a solid wall but were told if there was a door or window, the brick molding surrounding them would have to be installed before any siding. But when that is taken care of, a "J channel" is used to surround doors and windows. A J channel is called such because when you sight down the strip, it curves like the letter "J."
So, we got right down to it. We measured and snapped a chalk line towards the bottom of our wall to properly install the starter strip. A starter strip anchors the first piece of siding in place. After that, siding hooks onto the strip below it. The starter strip was nailed in place then came the outdoor corner molding. The corner molding was measured one-fourth of an inch away from the top of the wall because siding "breathes," Gary said. It expands and contracts with the weather and the extra space allows for that.
The first nail hammered in has to go at the top of the nailing grooves so the siding can hang from the nails. Additionally, the nails must not be nailed flush with the siding in another step that allows it to breathe. Nails were hammered in every six to eight inches to code.
We weren't using the 16 penny nails as we had in previous classes. We were using roofing nails, which are much more pliant.
I was one of the first ones to take up a hammer and try to nail one in. I couldn't seem to hit the nail right on its head maybe because it was so close to a rise in siding, but the nail wasn't going in at a straight angle. And a woman standing above me kept reminding me every few seconds.
I finally turned to her and asked nicely, "Do you want to hammer it?"
I ended up pulling the nail out.
Robin with Lowe's did mention in the first class that a Women Build house has more nails in it than others. That doesn't surprise me in the least.
Unfortunately there will not be a blog on the fourth Women Build class Oct. 6 on installing roof shingles. I will be at the Clemson v. Virginia Tech football game. Go Tigers!
"Siding is so easy," Gary said Saturday, "that I'm going to let women do it."
A chorus of "boo" rose up from the gathering of women at Lowe's. A pair of work gloves flew over the top of everyone's heads and struck Gary's chest.
We were installing siding over a solid wall but were told if there was a door or window, the brick molding surrounding them would have to be installed before any siding. But when that is taken care of, a "J channel" is used to surround doors and windows. A J channel is called such because when you sight down the strip, it curves like the letter "J."
So, we got right down to it. We measured and snapped a chalk line towards the bottom of our wall to properly install the starter strip. A starter strip anchors the first piece of siding in place. After that, siding hooks onto the strip below it. The starter strip was nailed in place then came the outdoor corner molding. The corner molding was measured one-fourth of an inch away from the top of the wall because siding "breathes," Gary said. It expands and contracts with the weather and the extra space allows for that.
The first nail hammered in has to go at the top of the nailing grooves so the siding can hang from the nails. Additionally, the nails must not be nailed flush with the siding in another step that allows it to breathe. Nails were hammered in every six to eight inches to code.
We weren't using the 16 penny nails as we had in previous classes. We were using roofing nails, which are much more pliant.
I was one of the first ones to take up a hammer and try to nail one in. I couldn't seem to hit the nail right on its head maybe because it was so close to a rise in siding, but the nail wasn't going in at a straight angle. And a woman standing above me kept reminding me every few seconds.
I finally turned to her and asked nicely, "Do you want to hammer it?"
I ended up pulling the nail out.
Robin with Lowe's did mention in the first class that a Women Build house has more nails in it than others. That doesn't surprise me in the least.
Unfortunately there will not be a blog on the fourth Women Build class Oct. 6 on installing roof shingles. I will be at the Clemson v. Virginia Tech football game. Go Tigers!
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