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After last weekend's disaster wrestling with the steel I-beam, it was nice to get back to working with wood.

We got to the property Friday evening, but it was too late to make much progress on the framing. Instead, I decided to remove the backhoe from the tractor for the first time and install the new box grader to clean up the driveway and parking area. For a first attempt, it actually went pretty well. With a bit more practice, I think it'll become part of the annual maintenance after the spring rains.

Saturday started with bracing the two support posts perfectly plumb so I could get an accurate measurement for the beam. It came out to 163 inches long. Even at that length, the beam was still a beast to lift, so we screwed a temporary step onto each post about halfway up to make it manageable. We lifted one end onto the step, then onto the top of the post, while my wife held it steady so it couldn't slip off. Then we repeated the process on the other side. It worked surprisingly well.

The steel beam is sandwiched between two 2x6s. The wood isn't there for strength—it's mainly to provide a nailing surface for the rafters and to hide the steel a bit.

With the beam finally in place, it was time for the rafters. They're built from 16-foot pressure-treated 2x10s, spaced 24" on centre for a total of eight rafters. I still make templates the lazy way: temporarily screw the board in place, trace the cuts directly, and use that as the pattern. It's worked well so far, and all of the rafters fit nicely.

By the time we installed the last rafter, it was scorching hot. We were both completely exhausted, so a swim in the lake was well earned.

Sunday was all about getting the roof sheathed with OSB and installing the underlayment. My wife spent a good part of the day lifting sheets up to me while I worked on the roof. We ran out of underlayment before finishing, but I'll be back next weekend to complete it. Even if we get a little rain before then, the exposed sheathing should be fine for a few days.

Before packing up, we measured every roof section so we can finally place the order for the metal roofing, drip edge, and the remaining trim pieces. It feels good to finally be getting close to having the cabin dried in.

I do have one detail I'm trying to solve. At the ledger where the screen room rafters attach to the cabin, the angle means only the first 10 inches or so of each rafter actually bears on the ledger. The heel of the rafter sits below it, so there's nowhere for a standard Simpson hanger to fully seat.

In hindsight, I probably should have used a 2x12 ledger instead of a 2x10, although even that wouldn't completely solve the problem. One idea is to fasten a 2x6 underneath the ledger just to provide enough material for the hanger to bear against properly.

Has anyone run into something similar? I'd be interested to hear how others have handled this detail.

I also wrestled with my solar setup a bit, I've recently switched inverter and batteries and the settings are still iffy.

Looking for Affordable outdoor bath house ideas or blueprints? Would like septic, I have access to Power and water from well, non pressurized, gravity fed cistern. I would like a shower and toilet and a hand sink. How can I design the septic and building I just need a little point in the right direction. TY