Dorms Entryway #2

Dorms Entryway #2

The dorms area also needed an entryway near the front door steps so this came next.  Here’s a photo of the area after the dirt was dug out: Next a simple cinder-block retaining wall was built around the deck footings and landscaping fabric was added to keep away weeds from this area: Then we added gravel to allow water to drain through and put in some scrap polycarbonate under the steps to keep this area dry: Next came the pavers and pressure treated wood.  I also used a little mortar to bridge the gap between the upper and lower levels smoothly: And finally, the same fabric was added as a top layer: Here’s a photo of the completed entryway.  I felt very happy with how it turned...
Dorms Plumbing

Dorms Plumbing

Once the hallway was completed we added the necessary plumbing to support two vanities and an outdoor shower.  These are needed to be done before the dirt-exposed places are covered. Here’s a picture of the vanities area with the plumbing...
Dorms Entryway #1

Dorms Entryway #1

The dorms area will be a footwear-free zone and it will feel very much like an interior space, so we needed to create a place for people to take off their shoes, coats, etc, comfortably.  The first one we made is the one facing the yurt. We started by creating a base layer of pavers and pressure treated wood: Then this layer was filled in with packed sand: Finally, we put down some permeable faux-grass flooring which was attached to the pressure treated lumber pieces.  Then we used the remaining scrap redwood from the deck renovations to build a very nice bench for sitting: Up above the entryway we added more aluminum flashing and polycarbonate panels to make it a dry space like the rest of the dorms area: Here’s a shot of the completed...
Patio Furniture

Patio Furniture

Now that the deck renovations were complete and the pergola built, we could install some nice patio furniture to outfit the new...
Dorms Hallway

Dorms Hallway

The two most major projects that were planned for 2021 were the Dorms and the new Cabin.  The first step in creating the dorms area was to create a proper hallway and shelving along the house to enclose the space nicely and remove any visibility of dirt or siding.  We started this project in March while the weather was still quite cold.  We hosted two workawayers who helped with this project, Cem from Turkey and Shym from the US. Here’s a look at the space before we started.  Notice the polycarbonate ceiling keeping the space dry, and the concrete slab on the right which would become the floor of the dorm rooms themselves: The first steps we took were to measure the cinder block footings underneath the hallway floor and then build the framing for the long wide shelf and the wall itself. All of this can be seen in this photo: While Shym and I worked on the framing and wall plywood, Cem began refinishing the boards left over from last year’s deck renovations to be used in the hallway floor.  This required him to do a lot of work in the outdoor workshop with the table saw and planer: Here is Shym sanding framing boards: Before building the floor itself Colin set to work on staining the concrete slab to make a nice floor for the eventual dorm rooms.  The staining process was actually very difficult but turned out wonderfully.  Here’s a photo in the middle of the staining process: Here’s a look at a slab after staining once it dried: The color came out beautifully and...