Slow and Steady Wins the Race

Brad and I having a
blast building!

Hey ya'll!

Sorry for the late post, the last few weeks of school have been crazy! But now I finally have a little while to recap my second day working in Lancaster, so here we go!

I was super excited for today, because not only was I going to work on this house again, but I got my boyfriend Brad to come along with me (aren't we precious??). We were both pumped up to help out the night before, but let me tell you.....neither of us are morning people so when we set out in the morning at the butt crack of dawn it was a bit of a struggle. However after stopping at Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast and caffeine we were on our way happy as clams!

We arrived at 8 and met up with the gang. It was just the project manager Jim today, and a staff employee named Tom working with us. Jim started us out right away with our task for the day: we were to install floor joists and ledgers into 2x4s that were already nailed onto the upper part of the wall. These are essential for installing the floor of the home: they will actually be what holds
the floor up. 

Ledgers (small) and floor joists (tall)
we put on today

We began by hanging the ledgers. This truly was a group effort. We first had to finish mounting the 2x4s on the walls, which requires careful measurement and ensuring that we cut the planks exactly the right lengths. After cutting the boards we then had to work together to hang them so that when we nailed or drilled into the board it ended up straight. That's one thing about construction that I'm learning quickly: it is NOT a task that you can ever use the phrase "it's good enough" in. If the boards are even a few centimeters or inches off the floors will not be straight, which could cause significant problems for the future home owners. I'm learning that one must think of the big picture when working on these small tasks. It doesn't seem like these items are that big of a deal when you think about all of the other materials that go into building an entire home. But if you don't build a solid foundation, the house will never last. 

Drilling ledgers into the wall

After mounting the boards we were finally able to start drilling the ledgers into the wall. It seems easy, but it proved to be very difficult for me. Behind the ledger is a metal plate that was hooked into the wall; the plate is there to ensure that the whole mechanism is stable when they continue building upon it. I could drill the screws through the 2x4 with a little muscle, but got frustrated when I couldn't muscle it through the metal plate on my own. Brad and Tom were stronger and had sturdier ladders for balance, so it was easier for them to put their body weight into it and force the screws through all in one motion. Tom was a great teacher though, and gave me tips on how to make it work for me. I had to stop drilling at hammer the screw through the plate, and afterwards I could put all of my body weight into forcing the screws through the wall.

This experience has definitely made me learn about myself, and this day was no different. I recognized my frustration, and I became aware that it is really hard for me to ask for help. I like to think I can do things all on my own and that I can keep up with other builders. This day I was taught that it's okay to ask for help, and that it is better to go slower and do the job right than speed through a project incorrectly and cause problems down the road. Once I finally got the first few screws through I was elated, and it felt like a accomplished way more than if it had been easy for me to do the first time. 

Waiting to climb back up
to keep working!

This day was also a great opportunity for Brad and I to work together and see how well we are at communicating with one another and collaborating with each other. At first I didn't want to ask him to help me, but he was great and it was nice having him around to help me when I was having a hard time doing something. He built me up rather than just jumping in and doing something for me, which was exactly what I needed in order to build some confidence in what we were doing. We were both able to laugh at ourselves and communicated really well; I'm so glad he was able to join me, and I can tell we both learned a lot about each other and about Habitat.

After lunch we finished with the ledgers and began working on the floor joists. This was a whole new challenge for Brad and I, and even for Tom who was helping us. As the picture showed, the joist is U-shaped and gets nailed into the 2x4. They had to be placed along pre-marked lines which were specifically measured to match the floor boards. Therefore when we nailed them into the wood it had to be precise, and the bottom had to be flat and even to the very bottom of the board. Let me tell you.....that is WAY easier said than done. First one must align the bottom of the U with the bottom of the board. Once you do this you have to maneuver your hand so that you can simultaneously hold the joist in place, hold the nail in the hole, and then hammer the nail into the hole to secure it. If it moves while you do this, you have to adjust it or do it all over again. Once I got one side started I could get two nails in the other side to secure it in place; however this too was challenging because you had to force the metal to shape to the correct measurements. If the joist was bent too much it wouldn't be straight, so event that had to be precise. We spent the rest of the day working on these joists.

Love building together for Habitat!

The moral of the story: things don't always come easy, but it's more rewarding once you get it in those moments than if you were always an expert. Not only that, but little things make a big difference, so take your time and do it right.

Brad and I had a great day and we are both planning on returning throughout the year to keep working on this house. I'm hoping to get out at least one or two more times before I leave for Minnesota for Christmas break (yippee!). I can't wait to see where the rest of the year takes us!


Until Next Time,

Lisa