back to hanging cedar.

Yea - a break in the weather. And a weekend. So time to get moving on this siding. I got outside by noon and had to get everything set up - ladders and scaffolding, chop saw, shakes, air compressor -



Oh, and iPod radio. Very important. Took a bit but was finally ready to figure out how to hang cedar shakes. No better way to learn than just diving in. And so I did. The first row I knew was going to take the longest cos A) it was the longest row, B) I have never done this and it would be a learning experience (but hopefully I'd find my stride at some point), C) two or three pieces at least on each end had to be measured and cut at the roof angle and D) those architectural beams would have to be negotiated all before I could just start plowing through the row with no cutting and measuring.

In order to cut the shapes for the beams I got to use my new table saw -

That thing has come in quite handy since getting it, oh all of a week ago. I was hanging the first first row a half-inch above the flashing I had installed and once I got past the corner and then the beam I was able to snap a chalk line -

and could finally just bang away one shake after another along the line picking random-sized pieces as I went. Until I got to the other beam. Negotiated that the same way, then spun the chop saw to the other side and set it at 34 degrees -

And I admit I had the thought that even after spending something like $340 for my 12" double-bevel compound chop saw (which was the price on sale cos normally I think it's $400) today I wished I had splurged $600 for the sliding 12" cos some of the shakes were too wide to cut at that angle in one cut. I managed to get by though. But I do love power tools I will just say that. Power tools rule.

Anyway ... then repeat. The whole row.

I realized the reason you hang two layers for the first row is so that (duh) you can't see through the gaps in the shakes. Seems so obvious but until I hung them I did not really understand why that was the case. And then the first row was done -


(I didn't keep track of the time it took to finish the first row but I should have even though it was the longest and I had to do it, well, twice). So to start the second row I snapped another chalk line 7-1/4" up from the bottom of the first row (I calculated it would take me nine courses or rows each spaced equally at that height to knock out this gable end).

It started out so sunny -


but then started raining. But I discovered that I could hang siding in the rain (unlike being unable to paint in the rain) and so I kept at it. Julian made some grilled cheese sandwiches for us at one point so I took a break long enough to eat and then was back at it. The rain let up intermittently which was nice, although the higher I got the more sheltered I got which also was nice. The shakes needed to be spaced 1/8" apart to allow for swelling of the cedar when it gets wet so I used a drywall shim doubled-up for a spacer -

and nailed up a 1x4" lined up with the chalk line I had snapped to set each shake on as I went down the row and help make sure they were all as level as they could be with each other -

At one point good ol' Matt wandered over to see how I was coming along with his scaffolding and nail gun. He asked me if I had done this before to which I replied of course not it's all about learning as I go. He seemed impressed and he's a contractor so I guess I'm doing something right. And after seven hours of work I finished four courses before it started to get dark -

Then clean up. Rain or shine tomorrow I should be able to finish up the rest and - like the rest of the painting that needs to get done - wait for nice weather again in order to stain these things. I may try to figure out a way to get that chop saw up on the scaffolding (although it's pretty heavy but all the up and down on the ladders takes time). All in all a good day and another thing I can add to what I've taught myself while trying to remodel this house.