Plaster and Paint

We're working on the two least favorite phases of construction--plastering and painting.  I decided to hire someone to plaster the seams, but I still had to do all the sanding.  Now that that is done, we have started the painting--which I hate even worse.  Fortunately, my mom and sister came to get started on that, so maybe I'll be able to avoid that task somehow.  

The wiring is now done and one of the remaining things that must be done from a safety standpoint so as to get the final inspection is to finish the decks and railings.  Yesterday I purchased the deck boards for the two decks and cut the posts down for the railings.  I went with heavier that usual floors (2x10s spaced 16" apart and 6x6 posts), but I did it with the expectation that there's a good chance I'll eventually frame them in and add living space, so it pays to think ahead.  I also decided to go with ramps rather than steps for two big reasons.  One, I think ramps are much safer for kids, especially toddlers just learning to walk.  Second, it will make it much easier hauling firewood and water in to the cabin, especially until we get the septic and indoor plumbing installed someday.

The jury is still out on the wisdom of putting sheetrock inside the cabin.  I used sheetrock for the ceilings upstairs and the interior walls for two main reasons.  First, I thought it would be cheaper than wood.  Second, I thought it would make the inside much brighter than if there was more wood (such as car siding) on all the surfaces.  I'm not sure, in the long run, after you install the sheetrock, hire someone to plaster, do the sanding, and apply the paint, that it's really much of a savings in the long run.  If I were to do this again, I would look more closely at some low grade pine boards and then paint them white.  

One of the issues with drywall that I was concerned about and am already experiencing is cracks.  No matter how solid your foundation is, and no matter how well your cabin is constructed, logs are just going to move as they dry out and change with the humidity throughout the year.  I'm quite certain that if I ever move the cabin on a truck someday, some of the joints will crack.  I have one joint already that continues to crack, no matter how much we continue to plaster it, so I'm just going to have to leave it and hope it doesn't get worse.

This week I hope to finish painting, start installing the trim, and begin sanding and sealing the loft floor.  then it will be time to paint the floor on the first level, seal the logs, and do the last minute odds and ends like a couple doors before it's time to move in.  Here are some recents pics.