Building a Barn: Building the Rafters

I have decided that I really hate rafters. I hate them. Why do we need to put a roof on the barn anyway? Stupid question, I know. But building the rafters was annoying enough that I wandered off to the creek for a good portion of the afternoon. Good thing my kids can build rafters without too much supervision.

In hindsight, it wasn't really that bad. The pieces in the shed kit came pre-cut. We just really had to screw the rafters together. Except it wasn't that easy. First, you have to put the rafters together. Here's where you just hope and pray that your walls are straight and true, because if they're not, if they're leaning at all, the rafters are just not going to fit. An inch matters.

So we put the first rafter together. Then we realized I had done it backwards and we had to take it apart again. I was already irritated so off I went to the creek. By the time I got back, Tristan and Rowan, all of 14 and 12 years old, had put together all 6 rafters. And they'd done it correctly. They're really better at this whole thing than I am. 6 rafters assembled and all I'd done was walk to the creek and back. So I felt bad about that and made them their favorite lunch. Tacos. I made tacos, we ate a late lunch, and then we had to get the rafters up onto the barn.

This was going to suck. I am not very strong. Rowan, my younger son, is pretty short and also not strong. So how exactly were we going to get those rafters up there? Tristan. Tristan was how we were going to get those rafters up there. All of 14 years old, but he's stronger than most adult men I know. Tristan directed us and his method was simple. He set up two ladders, one for me, one for Rowan. We would be outside the barn across from each other. Tristan would lift the rafter into place, we would hold it, he would get his drill and screw it down.

Placing them worried me. What if they weren't exactly where they needed to be? But Tristan anticipated that problem. He got out his tape measure and marked exactly where each rafter would go. No more stalling, I guess. Rowan and I took up our positions. Tristan lifted the first rafter with ease. The side walls are 6 feet high, but somehow he managed to get that rafter up there. We held it in place, he screwed it in, and that was that. The first rafter was in place.

Five left. I really couldn't believe that Tristan just hoisted them up there. I really couldn't. But he did. All rafters were suddenly in place. It helped that the wind wasn't blowing. We briefly discussed putting the plywood up on the roof just in case the wind picked up, but frankly, I was tired. I know, I hadn't done much of anything. Held a few rafters in place. But...well, the forecast didn't say anything about wind.

The plywood could wait for the next day. Right at that moment we had to round up the chickens and figure out where the dog had wandered off to.

Building a Barn: Raising the Walls

The barn saga was seemingly never ending, but really it was only 2 days after getting started that my son was ready to erect the walls. We had bought a shed package from the hardware store and it came with great directions. The directions were clear. Build walls, erect on base. How hard could it be?

Ahhh, famous last words. Those walls are HEAVY. I'm not kidding. So many 2x4s. So much siding. And they're 10-foot walls. It's insane. Also, I can't lift. I'm really, really terrible at it. I can't even lift a jug of water without wrenching my back. So...well, thsi was promising to be a barrel of monkeys. Frustrating and messy.

But we couldn't just leave the walls laying there with chickens strutting all over them. We actually had to get them up. This involved way more effort than I was willing or able to put in. Luckily, I have 2 determined boys. At the time they were only 14 and 12 years old, but they're outstanding kids and they're problem solvers. They are also incredibly strong. They get it from my father. My oldest, Tristan, is particularly strong.

So it was time to lift the walls. First, at least according to the instructions, was the back wall. Which happened to be the heaviest because it had no wall or door openings to make it lighter. It was solid wall. Now there's some fun for you. Did I say they were heavy? They are.

At first, the three of us tried to move the wall together. Tristan soon realized I wasn't as much help as he'd hoped, so I was told to go stand to the side until he called for me. So now I got to watch as the two boys hauled that wall up and over to the base. It was a rather amazing feat of strength for two kids. They never cease to amaze me.

So the wall was standing. Well, it was being held up. So Tristan called me over, made sure the wall was perfect, and told me to hold it up with my younger son Rowan until he got back with the drill. I make it sound like he would be gone several minutes, but the drill was literally 2 feet away. Still, I almost dropped the stupid wall. I wasn't even bearing any weight. I was just supposed to keep it upright. Rowan saved the day and we tried to pretend it hadn't happened. Tristan wasn't fooled.

But he let it go because he needed to screw the wall into the base. He did give me a dirty look, which made me laugh and almost drop the wall again. He rolled his eyes, we all laughed, and then we got back to the task at hand. Tristan took his monster 4-inch screws and screwed that wall down into the cedar base. It was impressive.

One wall down, 2 to go. The sides were actually easier, mostly because there was now a standing wall that we could use to brace the other walls. So the sides were on. They fit on the base perfectly. 10-feet long precisely. Excellent.

Now we were approaching the moment of truth. If Tristan had done his job the year before, the base would be perfectly square and we would have no trouble placing that front wall on the base. That was the theory.

Tristan didn't want help now. He was determined it would all be perfect. So Rowan and I stood back as a single 14-year-old hauled the front wall into place. It was the lightest wall, the one with the opening for the door, but it was still heavy enough. And he just lifted it into place. I held my breath, but I needn't have worried. Tristan is precise in all he does, and this had been no exception. the wall fit perfectly.

Tristan called us over and asked us to hold the wall in place. He screwed it down, attached it to the other two walls, and that was that. We were done. Because he likes to overdo things, he added a few more screws in all the corners.I could not believe all he had done, and with so very little help.

Of course, we weren't done yet. Next would be starting the roof. But we were getting there. The chickens would soon have a fancy new home.