5/17/19
Building Summary: Today a large variety of tasks were completed at Jacobhouse. I started off by neatening the place up, and then I erected the rest of the pocket door frame*. This was followed by my lengthening the shower stub-ups and gluing on their brass fittings, preparing the shower for caulking by removing its layer of protective plastic wrap, and using up some leftover silicone caulking to the left of Jacobhouse’s front door (explained in commentary).
Commentary: Today it was quite warm outside, nearing if not exceeding 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the sun. Fortunately, Jacobhouse now has a fully functioning air conditioner. I set it to 74 degrees, and even through the hottest part of the day, the interior of the container home did not exceed 76-78. I am pleased by this, and look forward to seeing how the unit operates long-term.
As for additional content, I suppose I could write a brief description of what happened while I was caulking the door earlier. It all started with the caulking gun. It is an old mechanism and has definitely seen better days. Thus, when it is time to change the tubes, I have to cut the things out or bend them out with some form of pry bar. That’s where today comes in. I wanted to caulk the shower, but there was still 1/3 of a tube of silicone left.
Not wishing to waste it, I prepared the area to the left of Jacobhouse’s front door, pulled the screw plug out of the tube, and made to expend the remainder of that silicone. Unfortunately, it was not to be so simple. The caulk did not come out, even after I inserted a wire into the tube multiple times to clear the passage. Knowing that I would have to cut the tube out anyway, I got the utility knife and opened the tube.
What commenced was the most primitive application of caulking that I have ever exhibited. I pulled on a couple latex gloves, shoved my index finger into the now-exposed innards and drew out the substance like some form of precious, vinegary smelling frosting. It was as such – with my glove-clad fingers – that I commenced to layer the caulking on where it needed to go. My efforts did not look pretty at first, but with some smoothing and cleaning, it ended up being a passable bit of work.**
Final Note: Tomorrow I intend to caulk the shower and then begin closing in the rest of the bathroom with plywood.
*I also made a brace to fit into the frame so it will not bow inward while I’m putting up the plywood to close in the pocket-door wall.
** I think I’ll still go ahead and do a ‘professional’ layer when I have a fresh tube open