Women Build 2012 St. Paul home week 3

Remember the old adage, “what a difference a day makes”? Well, imagine an entire week! Our volunteers have made great progress on the second floor. Completion of the subfloor has been accomplished, making way for assembly and installation of the four exterior walls – all of which have been sheathed with plywood. The sheathing is the material installed between the exterior wall frame and the siding of the house that adds structural strength. Next, house wrap will be installed to serve as a vapor barrier and then the siding will be put on.

Thursday’s volunteers were working on building the staircase to the second floor. Attention to detail with precise measurements and angles ensures a safe, even and level rise. Jane used a circular saw for the first time as she cut out the notches in the stringers of the stairs for the risers (the vertical ascension) and the treads (the horizontal step). It didn't take her long to become comfortable and quite efficient with the saw. Although climbing the stairs of the scaffolding has been easier than the ladder of the scaffold frame, the completion of the second floor stairs will be greatly appreciated. It will make a safer, more effective and less strenuous ascension for volunteers to bring tools, equipment and themselves to the second level.

Teaming up with Jane on the stair stringers was Kathy, a past Habitat volunteer who was experiencing Women Build for the first time. She said she wanted to do something “socially useful” with her free-time while at the same time learning something new. Women Build proved to be the perfect match for her as she also overcame her reluctance to use the circular saw. Kathy shared how impressed she was with Habitat’s ability to take the unskilled raw power of volunteers, train them in the construction skills needed for a job, and turn them loose to effectively build part of a house. The entire process is amazing and Habitat does an awesome job of educating, leading and empowering its volunteers so well that they can build a house in a matter of just ten weeks!

The rest of Thursday’s volunteer women focused on plumbing and securing the second floor interior wall frames with braces to keep them aligned properly. Because this house is a one and a half story, the side exterior walls are only four feet high, allowing a unique view of the full layout of the second floor rooms when standing on the scaffolding looking slightly down into the house. This birds-eye view provided for an unusual way to see the second floor as a whole end product - seeing the two separate bedrooms and bathroom areas distinctly.

Thanks to Team Leader Jane Casto for bringing out the (RW)2 crew to work with us again and for providing lunch for the day! Last week we had lots of individual volunteers who helped us push out progress upward – literally. Another thank you to our generous Lunch Providers, Barbara Quinn and Tammy Block, who kept our volunteers fed and energized. Thanks to everyone for your support, time, talent and engagement with Women Build. Together we’re providing one more home to a family in need!

Cindy “CJ” Fitzsimons
Women Build Committee Member