The 3 Biggest Mistakes
You don't know until you try
I make mistakes. Lots of them. Sometimes because I ignored good advice, sometimes because I took bad advice. Sometimes it’s a surprise, sometimes I knew better but just had to see if there was something was missing, for some unforeseen reason it would actually work just fine. Or, if the usual and ‘normal’ way of doing things just isn’t necessary.
Here are the top 3 mistakes that’ve been the biggest, most frustrating and inconvenient mistakes that I’ve made so far;
1) Not Levelling Things
When I first got here it was the beginning of summer. Summer here gets HOT. The property was entirely bare. I was sleeping in a small utility trailer and had no sheltered area to cook, build things etc. Time to build the tin shed kit that was still in the box. It’s a big one, 19X10.
The beginning of the funhouse shed
We cleared a spot for it and began assembling the walls. As it’s coming together it’s becoming a bit apparent that the ground it’s on isn’t particularly level. Since we don’t have a tractor or any equipment to move a large amount of dirt, it’ll have to do. Further along we decide to create wood rails for it to sit on, for more structural stability.
Now the shed is solid. It did work, building it on wonky ground. But being in it is like being in a funhouse. You go in and suddenly you can’t tell which way is up. That’s okay. What’s less fun was when the outhouse wasn’t on level ground. The funhouse effect without the fun. Thank goodness we got a tractor and dug a new hole - and levelled it! No more slipping off of the seat.
2) Water - mistakes all-round
In the beginning water came from a town nearby. Brought up in containers. Last winter we ran out and melted snow to drink. I treated it with a UV light and boiled it, just to be safe. It was actually delicious!
Bringing rocks down to the spring
This summer we tapped into the spring. It worked - sort of. It turns out that the spring gives way more water than we bargained for and sprung a leak. Also, the water source is 100 feet below the house. A bit far to pump, so for the summer we moved water in barrels using the tractor. It was time consuming but it worked. The water was then stored in a sea can to be used this winter.
Last winter was warm. Warm enough that frozen food left outside thawed and went bad. So, keeping the water stored in a sea can with a propane freezer running made sense. The propane freezer keeps a pilot light going, creating a small amount of heat which should keep things a bit warm. This winter however started with a cold snap. Colder than we ever had last winter, hitting -28 one night. I now have giant ice cubes ready for when spring comes. Ugh. Back to melting snow!
I also stored some water outside for the animals. In drums covered in black plastic bags. The idea behind it being that they’ll stay warm enough from the sun during the day to not freeze. Naturally they too are ice blocks.
3) Building with Wet Wood
When building the house we used thinly milled pieces of wood for the interior walls. The mill is amazingly consistent and can make less than 1/4 inch thick pieces. We gave them a few days to dry before installing and when first put in they looked great! Very rustic and log cabin like. Exactly the goal. A week later something became very apparent. The gaps between them are growing. Now, over a year later you can see the vapour barrier behind them! Wood shrinks. A lot.
Gaps between the boards
In the interim I’ve crammed rope into the cracks mostly for aesthetics. The long term fix has been figured out but can’t be done until summer so, for now it is what it is!
Lessons Learned
When possible, level the ground that you’ll be building on. Or make footings. Given the very un-level nature of the property I’m pretty sure that I haven’t fully learned this lesson yet. I’ll try to skip it again and it’ll bite me.
When it comes to water, expect the unexpected. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, it’ll find it’s own way around whatever contraption you’ve made. Go overkill. Expect that 100 year storm, or that cold snap. If you don’t plan for it, it’ll happen.
Take your time and be patient. It’s all a process. Sometimes you have to slap something together just to get it done. But if you have the time, take it. Let the wood dry properly, the paint cure. Instead of focussing on productivity think of it more as your art.
Learn from your mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up when you make them. Just take in the lesson, and choose if you want to do it differently next time.