82 Comments
User's avatar
DoG's avatar

Noice! Very impressive work there.

I know, just built one last year, but I had to buy everything. I finally tracked down a young man that was offering to build sheds, and worked it out at a huge discount to basically just help me do it. LOL Much easier with a second person. So I had help. But quite a journey, and I learned a lot.

Respect. I'd share a foxhole with ya.

Christopher Cook's avatar

New materials? What are you, some sort of royalty or something? 🤣🤣🤣🤴

"I'd share a foxhole with ya."

—I promise I don't snore (much).

DoG's avatar

Only rule is, don’t think about being braver than me.

Dave Wise (Neoteric Wood Art)'s avatar

Good job! What you did is what my Substack is all about. Upcycled materials are capable of making positive impact.

Christopher Cook's avatar

I just took a look through some of them. Some really lovely stuff. And I am totally digging that sunroom!

Frater Seamus's avatar

You should have made a video of it and put it on youtube, give it the right title and thumbnail and you got a winner. I watch those kinds of videos all the time and they always have a huge view count. But, of course, it would have doubled your construction time to have to film and edit it, Lol

Christopher Cook's avatar

And I also would have had to pay at least 15 of the chickens as union extras. Pricey!

Frater Seamus's avatar

Chickens will work for scratch :-)

Christopher Cook's avatar

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Elsie E Connelly's avatar

Except for the roosters

Christopher Cook's avatar

What they work for, I ain't givin'.

JdL's avatar

Throwing away 4x4's of any reasonable length almost qualifies as a sin. Glad you were able to make good use of materials that almost went to waste!

Christopher Cook's avatar

Totally! Even if you just use them in landscaping or whatever.

See, this is one of the reason I need a big piece of property and a barn. To save 4x4s!

JdL's avatar

My wife and I lucked out when we were house-hunting and landed one with an auxiliary building, about double-garage size, in which I can indulge all my pack-rat tendencies, including hoarding some 4x4's. ;-)

Christopher Cook's avatar

Outbuildings kick ass.

Jacqueline Rendell's avatar

Bravo, my brother!!! 💖

I love that you can both think about cool stuff AND build cool stuff!!

Christopher Cook's avatar

Not usually at the same time, though. 🤣

Thanks!

Brent Naseath's avatar

Congratulations. I'm glad you had so much fun with the project. I find such projects to be a great balance for creative mental work.

Christopher Cook's avatar

It's funny you should mention that. I was wondering whether i should listen to music or glean knowledge with podcasts or whatever, while working. But then I decided I needed quiet to be alone with my own head.

The Mighty Humanzee's avatar

Great job with the trusses. Far less cutting as well, that was good thinking.

I love the “well we’re rolling now just make it work” ethos. We need a lot more of that these days.

Question for you - no footings required for the deck? We have building codes that are so restrictive here, and neighbors who nark.

Christopher Cook's avatar

Thanks!

I would be willing to bet we have such codes here. And maybe it will be an issue when we go to sell. But no, there are no footings. It’s up on bricks at the corners, and some along the sides, and leveled of course. I did the same with the gazebo platform, and that has been just fine for years.

Our neighbors to both sides would never narc on us. And if the neighbors across the street, or a couple houses down, were tattle-tails, they would long ago have tattled on our neighbors’ 30 chickens! I’d bet dollars to donuts THOSE are not allowed here.

I bet my neighbor would shoot a deer with a bow from his patio if he felt like it, too. And I had to put an animal out of its misery with a .22 not so long ago.

No one here is doing anything wrong. The codes, and their enforcers, can get £#€{ed.

The Mighty Humanzee's avatar

That’s great to hear that you have people who are willing to just let you be. On my street neighbors have narced. “I don’t think you’re supposed to have a fire circle …”

After we put out addition on the house the city was supposed to do the interior inspection, went out back and cited us for things not included in the project.

Michigan is like that in the Southeastern tip. Ponderous.

Christopher Cook's avatar

The very thought of dealing with that enrages me to a degree I can barely describe.

Zombie Nation's avatar

I've been wantingto build a tiny house with a loft, out of leftovers. I helped a friend build a two bedroom cabin out of an old barn that we tore down for an off grid getaway. I really enjoyed the project. And I got to paint murals 😁 Brilliant work, you are such a a gracious human being 🫂🌻🏡

Christopher Cook's avatar

You are very kind. I hope you get to build that tiny house! (And I hope someone helps you. Construction is hard alone :-)

Zombie Nation's avatar

So true, It's like weightlifting. One should have, at least, a spotter 😂😎😳

EK MtnTime's avatar

Outstanding work! Big respect for you coming through it relatively unscathed!🎉🥳

Christopher Cook's avatar

"Big respect for you coming through it relatively unscathed!"

The fact that that is a big win is a testament to middle age!

John Mistretta's avatar

This is awesome Chris. Great job!

Christopher Cook's avatar

Thank you :-) It was wasn't always fun, but it made me happy.

just mud by Ron's avatar

I feel ya, Chris. Have an old shed and mini-greenhouse on the property. Scrap lumber and windows and decks, all day long! I feel like our forefathers (and foremothers) were all about, got some found lumber--what do you want to be?! Great job on the build; got some hidden skills there Chris!

Christopher Cook's avatar

Nice! Thanks :-)

How's the greenhouse working for you?

just mud by Ron's avatar

Great; I have a few posts actually inspired from it! It’s really a collection of found windows which were reinforced with lumber from a local sawmill. It's only 4.5 × 6 feet by about 8 feet high. It progressed over time.

But spare lumber and your creativity; it's a blast!

Christopher Cook's avatar

Just took a look. Nice!

We're north of y'all—in western NY state. How do you like PA?

just mud by Ron's avatar

I’m a Pennsylvania boy. We’re settled here in S Central Pa; it's peaceful. Been up to Ithaca, Lake George, and Niagra. Awful pretty up your way.

Christopher Cook's avatar

We are considering the very northern edge of PA as a possibility…

just mud by Ron's avatar

Cost of a house and land should be a plus. We have ‘school taxes’ that homeowners pay, based on property value.

Wendy Elizabeth Williams's avatar

Good work, Christopher!!! I am very impressed by your shed. "Scrounging", it's the American way! It is truly amazing how much waste is out there. When I lived in San Francisco, I was an apartment manager for 6 1/2 years in downtown SF, 1991 to 1997. I was shocked at how many perfectly good and useful items were casually discarded! I would find perfectly good and useful things like clothing, dishes, and other household items. I would never take "yuck" (I'm a discriminating scrounger!) but still, the amount of waste was staggering! Same on the actual streets of San Francisco on the middle flank of Nob Hill where I lived. People would move out and often put items in neat paper bags on the street for inspection. I was not too proud to at least take a look and if items passed my look, I would take them. Discriminating street-shopper and surviver. Again, very good work, Christopher. W.E.W.

Christopher Cook's avatar

💯 The people who used to live across the street threw our such good stuff. We are still using a patio set that they threw out almost ten years ago. We also have an outdoor couch and four chairs from another neighbor. And a giant big screen TV that worked just fine!

Wendy Elizabeth Williams's avatar

Yep and good for you!!! I do not understand it except to say our dear USA is rather spoiled by the vast abundance of riches.

neener's avatar

Nice job. I need one of those. You should ask for a can of paint for your birthday present. Then you wouldn't have to classify it as a purchase, by you, of "new materials"!

Christopher Cook's avatar

Yes—in a ridiculous color. Red shed with lime-green trim.

Hi, neighbors!!

Dave pearen's avatar

Well done !

Visceral's avatar

There is no such thing as waste. Just a lack of knowledge.

Christopher Cook's avatar

Interesting notion. I will have to give it some thought, to think if there is anything that is truly useless…

Selina Rifkin's avatar

Yay for scrounged materials! Husband and I do that a lot. He does electrical, and isn't shy about dumpster diving when someone has a project. Besides, it's a favor to the scroungee since the dumpster fees usually go by weight.

Christopher Cook's avatar

Totally. Electrical is something I have never done. Your hubby is a good man to have around!