January 19 - Bunkhouse Build Update — A Slower Week, But a Big One
This past week felt slower on paper, but it marked a real turning point on the bunkhouse.
A Full Day Just to Get the Roofing Home
Last Tuesday was entirely consumed by picking up the roofing. Thirteen sheets of 16-foot metal doesn’t sound complicated until you factor in a Ram Big Horn with a 5’5” bed. I use a hitch extender rated to support about 10 feet, which still left roughly six feet hanging out the back.
Everything was strapped down as securely as possible, but it was still bouncing more than I liked. On the way out of the industrial complex, I spotted a discarded pallet. I laid it on top of the tin inside the truck bed and strapped it down tightly. That added weight and stiffness made a noticeable difference, reducing the bounce enough to get everything home safely.
That one errand took the entire day.
Buddy inspecting my tie down security - he joined me on the road trip.
Weather, Guests, and Forced Downtime
From Wednesday through Friday, progress slowed to a crawl. Temperatures bounced all over the place, Wednesday brought rain, Thursday turned sharply cold, and we had cabin guests on site. With people staying at camp, heavy work near the bunkhouse just wasn’t realistic.
Once the guests left, Saturday became the window to push forward.
Getting the Tin Up the Hill
I managed to haul three sheets partway up the hill using the ATV and trailer, but not without drama. About halfway up, where the slope steepens, I hit thick ice. The tires spun and the trailer started sliding backward.
Snow built up behind the tracks just enough to stop a full slide, but from there I had to set up three separate winch anchor points to inch the ATV and trailer up the rest of the hill. It worked, but it took time and a lot of cold fingers.
I decided not to risk hauling more sheets that way. A backward slide into a tree could have destroyed the metal—and that was too expensive a mistake to gamble on.
At least I was able to make it up with one load, although it may have been faster carrying them by hand.
Switching to the Hard Way
Instead, I drove the remaining sheets to the base of the hill. I clamped vise grips onto one sheet at a time, put on snowshoes, and hiked each piece up individually.
Deep snow in places, steady climbing, and lots of repetition. It turned into a solid cardio session and definitely counted as leg day. By Saturday morning, all thirteen sheets were staged at the top of the hill.
Took me about 4 minutes to hike up, less than 3 to hike down... just under 10 minutes total round trip.
Roofing Day One: Getting Started
Saturday afternoon, Monique came out to help get the sheets onto the roof. This was the part I’d been dreading. With snow on the roof and only rafters beneath—no decking yet—every step had to land perfectly.
First task: shovel the entire roof again.
Once that was done, we lifted the first sheet into place. To my relief, it wasn’t as bad as I’d expected. We worked slowly and deliberately and managed to install three full sheets by the end of the afternoon.
Roofing Day Two: Finding a Rhythm
Sunday morning, we picked up where we left off. There’s no chance I could manage 16-foot sheets alone, so Monique’s help was essential.
We’d slide each sheet up as far as possible. I’d climb the ladder and move across the roof while Monique held the bottom steady with a 2×4 so it wouldn’t slide back down.
Because this is Americana-style roofing with rounded ribs, driving screws directly into the ribs doesn’t work—the bit just slips. To solve that, we brought three or four sheets at a time inside the bunkhouse and prepped them on a flat surface.
Prepping the Tin Before Installation
Each sheet went through the same three-step process:
Measure and mark every strapping line.
Tap a small indent on each mark using a hammer and nail.
Drill the holes before going up on the roof.
That prep made installation much safer and cleaner. Once the sheets were in place, the screws went in easily without fighting the metal.
Interior Progress at the Same Time
While I was outside fastening the roof, Monique was inside trimming excess spray foam and making real interior progress. She covered the entire long back wall with plastic vapour barrier, which is a big step toward sealing the building.
Monique is more patient with the tedious stuff than I am.
Where the Roof Stands Now
By the end of Sunday, the roof was essentially complete. I still need to add screws along the far edges of each sheet, but those areas weren’t safely reachable in icy conditions. The roof is about 90% secured—solid and not going anywhere. Once warmer weather arrives and the tin isn’t slick, I’ll finish those final fasteners.
What’s Next
This coming week is all about enclosure:
Frame and insulate the two high triangular end walls
Install all four windows
Close in one framed door opening (the final design now uses two doors instead of three)
Install the remaining doors
Once the ends are closed and the windows and doors are in, the bunkhouse will be fully insulated. That means heat, dry conditions, and finally the ability to work comfortably indoors, regardless of what the weather is doing outside.
A slower week on the calendar—but a big one where it counted.
