Basic Framing of the Floor and Walls
After several months of waiting for thawed ground and warmer weather, construction finally commenced in about mid April with digging the holes for the corner piers and building the header and stringer joists for the floor. I originally intended to use 2x8" pressure treated wood for the floor framing, but opted for 2x6" instead in order to keep the west end of the observatory (downslope)a little closer to the ground.
Once the perimeter was framed, the joists were added. Floor joists are on 16" centers except for the area I squared out for the pier which is 24". The floor was now ready for plywood.
Once the plywood floor was finished, I began framing the walls. I started with the two outside walls that would hold the roof rails. I used standard framing techniques, except that I reinforced the studs with hurricane ties on the side walls for added strength.
On to the siding!
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