Redwood Deck Installation and Tour of Vermont Organic Farm

Project: Vermont Farmhouse, Episode 5, Part 2



Bob tours the exterior of the farmhouse project in Quechee, VT, where windows have been installed, Weyerhaeuser siding has gone up, and the roof framing has been finished. Also, there is a new bulkhead door.

Installation of the home's standing seam metal roof is also underway. Pat Cloutier (from Cloutier Construction) is on-site putting down some Georgia-Pacific redwood decking. And Bob Ryley is on board to help Pat trim out some columns on the back porch with WindsorONE engineered lumber.

Bob takes a trip to the Cobb Hill Co-Housing Community to learn about some of the farming techniques being practiced.
Part 1: Steel Bulkhead, Cedar Siding and Metal Flashing, and Standing Seam Steel Roof Installation
Part 2: Redwood Deck Installation and Tour of Vermont Organic Farm
Bob talks with Ron Holen from Georgia-Pacific as carpenter Pat Cloutier puts the finishing touches on the redwood front porch deck. Ron points out the advantages of redwood-- it is naturally resistant to decay and insects; it's extremely dimensionally stable; it's lightweight; and it's easy to work with using traditional tools, plus it has a beautiful salmon pink color.

Redwood should always be installed with the bark face up to prevent the grain from lifting up or having it cup on you. Today's redwood is all from second growth trees from the California redwood region.

Bob visits with farmers Steve and Kerry to learn more about the agrarian way of life at the Cedar Mountain Farm at the Cobb Hill co-housing site. Steve and Kerry rely on their Norwegian Fjord horses for the majority of their cultivation, but do have a tractor as a backup. They have 7 acres of farmland with 5 1/2 acres planted in vegetables.

The farm is a CSA farm (community supported agriculture). Local people interact directly with the farmers, buying a subscription for 22 weeks of vegetable deliveries in season. The farming is completely organic with soil fertility based mostly on composted horse and cow manure.
Part 3: Constructing Tapered Porch Colums With Preprimed Engineered Lumber
Part 4: Installing Tapered Columns
The wooded New England setting, with quaint towns and covered bridges, provides the perfect backdrop for building a traditional Vermont-style farmhouse.

Bob works with the Quechee Lakes Development Company to build a residence that hearkens back to the past yet satisfies the needs of a family in the new millennium.

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