Building a shed, step two

Photo by Kim Patch

By Eric Smalley

Session two of three of GreeningRozzie’s Maker Mob to build a small garden shed was all about framing. We framed a door wall and a window wall. Our carpenter, Jeff, steered us through tricky alignments and careful measurements.

Photo by Kim Patch

As always, measuring was paramount. To ensure that the window will end up in the center of the wall, we had to slightly offset the window opening in the wall frame to compensate for overlapping the edges of the wall frames when we erect and connect them. We also learned that a deadhead mallet is very useful for whacking frames-in-progress into square without denting or otherwise damaging the wood.

Photo by Kim Patch

Next up, erecting the walls, siding them and building a roof. Session 3 is this Saturday, August 27, from 2 to 5 pm. If you’d like to join us, here’s where to RSVP.

Building a shed, step one

Photo by Kim Patch

By Eric Smalley

It was a beautiful Saturday to build something. The relentless summer heat took the day off and the threat of rain dissipated. We gathered in Alice’s backyard where a pile of precut lumber waited for us. DB&S, the lumberyard on Washington Street just over the line in JP, helpfully marked each piece with its length.

Photo by Kim Patch

We were there for the first of three GreeningRozzie Maker Mob sessions to build a small garden shed. The first session was about building the base and beginning the framing. Under the direction of our carpenter, Jeff, we cleared a patch of ground in Alice’s backyard large enough for the 4 x 4 footprint of the shed. We laid two parallel rows of paving stones, placed a four-foot length of cedar 4 x 4 on each, and then leveled them. Alice chose cedar, which is naturally insect- and rot-resistant, over pressure-treated lumber to avoid the chemicals.

Photo by Kim Patch

With the base in place, we framed the floor with 2 x 4s, attached it with long screws to the cedar 4 x 4s, and screwed on a piece of plywood for the floor. We also framed the two simpler of the four walls – the ones without a door or window. Jeff showed us some tricks of the trade: reducing the torque on the power screwdrivers to avoid stripping screws, using a chalk line to mark where to screw the plywood to the frame, starting screw holes perpendicularly before lining up the drill for angled attachments, and measuring floor and wall frames on both diagonals to ensure that the corners are square.

Photo by Kim Patch

Next up, framing the walls with the door and window, erecting all four walls and siding them.

A Memory Tree Project profile: John Govoni and Dorothy Giarla

Photo by Renée DeKona

By Pam Sinotte
 

This summer, rainfall throughout Massachusetts has been well below average, leaving much of the state and Boston in a severe drought. It’s been a difficult summer for many plants, including our newer street trees. But thanks to the efforts of Memory Tree Project participants John Govoni and Dorothy Giarla, there are two honeylocust trees bordering Fallon Field that stand a great chance of surviving and thriving! Over the course of the summer, John and Dorothy have been bringing large buckets of water to these trees that might otherwise not receive adequate water because they’re not near homes or businesses.  

Photo by Renée DeKona

Here is what John and Dorothy have to say about participating in The Memory Tree Project:

We have lived in Roslindale for almost 40 years and have enjoyed the evolution of our neighborhood. We decided to join The Memory Tree Project to honor our families and contribute to the important growth of green space on our city streets. Many people have complimented us on our dedication to this effort. Win/win all around.

– John Govoni and Dorothy Giarla

We hope you’ll be inspired by John and Dorothy to join The Memory Tree Project and care for a street tree in memory of a loved one. You’ll be honoring a loved one, helping to reduce Roslindale’s carbon footprint, and beautifying the neighborhood! To sign up for your own tree, go to our home page or email thememorytreeproject@gmail.com.  (To see a close-up of the tree sign, see Eric Smalley’s post Honoring My Father in a Green Way.)