So Close I Can Taste It (or) Bleh Pah Ptoo Cough Yuck Sawdusk

It's been another productive week here; not only did I finish the last of the wiring (hurray!), I also built the header for the nook. While the nook has a lot of obviously positive additions to the master bedroom, it also has a glaring down side: the wall between it and the master bedroom is a load bearing wall. Removing a good 8 feet of space can cause some serious problems; nobody wants their roof to fall down because they did something stupid. Well, I don't, anyway. I guess I don't speak for everyone.

But before I get to that, I have a few other things on the done list. I finished the very last bit of siding waaaaaay up there, which is a huge relief. I still need to caulk nail holes and gaps, and get some paint on everything, but the actual siding work is done. Whew. It certainly took long enough!

As for the bits I need to finish to get the inspection, the electrical work is entirely complete, including affixing the wires to the wall. The plumbing is entirely complete (except for one board that I need to be able to hold some pipes). I've installed the vents and duct for the HVAC (which was a literal pain; I dropped a hammer on my head and bled on things). Electrical, plumbing, ducts... Pop quiz: what does that leave?

C'mon, hazard a guess. Guessing is good for you.

If you guessed "framing", you're right! Hurray! And the only piece of that left to do (apart from a header or two I realized was missing, including the headers over the two doors) is the nook entrance, as mentioned above. After many more hours of research than I expected, I finally found a guide to header sizes based on what the house is shaped like. For an 8 foot gap, the correct size is two 2x10s, sistered together (that means, side by side). Technically, the gap is a bit smaller; I probably could have safely used a single 2x10, or even two 2x6s, but I decided for overkill rather than regret.

So, right now, there are two 2x10s, glued and nailed, ready to become a header. I've nailed up boards for the header to rest on, and measured where I want all the boards to go. All that's left is to brace the roof, chop out a 2x4 and a 4x4, install the header, some short boards between the roof and the header, and... I'm ready for the inspection!

I have to admit, I'm a little freaked out. As I mentioned previously, I've never had to deal with a building permit. From what I've read online, inspections range from a super easy, "Yep, nothing seems to be falling apart, you're good to go," to a frustratingly difficult, "I see you did not follow the letter of this specific, obtuse, and poorly worded suggestion! You fail, sir! Good day, sir!"

There are enough quirks and foibles of the house already, the line between work I've done and work that some other idiot has done is beyond blurred. There are a few things that I fixed a while back (spiderweb wiring ball, anyone?) that aren't exactly to code, since what they connect to isn't to code, but I don't have the time, money, or energy to completely fix everything. I'm not sure how deep the inspection is.

Assuming I pass the inspection, the next step is all brawn, no brains: installing insulation and hanging sheet rock. All the outside walls need insulation, and dozens of sheets of drywall need to be hung on the ceiling and walls. Hard work, but not that difficult. Not that expensive, either; Lowe's is my go-to store for supplies, but I've found a place that not only sells drywall and insulation much cheaper than Lowe's, they also do free delivery, including carrying it upstairs for me! WIN!

So, wish me luck in the upcoming week. I'm going to need it!