Loose Ends

We interrupt this regularly scheduled financial posting to show something actually being accomplished on the completion of the house!!!  Yay!!  I thought I had shown this picture in the last post but I had not.  These are the tiles I have been making to cover and protect the ends of the exposed rafter tails on the south side.

And I installed a number of them today!!  Now, some may say, that's about as worthless as teats on a boar-hog but you know what?  I like 'em.  And that's all that matters.  It actually looks better in person because the tiles line up with the dark underside of the roof ridges above them and it creates a nice rhythm.  They all fit pretty well too.  Accounting for how much clay is going to ultimately shrink can sometimes be a pain but I've about got it down.  The ends of the rafters had been sealed well and then I applied a mastic over the whole end and screwed the tile to it.  The screws will hold until the mastic sets.  This should keep the tails from absorbing much moisture through the cut ends and protect the ends from the harshness of the sun, since these are on the south side.  I did miscount somehow and lack 4 to complete the clerestory rafters.  That is easily remedied and will just have to fire one more time to get them done.  So, as soon as these are done I will be completely through with the upper clerestory and can take down all the ladders and pick boards.  It's waaay overdue.