Mar
29
2014

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Building the Solar Shed, Part Six: Interior & Site Grading

by Tara

Today, we started sheathing the interior of the solar shed with utilitarian plywood. As usual, I took the measuring duties while Tyler did the sawing. First, I marked each sheet to fit its designated location, then outlined the spaces we'd need to remove for outlet boxes and light switches. Then, Tyler cut everything to size and mounted each completed section.

Drilling Out Light Switch Hole Light Switch Box Wiring Outlet Tyler Sawing Plywood

In the middle of this process, I noticed a small trickle of water seeping into the shed. The grading around the foundation needs some work, but with the ground still frozen there isn't much we can do about it yet. Even so, we headed out with a shovel to hack away at the hard muddy ground on the west side of the foundation, hoping to divert the flow of melting ice and snow.

Rivers of Melting Ice

I felt like a little kid playing in a mud puddle as we tried to send the water down the hill on the back side of the shed. If we'd had a walnut boat or a toy excavator, the picture would have been complete! Our attempts were successful. The stream of melt-water is now winding around the foundation and down the hill on the north side. We'll correct this problem permanently in a month or so when the ground finishes thawing.

Melting Ice Around Solar Shed Foundation River of Melting Ice Around Solar Shed Foundation Squeezing out Mop