(AF) MOVING UPDATE - - Dismantling the Building Pt 1

Many of you may remember from our recent posts, the run around we got from both, Davis Buildings (1-888-502-4086 300SW A Street, Stigler, OK - where we purchased the building) and Morgan Towing, (Muskogee, OK) when we tried to get our steel building moved. We desperately need to get it moved because that building is what will be turned into our Tiny House, and until then, we will be tenting it indefinitely. So, with no other possibilities of professionals to move our little building, and no more time to get permits, what is a person to do? The lightbulb went off when I was standing there, gazing at the building, trying to figure out what to do. Some may remember that I had come to the realization that the entire building was put together with nothing more than phillips head screws! So, I wondered if we could dismantle it and move it in sections. And THAT , our wonderful readers, is EXACTLY what we are doing!

David took the lofts out first.You have to before you can take the roof off.  The first one was a bit of a struggle, but by the time he got it out, he had the mechanics of the building figured out and the second loft was fairly easy. The building is, indeed, put together in foam filled segments that are about a foot and a half to two feet wide. You can take them apart individually or in longer sections. You simply unscrew the screws on each side of the sections (Be sure and save the screws!!!

The roof hasn't been so simple! Although it was logical, we had not anticipated that each and every seam would be GLUED together with some kind of cheap, but very gripping sealer! SO, not only did David have a scary time up on that ladder taking out screws, some of which were put in very crooked, but he had to pry all that tight holding sealer loose without ripping the metal

And then there were the ants. If you ever try this and are allergic to ants, TAKE PRECAUTIONS! There may have been lots of sealer on that roof, but it wasn't enough to keep out the ants, Actually, it gave them just the home they needed. Up under all those seams, the ENTIRE length of that roof, was the largest ant nest we had ever seen! Dave ended up with hundreds of stings, poor guy. And their sting was powerfully painful! If we had not taken this building apart, we might not have known about all those ants until we were living in it, and that could have spelled disaster! Yes, I am allergic to ants and that would have been a powerful lot of ants to be living with in a home!

As we (mostly David) started taking this building apart. Ideas began coming to us, ideas we might not have come up with if we had simply had it moved. Taking it down ourselves has opened up some great opportunities and ideas for us. For one, after Dave got that first couple of roof sections down, the lighting in that little building flowed in! It was wonderful! So now we are pondering different ways to replace a couple of those sections with plexiglass or something similar, instead of the foam filled metal, to give us sky lights. Wouldn't that be nice! We would have to shade them in the heat of the summer, but it would also reduce how much heat we had to use in the winter. This alone could be worth having to move it ourselves, although some more help in the way of some muscle would have been greatly appreciated, especially when we get to the part where we have to move the floor in one piece.

So, that is where moving the little steel building stands, so far. We have the lofts down and three-fourths of the roof. It is going FAR tooooo slowly, but it is going. We so desperately need a miracle, somehow, of more moving time. I am trying to hold up and keep positive, but it is growing harder and harder to hold it together as I look around me at the multitude of my belongings that still needs to be moved and only a few short days left. Please keep the prayers and positive, uplifting thoughts going, to keep us going and for that miracle of extra time we so desperately need. And for those that are wondering about "work" through all of this. David still has to work his 7-day a week part-time home health job through all of this, and I had to completely halt my flea market and online sales to be able to pack and move. That is to answer those that have been wondering and asking.  And yes, we will be painting the outside of the building with a really good, quality paint. Suggestions are welcome!
Thank you for reading our post and have a fantastic day!

Back of building and loft before removing.

Loft after it was removed. The gray is primer.

A peek at what the inside of the loft looks like.

Bracket that holds the loft.

My Mr. Muscle . . . so stroNG!

A peek Inside the roof. Dense foam.

Cool beans! A skylight! ! !

Three-fourths of the roof off. It got too dark to finish, even with flashlights, and thunder was rumbling.