First off, the support frame over the stairwell void has been fully installed on the temporary platform that I have built there.

It took me all morning to install 8 short rafters running from the apex position out to the 600 mm frames on either side.

In some places I used 10 mm threaded rod, in other places I used coach screws.

I know a tradesman would just be using a nail gun and placing 75 mm nails in to the corners of each rafter. However, I have to undo these rafters segment by segment as I eventually install the floorboards so nailing is not such a great idea.

In the afternoon I turned my attention to installing battens across the 3 rafter runs that are already installed.

This went very slowly initially as it is difficult to move around on the bare joists.

Also I was marking up each batten timber and carrying it over to a drop saw to cut it to the correct dimensions.

Even though I might install a batten across 2 or 3 rafters, I still want each batten cut mid rafter width so that it is easy to lift later on.

Initially I was doing this with a small blunt hand saw.

Towards the end of the day, as I was starting to hurry, I finally settled on the most efficient production method.

For starters, I laid out four 1m lengths of corrugated iron at right angles to the joists so that I could quickly give myself an easy to walk on surface.

Also I avoided carrying the battens to a fro.

I just clamped them in position, drilled the clearance hole through the batten and a small way in to the rafter below, rolled the batten out of the way, drilled a further hole in to the rafter with a smaller drill and then drove in the batten screws.

Any trimming and separation cuts I performed insitu using a power saw set to a shallow cut.

So far I have 3 large sheets spanning a 4.1 metre length and I have installed the battens needed for these.

I am hoping to come back on Sunday and install the remaining battens for this run and, with luck, even screw down the sheeting.

Sunday

Linda is very unwell with a cold so we did not have breakfast together. Instead I managed to catch up with Ian at the Dome at around 9.30 am.

I was out on site at about 11.00 am.

I decided to install the 4.1 metre sheets on to yesterday's battens and then work out the next section of sheeting based on that.

The large sheeting went on relatively quickly.

I calculated the length of sheeting needed to reach the apex and concluded that I did not have anything suitable to make the distance in one span.

Instead I elected to sheet to the edge of the stairwell void and then use a very short length to reach the apex.

I needed to install 4 more batten runs in order to achieve this and this took up most of the rest of the day.

As twilight closed in I managed to install the sheeting up to the apex but still had not completed the short segment from the apex down to the front of house roofing.

I also had a large number of tools spread out all over the place.

At this point Jim and Sandy arrived with some very tasty chocolate covered fruit from the "Gidgee" farm show day.

They helped me install a temporary cover of the missing apex sheeting and also cover the atrium floorboards.

The area I really want to get sheeted over is the atrium - I am covering this with sloping sheet metal and black plastic but it is taking up a lot of my time rolling this back every visit and then putting it down again before I leave.

Also I have realised that I am running out of corrugated iron.