Thursday 14 July 2011 How peace was made with the BI and we moved on

24 hours talking about the BI, the Building Inspector: our Master Builder is outraged that the Building Inspector is questioning his authority to grade lumber, somehow expects the Grader to guarantee that the lumber is 19% humidity which is the standard set in the National Building Code. However, a wood grader only has to guarantee that wood is of structural quality: the humidity is the BI's problem and he'd need a special tool to establish humidity and anyway humidity in wood changes dramatically very quickly... So, we are quietly making lumber when the BI arrives and comes to a halt on our road. Sainte-Anne neighbour, Sherman Touchburn, you see in the photos for yesterday. We drop tools and drive ahead of the BI to inspect the site. Not a word is said about humidity in the wood. The BI seems to be limping: has a damaged knee! How can he do his job in such a state? 5600 kms claimed in one month! His territory is huge. The MB quietly awaits the BI's judgement on the garage. The BI isn't harassed, isn't even challenged. I've even filled in the little holes made by the snap ties... So, it's a "Carry on working, boys! Carry on, Michael!" Michael? The BI must have discovered that the MB has his reputation and knows wood. The BI limps off the site, doesn't sign anything (so I do), and the crisis is over. All we need now is an address which he can get for us. We've all come to an understanding, I hope. Cause for a little celebration as we move on to the framing of the walls and the roof, the real challenge...