The first time I ever used a hammer drill was for the installation of rock climbing anchors in the Rocky Mountains 10 years ago… I never thought I would be using a hammer drill on a regular basis to attach houses and decks to foundations all these years later.
In fact, a huge number of things that I use on my building projects today are like that. I was 13 when my family moved out of town onto acreage and my Dad decided to build a barn. No permits, no plans, and no experience, but my Dad had a vision and we went for it. He bought a used nail gun and a lot of lumber and we made it work… a two story shed with a big lean-to on it to house the goats, chickens, ducks, quail, turkeys, pheasants, and other animals that were a part of our life over the next several years.
Looking back I know that we did a lot of things wrong, but it was a dry structure that served us well for the time being and was part of my upbringing that taught me that a person can get a long way on grit and vision. With a little bit of practice, teaching, and time those early efforts have become real skill and knowledge.
Just prior to building the barn we spent the summer demolishing the interior of our new home and remodeling it to update it from the 80’s look it had going on when my parents purchased it. Fast forward 15 years and here I am buying my own nail guns and saws, and updating people’s homes from the “early 2000’s” looks they’ve got going on. I can’t imagine that the wallpaper my mom installed in that house is still there… I take out stuff like it all the time.
In any case, here I am, still tearing out and rebuilding, and thankful for all the cumulative experiences that got me to where I am today.
