https://gordonharris.biz/contact/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/gordon-harris.jpggordon-harris2026-08-06T02:36:55+00:00weekly0.6https://gordonharris.biz/2026/08/05/how-i-came-to-ipswich/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/gordon-crane-beach.webpgordon-crane-beach2026-08-06T02:23:49+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2026/08/05/my-fathers-letter/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/atlanta-journal-718-4021.webpatlanta-journal-718-40212026-08-06T02:22:27+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2025/10/20/install-linux-on-your-unsupported-windows-10-computer/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/linux-mint-qr.pnglinux-mint-qrhttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/windows-linux.jpgwindows-linux2026-08-06T01:48:21+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2025/12/26/a-comparison-of-linux-kde-plasma-distros/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/plasma.jpegplasma2026-08-06T01:47:28+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2014/08/06/finishing-a-basement/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/basement-stairs.jpgbasement-stairs2026-08-06T01:45:02+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2015/05/31/a-deck-lost/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/rear-deck.jpgrear-deckhttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/petrie_2.jpgpetrie_2https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/petrie_1.jpgpetrie_1https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/101_4853.jpg101_4853Pressure-treated decking has been installed. We are able to re-use the stairs, which were rebuilt a year ago. The code requires stair rails when there are four rises, and deck railing when the deck exceeds 30" in height off the ground, so that's next.https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/101_4836.jpg101_4836In this progress photo, we have repaired the damaged wall, and installed Grace water shield two feet up. We lagged the new deck frame to the house. The 2x8 joist are attached with galvanized joist hangers, and vinyl flashing goes over the edge. It in turn will be flashed to the Watershield with Zip System adhesive flashing.https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/101_4827.jpg101_4827The collapsed deck was sitting on 2x4's stuck in concrete poured in a shallow hole on the ground. Here you see the new 10" diameter sonotubes in 48" deep holes, the day before we poured concrete.https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/dca6.jpgdca6https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/collapsed_deck_3.jpgcollapsed_deck_3The house frame has been repaired, sheathing replaced, and covered with Grace Ice Shield. Next, the new deck frame will be bolted to the wall, and flashing will be extended over the deck frame before the sheathing is installed.https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/collapsed_deck_2.jpgcollapsed_deck_2The deck was installed over the siding, without flashing. No bolts were used, and the nails had almost all rusted away. The shingles and sheathing were quite rotted, and we also had to replace some small sections of the framing.https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/collapsed_deck_1.jpgcollapsed_deck_1The deck collapsed in February, but it was April before the snow was gone. The snow load pushed the framing into the soil .2026-08-06T01:44:55+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2017/03/03/table-skirts/2026-08-06T01:44:48+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2017/06/21/pressure-treated-landscape-stairs/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/landscape-stairs-layout.jpglandscape-stairs-layouthttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/101_7589.jpgLandscape pressure treated stairs.To determine the layout of stairs, you must determine the total rise and run. The sum of the run and rise of each step should be between 17 and 18". These stairs have a very generous run and rise because of the slope of the bank. The four stringers are 16" long.https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/101_7588.jpg101_7588Thanks to Tim Gillette for his help on this job. We got it done in 5 days, and and that included moving a lot of big rocks!https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/101_7586.jpg101_7586The bottom of the stairs rest on a concrete pad. The building inspector requested that we rest it on two Sonotubes. At about 30" depth the boulders in the bank were too large to remove. https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/101_7583.jpg101_7583Before pouring the concrete, we set a pressure treated beam under the leading edge of the upper pad. We screwed 6" bolts ihalfway into the beam and the heads and shanks are embedded in the concrete .https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/101_7572.jpg101_7572We poured a concrete pads. for the upper and lower landings, supported by Sono tubes, which will help prevent shifting from erosion.https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/janelle-slope-before.jpgjanelle-slope-beforeSlope before we built the stairs2026-08-06T01:44:40+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2023/01/20/2023-winter-carpentry/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/20230107_095947.jpg20230107_095947https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/heart-soul-new-counter.jpgheart-soul-new-counterhttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/20221227_123347.jpg20221227_123347https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/20221220_145412.jpg20221220_1454122026-08-06T01:44:27+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2023/11/06/sheet-music-shelves/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/wilkins-shelves-reconstructed.jpgwilkins-shelves-reconstructedhttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/wilkins-cabinets.jpgwilkins-cabinets2026-08-06T01:44:20+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2023/11/06/display-walls/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/perry-display-walls.jpgperry-display-wallshttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/perry-walls.jpgperry-walls2026-08-06T01:43:59+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2022/07/03/picket-fence/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/larson-fence-gordon.jpglarson-fence-gordonGordon Harris, building the new picket fincehttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/jacob-peabody-foundation.jpgjacob-peabody-foundationhttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/tpf_1201.jpgTPF_120[1]The Jacob Peabody - Stephen Foster house in 1685 (MACRIS listing)https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/jacob-peabody-to-jacob-foster-1717.jpgjacob-peabody-to-jacob-foster-1717Jacob Peabody transferred the property to Jacob Foster in 1717https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/jacob-peabody-to-stephen-foster-salem-deeds.jpgjacob-peabody-to-stephen-foster-salem-deedsThe heirs of Jacob Potter transferred the house to Stephen Foster in 1752. (image from Salem Deeds).https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/noggin-topsfield.jpgnoggin-topsfieldBrick noggin over a beam in the Jacob Peabody house.https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/topsfield-attic.jpgtopsfield-atticAttic framing in the Jacob Peabody house. The framing and the roofing boards on the left side are original.https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/topsfield-beam.jpgtopsfield-beamhttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/topsfield-summer-beam.jpgtopsfield-summer-beamhttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/topsfield-fence-post.jpgtopsfield-fence-post2026-08-06T01:43:09+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2023/11/16/new-stairs-in-an-old-house/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/105-park-st-n-reading-map.jpg105-park-st-n-reading-mapThe house is circled in the 1889 North Reading map showing the Easton property with this unnamed building between the shoe shop and the home of Dan Eaton.https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1856-north-reading-map-eaton.jpg1856-north-reading-map-eatonCloseup of the Eaton homestead in the 1856 North Reading map. https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/bedroom-20151.jpgBedroom 2015https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/bedroom-2015.jpgBedroom 2015The owner is has happily moved back into his bedroom, with headroom to spare!https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/n_reading_house_front_before.jpgn_reading_house_front_beforeFront of the house before renovationshttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/n_reading_house_rear.jpgn_reading_house_rearRear of the house after renovationshttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/n_reading_house_front.jpgn_reading_house_frontFront of the house, 2015https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/bedroom_1985.jpgbedroom_1985The master bedroom has 6'7" ceilings.https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/phil_front_steps_19851.jpgphil_front_steps_1985The front stairs when the client purchased the househttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/attic_room_1985.jpgattic_room_1985The attic room before it was renovated2026-08-06T01:42:53+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2024/01/29/first-period-interior-railings/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/lummus-stairs-lower.jpglummus-stairs-lowerView from the first floor entrancehttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/lummus-stairs-middle.jpglummus-stairs-middleView of the new railings from the lower winderhttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/lummus-stairs-upper.jpglummus-stairs-upperView from the top of the stairs after the railings were installedhttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/lummus-stairs-before.jpglummus-stairs-beforeStairway at the John Lummus house before I built the railings.https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/parson-barnard-stairs-today.jpgparson-barnard-stairs-todayStairs and railings in the Parson Barnard house today.https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/parson-barnard-stairs-habs.jpgparson-barnard-stairs-HABSFront entry stairway in the Parson Barnard house in Andover, from the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS)2026-08-06T01:42:38+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2024/11/06/balusters-for-an-existing-stairway/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/71a0vkhmml._ac_ul480_fmwebp_ql65_1.webp71a0vk+HmmL._AC_UL480_FMwebp_QL65_[1]https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/sandulli-stairs-4.jpgsandulli-stairs-4https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/open-stairs-before.jpgopen-stairs-beforehttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/sandulli-stairs-5.jpgsandulli-stairs-5https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/sandulli-stairs-8.jpgStair balustersMetal balusters for stairshttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/sandulli-stairs-6.jpgsandulli-stairs-62026-08-06T01:42:29+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2024/11/06/cabinet-with-sculpted-shelves/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/rishi-cabinet-view-3-edited.jpgrishi-cabinet-view-3-editedhttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/61q6x4z5ul._ac_ul480_fmwebp_ql65_1.webp61Q6+X4Z5uL._AC_UL480_FMwebp_QL65_[1]https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/rishi-cabinet.jpgrishi-cabinet2026-08-06T01:42:19+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/2022/01/13/custom-cabinet/https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/mitchell-cabinet-cases.jpgmitchell-cabinet-casescabinets under construction in my shophttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/sarah-mitchell-master-grayscale.jpgsarah-mitchell-master-grayscalehttps://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/sarah-mitchell-cabinet-finished-2.jpgsarah-mitchell-cabinet-finished-2https://gordonharris.biz/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/mitchell-cabinet-finished.jpgmitchell-cabinet-finished2024-11-06T15:59:08+00:00monthlyhttps://gordonharris.biz/about-2/2020-07-14T23:05:17+00:00weekly0.6https://gordonharris.bizdaily1.02026-08-06T02:36:55+00:00