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| Warner Having Fun |
17 October 2016
07 October 2016
Pictures of the Stairway in Progress
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| Looking to the South, viewing the North side of the staircase |
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| Looking to the East |
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| Can't jump off on this side anymore |
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| Look at all that PROGRESS! and Beautiful Wood |
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| The Band around the Living Room at the 2nd Floor Level is looking good. |
04 October 2016
02 October 2016
Definition of "Painting" and Progress Update
I thought the painting was finished and I would get a break...however, I was told that varnishing is painting. The varnishing of certain pieces is now finished, mostly some doors and windowsills that are ready. There will be lots more to do...soon.
The earthpipes' retaining walls are completed. And we are getting some more gravel on Monday to complete the exterior 'look'.
The carpenters did come for a day, installed some pocket doors, installed some trim, installed a vanity, and tub surrounds.
The plumbers did come and installed 3 faucets in vanities, set a toilet, and solved some other problems. For lack of some fittings, they could not install the antique tub. And there are only 5 (five) things left plumbing-wise - a toilet, 3 sink faucets, and the antique tub, but none are critical to occupancy.
The electrician came twice. We are close to completion, and need to do an inventory of what is/is not "live".
Also, Warner has come back to work with us to make our living room beautiful, along with the rest of the house, as more of the trim is getting in place. So far he has made and installed the windowsills on the South wall, and most of the 'trim' boxing around the second floor line of the living room.
The stairway parts and railing for the second floor were delivered this week. Warner and Bill will be working on this project Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (at least). We believe this is the main item that stands in the way of a certificate of occupancy. So, hopefully, we will be moving in soon. - by Christmas THIS YEAR!
The earthpipes' retaining walls are completed. And we are getting some more gravel on Monday to complete the exterior 'look'.
The carpenters did come for a day, installed some pocket doors, installed some trim, installed a vanity, and tub surrounds.
The plumbers did come and installed 3 faucets in vanities, set a toilet, and solved some other problems. For lack of some fittings, they could not install the antique tub. And there are only 5 (five) things left plumbing-wise - a toilet, 3 sink faucets, and the antique tub, but none are critical to occupancy.
The electrician came twice. We are close to completion, and need to do an inventory of what is/is not "live".
Also, Warner has come back to work with us to make our living room beautiful, along with the rest of the house, as more of the trim is getting in place. So far he has made and installed the windowsills on the South wall, and most of the 'trim' boxing around the second floor line of the living room.
The stairway parts and railing for the second floor were delivered this week. Warner and Bill will be working on this project Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (at least). We believe this is the main item that stands in the way of a certificate of occupancy. So, hopefully, we will be moving in soon. - by Christmas THIS YEAR!
24 July 2016
Painting FINISHED...Earthpipe Progress...Contractors Are Coming!!!
I am calling the painting finished. There is always the touch-up; and the trim has not been done as yet. But all walls and ceilings are painted. Clean up has started - all drop cloths being picked up, all drywall dust out, all floors being cleaned.
Bill has been working on the last seven earthpipes, building the retaining wall and making the hardware for the outside ends of the pipes. We need a cooler day or two.
Wednesday, the carpenters will come back and work. Then next week, the plumbers and electricians have been asked, and may be able to come and finish their work.
Bill has been working on the last seven earthpipes, building the retaining wall and making the hardware for the outside ends of the pipes. We need a cooler day or two.
Wednesday, the carpenters will come back and work. Then next week, the plumbers and electricians have been asked, and may be able to come and finish their work.
25 May 2016
Drywall and Paint Progress AND Earth Tube Progress
We have completed the first floor walls and ceilings DRYWALL stage, other than clean-up. The PAINT stage on the first floor is complete except for two handicapped bathrooms, and clean-up.
Bill and Keith have been working Saturdays, weather permitting, to build the retaining walls for the earth pipes. 14 earth pipes for the main house and West Annex exit under the ground on the North side of the house and travel about 60 feet where they terminate. Grading has been done and now grass is growing. Work is still in progress as 7 of the pipes are terminated, and the other 7 still need some work.
21 March 2016
Slow and Steady...Still Making Progress and Data Loggers
We are still pushing forward on the drywall and painting. Recently, we have contacted Warner to ask him to help us facilitate a rather good looking stairway, railing and some of the woodwork that will be in the living room. We hope to start in late March and have that accomplished in April.
I gathered the data loggers from their collection points. We had one in the house, specifically in the West Annex, which is not heated or cooled. That logger did not collect any data over the past year. Perhaps a battery or water problem. The loggers outside and in the earth on the East side of the house did collect data all that time. So we have a year's worth of data comparing the outside temperature, dewpoint, and humidity with the 'in the earth' temperature, dewpoint, and humidity without any insulating umbrella.
We collected hourly data. We are changing now to collect once-a-day data in the morning. The reason for this is that we have lots of fluctuations in the outside data, and the 'in the earth' data looks to be a moving average of that outside information. We are also noticing that the 'in the earth' data has high humidity during the summer, just as outside does. We feel we need to do something about this as there may be a leak in the collection area effecting all of the readings. We run a 20 foot conduit into the earth on a slight slope up (1/4 inch to the foot) and within that conduit, insert a smaller diameter conduit which holds the data logger. The end of the larger conduit is a screw cap.
It should be noted that the West Annex west wall (exterior) is insulated with the use of EIFS, but the interior of that wall does not have more insulation in it as yet. And there is no insulating umbrella yet on the house. All other exterior walls of the house are insulated at this time (interior and EIFS exterior).
About a week ago, I place the two working data loggers and a new one. They are outside under the deck, in the garage and 'in the earth'. We picked the garage because it has the umbrella and earth tubes working. The South wall is not finished (inside insulation and wallboard, and trim around the garage door), but is further along than the West Annex. The outside data logger collection point changed from in a crevice in the segmented wall to under the deck because we thought the segmented wall did not record true outdoor temperatures, the stones taking longer to heat or cool.
We have closed the door on the tunnel and have noticed a temperature difference in going in there. It is insulated in the first (approximately) 8 feet, and then unsulated thereafter. We were hoping to have this area cooler and be able to use it as a wine cellar/cold storage area. It is working. It has it's earth tubes working also. Eventually, there will be an umbrella over the house which will cover the tunnel as well. We shall see what happens.
We are still happy in enjoying the journey of building this house. Just wish it didn't take so long.
We had Keith back and he and Bill worked on four of the house earth pipes, extending them and partially covering them and building the retaining wall. Still more to be done there and with the remaining earth pipes.
I gathered the data loggers from their collection points. We had one in the house, specifically in the West Annex, which is not heated or cooled. That logger did not collect any data over the past year. Perhaps a battery or water problem. The loggers outside and in the earth on the East side of the house did collect data all that time. So we have a year's worth of data comparing the outside temperature, dewpoint, and humidity with the 'in the earth' temperature, dewpoint, and humidity without any insulating umbrella.
We collected hourly data. We are changing now to collect once-a-day data in the morning. The reason for this is that we have lots of fluctuations in the outside data, and the 'in the earth' data looks to be a moving average of that outside information. We are also noticing that the 'in the earth' data has high humidity during the summer, just as outside does. We feel we need to do something about this as there may be a leak in the collection area effecting all of the readings. We run a 20 foot conduit into the earth on a slight slope up (1/4 inch to the foot) and within that conduit, insert a smaller diameter conduit which holds the data logger. The end of the larger conduit is a screw cap.
It should be noted that the West Annex west wall (exterior) is insulated with the use of EIFS, but the interior of that wall does not have more insulation in it as yet. And there is no insulating umbrella yet on the house. All other exterior walls of the house are insulated at this time (interior and EIFS exterior).
About a week ago, I place the two working data loggers and a new one. They are outside under the deck, in the garage and 'in the earth'. We picked the garage because it has the umbrella and earth tubes working. The South wall is not finished (inside insulation and wallboard, and trim around the garage door), but is further along than the West Annex. The outside data logger collection point changed from in a crevice in the segmented wall to under the deck because we thought the segmented wall did not record true outdoor temperatures, the stones taking longer to heat or cool.
We have closed the door on the tunnel and have noticed a temperature difference in going in there. It is insulated in the first (approximately) 8 feet, and then unsulated thereafter. We were hoping to have this area cooler and be able to use it as a wine cellar/cold storage area. It is working. It has it's earth tubes working also. Eventually, there will be an umbrella over the house which will cover the tunnel as well. We shall see what happens.
We are still happy in enjoying the journey of building this house. Just wish it didn't take so long.
We had Keith back and he and Bill worked on four of the house earth pipes, extending them and partially covering them and building the retaining wall. Still more to be done there and with the remaining earth pipes.
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